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New World

The bow is drawn

A story from the T'Kiir'I Empire

Ch 1. Beginning

Tam'yn Yerekon muttered in his sleep as the buzzer went off beside him in his bunk in the senior crew quarters on board the M'Kereos; an exploration vessel of the T'Kiir'i Empire out on its first voyage of discovery.

Opening one eye, he rolled onto his back and looked up at the underside of the upper bunk, where the comms screen was set. The buzz came again and the screen flashed bright orange, the color of alarms and danger. Why he was being called momentarily eluded him until he saw in the corner of the screen the source of the alarm; the main reactor space. It wasn't more than a few ketra away from his current location. Why was he being called? Couldn't someone simply come around and knock on the door or use the announcer beside it to call him?

He spoke a word, "Open," and the buzzing and flashing went away; to be replaced on the view-screen by the Second Engineer's worried face. Both ears were half-lowered and his eyes were wide with concern or perhaps...fear.

That boded ill. The Second Engineering officer was as good as he was at most things. The only reason he was Second was that he had joined the ship half a segment after Tam'yn had come aboard as Ship Engineer First rank; and that had been just after the M'Kereos had gone through its refit and upgrading to modern Imperial Fleet standards with Tam'yn acting as Navy representative and engineering consultant.

"What's happening?" he asked groggily, still in the process of waking. Second's response finished that waking process faster than natural and faster than he would have desired in any instance.

"Main Reactor is overheating and we can't get it to shut down," Second replied nervously, "and we can't stop the inflow of invert matter either; one valve acts like it's stuck part way open."

Tam'yn's eyes flew open and he was now fully awake. "On my way now," he said as he slid out of his sleep space and onto his feet. Quickly, he slipped into his old shipsuit and foot covers. His tail automatically slid down the right leg of the shipsuit as he pulled them up over his legs and closed it in front: being the fourth officer on a newly rebuilt starship meant you had to stay properly in shipsuit when doing your work as an example to others, and as protection for yourself.

Those others could leap out an airlock at superluminal velocity as far as he was concerned, but propriety-as-safety had to be preserved--especially in an emergency like this.

When he had all but run to the power room (a distance of less than ten ketra), he realized that "propriety" was less important to others than it was to himself, given the varying degrees of clothing or lack thereof being displayed by the people already in the power room. It looked like remnants of all three tours were present in the control room overlooking the main reactor in varying degrees dress or undress, either drawn by the alarms in the crew section or simple (and worried) curiosity.

The safety barrier was down, isolating the control room from the reactor space. One glance at the main reactor snapped his own ears flat against his skull. The central reaction vessel was beginning to glow with heat, and the magnetic manifolds that carried the inverted matter to the reactor were starting to heat up too. Get those too hot and the magnetic containment fields would fail and inverted matter would touch normal matter and the M'Kereos would vanish in a brief but nearly stellar-quality explosion.

Quickly, he hurried to the engineering hologram and studied the reportage there. Not good; the main reactor symbol was flashing orange and yellow, telling of overheating systems and one of the two feed valve symbols was a dead black in color; indicating a systems failure. The Second Engineer was at the hologram too, as per Navy regulations.

Rintallan quickly recited what he had done and what had happened, and Tam'yn paused for a moment... the Second engineer had done a proper "scram" shutdown of things, but not all of the systems had done what they had been told to do.

Taking less than ten seconds, Tam'yn coded a total reset of the black-colored valve-symbol and then when the image went "reset" blue, he ordered it to shut down again. As the symbol for the valve went from blue to yellow to white, he let a sigh of relief. What the installing crew had suggested had worked. While it was dangerous to reset a magnetic valve in a situation like this, the residual magnetic field would keep the invert matter away from any non protected parts of the valve it was located in, and the valve would get a reload of what was desired of it and probably do it.

The accent was on probably. If it didn't you might get a third chance, but most likely the magnetic field would collapse and the M'Kereos would vanish as invert matter came in contact with the normal matter magnet now lacking its magnetism. Magnetic residual was limited in duration, and while the conduits were shielded with neutronium, the body of the valve wasn't, not entirely. When it was open, the neutronium protection was complete and when it was closed the protection was also complete. It was in those in-between moments that the magnetic fields kept things apart, unless those fields failed.

Tam'yn watched the tell-tales on the system slowly begin to return to normal as things cooled off. The reactor was a different case; it was not only staying hot, it was getting hotter as the last bits of inverted matter reacted with the last bits of normal matter in a dying but uncontrollable process, since what was left was in the feed conduits and past the control valves.

"Start venting some of the reactor coolant to space over the passive radiators," he directed; " that will hasten the cool-down process even if it does cost us water. Return to the standard passive radiation system when the reactor is out of the orange and into the yellow."

Glancing over at the safety barrier, he asked, "Why hasn't that thing retracted by now?" Nobody, including engineer Rintallan, had an answer.

"Computer," he said to the air, "retract safety barrier on my authority: 'Tam'yn thela Q'ri nisoh'." (Tam'yn command- word barrier open)

The barrier didn't move. Tam'yn muttered under his breath for a moment as he stared at the shielding that shut him out of the reactor area.

"State reason for non-retraction of the barrier, please, computer," he asked; now becoming annoyed with the recalcitrant machine. He had the codes to over-ride the thing but the barrier's remaining in place indicated those codes might not work, especially if there were some other danger on the other side of that barrier that the computer was aware of and he wasn't.

"Ionizing Radiation source of dangerous intensity within barrier area," the mechanical voice replied, and Tam'yn looked into the reaction chamber again for a moment before asking, "Computer, what is the location of that radiation source?"

"Strongest source of radiation is near to and on top of fusion reactor 4," the mechanical voice replied.

"Drok," Second engineer Rintallan muttered, "that's where Crewperson Kerel'yn is--or was--working. I gave her the maintenance sheet for that reactor at the start of the watch. It should have either been shut down or shut down on its own when she shut off the magnets. Maybe it didn't."

"It must have," Tam'yn replied distractedly; "a fusion unit can't be opened when it's powered up, and if she had somehow opened a hot fusion reactor we wouldn't be having this conversation. We wouldn't have a power room or an engineering hull, either. It must have been something else."

Hearing a shuffling sound behind them, both engineering officers turned to see a crewperson finishing the sealing of his (her?) antirad suit. "I'm going in there and get her," the sexless voice came from the suit's speaker; "She's my cabin-mate."

Second Engineer Rintallan warned, "Tinterro, just because the two of you share the same sleep space it doesn't mean you have to be a hero on her behalf. Why not let the robots deal with getting her out?" There was a gauging look in Second's eyes as he watched the crew_man_ finish sealing himself in.

The look Second got from the faceplate was answer enough. He sighed and said, "You know she is probably dead or dying don't you, Tinterro?" Then he gestured and added, "Go ahead. If she doesn't make it, you can say that at least you tried."

Tam'yn watched as the radiation suited engine-server shuffled to the safety lock and stepped into it. The sensors on the lock read the crewman's I.D. chip and the suit's own chip and decided it was safe for him to go inside the reactor area. Slowly the lock turned on its long axis until its doorway was sealed off from the control room and then opened to the reactor space. The suited figure shuffled out of it and headed to the lift that would lower him to the level where the fusion reactors were situated. Climbing a ladder in an antirad suit was something to be avoided outside of training simulations; the suit was heavy and made its wearer clumsy. The shield generator on the suit's back and air pack beneath it were heavy and tended to pull the wearer off balance if they didn't pay attention to what they were doing--and wearing.

Second was calling the medical crew, asking for antirad shots for the crew and a sealed litter for the probably dead crewperson. He added a request for a counselor for the crewman who was going after her, too. This is shaping up to be a bad day, Tam'yn thought to himself. A very bad day, and he'd had only three turnings of sleep.

When Tinterro reappeared at the barrier, he was carrying a crewperson the way one would carry a child, against his chest with her head over his shoulder. While the crewperson didn't look all that ill, there was a limpness and laxity to the body that was not a good thing to see. She was taking an occasional breath, but otherwise she was physically limp and un-responsive.

Two Healer-4's showed up with the litter and a third had a radiation detector on a strap over her shoulder and an injector unit in her hand, obviously anti-radiation serum. Tam'yn hoped the stuff would work on the injured crewperson; the likelihood that the rest of the engineering crew had been exposed was small enough to discount, since the radiation warning alarms in the control room were silent. He turned to the ship's hologram at the engineering control station and verified that the control room was indeed safe and non-radioactive.

Second was at the main shield, entering the override code to make it open. As soon as the limp crewperson was on the litter and had received the first antirad injection, an energy shield went up around the litter and the two litter carriers hurried out of the control room toward the Healing section on this level.

The crewperson in the antirad suit was being checked by Second and the other Healer-4 with a radiation detector. They shook their heads and pointed to the safety lock where the rescuer had entered the radiation contaminated space. The suit was more radioactive than Rintallan liked and thus would have to be decontaminated before its occupant could take it off. To emphasize this point, he dropped the safety barrier again, thus making decontamination a necessity if the suit-wearer wanted to re-enter the rest of the ship. Almost sulking, the rescuer walked into the lock and started the decontamination process. Anti-rad sprays began spraying the protective suit.

Tam'yn heard a voice ask "What's happening here?" and spun to face the First Ship's Officer ( the Captain). He made the slight bow and salute protocol required and then replied, "Second can start the report since he was here and then we can finish it together. Basically, we may have lost a crewperson and there is severe non-related damage to the Invert-matter reactor. Something is very, very wrong here and we're in the middle of it," he concluded.

Second Engineer Rintallan began the explanation: "We were running fine, everything in the blue, and the new reactor was functioning perfectly. I had assigned maintenance of fusion reactor four to Able Crewperson Kerel'yn. She's good with the old helium-makers and can do an inspection in less time than anyone else on this watch. She was down there when the invert-reactor started overheating and then suddenly the safety barrier dropped and we got a general radiation warning. I called Engineering First Tam'yn and tried to keep the invert-reactor from melting down and breaching. Then Engineering First arrived..." he paused and glanced at Tam'yn.

Tam'yn took up the recitation. "I arrived and saw what Second has described, a dropped barrier and a failing reactor. When I checked the control panel I saw that one valve in the inverted matter feed stream--the last one in line before the reactor--was stuck part way open and letting some invert matter through. I don't think it was open very far; maybe four or five percent, but that was enough to sustain the reaction and keep the main vessel heating up."

He snatched a nervous breath and continued, "Since the valve was stuck and starting to fail from the heat, I tried something I'd learned when the reactor was being installed; I tried resetting it and seeing what would happen when a new shut down command hit it. Fortunately it worked that time and the valve finally sealed and stopped the flow of invert matter to the reactor. I also called for venting the reactor coolant over the radiators and into space instead of continuing the use of the passive radiation system alone. It cost us water, but it cooled the main reactor fast enough to keep it from failing."

The Captain stared at Tam'yn and carefully asked, "You reset the valve? You cut power to the valve with invert matter still in it? Would you mind explaining your reasoning in this situation?" Although his voice remained calm, there was an undercurrent of "this better be good" in the his voice.

Tam'yn nodded a bit nervously and replied, "When the installation crew was putting the invert matter system into the ship, they showed me that these new inverted matter valves have several backups built into them. One of these is a set of capacitors that smoothes out the power going to valve and its control system, and how long that power will last when the thing is de-energized, usually for maintenance. It takes ten beats to reboot one of these valves, and the capacitors will hold the magnetic field roughly twelve to fifteen beats; so the magnetic field may weaken, but it will hold the invert matter away from the non-neutronium plated areas of the valve body for at least that long. I figured that since we would blow up if we didn't stop the reaction, it was worth the risk. The reset allowed the valve to close and the magnetic fields held, and so we survived."

Then he shrugged. "How Kerel'yn got exposed to hard radiation from a fusion reactor is a mystery. They're nearly as clean as these inverted matter reactors, only these new invert reactors don't make helium out of hydrogen."

There was a strange noise behind him and Tam'yn spun around to see the occupant of the antirad suit frantically struggling to get out of it. Once the crewperson was free, Second engineer Rintallan nodded and the crewperson set off toward the medical area at a run, now that he was free of the suit's encumbrance. Tam'yn then turned back to face the ship's First and came to attention. He was more than a little nervous.

The First ship's officer stared at Tam'yn again, only this time with measuring admiration. His only comment was, "Excellent work, both of you. Find me the source of that radiation and tell me what it is. I'll be either in my ready room or medical area; that's where I'm going now."

He saluted and both engineers and the rest of the onlookers returned it, then spun on his toes and left the engineering space.

Second smiled a little, "You're in for it now. A medal for certain and probably a promotion." His voice held a brittle tone, tightly controlled. Then he smiled again, more a grimace this time; "That will mean that I'll get Engineer First position, once you're an officer and up in the main hull." He asked, "May I look around my new lodgings when you're not busy?" with a greater measure of tight nervous laughter in his voice than before. He was beginning to realize what had nearly happened to the ship on his watch.

Tam'yn stared at nothing for a moment, " Yeah, why not. I just wish things had worked out different for Kerel'yn, though. Who was it that went in after her?"

"Tinterro" Second replied in a still tight voice, "We all wondered when he and Kerel'yn moved in together, 'cause he and she are so damn different. Maybe their difference was the key, though; they both became better crewpeople as a result. He stopped his N'aan sniffing and she became a lot more pleasant to be around...in fact, she hasn't invoked the gods' names once since the two became ship partners. I was getting ready to move Tinterro's work-time so they could be on the same watch together when this happened."

He stared at the wall for a moment, finally starting to shiver. "I hope she makes it, even if it means she has to leave the service. It'll cost me Tinterro certain once his re-enlistment comes up, but damn... I--I didn't want to lose either of them, not like this." The brief and decidedly nervous humor had departed his voice once he started realizing what had happened to two of his crewpeople, and by the time he had finished speaking his voice was showing grief and shock as realization was having its way with him.

Tam'yn looked hard at Second. Second (Rintallan) was droop eared and if his tail were free, it would droop too. Every few seconds, the nictitating membranes would flick over his eyes; a response to the tears he was trying not to shed.

"Go see a counselor after you look in on Kerel'yn ," Tam'yn said quietly, "that's an order. You have had a loss to your ship-clan that may double. You know consciously that there was nothing you could do, but internally you are starting to blame yourself. You need to heal to be effective, ship-brother Rintallan. I'll take your tour while you're getting better; it isn't like I'm dying of overwork behind that desk."

Rintallan stared at Tam'yn for a second and then murmured thanks, "I think I really need that counselor, ship-brother; this time I think I really do."

Tam'yn nodded. "I know you had feelings for her too, even though you tried to hide them," he said gently; "and this will hurt you as deeply as it hurts Tinterro--maybe worse. Heal, ship brother; get better."

Tam'yn watched as his Second of engineering headed toward the ship's transporter. He sighed once, he was short on sleep as usual. This job had to be done, though, and he would enjoy getting away from reports and summaries for a while. He might set one of the new crewpeople on third watch to doing it; there were (as he recalled) two new crewpeople who had been clerks before joining the Imperial navy. In all likelihood they could do a better job than he could. He chuckled, they very probably could: give him something broken and he could either fix it or make it into something else. Put a form on a screen in front of him and it was like clearing matted fur. It would be much better to read a complete report and then send it on its way under his seal than doing the whole thing himself. He might even give whoever he settled in the job a pay-raise for "hardship duty". Too bad he couldn't do that for himself.

In the meanwhile, there was work to be done and tests to run. He set two crewpersons to checking over the now cooling invert matter reactor, another two in radiation suits to check out why a supposedly cold fusion reactor was giving off ionizing radiation, and, on a hunch, he ordered testing of all the fuel storage cells onboard the ship, assigning four un-assigned crewpeople to do it. Maybe there was something in the water, since it was not only a coolant but a fuel, too. Useful, having water as a fuel; you could drink it, bathe in it, void in it, and run the ship with it. It also heated and cooled both machines and spaces. It was a very useful substance.

He immersed himself in going over the records of the invert matter reactor valve that had failed. He ordered that it be replaced with one of the ship's spares. In space even one failure was three too many.

He knew he was going to be busy for a while, so first he returned to his quarters to put on a clean ship suit (he'd grabbed the one from the day before when the alarm had sounded) and fresh protective leggings and foot guards. Before he dressed, he took a quick sonic shower to remove dirt and matting and help smooth out his body fur (especially his tail) and nude, had inspected himself in the mirror. Officers of any level were supposed to be an inspiration to their crews. He also knew he was just a bit vain about his body and coat; the result of his childhood (which was also one of the reasons he was in the Imperial Navy).

He saw a T'Kiir'i male with reddish-orange body fur, white points and dark hands, eartips, and feet. His claws were neatly filed and clean and he had cleansed his teeth so his breath would be pleasant and not stinking from sleep as it had been. At least he had been dressed when he responded to the emergency, and not nude as some crewmembers had been. They'd been asleep--or otherwise occupied when the alarm had sounded.

Had a native of Terra been there, said native would have seen what looked very much like an upright fox of roughly 5'8" height with muscular arms and legs and a two and a half foot long tail. Instead of paws though, this fox's forelimbs ended in decidedly human-appearing hands and his hind limbs had digitigrade feet with five toes and no dew claw. They might also note that those extremities had neatly filed claws on the digits (which could extend like cat claws when needed) and the right ear had a single clip on it, colored gold with two wide red bands separated by a narrow red band. That was a mark of rank and not decoration on an Imperial Navy ship. He was the M'Kereos' Fourth Officer and First Engineer. He drew greater pride from the second, or career ranking than he did as Fourth officer. He had earned the Engineering rank himself. Fourth officer was the engineer on the bridge, and with the upgrades in place on the M'Kereos it had become a redundant position. Still, as First engineer, he was automatically Fourth officer as well. He was happy to be where he was, in the engineering hull. The bridge was too...political.

The ship suit he put on was Engineering's deep red color with the ear clip markings repeated on the left epaulette and the colors of its service on the right. They were blue and green diagonal stripes on a black field; the colors of the brand new Imperial Exploration and Survey service. On his left arm near the shoulder was his ship's identity patch: a sword crossing a P'nero branch with a compass rose above them on a starry-black field.

The ship's name, "M'Kereos", was located at the top of the shoulder patch. He was proud of his ship, an obsolete long range cruiser converted for exploration rather than being salvaged for scrap, and he had overseen much of the conversion himself. From an obsolete derelict in storage to an up-to-date science and exploration vessel that still packed sufficient weaponry to insure peaceful travel, he had managed to be a part of virtually all of the makeover and had been directly involved with most of it himself. When it had been a warship, it had kept a crew of over 500 people; now it had a population of just under 300 and used some of the extra space available for detection and science systems as well as more consumables such as extra food, drinking water, hydroponics and air scrubber supplies. The rest of the empty space was for generic storage, should they ever need it. There were extra repair parts for the extra fighters, landing/exploration vessels and shuttles they carried in an enlarged hanger bay. Of the people onboard, 130 were scientists and exploration types. The ship's actual operating crew were only 165 Imperial Navy personnel. All of the rest aboard the ship were supernumeraries; contractors and scientists, the contractors to handle the non-Ship services and scientists for the exploration part of their voyage. Automation had made huge advances since the M'Kereos' hearts-plate had been laid some two centuries ago, and 165 crewpeople could manage or fight their ship more effectively than 500 had managed it a century and a half or more in the past.

Propulsion had advanced, too. When the M'Kereos had been a warship, it had been powered by ten fusion reactors. Now, those reactors were just used for backup power, being more trouble to remove than was considered economical. The new power source was an inverted matter reactor, one of which put out virtually the same amount of energy as all of the ten fusion units it had replaced.

One ketra of inverted matter could run the M'Kereos as long as ten thousand ketra of water, and didn't require the atomic separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen to do it.

They still carried water; they carried extra water against need, should the inverted matter reactor fail (like it just had), and the fuel water storage cells served as shielding against dangerous radiation should the ship's own shields fail for some reason.

You could even drink it, if you didn't mind the flat, stale taste of demineralized water. There were mineral "bricks" placed in some supply lines provided the taste of "normal" water for drinking and for food preparation.

The fusion reactors were still in use, though. They could provide extra power for the survey instruments and could help boost power when the inverted matter reactor was being used at near maximum for propulsion or for defense and more energy was needed.

That was different, not having to juggle the ship's energy needs against what could be generated, and Tam'yn liked that part of things a lot. The people who designed these ships also designed in supposedly adequate power generation capacity for normal demand, whatever that was in their minds. In the past, he had needed to prioritize energy availability when the ship he was in was traveling at superluminal speed. Now, he could just start up a fusion reactor for a supply of extra power.

It looked like those easy days were over and prioritizing was again the rule. He'd had to fight to get the ones he now had made available; but at least he had six newly overhauled fusion reactors for power, although he had only used four of them in testing.

He'd done that on this voyage at First's order; shutting the invert matter reactor down and powering up four of the fusion reactors to maintain speed, then switching back to the invert matter reactor. Since not all the fusion reactors were usable, he'd had to consume more water than normal by pushing the ones he had. They had reloaded more water at their last contact point with the Empire; a small commercial station that served as a communication and supply hub for three frontier planets and was also a contracted Navy service and supply facility for the Fleet's frontier patrol ships at the very edge of Imperial space. In a sense, that station marked the boundary between Imperial space and unexplored space; a sort of border marker in the vastness of the local galactic arm.

Beyond that station was nothing. Stars were thin in this direction for quite some distance. You would travel for a segment before the stellar neighborhood stopped being the galactic version of a desert and started having more stars that might have planets to explore. That was where the M'Kereos was headed on its first voyage.

That had been ten ship days ago, and also the last relief stop. Now, they were a long way from the hearts of the Empire and approaching the limits of the Imperial star-maps. Now, they were doing what they had been built for; mapping and exploration. So far, it had been dull exploration with no potential contact worlds and only two marginally livable planets. The few stars and planets they had encountered weren't even worth mining for minerals. Life had become pleasantly routine and slightly boring.

Then this had happened, and the "pleasantly routine" part of things had abruptly ended.

Tam'yn finished sealing the work suit and fastened the protective gaiters around his legs and ankles. From there, hardened foot protectors made sure his toes remained his toes, rather than mashed organic matter on some floor. Engineering work was dangerous, as the earlier occurrence had so ably demonstrated.

Shaking himself to settle everything in place and to allow the special coating on the interior of the work suit let his fur settle into its natural position, he left his office/sleep space and returned to the control room to take up his duties as Engineer First.

The safety barrier had stayed retracted, indicating that the radiation levels were back to acceptable amounts; and from the railing around the inverted matter reactor he could see that the work crew was buttoning up the inspection covers on fusion reactor four. He counted and realized there were three radiation suits down there, not the two he'd expected. There was a shielded container beside one of them, indicating they had found something, but what that something was would be a mystery until they returned to the main engineering deck and reported their findings and he found out who the number three radiation suit held. He suspected it would be one of the Weapons-Security people, snooping around what might possibly be a crime scene. Personally, he doubted there was a criminal angle, but as long as that didn't affect his crewpeople, he really didn't care.

Currently, ship's power was coming from fusion reactors six and two, the ones next to fusion unit four; not enough to go superluminal, but enough to power the ship's general systems and maneuver at sub-luminal speeds while repairs were going on. Science could even run limited scans on what was left over. A glance at the demand screen showed that was exactly what was happening, and he had barely 2% excess energy available. He shook his head; as long as there was power, the science-types didn't care what was happening on the ship. If there was a shortage of power for their instruments, though, they would complain--even if the ship were engaged in battle. He considered starting another fusion unit and then decided against it. They might need the energy (and the water it came from) to get home.

Returning to the main engineering control display, he glanced at the engineering hologram of the ship and saw that so far nothing was amiss. Still, until certain questions had been answered, the ship was to be considered as "in trouble" and would remain so until it was given a good bill of health by the inspection teams now prowling the maintenance spaces looking for problems and testing the engines and systems before presuming the ship could resume superluminal velocity. That would require starting up two more fusion reactors until the main invert matter reactor systems were repaired.

A flash caught his attention as one fuel storage cell went yellow, then another, and then a third. Magnifying the hologram section where the storage cells were located he checked out who was there. Bringing up his communicator, he called the crew-sign that was showing next to one of the yellow water tanks.

"What's happening?" Tam'yn asked curiously, "why are the fuel storage cells going piss color? You didn't take a leak in them, did you?"

The reply was unsettling; "Better we had; that we can filter out or just use as fuel in the invert matter reactor. This is worse; three of the seven cells I've tested show high levels of tritium in the water...enough tritium to make either fusion or inverted matter consumption dangerous. It looks like someone dumped fusion reactor coolant into the water we refilled with, since that would account for the tritium. I think that's what made fusion four radioactive; tritium will make the inner linings of the fusion chambers emit gamma rays for a short time and will overload the inverted matter system and cause an overheat condition."

"Which is exactly what we had not so long ago," Tam'yn replied unhappily. "Have you checked the cells supplying fusion four and the Invert reactor yet?"

"First one we checked was the invert-reactor supply," came the reply; "Then we started up the line from that one and kept finding one cell after another contaminated just as much as the first one." Then the crewperson asked, "When were these cells filled? Which cells were filled at our last stop? It would save us a lot of time to check those cells first and simultaneously run a parallel check on the ones that haven't been meddled with."

"A moment," Tam'yn replied, taking his communicator away from his mouth and setting his fingers to the virtual keyboard and opening and reading the refueling logs. What he saw was alarming.

Bringing his hand back to his mouth, he asked "You're at fuel storage cell 05-14 now?" After receiving confirmation, he said, "That whole rank of fuel storage cells were either topped off or refilled at our last fuel stop, which would be Planetary Commerce and Service space station 060. That's where the last relief parties went on leave, too."

He continued to read the column of numbers with sinking hearts; "Check string 07 and 08 too; they were also replenished at station 060, although that was just a topping-off operation. Also check fuel storage cells 02, 04, 06, and 09. They haven't been touched since we left our last validation checkpoint. They should be good, and all the -1 and -2 series fuel storage cells haven't been touched since we left the refitting yards. If any of the fuel stores are good, those should be. Let me send you a few more hands and eyes to help you with your work."

"Thanks, First, that would be a big help. Some of these fuel stores are blessed hard to reach in a hurry," the voice replied over his communicator.

Tam'yn looked around the area. The two crewpersons were climbing out of their anti-radiation suits while a third was still on the lift from below with a container and two others were obviously trying to look busy and failing miserably, because what they were was curious. They had already finished their maintenance checks and could be re-assigned.

Calling out to the four crewpersons, Tam'yn explained what was happening and then sent them to the check crew who were now headed to fuel storage cell 07. "I don't know if it's sabotage or just incredibly bad handling, but we have some badly contaminated water in the fuel system and the ship needs to know which fuel sources are safe and which are dangerous. Take sample meters with you and report to..." he glanced at the tell-tale on the ship hologram again, "Enginekeeper L'eshta at location 206-020-205. Do what she says to do and do it fast and accurately. Getting home depends on it."

The four T'Kiir'i grabbed up sample probe and meter assemblies and panel access tool pouches and then headed toward the ship transporter, leaving him with the single crewperson who, having set the sample case down, was just now getting out of the radiation suit he had been wearing. The rest of the engine room crew were working at the tasks that had been interrupted by the emergency. The balance of watchers had apparently returned to their sleeping areas; the excitement for them was over now. Hopefully, it would remain so. He made a mental note to do a safety talk about nudity outside of crew accommodations. If the hull had been breached, the unclothed ones wouldn't have been able to get into emergency p-suits in time to avoid being injured or killed. That was one of the major reasons everyone wore shipsuits; they made getting into p-suits fast and easy. Body fur in a p-suit seal would mean death once the small air-pack supply had been exhausted.

The one remaining person who wasn't actively doing something placed his radiation suit in the decontamination unit and picked up the sample case from the floor beside him. His face was not happy; not at all.

"Greetings, Tan'yel," Tam'yn said politely, "did you find anything?" He didn't particularly enjoy having Tan'yel in engineering; the K'iir was the head of Ship Security, and Security had a habit of snooping around the whole ship and generally making people nervous. Nervous was not a good thing when you are dealing with enough energy to briefly imitate a small star. Worst of all, Tan'yel was a cousin on his father's side; an aristocrat, or such as existed in the Empire these days.

The gray T'Kiir shook his head sadly, "Negligent murder, perhaps, if this is intentional; and total incompetence if it's an accident." His voice held both sorrow and a hint of anger.

Tam'yn's forward raked ears asked for more of an explanation. Tan'yel sighed and went on, stepping close and lowering his voice; "Inside this container is a panel off the inside of the fusion chamber on Fusion four. It's hot enough to cook on. Somehow, it got irradiated with gamma radiation, and somehow it happened to be made of that ancient depleted uranium and cesium mix that was pulled from service thirty cycles ago because if you look at it wrong it gets radioactive again and can stay that way for years. It may support fusion better than anything else, but it's too damn dangerous to be used anymore; especially on an exploration vessel headed for the backside of beyond."

"Hmmm," Tam'yn replied thoughtfully, "the feed for that fusion reactor seems to have been contaminated with tritium in rather serious amounts, and it's also likely that reactor's paneling hasn't been replaced because we were supposed to be using the inverted matter reactor instead. That panel just might be thirty cycles old or older; remember that this ship was in cold storage with only one fusion unit going at minimums to keep the computer cores alive and the ship warm enough to enter. When the ship was reactivated, I was one of the first people aboard and five fuel storage cells were run dry; it was in storage that long. I suspect that the uranium-cesium mixture helped keep more fuel storage cells from being empty simply because it is so efficient. Still, it ought to have been replaced when the ship went through the refit--only it looks like it wasn't."

Tan'yel grew thoughtful for a moment, then asked half to himself, "In that case, I wonder what other surprises we're going to find the hard way?" Glancing over at Tam'yn, he amended, "As an engineer, you're excellent. What you don't know is that accountants pared every single Commerce-bit from the project that they dared to. I was there, watching them; and I almost decided to arrest some of them for what they were doing, or trying to do. Some factions want this exploration business to fail simply because they won't be able to cash in on things we find, while others want it to fail because they see it as siphoning funds away from their own pet projects. Finally, the most strongly conservative Navy groups want this to fail just because they think it's something new to the Imperial Navy even though it isn't. It's just an amplification of the original Survey service that's been exploring forever."

Weary eyes stared at Tam'yn as Tan'yel spoke. He was obviously quite tired and it showed. His breath was also sleep sour, indicating he had probably been awakened by the alarm when the invert reactor started to overheat and fail, and he hadn't taken the time to clean up as Tam'yn had.

Tam'yn stared at the floor for a moment, then looked up and asked, "I was here for most of the refit and rebuild. I swear I was careful...are you saying I missed things?" That was every Engineer's worst nightmare, missing warnings on sub-standard equipment, and he'd been Navy representative and second in-charge of the whole refit process.

A sharp headshake. "Every ship-fitter has piles of brand new but no-damned-good equipment. Sometimes the manufacturer goes out of business. Sometimes a batch of fittings are a little off; enough that Navy yard quality control won't accept them for warships, but they'll still fit or still work well enough for 'non-combat' vessels like this one or the Navy freighters. And some designs are just plain bad, even though they work as specified. Needless to say, they're all cheap, and this job was done by a low-bid contractor because the Navy yards are all busy with the new K'Lorren carrier-cruisers."

He glanced down at the fusion reactors. "Those are probably all right, even with the outdated paneling inside; but the invert matter system isn't up to snuff, no matter how many tests it's passed. Before I came down here I checked, and the maker is prohibited from selling anything to the Navy for three more cycles as punishment for a batch of conduits and valves delivered that later started failing at four times the norm for that sort of thing. Turns out the contractor had falsified some of the continuity-of-coating verification tests so they'd be ready in time."

"You may just have run into one of those," he added as he quirked an ear at Tam'yn; "Remember the big to-do about the K'Kallen? Brand new and half a cycle out of the graving docks and they had to jettison the engineering hull because the invert matter reactor over-heated and was about to blow and the reactor ejection systems wouldn't work? There was nothing wrong with the individual parts, but together they were a bomb waiting to go off... and they eventually did. At least nobody died in that one."

He nodded at the now quiet inverted matter reactor unit poking out of the decking; "Same constructor, same batch as one in the K'kallen, according to the records. I think the serial numbers are fairly close, too. I know the supply valves are not fully Navy-combat standard quality, but I couldn't convince the Admiralty to take a closer look at anything. Could be that one or more of the Navy inspectors is getting paid off," he said in a half mutter.

Looking Tam'yn squarely in the eye, he said "If you wind up dead, I'll be dead too, cousin. I do not want to have to explain to your mother how it was you died on a new ship in a new branch of the service. Your father might understand; but she wouldn't. Not at all, and considering who she is..." he left the rest of his words unsaid.

For the first time in segments, Tam'yn felt the stirrings of old anger. He damped them down. Then in a moment of desperation, he asked his cousin; "Do you know anything about the contamination in the drive systems? Can you tell me if you think we're going to have enough water to get home, or at least to an Imperial planet or service facility; that's something the whole ship needs to know."

Tan'yel shook his head wearily. "This is something new. The water we took onboard at our last stop should have been Navy pure, that's because we're still Imperial Fleet; new service branch or not. The stuff that was tested showed good and pure."

He stepped over to the ship hologram on the Engineering viewer and commented, "Five yellow cells; is that all you've found? I recall the datasheet showing we took on enough water for more than that...how much more is unknown to me since the changes in this ship's capacity with the rebuild and the re-piping involved to hook everything up."

Tam'yn hurried back to the display where instead of three, now five fuel storage cells glowed a dangerous yellow. He swallowed nervously and replied, "When I started speaking to you, there were only three showing contamination. The searchers have found two more while we were talking."

"Better ask then," Tan'yel said with a strangely calm voice. "Ask, and pray to the gods of star and space that we don't have to get out and walk."

By the time the search was over, ten fuel storage cells had been found to be profoundly contaminated with tritium ions in solution and bound to oxygen as "hot" water, probably cooling water from the station's fusion reactors. Two more showed the presence of an organic contaminant called ammonia; not a lot, but not safe to use in either fusion or inverted matter reactors without filtration beyond the norm. Inverted matter reactors let molecular water gas contact inverted deuterium gas, where the electron had a positive charge and the proton had a negative charge; totally the opposite of normal water. When the two compounds contacted each other, they sublimed into pure energy as they annihilated each other, making a lot of energy. That was the plan, but when either normal deuterium or tritium was added to the reaction, the extra particles released could trigger a wild and almost uncontrollable chain reaction as more energy was produced than could be used...or contained.

Some star travelers added ammonia to the plasma discharge from their sub light- speed fusion impulse system to increase the thrust by increasing the mass ejected by the reaction. Instead of being nearly invisible, their exhaust trails glowed red from the extra nitrogen they contained.

The T'Kiir'i Empire did not do that. The Empire used what they deceptively called "Captive Impulse" to move between the stars. It had an advantage in that it worked at low power for maneuvering in port-space and at high power for superluminal travel; reaching well over 10,000 times the speed of light easily and without the effects of relativity on ship or crew.

And it was a T'Kiir Imperial Secret. Nobody else had it; probably because it had been "invented" by accident rather than on purpose by somebody looking for something else entirely. This "accident" had evolved an Imperial planet into a Stellar Empire, and that Empire was still evolving.

Evolution, it was claimed, was a part of the Universe itself as it grew, and evolution was usually composed of accidents that left enough survivors alive to continue their species. That was neither the intent nor desire of the T'Kiir Imperium.

What was evolving on the M'Kereos was trouble, a lot of trouble. After nearly a full day's worth of testing and checking it was obvious the ship was in a very serious situation in a multitude of ways.

Tam'yn was in the First Officer's ready room, briefing his captain on what his crews had discovered in their testing and checking. It was not good news. His cousin, the Imperial Security operative Tan'yel was standing beside him. He looked like he, too, had things that needed saying.

"Without question, the invert matter reactor is unusable," Tam'yn was explaining, "since one of the reasons it was starting to fail was because several spots of the neutronium lining and operations shielding were detaching and the reaction was eating into the reaction vessel's walls. We might get it to re-initialize again, but I wouldn't give it more than a day's worth of operation before a disastrous failure and our becoming a small star for a little while. Of the fusion reactors, seven of them are usable. The other three were partially stripped at some time in the past; not deliberately, I think, but they have been cannibalized to the point that we cannot use them for power generation. The liners are incomplete and we don't have any proper replacements, although we could exchange things and most likely get another fusion reactor that is usable at reduced levels. Add in that some of the valves and injectors are worn past their life spans and they..." he paused and re-checked things on his data pad, "they aren't even salvageable. They're trash that should have been replaced at our refit when the Invert matter reactor was installed. Instead, the contractor just marked them as refitted on the work orders and the inspectors didn't catch the difference."

He continued, "There is tritium contamination in all the fuel storage cells we filled at our last stop at Station 060. The amounts vary pretty much in proportion to how much water was pumped into them. There is organic contamination in other storage cells; ammonia for the most part. It looks like someone actually did urinate in one of the cells and the stuff was circulated throughout that branch of the system by the temperature equalizing system. That, we can filter out and use the water for fusion. We have the -1 and -2 cell systems in perfect shape; the water there is properly de-ionized and is as pristine as it was when the ship was re-commissioned."

Finally, he gave his captain the bad news. "With the usable amounts of water we have as fuel and the available fusion units we can bring on line now, we can make Lumen 5 maximum or Lumen 4.6 at our most economical settings. That puts the nearest usable Imperial _ _repair facility almost a segment and a half away, since Station 060 is where we were 'provided' with the contaminated water; plus they aren't set up for the repairs we need. Given we are in an unexplored area, we may not be able to go that fast if we have to keep shields up and try to stay invisible as required by Imperial policy. We just don't have the generating capability for anything more. I can bring one more fusion unit online given time enough to do so by switching and swapping parts, but we'll have to go back three generations of fusion reactor for proper maintenance procedures and safeguards. We'll have to deal with linings that are highly radioactive, just like they did thirty-plus cycles ago; but that will bring us to seven or maybe eight usable fusion reactors and a fifteen to twenty percent increase in available power, bringing us up to 75% of design power for the ship using the Inverted Matter system. We don't dare push the fusion reactors too hard since they are for the most part the same reactors in every respect that they were when this ship was placed in storage thirty-two cycles ago. Most of the 'upgrades' were just notations on paper. They'll work, but we can't stress them too hard or they might fail due to their age."

By the end of his report, he was staring at the bottom of First's desk and his voice had dropped to barely above a whisper. Somehow, he knew, it was all his fault; even though the work documentation he had signed off had been in order and correct as to content. What had happened was that the work just hadn't been done. He'd checked the shipwrights seals on everything and assumed that they were more than just numbers on metal strips. Regrettably, that was all they were; fraud on a lethal scale.

In a low voice, Tan'yel whispered to him, "Cousin, it wasn't your fault. Listen to me and you'll see what I mean."

Ship's First had heard and added, "You are one T'Kiir, Tam'yn. I know how much time you spent on the re-fit and I still can't see how you managed to get any sleep at all, what with all the things that were happening. Go easier on yourself and perhaps see a Counselor; the ship cannot afford to lose another expert engineer right now. You didn't do just all you could; you did more than two T'Kiir'i could normally manage. Nobody expects deliberate sabotage on a Navy ship in a Navy yard. Listen to your cousin, Engineering First."

The repetition of his ranking pulled Tam'yn's chin a little higher and his ears a little taller as he turned a little to look at his cousin Tan'yel as he spoke.

Tan'yel straightened into a formal stance and began to speak. "Fleet Security became aware of certain irregularities back when the formation of the new Survey and Exploration division was first proposed. These irregularities consisted of members of the Admiralty stating one thing to the Imperial Court and saying the opposite when they were on home-world's Naval reservations. At first, it just was considered to be normal jockeying and posing for position in the proposed new service. As time passed though, it became obvious that certain Admirals and their personal staffs were working to undermine the whole idea of an Exploration service, even though there used to be an arm of the Imperial Survey service doing almost exactly the same thing fifty cycles back, before the services were reorganized into what the modern Imperial Navy is today.

"When the Parliament authorized the funding and the Empress ordered the creation of the new service, several ideas were floated about the ships to use and how they were to be upgraded for use. The Admiralty wanted retired M'Lessen class destroyers to be used, even though they had less than half the capability and range of the M'Talosa class, of which the M'Kereos is a member. The pro-M'Talosa group won that because the reasoning was obvious; there are more M'Talosa hulls available and they're newer than the M'Lessen class by nearly 50 cycles. They have more range, more weapons capacity, more internal space, and were more amenable to the installation of an invert matter power system than the M'lessen hulls. Basically, they would make a better long range-long duration explorer than the M'Lessen could, and the M'Lessen hulls are first choice for our robotic border monitors because of shape and usable space with the life support systems removed.

"At first, the Admiralty seemed to have acceded to the scheme, but as vessels were brought out of storage and inspected it became obvious that the inspection teams were prepared to find fault with every hull they inspected. When the Parliament sent in their own inspection teams, the findings of the Naval inspectors were shown to be suspicious; in one case what had been marked as a 'faulty feed conduit' turned out to be scratched paint, probably sabotaged shortly before the Naval inspectors paid their call. Since the inspection schedule was posted at the Fleet storage base, it became plain that there was deliberate sabotage going on. Security caught a number of storage crewpersons on one hull that was due for inspection in a ten-day's time, sabotaging a ship so it would fail the Navy inspection. They were dealt with appropriately under the articles of Service. The trials were not open, needless to say. They will never serve on any Imperial-registry vessel in any capacity again, once they are released.

"The next ship due for inspection was this one, the M'Kereos. Our spies said it was rather humorous to see the Navy inspection teams looking in specific areas where they anticipated there would be 'damage' and not finding any. Since there were Imperial Survey members with them that time, they had to approve this hull for upgrades or give away the fact that they had expected to find damage that wasn't there for them to find."

By now, both Tam'yn and the Ship's First were staring at the Security K'iir, their jaws dropped in shock at the revelations they were hearing.

Tan'yel continued. "We were watching as the ship was refitted, and we thought the problem was taken care of since the installation and the materials were supposedly Navy approved and Navy new. We didn't learn about bringing in a separate, non-Navy builder until the hull was on the ways and being upgraded. They were drawing parts and materials from Navy stocks, so we decided to let things go on, especially since this builder had previously done excellent work. We were wrong there. Very wrong. What was coming out of the Navy supply depots wasn't what it was supposed to be; most of it wasn't even Navy-issue. All they had were Navy parts-tags; counterfeit as it turned out.

"Then one operative overheard several people from Admiralty staff discussing various ways to undermine the ship so it would either fail its proving flight or experience a systems failure so that the project would be set back at least a full cycle and perhaps more. The why became apparent; there is a smuggling operation going on and several of the Admirals are involved up to their ears. Apparently, they wanted to retire with more than the Fleet retirement allotment."

"What sort of smuggling?" Ship's First asked with an undertone of anger. He had every right to his anger; the Imperial Navy was held up as a symbol of honesty in the Empire. Criminality--outside of minor infractions such as being drunk in public--just didn't happen in the Fleet. In space, you had to totally trust your fellow crewpersons, your ship, and your officers if you wanted to return home alive. "Propriety" wasn't just for form's sake; it was survival itself. You wore proper clothing for your work or you could be injured. You wore a shipsuit and leggings so you could slide into a survival p-suit in less than 20 seconds. You told the truth because a lie could kill your ship, shipmates, or you yourself.

Duty, honesty, and propriety were more than words in the Fleet; they were survival itself in a place where death was waiting for one small mistake to end a ship and all those on it. Space, especially space between the stars, was incredibly dangerous.

Tan'yel's ears flipped back in anger. "We think it's forced relocation of Imperial Citizens and exploitation of them for labor in what is considered as "unexplored space," he replied grimly. "There are several shady mining and agricultural corporations that are producing more product than seems reasonable, given their recorded labor force and machinery on hand." He'd avoided the actual word "Slavery" but had left no doubt as to what he was referring to.

"Not every colony world or Hegemony planet has the means to track citizens the way we can at home. Some places are wild enough that if a dozen or so people disappear without a trace, it's put down to 'dangerous environment' and becomes a statistic. Even whole settlements can--and have--vanished and the authorities assign the damage to weather or risky locations. There are worlds, non-colonial worlds, where you almost have to be an Imperial Marine for part of the cycle just to build a house and bring in a crop. Some worlds are just plain dangerous all the time; while others have a small population spread out over a big area, and not hearing from someone for a few segments or half a cycle is not considered unusual."

"What makes you think it is...relocation?" Ship's First asked, carefully avoiding the simpler word.

"Some Cortinian smugglers," Tan'yel replied bluntly; "we started putting observation satellites in orbit around suspect Imperial Colonies to catch them in the act, and instead we caught something else. We caught a ship taking off from a settlement and the settlement then catching fire and burning to the ground. There were one hundred twenty-eight people there, from children to elders; it was an old sept-grouping that had split from its Clan and House. We got there less than two days after it happened and found remains in the ashes that were younger than four cycles and older than forty cycles, but not a stick of bone from anyone in between. Total count was seventeen sets of remains, and the remaining hundred and eleven people seem to have just evaporated into the smoke. "

Tan'yel let it sink in for a moment, then added, "And the ship we saw was almost certainly a Navy hull. We didn't get enough data to specifically identify it, but the rough shape and drive energy signature show that it was probably a M'Jera class vessel; a medium-sized troop transport with good superluminal capability. It would be about right for a hundred-twenty, hundred-thirty people or a bit less, with a crew of twelve. There have been a lot of those old transports being sold off since they are not just obsolete, they don't meet Navy safety specifications any more for troop transports and they're too small to be used as fleet supply ships. What most are being bought for is freight transport, like for a new colony's supply ship or an orbit-to-surface lighter for a non-atmospheric freighter. They're good small ships with decent capacity, but they no longer meet Navy safety rules. The independents who buy them get them up to basic Imperial standards and they have a cheap small freighter. They just aren't certified for carrying a couple of hundred people anymore, not that the smugglers care about that."

"We think that the ship's destination is somewhere in the area the M'Kereos is headed for. We think that there are several worlds out here that are being used for illegal activity. Please don't ask me how we know this; I can't tell you because I don't know myself. I was briefed before I came to work here. The sabotage, however, seems to indicate that Security is right, and someone powerful wants this ship to disappear. They almost got their wish, but my cousin Tam'yn either outsmarted them, or he got phenomenally lucky or probably both. He's just like his mother in that respect."

Ship's First asked, "What does Engineering First Tam'yn Yerekon 's mother have to do with this?" His voice was upset and verging on angry due to the sudden and seemingly senseless reference to his Engineer's family.

As Tam'yn winced, Tan'yel explained quietly, "His clan name isn't Yerekon, it's an' Yere'kos. His true name is Tam'yn an' Yere'kos. He's a child of the body of one Karavele'ka an Y'erekos; the Empress of the Sunrise Empire...Our Empress. And, as I said, he's also my cousin."

Tam'yn glared at his cousin and muttered several uncomplimentary things. This was the thing that had driven him into the Imperial Navy. He'd wanted to gain respect for what he had accomplished; not for his mother's imperial status. So far he'd been doing well. Now, all that was Drok (excrement), even if it was truth.

Ship's First reached into his desk and pulled out a coin. It had the Rising Glory sun-symbol on one side and a security hologram of the Empress on the other. He held it up and compared the image on the plastic of the coin to the Engineering officer standing in front of him. The resemblance was quite obvious, although his Engineering officer had his ears backed and was glaring at the Security T'Kiir with venom in his eyes. He was showing teeth in a snarl. His left hand had curled into a fist, and he looked as if he might swing at his cousin any second now. First watched, wondering if what he had been told was true about his engineer's temper and his self-control.

Slowly the hand opened as he calmed, while First breathed a relieved breath. "Means little at the moment," Tam'yn said with a hint of malice in his voice; "I could be anyone's child* and it wouldn't matter. What matters is how good an Engineer I am, even though I'm still angry that I let those failure-prone parts get onto this ship."

Tan'yel shrugged. "They got past the underwriting inspectors too," he replied, "and I know those people can't be bought, suborned, or politicized into anything. Security has tried. Proofing a ship goes through so many hands that no one faction can sneak anything in that shouldn't be there, or so we thought."

"Really?" Ship's First asked, "then what about the invert matter reactor. Your report said it was a sub-standard lot when it was installed. How did it get past the proofing commission then?"

This time Tam'yn replied, "Because the thing was running fine until it started drawing on the tritium-contaminated water. The proofing commission used Navy standard-purified water, not tritium contaminated stuff. That released more energy in the reactor than even the safety ratings call for it to resist. It would probably have been pulled out once we were back from our first mission and replaced with a good one."

*Anyone's child: A bastard with no House, Clan, or Family connections through either parent. The T'K'iir'I society is based on Family, Clan, and House connections. A person lacking those literally "doesn't exist" to most T'K'iir'I. They are usually "adopted" by one of the Temples or "Common Clans" and thus gain Family status.

Seeing the First's ears pointed sharply toward him, he continued. "Based on what I've been able to find out, the invert reactor was doing just fine until it started getting tritium contaminated water. Then it started having little micro-fission explosions that knocked some of the neutronium off the chamber walls and the invert matter started eroding them. If the coating was sub-standard, that wouldn't be surprising. It was just good enough for perfect feed water and standard demands for power and nothing else."

His ears flipped back. "That was probably why we got that tritium laced water at that particular station. We were supposed to head out into the beyond and not come back. Only because we'd been running the backup fusion reactors to test them and engine tender Kerel'yn opened one to service it and released that hard radiation..." He grew thoughtful. "She saved the ship, not me. She triggered the alarms. Otherwise, I'll wager

the invert matter would have continued to eat at the walls of the reaction chamber and we would have had a catastrophic breach as a result. There would be no way to eject the reactor in time to avoid an in-ship breach."

Tan'yel snickered. "Your mother says the same thing, Tam'yn. She's the last one to think it was her own luck that had anything to do with it."

"Ahh, eat Drok and die," Tam'yn growled, "at least we're still running, and if we can find a planet with surface water, we can dump the whole batch of contaminated stuff and refill with planetary water. We have the filters and the reverse osmosis system to clear it up and remove the minerals in it. Those were something new, and I tested them thoroughly since we might need to refuel on less than perfect water stocks out in the back of beyond. We can even drink what they put out if needs be."

Ship's First asked, "Dump the water where? We can't just contaminate surface water on some planet we find. Where do we dispose of the tritium contaminated water first?"

"Vent it to space for all I care," Tam'yn replied. Then remembering who he was speaking to, he added "Sir".

The First stared at his Engineer until that Engineer began to grow nervous. A slow smile crossed First's face and slipped up to his eyes and then continued to his ears. He began to laugh. "This is the single most Drok-coated assignment I have ever had, and I've had a few," he said between chuckles; "An Empress's child-of-body masquerading as my Engineer; a ship that might have exploded if we hadn't been switching between fusion and invert matter, and an Imperial Palace Guard as my ship's Security officer. What a voyage, what a voyage."

Tan'yel shrunk a little at the First's humor while Tam'yn grinned at his cousin with malice dripping off of every tooth. At last, someone else was sharing the joy of being near the Empress. The Security officer's discomfiture was something Tam'yn had known ever since he had realized why people been nice to him and pretended to seek his advice about things. It wasn't him. It was his mother, the Empress. He was a tool in the power games at Court, and that was all he was. He had literally run away and hidden in the Imperial Navy to see what sort of K'iir he really was. Now, his secret was out.

First grew thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I was warned about you before we started this trip, Engineer First; and I decided to accept you because of your career ratings, not your ancestry. I think this conversation never happened, if that is acceptable to you...?" He paused, waiting for Tam'yn to reply.

Tam'yn nodded so hard his ears flopped and his neck sent warnings. "I joined this crew as an Engineer First class, sir; and I would be most grateful if I remained as such." His eyes pled for agreement from his First Officer of Ship.

First saw that pleading and nodded; "Then you're Tam'yn Yerekon, Fourth Officer and Engineering First," he replied, "and that's all you are as long as it serves the needs of Empire and of the Ship. I'm glad to have your luck aboard, whether you think you're lucky or not. We may well need it."

Then, shaking his head, he chuckled; "This is a ship of secrets on a voyage of discovery with sealed orders I can't open till we're past the Imperial Star-map boundaries. We are supposed to be unraveling secrets for the Empire and not carrying our own with us, and yet we are doing just that. Nonetheless, I can't say you aren't fully competent or even superior to your established rank, and if indeed being lucky is a part of your family history; out here luck is a valued commodity as much as competence may be. At any rate, we can't do anything about it, so we might as well exploit it for the ship's benefit. It might just get us home again."

First's smile eased Tam'yn's nerves and he relaxed a little; as much as he dared to do so. He decided to deal with what his First had said about briefings and choices at a later time, when there was slack enough to do so. Now there wasn't; and that was the whole of it.

First asked, "Have either of you been to visit Kerel'yn today? I spent time with her late last night and she seemed to be doing well, given the discomfort that anti-radiation treatments cause. I haven't had a chance to see her today."

Both Tam'yn and Tan'yel nodded. Tam'yn spoke first; "She is doing well, and she is getting cranky about being confined to a med-bed, but it looks like she'll live. I also figured out why she and Tinterro get along so well; both are S'sevi clan. They're the only two S'sevi on board, according to both of them. Naturally, they're happiest in each other's company."

Then he added, "I approved three days relief for Tinterro so he can stay beside her most of the time. I get the feeling they might choose to be more than ship-family after this, even if..." He didn't mention that T'Kiir'i who had undergone radiation treatment and survived were usually sterile after the treatment was over. It was general knowledge among the Imperial Navy. If the two stayed together, it would be more than clan-kindred attraction and he didn't want to risk spoiling that by speaking it aloud.

Tan'yel nodded in agreement, adding, "According to the two of them, they were of the same sept of the clan, but different house-lines. They knew of each other very vaguely as civilians, although they weren't close. That seems to have changed, and for the better. At least it gets Tinterro's nose out of N'aan* dust and keeps her from blaspheming** all the time. For the ship's sake, this is a fortunate thing." He glanced at Tam'yn and smiled. Tam'yn decided not to notice it.

T'Kiir'i believed in luck, and believed it ran in family lines. "Luck" was one of the intangible things that made Empresses out of "Imperial Ladies in service to the Empire." It was something that couldn't be quantified, only observed in action.

Even if Tam'yn couldn't aspire to the Sunrise Throne, he was a child of the body of the Empress, and that might mean he could be as lucky as she had been. Apparently, it had worked to keep the M'Kereos from becoming a brief star as someone had intended when the invert matter reactor had failed. Perhaps that luck would keep the ship protected. Perhaps it wouldn't. But the ship and its crew were alive, and that was what mattered in the end of things.

*N'aan dust: A mild euphoriant and stimulant made from the hulls of N'aan nuts, the T'Kiir'i equivalent of coffee. Occasional use is accepted, but frequent use is frowned upon although not prohibited. It is similar to tobacco in its effects on the K'iir nervous system. T'Kiir'I do not smoke. ** All sailors tend to be superstitious, and the use of profanity is believed to cause bad luck; especially on the maiden voyage of a vessel. Some First Officers won't have a known profanity-user on their ship.

1. Limping on

The M'Kereos carefully crept up to superluminal velocity after two more fusion reactors were put on line. They all were running off of the 06 set of fuel storage cells which showed no contamination at all. Tam'yn had directed that the fuel storage cells showing tritium contamination be physically closed off from the ship's water system and had overseen the locking shut of the physical valves that connected them to the main ship's water supply. When they found a planet with usable water, those fuel storage cells would be voided to space and refilled with surface water from the planet after they had been thoroughly decontaminated. Only small samples of the contaminated water would be kept for evidence of criminal activity when they returned home to T'Kiir'ah.

He then contacted the Ship's First and asked if the invert matter system should be blocked off too, so that there could be no chance of its re-activation. First had replied, "That will require both of us to open the seals on the Inversion unit. I'm busy right now, but I'll be down in the engineering section later in this tour. We'll do it then."

Tam'yn agreed and then ordered that the access panels on the Inversion system be opened up. That would save time and work later. As he monitored the ship by means of the engineering hologram on the main control panel, he heard someone calling his name and turned to see where the call had come from. His ears had given him a direction and angle, and as he walked toward the source of the call, the caller stood up in the space where the removal of several floor panels had given access to the Inversion unit. He slipped past the safety barrier and curiously looked into the opening that had been created and then told the crewperson to get out of the access space instantly. Then he summoned Security to the engineering section.

When Tan'yel showed up, Tam'yn led him to the opening in the floor and pointed at the object attached to one of the actual covers for the Inversion unit.

"Please tell me that isn't a bomb," he asked as Tan'yel knelt by the opening in the flooring and looked down into the open space after moving a safety barrier out of the way. He stared at it for a moment, then started to frown.

Looking up at his cousin, Tan'yel shook his head. "If I said that, I might be lying," he replied; "although whether it is a bomb or not I can't tell yet." As he continued looking up at Tam'yn, he commented, "I take it that it wasn't there last time you looked?"

Tam'yn shook his head dumbly, adding, "The last time those panels were opened was when the proving crew checked the seals on the Inversion unit. That was in the proving yard, and I really don't remember that thing being there."

Tan'yel commented, "Then it probably wasn't, and if you don't remember it being there, you're probably right. Still, though, sometimes on a new ship the Proving Commission will add equipment to give them a baseline for later applications of similar technology. I'll check on it."

Carefully, Tan'yel slipped into the opening in the floor and got out a pouch-light to help him see. "Could you get me a hand scanner?" he asked as he knelt by the object. Under the light he had with him, Tan'yel could see the bars and dots of a parts coding. The marker was stuck partially over an access panel as though it were supposed to be there, but that wasn't Navy practice. Panels could be removed or modified, and this marker would be destroyed by opening what was plainly an inspection panel. That was definitely not Navy practice; parts markers were placed where accessing an inspection port wouldn't hurt them. Nudging the object had no effect. It seemed bonded to the Inverter cover somehow, and wouldn't move or come loose.

When Tam'yn returned with the requested scanner, the first thing Tan'yel did was to see if the stuck-on parts marker really meant anything. Under the scan, several markings showed up that had been invisible in normal light. Tan'yel realized that this marker had been put there to cover the actual identity marks stamped on the cover, and it was just a bit too thin to do the job right. The scanner's screen remained dark; apparently there were contradicting data on the marker and what had been stamped on the panel itself. He studied the panel markings and entered them on the numbering pad below the screen and waited while the scanner accessed its internal memory.

"Explosive, rescue, breaching charge" appeared on the scan screen. He then entered the numbers visible on the marker stuck over the inspection panel.

"Recorder, general data, autonomous" was what he read then. He rubbed his chin; data recorders were not shaped like this in his experience.

"What are you getting? Tam'yn asked in a concerned voice. He hadn't seen the screen or the double identification numbers.

Looking up, Tan'yel replied; "I don't know. There are two different parts identifiers on this thing. One's harmless, the other is decidedly not." Then he asked, "What does a Recorder, general data, autonomous look like?" He then read the identifying number aloud to his cousin.

"One of those?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, then said, "About the size of that scanner in your hand, only a lot thinner and no screen or buttons. We use them on non-critical machinery that isn't quite acting right or are too bothersome to pull apart just to check out for what might be wrong. We download what the thing under suspicion is, and what parameters we are interested in, and it records them; then we download that data to the main Maintenance computers and see what's happening. Why?"

Tan'yel looked up at his cousin and said, "Your luck seems to be holding. The identifier that's engraved into the access cover says this is a rescue breaching charge."

The two T'Kiir'i stared at each other for a few beats in mutual realization of what the thing on the Inverter system was.

"Talk about conspiracies..." Tan'yel said in a deliberately calm voice, then, "This thing needs to come out right now. Whatever it's monitoring, I'll wager a segment's pay that it's another attempt to make sure we don't come back."

"How securely is it attached to the Inverter cover?" Tam'yn asked worriedly; "Can we just lift it out or what?"

Tan'yel shook his head. "Already checked. This thing is bonded to the Inverter cover somehow. We can't just lift it off and toss it; and anyway, there may be evidence in it."

"At this point, I really don't care about that in the least," Tam'yn growled; "Whatever that is, it's right on top of the Invert matter outfeed main conduit and part of the Inversion chamber itself. Neither will act well if breached."

"What won't act well if breached?" a voice asked from behind Tam'yn. He stood and turned and looked at the face of Ship's First officer, the captain.

From inside the hole in the decking, Tan'yel replied, "More interesting things, sir. If this is what it seems to be, we got lucky again."

"What?" First asked as he stepped around Tam'yn and looked down into the cavity in the floor occupied by his Security officer. He stared at the device on the invert matter inspection cover.

"What is that?" he asked, staring first at his Security Officer and then at his Engineer.

Tan'yel replied, "Well, the marker that is stuck on this thing's inspection cover says it's a data recorder, autonomous; and the identification markings part way under it say it's a rescue breaching charge. It also seems bonded to the main access panel over the Inversion unit, and Tam'yn claims its right on top of the main invert matter manifold. He also doesn't remember it being here when this space was closed up after the last inspection at the Navy yard."

"That wouldn't be the last time it was opened," the First said after thinking a bit; "I recall there was another inspection of the fusion units while this ship was in queue for final papers and getting its identity plate installed in the bridge space. The inspectors were using some sort of gas to check the seals on the fusion units and so the whole engineering space had to be evacuated, since the test was done in vacuum. Nobody but the p-suited inspection team was down here then, and my Engineer First was taking his final exams on the ship and its systems."

"I remember that," Tam'yn muttered, "it seemed like a total waste of time since I had already tested for this job; and as I recall, Second didn't have to take that particular test when he signed on. The tests were almost word for word identical to the tests I'd taken before. So were the simulations. I did really well on them since I had already done them once and had studied the critiques about my mistakes. The Admiralty testers seemed surprised that I'd done so well--it was almost like they were trying to find a reason to disqualify me for my posting."

"So they could put one of their own stooges in Engineering First position," Tan'yel growled, "someone who could crash the power system spectacularly while people were watching. That would set the Exploration branch back segments, maybe even a few cycles while the Courts of Inquiry looked at the case." Then he glanced up at Tam'yn and added, "They might not have wanted to annoy your mother, either."

Suddenly, Tan'yel ducked back into the compartment and knelt by the object, shining his lamp under it where it sat on the larger access cover. He barked a laugh. "I think I see how this thing is attached, here. There is a soft-looking flange on the underside that is mashed flat. This thing was just settled in place while the engine room was in vacuum. Replace the air, and it gets pressed down solidly against the access cover. That leaves a layer of vacuum between it and the Inverter unit, and maybe gives a hint of what it may be measuring, if anything."

"That would be primary particles," Tam'yn replied thoughtfully. "Inversion makes a lot of them but they can't travel through air for more than a few ma'ketra, much less than one full ketra. That's why the inverter is that far below the flooring; the distance keeps stray primaries from getting into the crewspace even with the flooring removed for other access needs."

"Can we draw a vacuum in here so we can remove this thing?" Tan'yel asked hopefully.

"No, but we can remove the access panel it's stuck to and then take that to storage hold six and expose it to space there," First replied. "As long as we aren't running the inverter, the access panel isn't critical; and we won't be running the inverter for the duration of the voyage. All we need to do is put the panel in place and then secure the flooring over it."

"What about the weapons?" Tam'yn asked, "don't some of them use invert matter for either power or destructive capability? The backup fusion systems in the main hull can only provide so much power, and most of that is shielding and life support with a little left over for maneuvering. They can't take the main hull super-luminal, but they can power the hyperwave systems if the shields are down. Weapons would be a real strain on them and they have no invert matter capability. You're saying that the weapons system has its own invert matter sources?"

Tan'yel nodded. "They do, and the power angle can be provided by the fusion reactors and the out-and-out destruction comes from invert matter that's already in place in the weapon. They have to work assuming a through-shield hit on the engineering section. The shields have their own backups too, up in the main hull; so not having any Invert matter here won't compromise ship security or its fighting ability."

First gently lowered himself into the opening in the floor and asked Tan'yel to show him what he'd seen and what the scanner had come up with. He was concerned that removing the cover over the inverter might not be a good thing to do, but after he'd dropped to his knees and used the Security officer's light to inspect the means that the device had been attached to the actual cover, he was in agreement that the actual inverter cover could be removed without endangering the ship or its crew.

When he stood up again, Tam'yn was nowhere in sight. He was about to call out for his Engineer when he saw him returning with an odd looking scanner in his hand. This scanner had a wand attached to it and on the end of the wand was what looked like a round coil on a flex-joint.

Seeing First's puzzled expression, Tam'yn explained, "This is part of a training set for various data recorders and their use. It reads what the recorder is doing, passively. Then the scanner it's attached to shows what's happening. I was teaching a class for the apprentices on using autonomous recorders and this is one of the teaching tools."

Then he smiled. "It's a commercial device, not Navy issue; part of my personal service and teaching tools. This may let us know if there is really a data recorder in there, and since it's passive, it shouldn't affect anything the recorder is doing.

The First pulled himself out of the space and motioned Tam'yn to slip in where he had been standing. Tan'yel looked approvingly at his cousin; "Smart, Tam'yn, really smart. Security might want to know where you got that since it's something we could use ourselves."

Tam'yn chuckled, " 'Ser-Kleryan's parts and supplies,' back on T'Kiir'ah. Purveyors of strange tools and odd lots from all over the Commonwealth. Even I didn't know these things existed before I ran across them in one of their catalogs. They work, and in some cases they tell you what you need to know without having to download into a computer. For a repair-business K'iir, they can be time and money savers."

"And this time it can be a tail saver," Tan'yel commented as Tam'yn squatted and started running the ring over the surface of the object on the Inverter cover. For a number of beats, he got nothing; then as the ring passed over the inspection cover, a trace appeared on the screen and in a few moments words and symbols started forming.

"Never discount the obvious," Tan'yel chuckled as his cousin's ears pinked up on the inside. That got him a glare from Tam'yn and flattened ears in response.

"It's reading primary particles," Tam'yn said as he watched the screen. "Since that's a natural thing for an Inversion unit to do..." he pressed a sequence of keys on the device.

His ears snapped flat against his skull. "It's supposed to make an auditory alarm when it's counted a specific number of particles," he said, "and it is at 88 per cent of the way to the alarm setting." Then he added, "That seems to be all it's doing, too; although the transmitter is switched on but inactive."

"That's odd," he added, "since setting an audio alarm usually shuts off the download transmitter to save battery life. It must have been left on for some reason."

Tan'yel nodded. "If we hadn't been going from invert to fusion on the way out, it would have alarmed some time ago; and I'm pretty sure the alarm would be a loud bang followed by a bigger bang as the engineering hull went up along with the invert matter reactor."

"And it would look like an inverter failure," First said in a hollow voice. His eyes were wide and his ears were backed in alarm.

Tan'yel nodded, "And that's why we got the contaminated water when we refilled at the Planetary station. Someone thought that their little toy hadn't gone off. I wondered why there was such a scramble with the hookups and water loading. We weren't supposed to be there, yet we had shown up. I'll wager that's why there was such a high concentration of tritium in the water; they had mixed reactor coolant with it and it hadn't had time to become homogenous throughout the system when the invert reactor started failing."

"Then we can remove the inverter covers and not set it off?" First asked them, and received nods in reply.

Tam'yn added, "I doubt that there are any anti-tamper systems unless they're chemical in nature. A contact sensor would show as an electrical field and there aren't any outside of the recorder itself. Even the download transmitter shows but is inactive."

Security officer Tan'yel asked an odd question; "Has anyone asked for flyer training, or been spending a lot of time on the hangar deck?"

"What makes you ask that?" The ship's First asked curiously.

"Suppose that the download transmitter, the recorder's link to the computer, was instead set to send out a signal at say five percentage points below the alarm trigger setting," Tan'yel explained, "and suppose that signal could be picked up by a crewperson here in the engine room or even in the engineering hull. It might even activate something in the Engineering computer system. One of the fusion powered fliers or even one of the shuttles could be a long way away from the ship by the time it went up. All it would take would be a Lumen two or three capability to get away from the explosion and the shock wave, and most of the auxiliary vessels we're carrying are capable of that."

"Possible," First replied, "but we're a long way from any colonies and at Lumen three it would take close to three segments to get back to any of them. Those vessels are short run vessels and lack the capacity in both food and life support. On standard loading, a shuttle carries six people and has supplies for a ten-day; food, water, and life support..." He paused. "That would give one personsix ten-days of life support, nearly a segment. If there were more supplies on the shuttle..." His eyes grew wary.

Tam'yn added, "We have three long-range scouts in the hangar area, I know that because Engineering had to make up special umbilical connectors for them. They can last up to three segments on their own with a crew of four; and a whole cycle if only one person is aboard. If I wanted to get away from an Inverted matter explosion, I'd use one of them; especially since they are nearest the port-side hangar doors by Admiralty order."

Then he thought for a moment and said, "As I recall, they are all Lumen four capable, although Lumen three is the most economical setting. It would be boring, but one of them could reach deep into Imperial space with what it had on board."

"When can you do an inspection of the hangar and the ships in it, Security?" he asked, now First of Ship in every respect.

"I can start tonight," Tan'yel replied wearily, "although I would like to get some sleep occasionally. Why not just lock out the hangar doors and lock on the safety field until the checkout is done. If they can't get out, they can't get away, and I can detail one of my people to start the checks immediately."

Then he added another possibility. "Our theoretical person might not need to go all that far," he added, thinking fast; "there might be someone waiting for him, following our course two or three light-days away. Where we're headed for is, I believe, pretty well plotted, although unexplored. How we get there is also pretty obvious; even at superluminal speed there are places we just can't go, like dust clouds and dark nebulas. Following us wouldn't be that difficult, and if the shuttle or scout had a hyperwave set on it, they wouldn't even need to be that close."

Ship's First gave a strange order; "You two are having dinner with me tonight in my quarters, formal dress is not necessary. There are things you should know, and I want you in on the operation before things get hot and there is no time for talk. Now let's get this cover off the Inverter so this object can be removed and Engineer Tam'yn can deactivate the Inverter and then later re-seal the covers over it."

Setting words to action, First reached into a pocket on his belt and removed an odd-looking device as Tam'yn did the same. He put it to his right eye and muttered a string of apparently nonsense syllables, as did Tam'yn.

The things looked like small telescopes or perhaps extra-visual scanners, and to a degree that's what they were. There was no optic on the end away from their eyes; instead there was a short tube with a ring of contacts inside. A band on each went from gray to light blue when they took them down their eyes. The Ship's First knelt by a service panel in the inverter bay and Tam'yn walked over to a similar panel on the Engineering console. Tam'yn counted down and when he reached zero, he and the First slid the tube-ends into small holes set among the switches and optical readers on the panels simultaneously.

The devices were optical/verbal security keys; set to each of them and would only work for them when retina, iris, and vocal patterns matched the stored information inside each device. As a secondary precaution, the infra red retina scan had to show blood circulating in a living eye, so a dead eye and a recording couldn't bypass things.

Ship's First and Second officers had these devices, as did Engineering's first and Second officers. Using a security key was the only way to get the seals on the Inverter covers to safely unlock. Trying to bypass this security system would result in the Inverter's being ejected into space, where a destruct charge would render it into small, flying fragments that couldn't be tracked, let alone reassembled into the Inversion unit that had been their original shape.

The making of Inverted Matter was another Imperial Secret and was protected very well. The Captive Impulse generators were similarly protected, as were certain parts of the ship's Engineering computer system. These things were part of the Empire's lifeblood and had more protection than almost anything else in the Imperial Navy, and for good reason. Every other civilization with superluminal capability used sub-space fields to go faster than light, and had to live with the risk that sub-space represented for star travelers; such as regions of space where sub-space wouldn't work or regions of space where sub-space fields could actually damage the structure of normal space. Sub-space fields required much more energy than did Captive Impulse, and you couldn't generate a sub-space field deep in a planetary gravitational field without risking your ship in the process. This necessitated secondary motive systems and the extra weight and power needs that such systems required. Captive Impulse could take a star ship from a planet's surface to multiples of the speed of light with one system and much less power.

Thus, the Empire had a vital secret and it was willing to risk ship destruction to keep that way, and every Navy person knew it. Commercial Captive Impulse was run and managed by Naval personnel on commercial ships for that reason.

What the Empire had, it kept.

Tan'yel felt a faint clunk under his feet although he heard nothing. Stepping off one section of the Inverter cover, he watched it pop up a little.

"I think it's unlocked," he said, "one of the covers just lifted a little bit."

"It should," Tam'yn replied; "they're spring compensated to make them easy to lift and open. You'll need a carrier unit to lift it off and take it to the cargo hold, though; they are not lightweights. I'll go get you one." He put the security device in his belt pocket and walked away toward one of the storage bays while the First of Ship straightened up and tucked his own security key back into his own belt pocket. Nodding at Tan'yel, he climbed out of the hole in the floor and headed toward the ship's transporter. He had a starship to run.

By the time Tan'yel had managed to get the device off of the Inverter cover it had been stuck to and return the cover to Engineering, Tam'yn had locked out the Inverter and bled its systems dry into space. He was purging the device with the ship's supply of deuterium gas when his cousin showed up again, the cover plate floating in the air behind him; a carrier unit notched into it and countering the ship's artificial gravity fields.

He stared into the hole in the decking where the other Inverter covers were swung back against the walls and looked down at an Imperial Secret; the Matter Inverter. It really didn't look like much. In fact, it looked like a pile of parts that had been partially sorted by someone who didn't know what they were doing and then left to sit in the under-floor space. It was about as impressive as a salvage metals dump.

"That thing is an Imperial Secret?" he asked out of sheer curiosity. He knew he was responsible for it along with Tam'yn and the ship's First Officer, but he had never seen one before.

Tam'yn looked up out of the hole at his cousin and grinned; "It isn't so much what this looks like that's the secret, it's what it does and how it does it. It takes normally oriented deuterium carbonate, a hydrocarbon, and makes it into inverted deuterium, using the carbon as part of the inversion process. Then it spits the invert out the far end and we burn it in the inverted matter reactor. That is, we used to burn it there; now the reactor is so much junk and we're running on fusion. At least we can separate the carbon out and fuse the deuterium instead of breaking down water for hydrogen and oxygen."

Then he asked, "Did you get the--ahhh--object off the cover plate? I would rather not re-install that cover behind you if it's still attached."

"It's off," Tan'yel replied, "and it's in a stasis field until I get it scanned deeply enough to risk taking it apart. I did some checking, and if it really is a breaching charge like the number indicates it is, there are 3 an 'ketra of shaped charge explosive in it. That's sufficient to cut through a spaceship's hull and into the life area in one boom."

He indicated the inverter and added, "It would have split that dome section all the way through after cutting through the cover plate over it, and might have also split the cylinder beside it, or cracked it a bit."

Tam'yn's ears had snapped back against his head as his cousin spoke. He replied, "That 'dome' you referred to is the inverted matter reservoir, where the converted deuterium is stored, and the cylinder next to it had a neutronium-lined conduit going to the splitter where the upper and lower Inverted matter injection conduits originate. All that is gone now as 'parts,' and it'll take the better part of four days to put it back together. As far as I'm concerned, all that stuff is raw material to use and see if I can get another fusion reactor online."

"Having to ration power?" Tan'yel asked curiously.

"Not yet," Tam'yn replied, "but if we put on more speed or need to shield ourselves from discovery with the cloaking device; well, both of those things are energy sponges that never fill up. At the moment, I have14% extra generating capability, but either another Lumen or even a heavy sensor sweep will make that disappear and leave a hole deeper than this in its place. Then, I'll have to start rationing energy, and this ship isn't built to do that, not anymore. It'll mean re-programming several service systems, resetting manifold switches, and disconnecting some things for part of the day. Needless to say, our important passengers won't like it at all, so I can kiss any potential promotion recommendations from them a long sad good-bye."

Then he shrugged; "At least we're still flying and still able to do what we're out here to do. That's a major consolation."

Glancing up at his cousin, he asked, "What's with First's sudden dinner invitation? He made it sound like he was going to admit he smuggled a K'Pyri dancer along for personal entertainment or something. Do you know anything, oh Imperial Household Security officer?"

Tan'yel glared briefly and replied, "Honestly, Tam'; I don't know. He was obviously briefed shortly before we departed and I wasn't included in that bit, but otherwise I can't see a reason for this 'dinner' thing. As for the K'Pyri dancer, she's with me, so don't get too many ideas, cousin."

Tam'yn guided the Inverter cover into its place and then stepped out of the space that the now unusable Inversion unit occupied. He swung the covers shut one at a time and when all were closed, he pressed a button on the locking control panel and the covers snuggled together and both of them heard a loud clunk as they locked in place.

"That's done," Tam'yn said in a satisfied voice. "These things are easy to close, but hard to open. I guess that's a Security issue, since every ship I've been on has exactly the same setup over the Inverter system if it has one."

Tan'yel shrugged; "Can you think of a better way to keep curious fingers and eyes out of the Inverter space? Making it hard to get to and easy to close off is simple, given the mechanics of the thing. If you hadn't wanted to disconnect the Inverter, you might not go down there for the entire trip. You can get to everything else without needing to go there, so why not make it hard to get at? I don't know how it does what it does, but I do know the Empire doesn't want anyone to find out; hence the setup you described."

"Speaking of finding out," Tam'yn asked, "when are we supposed to be at the First's table for dinner? Since I'm running two of three work tours while Second is in Counseling, I tend to eat when I get the chance."

Tan'yel snorted, "Sounds like my life, T'am. You need to delegate some of your work so you can eat and rest like you need to. Right now, I have J'sharra going over the flight hours and trainer use for me. She's good, she's smart, and her looks tend to distract most people while she does her real Security work."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped a little. J'sharra Meren'kona was one of the most beautiful females on the ship. Her shipsuits fit like a coat of paint and the way she walked left no doubt that she was a female with a capital "F".

Suddenly, he put two and two together and stared at his cousin. "You weren't serious..." he began, then gave up at the knowing grin he was getting from Tan'yel.

Tan'yel replied archly, "Her religious affiliation is of no matter to the Navy. The fact that she does dance as part of her worship isn't prohibited in any way. She is one damned good investigator and a better deductive reasoner than I am when it comes to ferreting out information from a pile of data sheets. And as for the instance that she likes me; well, that's just the family good luck at work. I don't try to pretend it doesn't exist."

Then the arch look faded and Tan'yel added, "Cousin, if you weren't so damn busy trying to prove that you are just an average no-name no-house T'Kiir; you would have a lot more of a life off duty than you do now. Most of the crew think you're some sort of a recluse outside of work, given that you are ship, ship, ship all the time when you aren't asleep. You never relax, ever. You haven't left this ship since it launched, and you could have, you know; half a dozen times. You watch out for everyone else in the Engineering hull, but never yourself."

Seeing Tam'yn growing angry, Tan'yel shrugged and said, "First dines on the 18th hour like clockwork. I'd suggest the black relief/liberty shipsuit to wear." Then as he departed, he stopped for a moment and turned back to Tam'yn and said, "Take care of yourself, cousin. If you go down, a lot of good people would be hurt."

He departed the room, leaving those cryptic words in his wake.

Tam'yn looked quickly around. Nobody was near. Good. Tan'yel hadn't been overheard. He got back to work and tried to forget his cousin's words.

Tan'yel didn't understand...

At 17.75 turns, Tam'yn looked at himself in the mirror and was a little surprised at what he saw. Two sessions with the sonic cleaner had removed every bit of dirt, loose fur, and skin dander from every inch of his body. His shipsuit was regulation leave/off duty black with red piping on some seams and was the same shade as his leggings sans foot protectors. T'Kiir'i only wore foot coverings when it was necessary for safety or damage prevention. His tail fluffed out behind him the in same orange-red shade as his body fur and had a now neat and spotless white tip. His claws were immaculate and even the insides of his large pointed ears were spotlessly clean. Because the skin there was naturally oily, the fur there tended to trap dirt exactly the way it was supposed to. Not now, not tonight.

What bothered him slightly was what the extra cleaning had done to his face. The planes of his cheeks were prominent where his cheek tufts didn't cover and fluff out. His eyes, normally hooded, were more sunken in appearance than he remembered them being, and were more bloodshot than his norm. His muzzle was thinner-looking than he recalled, too. He was losing weight; not good, because he was by nature on the slender and supple side where work hadn't built up muscle. Now, though, he just looked undernourished and overworked.

"I need to eat more often," he thought to himself, but eating regularly when he was running two tours of maintenance on an Imperial starship was something more to be desired than accomplished. At least he would eat well at the First's table tonight.

Maybe he could move K'Shero up from third tour and split things so that both of them worked a 12-hour tour instead of sixteen hours for him and eight for her. She was certainly qualified; having missed Engineering Second's position by less than ten points in the provings. Both he and Engineering Second Rintallan agreed that she had been nervous about the assignment, not that Rintallan wanted to switch places with her in the least. He enjoyed being Second very much.

He decided to think about that later as he headed for the transporter capsule that would carry him from the Engineering hull up into the Main hull and then over to First's level and section of the arrowhead-shaped main hull structure. As he recalled, there were barely ten steps from the transporter to First's doorway. He would get there just in time, giving his superior officer little chance to examine him before dinner commenced. Afterward, whatever First had to say would keep him from noticing anything unusual with his Fourth officer and First Engineer.

At least that was Tam'yn's plan.

Three hours later, Tam'yn wondered if any plan he made would ever last more than a moment or two before something went wrong and he would have to adapt.

He was now officially Fourth Ship's officer; still in Engineering, but from now on he would be at the main engineer's panel on the bridge, not in the power room in the Engineering hull. He had an officer's stateroom in the main hull now, not the office/bunkroom/study space he had lived in down in the engineering hull. He would finalize his move to his new posting as soon as Rintallan was out of Counseling, and Rintallan would become Engineering First and K'Shero would be Engineering Second officer. The most senior Able Engineer would become Engineering Third.

It wasn't due to his proximity to the Empress, either. It was because despite the problems the ship had encountered, it was still under orders...under sealed Secret orders...to make contact with a planet very far from the Empire and the sapients who lived there.

This was to be the thing that validated the new Exploration service of the Imperial Navy; contact with a space-going but hitherto unknown race of beings past the edges of mapped space.

Tan'yel had also provided a surprise; the existence of a Security base past the edge of Imperial space that was a secret even outside of much of the Security service. It had a fairly well provided shipyard for Security vessels where the M'Kereos' fusion reactors could be upgraded so all ten of them were usable and all ten of them would receive new linings that wouldn't go radioactive under use. It didn't have invert matter facilities because the Security service didn't use inverted matter reactors yet. What they did have were parts for the fusion reactors onboard the M'Kereos and engineering technicians to install them. They also had good water and decontamination equipment for the fuel storage cells that currently held tritium-contaminated water.

There had been something of a surprise, too, when the base had been contacted and Tan'yel had said a few things that Tam'yn and First hadn't heard because they had been requested to step away from the comms panel. Tan'yel had also slipped a data chip into the reader and then collected it when it was spit out again. That was when they had finally been given a heading for the base, or a contact area for the base; that part wasn't clear. They were to head for a certain spot in space on a certain heading, period.

There were rules to be obeyed, however, as a price for Security's assistance.

During their stop, the crew was to be restricted to the main hull and only the Engineering officers would be permitted down in Engineering to sign off on the work that had been done. All external scanners were to be locked out; they would be guided to the landing by computer linkage.

It was also made clear that the M'Kereos was less than welcome there, and the contact co-ordinates were to be erased as soon as they landed at the service area, which was some distance away from the main base.

Tam'yn had the feeling that either his cousin Tan'yel had either called in a lot of favors to get this to happen, or First had used the authority contained in the sealed orders to get the repairs the ship needed. Otherwise they would have had to go on with limited power and limited water for that power.

Going back was really not an option; and once he had seen what the secret orders were, he understood why that option didn't exist.

He also realized why he had been promoted to being a "Ship's officer" instead of remaining just an Engineering officer; he would have to sign off the work, and his rank as Engineering first wasn't quite high enough to allow him out of the main hull alone once they had landed on...wherever the place was.

He had also received a large package from secure storage, only to be opened in his new quarters. It was from home. From the Imperial Palace, to be precise.

His dinner had been excellent, given that Ship's First ate the same things that the rest of the crew ate, but being the First, he received the better cuts and servings of everything. Even so, the meal was a sour lump in his stomach; and he suspected that his cousin and First were experiencing the same thing.

Even in space, there were politics, and the ship was now in the middle of them.

While the dinner had soured in his stomach, what was contained in the secret orders had Tam'yn all but drooling over what they had revealed. The Empire used obsolete moderate-sized ships of the M'Lessen class as computer-controlled sentries on its borders and as simple exploration/security robots. There was no crew; outside of a twenty-person emergency survival space, these vessels had no life support systems at all.

They were run by carefully programmed computers, not living crews. They could be out on patrol for almost a cycle; since without a lifesystem to support, four fusion reactors could run a long, long time given the amount of pure hydrogen they used as fuel. Crewed ships used water because crewed ships needed water for many things outside of power generation. These robots didn't, hence the cryogenic hydrogen that they used as fuel. The only water and oxygen was inside the emergency area, and there was just enough of each for twenty people to last twenty days.

Beside watching the edges of the Empire for threats, they had a secondary tasking of simple exploration, usually by scanning planets they would run across as they flew past at slightly below light speed. They had instructions for every conceivable instance than might happen; and one of those "instances" had happened barely than a cycle ago.

The sentry had picked up a moving object that was made of metal, but not the usual nickel-iron of meteors and asteroids. This was made of things like aluminum, titanium, and gold. It had a manufactured outline, not a natural shape. It was moving at nearly fifty percent light-speed. The thing that was most important, though, was that it had something that was warm, and that something was generating electricity; not much, but definitely not natural.

There were instructions for this situation and it executed them. It first slowed the object and then stopped its tumbling with impulse-tractor beams, finally taking it into a containment space that had once been a hold and secured it down to what had been the floor.

Then it had run at maximum speed for a science station on T'Kiir'ah's moon. Security had been tight ever since the sentry had landed and disgorged its cargo. Security was so tight that the object had been almost taken to pieces and each piece identified as manufactured by sapients and the incredible cargo it held had been fully analyzed for content before any word of discovery went anywhere.

Then the Empress had been contacted with word of a technological world out beyond Imperial space. She had even been told approximately where it was, relative to the sun of T'Kiir'ah. The people who had made the object, an exploration robot, had provided that information.

The M'Kereos had been just out of testing and awaiting commissioning when the orders had been formulated, and what better way to start off the new Imperial Exploration and Survey service than sending the first ship to the first inhabited planet discovered in over 120 cycles? The world had a technological civilization that was interested in its own solar system. This world had atomic power and had used it to power the robot. The robot itself had low powered electro-magnetic radiation communications equipment, not hyperwave; and a remarkably cleverly designed computer system to govern it.

There had even been a disk on the side of the robot under a protective cover that had images on one side and encoded data on the other. That spoke of an outward look, a greeting and invitation to others to visit and share knowledge.

The Empire didn't need to be asked twice; even if the invitation was well over a couple of hundred cycles late. That had been determined by analysis of the power supply; a heat generating radioactive source that used dissimilar metals to generate electrical current. With the heat of radioactive decay inside and the cold of space outside, it was surprisingly sophisticated and efficient. It was still producing power; about half as much power as it had made when new, even if its batteries were incapable of using that power anymore. All in all, for such a simple piece, it was very cleverly engineered. It was so cleverly engineered that when power cells had replaced the very dead batteries, most of its computer system had come to life again, and had downloaded images that had been stored in its memory for hundreds of cycles.

Worlds had appeared, one a scarred oxide covered world and three other gas giants, followed by what had to be an aesthetic view from the edge of that system of planets. Recombining the image data had provided color images of those worlds. Considering the simplicity of the robot, the information retrieved was amazing; and the engineering aspect of the device was a work of sheer mechanical and electronic genius.

The orders to the M'Kereos were simple. Go and find them. See if it was in the Empire's interest to contact them, and if so make that contact as friendly to these aliens as possible. If needed, an Imperial Viceroy would be sent to negotiate a treaty with these new people. If for some unknown reason contact wasn't in the Empire's interest, bring evidence as to why it wasn't. Whatever the outcome was, bring back evidence, data, artifacts, information...everything it was possible to collect without being discovered.

Included in the orders was the "Decree of the Open Hand" that required all Imperial citizens and asked all Hegemony members to provide the M'Kereos with whatever the ship and crew needed or wanted.

That had shaken Tam'yn to the core; the last time that Decree had been used was well over a century past, when there had been a war starting up between two Hegemony planets. Then the Decree had seen to the quick provisioning a fleet of Imperial Navy peacekeeping ships.

Now, it was getting one lone vessel repaired at a secret Imperial Security base. The difference was incredible, and showed how important this voyage was to the Empire.

As Tam'yn and Tan'yel had watched, their Captain and Ship's First had shown holograms of the exploratory robot from the back of beyond. It was of necessity brief, but both of the ship's officers were entranced by what they saw. The robot itself was ten-sided, and the main body was slightly more than half a to'-ketra tall and five to'-ketra wide. At what had been dubbed the "top" of the device, the remains of a parabolic antenna gave them an idea of the frequencies used and the power available for them. There were stubs of what had probably been arms of some sort, since two still-complete arms left the machine at close to the same angle as the stubs did. One arm was heavy, curved, and had a finned cylinder on it: that was the generator, according to the notes under the image. The other arm held a rather simple looking video device that had to be for flat plane imaging rather than holography. The imager was on a recognizable universal motion mount, meaning that either the on-board computer or ground based controllers could aim the imager at whatever was being recorded. The broken down hologram showed the interior structures, which included spheres that had to be reaction fuel storage cells. When highlighted, these spheres also showed piping running around the machine and terminating at what had to be simple chemical impulse motors. Thus the robot was aimed, to assist the imager in its picture making.

On one side, a round cover was mounted, almost like a small hatchway cover. Instead of a hatchway, though, there had been mounted the treasure of the whole machine; a gold-plated disk with pictures on one side and the spiral of a simple analog data spiral on the other. There was a stylus and even a cartridge that the stylus fit into so the analog data could be read.

It was on the disk, but not encoded in a spiral track, that real treasure lay. Two images were engraved into the surface of the disk, one an obvious male with exposed genitalia and a breasted female. They were bipeds and apparently mammals. Were they like the Q'elm; morphing hermaphrodites, and this was in image of one being in both phases of existence? The male's height was compared to the diameter of the parabolic antenna that must have graced the robot at one time. Figures attached to the image indicated that the male stood one and a three-quarters to'-ketra high; slightly taller than the average T'Kiir'I. The female, by comparison, would stand perhaps one and a half to'-ketra or close to the T'Kiir'i average height. They were either nearly furless and tailless or both were hidden; the only fur shown was located on the heads of the images unless their fur was short and close to the skin.

Under the two bipeds, there was a simple linear schematic of a solar system of nine planets. There was a line starting at the third planet that wandered around the symbolic planets before heading away from them all, apparently the course of the robot before it left the system for deep space. After some thinking, Tam'yn decided that the bends in the line were for orbital assist by using planetary gravity to accelerate the robot. That caused his opinion of the robot-makers to rise a bit; planning that sort of thing was difficult at best and impossible a lot of the time, at least in the T'Kiir'ah system.

When First repeated himself for the third time, Tam'yn startled and stared at his superior and asked, "Pardon, First; I missed your comment. What was it again?"

When First and Third started laughing, Tam'yn realized he had missed a great deal more than just a comment. His ears folded in embarrassment.

It was Third officer Tan'yel who explained, "We thought you were hypnotized or something. You have been staring at that image for nearly eight marks. Occasionally you would breathe or twitch an ear, but other than that you were motionless."

"Oh;" was Tam'yn's response; "I was evaluating the technical capability in the construction and the cleverness in orbiting of the robot. Sorry."

First chuckled and asked, "Can you figure out how the investigators found the star itself?" That, obviously, was a test question for him.

Looking again at the image of the disk, Tam'yn saw something he had almost not paid attention to because its use was so common in the Empire. "There are lines that intersect at what looks like the system's star with binary values on them. My guess is that they signify hearts-beat stars, and the binary numbers represent the rate of their beats. There are probably only one or two areas in this arm of the galaxy where the image might be accurate, and I'm betting that somewhere in one of those areas is the robot builders' homeworld. That's still a lot of space to investigate, though."

"You're just as clever as Tan'ero, T'am; and I grew up with him," Tan'yel said with a hint of pride in his voice; "You are a credit to both our houses and clans. I don't say that lightly, either, although I did figure out the heartbeat stars myself while you were out wherever you were. I hope it was interesting out there."

"Robot-builders," First muttered to himself, then added, "So far, that's the most accurate name for them that's come through my mind. So, we are going to visit the Robot-builders in the interests of the Empire..."

Then he muttered again, thoughtfully; "I wonder what they call themselves? 'Human beings' is the most likely name, since that's what most races and sapient species call themselves in their own languages." He shrugged at his own answer, and directed both officers to remain silent about what they had seen until he had briefed the whole crew. "Study these in your quarters," he said, passing out data chips, "but wait for me to release this before you start discussing things with the crew."

Then he focused on Tam'yn, saying, "There was something in these orders about you, too; Engineer First. As of now, you become Ship's Fourth Officer and move into the unused Fourth Officer's accommodation here in the main hull. You will monitor things from the bridge and interact with your new Engineer First, Rintallan Tamoyes. This means the Ship will have two competent officers overseeing the refit on this 'invisible' Security base. For the time, you may keep your current clan naming, but I have a feeling that before this is over, you will be wearing your proper naming and titles."

Tam'yn started to protest, but First said quietly, "This is a part of the Imperial Sealed orders under which we are now operating. You don't have a choice and neither do I. We serve the Empire and Her Rising Glory, the Empress; and we do it first, foremost and forever. We are the Imperial Navy."

Those words struck a chord in Tam'yn, and he came to stiff attention and saluted his First. He had a job to do. He was Imperial Navy. The job was as good as done, and that was that. Having something else to do was strangely satisfying to him. It gave him less time with himself when he wasn't working, teaching, or sleeping; and he liked to be kept busy.

Sitting in the Fourth Officer's accommodations, Tam'yn stared at the computer-generated images of the passing stars as his mind whirled and clattered its way through the things he had just experienced.

There was something happening at home, he realized; and whatever it was, it was big. To send a ship out this soon after discovering an artifact of another civilization was very unusual; usually the xeno-sociologists would study the artifact for a few cycles, then a survey robot would be sent to find the civilization and then just hang out in space near the planet or planets being watched and use its scanners to record the language or languages used and slowly build a vocabulary for the contact team to use. It was a drawn out process, but it insured that when contact was made, it was made politely and was socially correct. Slowly, over the next few cycles, the Empire would come to a decision over what sort of relationship would work best for both populations and would then implement it.

In one instance, "what would work best" meant setting a series of satellites around the planet to warn Imperials away from worlds composed of nearly psychotic xenophobes. No contact would be attempted unless there were a sea-change in the inhabitants' culture and philosophy, and given their society such change was very unlikely in both cases.

In other cases, it meant revealing the existence of extra-planetary intelligence; frequently to keep a war from happening that would sterilize the planet. A few times, it had come down to demonstrating that nuclear missiles couldn't harm an Imperial starship. Sometimes carefully targeted force was used to get the idea across that the planet's inhabitants would not be permitted to end all life on their world for any reason.

There were near infinite graduations in what the "best way" might be, and the Empire usually could afford to wait to find out which was the best approach to use.

Eventually, those worlds would probably join the Hegemony; for commercial reasons if nothing else. Having the products and resources of seventy-two worlds available to a civilization was a powerful inducement to join, as was the guarantee of planetary defense by the Sunrise Empire against other hostile civilizations.

It was conquest by commerce and by benefit, and it worked. Force was un-necessary to bring worlds into the Empire; they chose freely to join and remain within it.

This was different. The M'Kereos had been ordered to an unknown world less than two cycles after its discovery and the whole voyage was to be done in secret, rather than after the big-brains had decided what was the best thing to be done.

It had the feeling of being an emergency, and Tam'yn didn't like emergencies at all, unless they were training exercises to keep the crew in top shape.

He sat in his new quarters and tried to think about what could have caused all this to happen in such a strange manner. Annoyingly, nothing came to mind and so he got up and prowled around the place he would now call "home".

The suite was comprised of a large room and two smaller ones; one for sleeping and one for sanitation and body-cleaning. His sleeping space had a bed, not a bunk-space; and in the bulkhead-wall that separated it from the next suite there were both a large wardrobe and three stacked drawers. That seemed silly, since most Navy personnel could put everything they owned in one of those drawers with space left over, yet here he had room for all manner of things that he didn't yet possess...or particularly desire to possess.

The wardrobe doors slid open to reveal a complete set of officer's uniforms; from work-wear to a full-dress rig-out, all with leggings neatly stacked in their niches below them. Everything was new, and (he suspected) everything had been run up by one of the ship's clothing-making robots to his measurements. Each uniform had a plastic bag clipped to the right cuff with the markings of rank appropriate to the uniform. A quick look told him what he wanted to know; an ear-clip in gold with two wide scarlet bands and a narrow black band between them: Ship's Fourth Officer (Engineering). This was repeated on the right sleeve of his work-wear. They were for him, no doubt about it.

Glancing at the bed behind him, he looked at the carry-cylinder issued to Navy personnel for personal items and civilian wear for relief times if they wanted to dress the way civilians did rather than wear Navy relief wear. It was a quarter of a ketra wide and a three-quarters of a ketra long. There wasn't room for a lot, but his had rattled when he had carried it from what had been his quarters in the engineering hull to his new place in the main hull, near the bridge.

He grimaced, realizing that his life was being planned out for him again, just as it had been in the Palace after L'lanya had died and four court females had tried to snare him as a path to the throne. He had run from that to the Navy. Now, on an Imperial Navy ship headed for an unknown Imperial Security base, there was nowhere he could run to. Swallowing bile, he shut the wardrobe door and sat on the bed to think.

He was wading through the trash washed up on the shore of Lake An'shal after an unanticipated storm had descended on what was usually a pleasant place for recreation and romantic interludes. This was where he and L'lanya had pledged themselves at the tender age of six cycles.

Now, at the age of nine cycles, he had been nervously anticipating asking her to make their childhood Pledging into an adult Pledge and become his Companion. He had been practicing what he was going to say when the storm hit, and now, afterward, he was helping to find and record the damage done to the vegetation and structures around the lake. Afterwards, he would ask her; filthy and splashed with muck though he might be. And she would say yes. Over the comms, she already had; but custom required it be done in person.

Then, on the shore, a body. It wore a lifesaving jacket and little else save its plastered body fur that could be any color, given the muck he could see in it. There were crawl marks that showed where the person had crawled out of the water and collapsed on the beach. After hitting the emergency call button on his comms unit, he scrabbled over the wreckage of the shore to get to the storm's victim.

He rolled the victim over and L'lanya's eyes stared up at him, empty of life. Immediately he began resuscitation; a hand over each heart, alternately pressing hard and release; then repeat.

He didn't know how long he had been doing it when his father gripped his hands and said, "Tam', it's over. She isn't coming back."

Seeing his son's uncomprehending stare, Tan'ero an' Yere'kon said gently, "You've been working on her for twenty-five marks, almost half a turn. The rescue crew is here to take her...her mortal remains back to her family." He hung his head and added, "I know why you were up here, and I am so, so sorry. We ought to go back and tell your mother; shall we?"

Tam'yn tried to stand, but half-way up his numbed legs failed him and he reached out and slammed his hands against the bedding in his new quarters.

He realized he had fallen asleep as he sat on the bed to puzzle out what he should do next. His eyes felt gritty and he was still fuzzy minded. A glance at the clock said he had been asleep for less than half a turn.

He hadn't had that nightmare for almost a tenday; and now it had made up for lost time. He knew he should see a Counselor but right now there wasn't any time for it. Maybe someday there would be, but not now; he had work to do. Work was his way of dealing with the recurring nightmares; get exhausted enough and you didn't get the nightmares...or dream, either. You simply closed your eyes and then the alarm went off with nothing happening between the two times that you could remember.

He had just finished putting his personal things in the drawer provided for them when the pads of his feet felt the minute shock he was used to when the vessel he was in had docked someplace. The "windows" still showed the looped image of movement at superluminal velocity. Given that his accommodation was well inside the M'Kereos, real windows were an impossibility, and the few ports in the hull were now reserved for their cargo of scientists and researchers. Then too, superluminal velocity got boring very fast, since what you saw rarely changed unless you were looking dead ahead or dead astern; anywhere else the light from passing stars made uninteresting blurs stretched by velocity and the Captive Impulse field's interference with that light's passage.

Another faint shudder through his pads confirmed their being docked to something or something was docked with them. That meant that they were no longer traveling faster than light; docking while inside the Captive Impulse field was nearly impossible and incredibly dangerous.

Then he heard his name over the intercom; "Fourth Officer to the bridge; Fourth Officer Yerekon to the bridge in five marks per First's order." Muttering to himself, a quick look in his new full length mirror sent him scurrying to his personal items for a bottle of eye-drops to counter his sleep reddened eyes. Then he grabbed a washcloth and wiped down his cheeks; damp from the tears he had shed in the grips of nightmare remembrance.

He was barely quarter a mark late for the summons to the bridge, and as he entered it his eyes lit on four gray-ship-suited T'Kiir'i with Security patches on their shoulders. There were also representatives of the Science team on the bridge, looking annoyed to have their scanning systems shut down so summarily by the ship's crew. Perhaps they had arrived at wherever they were headed while he had been asleep.

"He's here," First said to one of the gray-suits; "and he'll be keeping an eye on your work while you do the upgrades we were promised."

"Takes his time, doesn't he?" one gray-suit said in a grumble. As he turned to face Tam'yn, he said "You'd better be faster than..." His jaw dropped as he recognized Tam'yn from an earlier time. Tam'yn's jaw dropped as well; this K'iir knew him from his days at the palace! He sent a silent prayer that he not be recognized.

Gray-suit dropped to one knee with bowed head; "Your pardon, Reflection; I didn't know who I was speaking to."

Ch 2: Oh, Drok!

Tam'yn groaned and gritted his teeth. The secret was out now. When he heard his formal title, he stared at the gray-clad T'Kiir for a moment in anger and frustration, then gave in to reality. He groaned again, "A'sallah, I was here incognito, not as a Reflection; not as a child of the body of the Empress." Since it wouldn't make a difference now, he asked, "What's happening in Court? As you may notice, I've been out of the palace circulation for a while, deliberately so."

"So have I, sir," the Imperial Guardian replied, "Got tired of trying to figure out what was a plot to damage the Empire and what was just jockeying for position among the court nobility. Sometimes there isn't much difference. Sometimes there isn't any difference, but the rank of the plotter keeps them safe...at least for a while. Then they get what's due them, at least for the most part."

"Oh?" Now Tam'yn's curiosity was aroused. "Who got what?"

"I heard Lady Karelia has gone back to her family at the Empress' request. So have Ladies Yertersa and Netello. Seems they played a few too many games with too many of the wrong people."

Tam'yn grinned. All three of the yokas* deserved it cycles earlier, but his mother had been unable to act. Apparently, they had scratched one too many backs in their climb toward power. Now, their chances of being Chosen were virtually nil. Even if they gained Companions and had a dozen children, they were out of the games for the Throne.

*Yoka: name for a cheap spaceport prostitute. Also slang for female reproductive parts.

He looked around the bridge. The looks on the faces of the crew ranged from shocked to humorous to slightly amused (in his cousin's case). First looked somewhat annoyed.

Then he spoke up; "My ready-room, Officers and ahhh...Guests. Now. This is not the place to discuss things of a political nature, nor the place for others to hear them."

He turned to the Second officer and ordered, "Choose someone to mind the helms and monitor the ship, then join us." His eyes were angry and his tone brooked no questioning. He also addressed the bridge crew and the assembled scientists; "You did not hear any of this, and if you say anything about it you'll spend the rest of this trip in quarters; to the hells with your survey and mapping work. Do you understand?"

The looks of shock and surprise were his answer. He would be obeyed.

Once in the now somewhat crowded ready-room, First rounded on the gray-clad Security officer and asked, "What in the hells were you thinking, to identify one of my Officers as Imperial lineage? Do you have any idea of the risk you've put him and our mission in? I may have to send him back if I don't hear what I like from you-- whether he wants to go or not."

A'sallah stood, not shamefaced; but rather worried. "You haven't heard, then?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"Heard what?" First all but snapped at the gray-clad Security officer. "We've been running on half-power with contaminated water and radioactive fusion liners. I haven't had time to keep up with Fleet gossip, if that's what you mean."

A'sallah replied, "Parliament has been considering dropping the requirement that only a maternal female may be the ruler of the Sunrise Empire; upsetting over nine hundred cycles of traditional rule. Because of what it is, the Empress won't be able to.

veto it, since it's a conflict of interest. When I saw a Reflection here, I wondered what else was going on; whether he was here legitimately or had been kidnapped."

Tam'yn couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?" he sputtered, "I'm here because I oversaw the rebuild of this hull into a modern Imperial Exploration vessel. I'm here because I know this ship inside and out and I passed every test the Navy Board threw at me. I want to be here; period."

A'sallah seemed to relax a little. "I also wondered about that because of the Decree of the Open Hand," he replied. "That isn't something that gets granted to a single ship for any reason, yet this ship has one."

He started ticking points off on his fingers; "The record shows a Rintallan Tamoyes as Ship's Engineer; we pulled the orders when Third Officer Tan'yel contacted us for assistance and repairs. The data on the original rebuild shows that every single fusion reactor was upgraded to modern standards; non-radioactive standards. The Invert system shows as being new and from the same people who are upgrading Local Security ships on T'Kiir'ah. The records of the refuel at station 060--not one of ours, by the way--show that you got Navy-equivalent pure water and nothing but."

He stared back at Ship's First. "There was no reason for imperial household security officer Tan'yel to contact us, and then what he said had us wondering just what was happening here. That was why we sent you a 'Blind and Deaf' order and why we contacted you a day away from the base. For all we--for all I knew, you were a bomb being targeted on our outpost, since we're the center for..." he glanced at Tan'yel for confirmation.

"They know to a degree," Tan'yel replied; "and I held back what you were up to out here at the border."

Tan'yel turned to First and the other bridge officers and explained, "This particular Imperial Security base is very near the projected routes the slavers are using. They can track them with hyper-net by catching their drive distortions in normal space. What I told you was the truth, but I didn't think it would be wise to lay out everything all at once. It was when I saw how many fuel stores were contaminated and my cousin told me what our maximum velocity would be that I decided we needed help; Imperial Security Planetary Operations help, and I know that there is at least one training facility for them on...the planet we're headed for. We need more muscle and they have it; it was that simple."

"And here I thought you were interested in me for my mind," A'sallah said with a chuckle. "I guess we can send a few troops along with you, if you have room to house them."

"Room is one thing we have plenty of," First replied; "although we'll need to take on more supplies to feed your people and do more than just house them. While originally this ship kept nearly five hundred as crew, some of that space is now dedicated to our science supercargo. We are supplied for a year, but more people could cut into that rather drastically. More ship's rations would help if we're going to maintain our safety margins."

A'sallah nodded, "No problem. We are a supply base for our own vessels and can provide and provision you as needed. We even grow our own crops and raise our own meat animals so we don't really need much from T'Kiir'ah other than spare parts; and since we use the same fusion reactors you do, there will be no shortage of up-to-date parts."

Then he became serious. "The restrictions on scanners and navigation devices remain in place, though. Our shuttle is docked solidly with your ship and we'll do the guiding and navigation for you so none of it gets into your records. The main-hull restrictions also apply and I'm sorry that your crew can't take liberty here, but we have our reasons for that too. Part of the planet is an open-air prison for certain political dangers to the Empire, and we'd rather not have them get access to either your ship or your crew. Staying in the main hull will do that. It will keep your own people protected, since some of these prisoners have nothing to lose in attempting a hijack; they're here for life and even being on the other side of the planet wouldn't stop some of them."

He chuckled, "This planet is really a very pleasant place and would have been a potential colony if we hadn't nabbed it first as a place of exile for would-be revolutionaries and war criminals. Perhaps one day all that will change, but for now we keep the important troublemakers out of circulation and out of trouble."

Seeing the looks of shock and disapproval on the faces of the ship's officers, he added, "One of those prisoners is Arolean Burso, the so-called 'Butcher of Biralla.' His military takeover and subsequent 'purification' of Biralla cost over a hundred thousand lives before we intervened and stopped his war efforts dead. Under the law, we can't just kill him outright because Biralla wasn't fully a part of the Empire at the time we got involved with things. Now it is, and there is still a reward out for proof of his demise. You have three Birallans aboard your ship, and we'd rather they stayed scientists and not bounty-hunters. Hence, nobody leaves the ship, and hopefully nobody learns of this."

As he glanced around the First's ready room, he saw nodding heads among the four Ship's Officers, and smiled. They understood and would keep things under control here while the ship was being repaired.

After the group in First's ready room had been dismissed, Tam'yn returned to his own cabin. He opened the container from home. It was the size of a large transit container, and as he had both feared and expected, it was full of court-wear of an unfamiliar style. Slumping his shoulders, he took the least ostentatious clothing out and hung it up in the closet, wondering why it had been sent to him. There was nowhere he would wear it on the ship, and the style was something he was unfamiliar with. It was rich, he could see that; even the leggings were trimmed with gold wire and platinum studs. There were several smaller containers clipped to the inside of the door, each with the Imperial seal embossed on it. One of them, the first he would have reached for, had a data chip attached to it...a letter from home, maybe? He doubted it.

Realizing he would have to read it; he took it, went to his new desk, and slid it into the reader there. Before he could sit, there was a sound behind him and he turned to see his mother and father on the main screen of the room in holographic reality. They were in the Empress's apartments by all appearances, in the lesser private receiving room. The sound repeated and he realized it was the sound of the chapel bells in the chapel attached to the palace. He also recognized the cadence; they were tolling a death knell.

His father spoke after glancing at a dataplate; "Tam'yn, would you please have Ship's First Officer Ankero Or'mate and Ship's Third Officer Tan'yel Kerel'yn an' Yere'kos come to your quarters? This recording will wait. If they are not on the ship, it will go dormant until they are available. We must speak to them, and to you too, my son; on a matter of importance to the entire Empire and involving the sealed orders your First has opened, since you are seeing this recording."

Once the shock of seeing his parents was past, Tam'yn could see more detail in the image before him. Both his father and his mother were stiff-faced as though they were upset over something. His mother's eyes were oddly bright; with tears, he realized, and his father's gray-tan cheekfur was darker than normal.

His stomach plummeted. Something was very, very wrong here; and they were trying to hide it. They wanted his ship's First and Third officers, by name, not just rank.

He didn't remember hurrying over to the ship's intercom system; suddenly, he was just there. He keyed it on and entered First's comms code. He had to try three times before he got it right because his hands were shaking so much.

Moments later, First appeared on the image plate. He looked annoyed.

"What is it, Fourth? I'm in conference with Guardian A'sallah over how many of his people we can carry with us; can whatever this is wait?"

"S-s-sir," Tam'yn stuttered, "m-m-my parents would like to t-t-talk to you. They asked for you by n-n-name, sir."

First seemed to stare at him but then Tam'yn realized that the camera was showing the room behind him and the holograph there. His jaw dropped a little, then he replied, "I'm on my way. Guardian A'sallah will be with me." Then he asked, "Is that really the Empress behind you?"

Tam'yn replied, "Y-yes it is, sir. My parents sent a hologram message to me, but they--I mean it wants you here too."

Out of the imager's range, A'sallah's voice said, "It's a security protocol for group messages, First. Once it delivers its information, it'll erase itself. Better bring a vocal recorder with you because you won't get a second chance on the message." Tam'yn cleared the intercom and punched in his cousin's number. This time he only had to try twice. Tan'yel's voice came out of the speaker but the vidplate stayed dark. "What's up, cousin?" Tan'yel asked; "I'm eating at the moment and I wouldn't want to put anyone through my table manners. I know I'm late, but after our conference I had to finish the forward disruptor alignments and maintenance with an inexperienced crew and a balky set of alignment gauges, and that got me hungry again."

"T'an, Tam'yn said nervously, "My parents are here and asking for you. I got a holocard from home. It doesn't look good."

"The Empress asked for me specifically?" Tan'yel's voice asked out of the grille. Moments later he appeared on the image plate, napkin to his muzzle and staring past Tam'yn into the room. He paused for a moment and then muttered, "Drok. They both look like hell. On my way, T'am'o. You'll have to forgive my breath, I had some of the cook's Margero soup." He stared again out of the plate and muttered, "Oh, bloody hells' what's happened now?" The plate darkened as he broke the connection.

Tam'yn turned to the image again. His mother, the Empress, looked the way she had when she learned of L'lanya's death. Politics prevented her attendance of the cremation, although Tam'yn and his father had gone. Tam'yn had held the small mirror that focused the rising sun's light from the big mirror held by four priests on the small bundle that would start the fire. He had been rock steady then; only when the pyre had begun to burn had he broken down and wept.

In their Palace apartments, his whole family had grieved with him. His mother, his father, and his sisters and brother had all kept vigil for L'lanya's soul. She would return, as the sun returned. Perhaps they might meet again, perhaps not. Life was eternal, even if the body was not.

At the time, that had comforted him not at all. It still didn't.

Now his a parents wore that same look; and as he waited for the Ship's First and Third officers, that look frightened him more than anything he had previously known. He began to shake in anticipated dread, and the meal he had eaten in First's quarters was roiling in his stomach like an ocean storm. Unconsciously, his claws were flicking in and out as though he were getting ready to fight.

When First entered the unlocked door, Tam'yn was kneeling over the sanitation unit losing his most recent meal. Standing and staggering to the wash unit, he rinsed out his mouth several times to try to get rid of the vomit taste. It didn't work very well.

He returned to the room where the hologram stood silently waiting, and First, Third and Guardian A'sallah waited too. Each had a small glass in their hand. Tan'yel handed him one and said, "Drink this. It'll clear out your mouth and calm you down."

He sniffed and the mint-sharp odor of Pirka hit his nostrils. First raised his glass and made the toast, "The Empire, The Empress, and The Navy; gods of star and space protect them all."

With the standard "Be it ever so," all four of them drained their glasses, a mechanical act that had been drilled into them by years of service.

A'sallah coughed and gasped for a moment, then asked Tan'yel, "What was that, disrupter solvent ? I thought you said it was Pirka, not some chemical."

Tan'yel shrugged, "I drink it. It may be stronger and younger than you're used to but I happen to like it. Besides, T'am seems to have held it down just fine; either that or he's had his vocal cords burned out by the stuff as it went down."

Tam'yn was silently trying not to choke. Pirka was supposed to be strong, but this stuff had been a magnitude stronger than what he was used to. He also hadn't had much of an interest in drinking since he'd been through Counseling for an alcohol "problem" after L'lanya's death. It hadn't been a problem to him; he simply wanted the numbness that alcohol conferred, and had stayed drunk for nearly two segments after her cremation. Counseling had shown him that numbness wasn't the answer; it only made things worse. Still, that numbness had been a blessing while it had lasted.

As it was, the Pirka had cleared his breath and brought a small measure of calm to him as it burned through his stomach. He wondered if there was any more available on the ship outside of private personal items. Later, he decided, he would check. He wanted some of the numbness again. Now, though, he was trying not to choke on the strong liquor he'd drunk.

After catching his breath, he spoke out the words, "Computer continue," in a slightly choked voice. The fire was still there in his throat and stomach.

"Is the person An' kereo Or'mate present?" the computer asked.

Before anyone could answer, Tan'yel said sharply, "Imperial Guard override scan 1522; execute."

Tam'yn felt a slight tingle as the computer queried the identity chips implanted in his body. Apparently the others felt the same, and First stared at his Third officer and asked, "What in the hells was that?"

"A time saver for one," Tan'yel replied, "and a safety that keeps your personal pass-code secret. All things considered, I don't think verbal identifications are in anyone's best interest right now. If you don't have a recorder, I do; and that sort of information isn't something I want on record."

"And it only works if one of the Guards invokes it," A'sallah added, "We're all chipped a bit differently from you Navy types. Anyone else would get a response of 'no code on file' if they said it, and that would go on their permanent records for investigation at a later date."

First's eyes widened a little but he said nothing, realizing the depths he was swimming with these people. He glanced at Tam'yn, who was still trying not to choke, and nodded slightly in agreement.

The recording began again with his father speaking. "T'am, we just confirmed that your birth sister L'yrel has gone into the light when the Navy runner carrying her to Biralla exploded with a loss of all persons aboard. She was going there to stand in for your mother as Imperial Viceroy at the opening of the new library complex in Birrah city. Immediate reports indicate the Inverter unit failed, although there were also high levels of tritium in the gas cloud around the explosion site, we think from the failed Inverter. It happened six risings ago and has been kept secret until we knew what actually happened. Officially, she is now listed as perished and...your mother and I..." He bent nearly double for a moment before continuing, "Since you are headed out, we kept this secret until you were well away from T'Kiir'ah and away from the politics going on here."

"Pause!" Tam'yn nearly screamed at the image and the computer obediently stopped the message in place.

Turning to his cousin Tan'yel, he choked out, "How long has this been kept secret while I was working away on this ship. How long?" There was a world of agony in those last two words, and the claws on both hands were fully extended. He had just been ripped in half by his father's statement.

"The package came aboard at M'nero Station," Tan'yel replied stiffly, his voice tight; "Two days before we stopped at 060 for a final top off before we headed out." He glanced at First, who was staring at the floor and added, "The message would have been about a ten-day old then, so it's probably sixteen days old now. I wondered about that, since most of the things we got were food and parts; things for the voyage."

He gripped his grieving cousin's shoulder. "She entered the light some six risings before that, just like we would have if you hadn't got lucky and stopped what would have been another tragic explosion that would never have been recorded or investigated. She's gone, cousin, but you kept us from joining her." His voice was tight with his own soul-pain and he was desperately trying not to show it.

He handed Tam'yn a pocket flask and watched as the grieving T'Kiir took another long swallow before reclaiming it. He wanted the flask too, but didn't dare drink; not now. If he started drinking now...

"We need to see the rest of the message," First added gently; "There may be instructions in it for the ship and its mission, Fourth. Would you start it again, please."

The word "Fourth" gave Tam'yn something to do. Jaw quivering, he said in a husked voice, "Play message, computer."

He stared at the hologram with dread as the recording resumed playing.

His mother spoke for the first time; "Tam'yn, take out and open the packet this recording is attached to. When you have done that, say 'confirm'."

Hands shaking, Tam'yn did just that. Inside the packet were two pieces of personal jewelry; one a knuckle-shield ring and the other a bracelet with a large central boss on it. Both had ivory-colored glowstones incorporated into their structure; the knuckle-shield ring held a slightly domed egg-shaped glowstone roughly an inch in length and three-quarters of an inch across at its widest. The bracelet was of metal; a gold-platinum alloy in appearance that was almost an inch and a half wide where it circled the wrist and ended in a clasp that slid into the central boss, another oval nearly two and a quarter inches long by an inch and a half wide. There was another glowstone in that that nearly filled the boss completely, leaving less than a quarter inch of metal around the edges that held it in place. It looked like Court jewelry.

Nervously, Tam'yn said, "Confirm," and waited for more instructions, which were not long in coming. Standing beside him, Third's jaw dropped a little from fear. He had a suspicion of what was going on and didn't like it in the least.

"Place the ring on your right index finger," the recording directed; "and fasten the bracelet around your left wrist with the clasp on the inside and press it in until it clicks. When you have done this and can verify that the people who were called are there and attentive, say 'done'."

Numbly, Tam'yn complied with the recording. The ring slipped over his finger and fit perfectly into place. The bracelet clicked into place with the clip on the inside of his left arm as directed by his mother and Empress so far away.

His whole attention was focused on the images standing in the main viewer. He didn't see the mask of pain and grief that his cousin, Ship's Third officer Tan'yel wore on his face as he saw what was happening on his cousin's wrist as the glowstone warmed.

"Done" he said to the recording, which began to play again.

"We, Empress of the Sunrise Empire, do confer on our son and child of our body, Tam'yn an Y'erekos; the title of Viceroy with all the powers and authorities pertaining thereto, and direct all persons who are witnessing this message to give homage and obedience to our Viceroy in the same measure they would give to us as Empress of the Sunrise Empire.

"We direct that our Viceroy shall proceed to the place outlined in the sealed orders given to the First Officer of this vessel; and there shall make contact and treaty with the peoples of that planet and any other planets he should encounter in his passage to or from the directed destination, in the name of the Sunrise Empire. We further direct and command that all members of our military shall assist him in this thing and that they shall obey all lawful orders which he presents to them by word or by communication; even as they would obey ourselves in all matters."

Then the Empress's eyes grew sad. "I'm so sorry, Tam'yn, that I have to do this to you. Your sister was to follow you to this planet of spacecraft-makers and she was to set up the treaties and agreements that would bring them into the Sunrise Empire. She is..." The Empress's hand went to her eyes for a moment. When she lowered it again, it was shaking, and there were frank tears in her eyes.

"Your sister has entered the light, and so you must take up her work, Tam'yn. Please forgive me for putting this burden on you, but the very survival of our Empire depends on your finding either the planet that launched the exploration device or the evidence that will lead to that planet's discovery and the people living on it. Whatever you find, return it to T'Kiir'ah with the determinations of the scientists and researchers aboard your ship as proof that our Empire and our own person are correct in seeking new worlds in the sector of space you are headed toward at this moment."

Her head bowed, she continued; "Should you find nothing and must return to us empty-handed, we will almost certainly be forced to abdicate our throne in order to prevent civil war within the Empire. Our enemies have made this clear to us.

"We will be forced to abandon centuries of stable and conventional rule through the demanded choice a non-maternal female for the Sunrise Throne, and we will have to choose a specific person to be Empress or face the forcible dissolution of centuries of peace and prosperity within the Empire through war and conquest of planets and people by the enemies of our rule and our traditions.

"That is why I have set the bracer of Vice-Royalty on your wrist and the ring of our Clan and House on your finger; for you must have un-questioned authority in making treaties and agreements with these people. As of now, you speak with my voice and are my presence wherever you go, and may make such agreements as I would make with these aliens; these space-craft builders. Know that I will bind the Empire to whatever you may agree with these people, even as I would do of my own self."

"Whatever the outcome, Tam'yn; come home. Bring the ship and its crew home, if only to my abdication or to civil war. The Empire will need your vessel, and I pray that I may again see you before I too go into the light.

"May the gods of star and space be with you and protect you and your ship, my son; and may you come home safely with ship and crew intact. Blessings be with you, Tam'yn, and good fortune protect you as you travel."

The image froze and then faded into blankness. The words "No Data" appeared briefly on the holo-projection space and there was a soft whine from the reader on Tam'yn's desk. Then the image faded into nothingness.

Tam'yn stared around then looked down at the glowstone on his wrist. It had warmed and was now giving off the soft glow it was named for; and within that glow the incised symbol of a rising sun with seven rays and the traditional cup, staff, and crown glistened with a glory of their own. On his right hand, on the index finger, a finer set of symbols showed his clan affiliation and his royal status.

The glowstone and the wrist-bracelet it was set into declared the wearer was an Imperial Viceroy; the voice of the Empress and her spiritual presence wherever that wearer might be.

As the numbed group of officers looked on, Tam'yn started scratching at the bracelet; a scratching that quickly turned into a panicked clawing at the piece of Imperial regalia as he tried to get it off. His panicked clawing began drawing blood as the catch refused to release while he tried ever harder to remove the thing wrapped around his wrist. Deeper and deeper his now fully extended claws dug into his own flesh, as wide-eyed but unseeing he attempted to make the thing come off his wrist.

He ignored First's command to stop. He had to get this thing off his wrist, he had to. When he dropped to the floor and started digging his foot claws into his own flesh, Third took two steps to his cousin and pressed a cylinder in his hand against Tam'yn's neck. There was a sharp snap and suddenly Tam'yn collapsed into unconsciousness as the stunner did its job on his nervous system; rendering him unconscious and limp.

Third stood and looked down at his cousin, then over at his First officer and A'sallah the Imperial Guardian. He shook his head and stared at the ceiling for a moment, getting control over his own feelings. Then he spoke.

"Oh, bloody drok," Tan'yel growled, "when we got that container I was afraid something like this was in the offing. Damn, damn, damn; things are worse than I thought they were at home. He had no time to deal with the loss of his sister before this happened to him, and he was still being the recluse in his bunkroom when he got promoted to bridge status. He's going to need Counseling, and a lot of it."

A'sallah was busy at the comms unit, calling a Healer to deal with the self-inflicted damage to Tam'yn's wrist. There was already a pool of blood growing around his left hand, although there was no spurting to show he'd hit an artery. He had done a lot of damage to his skin and the tissues below it, and that could be dealt with by one of the ship's Healers. Covering the viceroy's bracelet would help too, by keeping him from seeing it while his flesh healed.

"Healer's on the way," he announced to First, while Tan'yel headed to the cleaning unit for a towel.

First stood thoughtfully as the other two worked. He had read the Fleet evaluations on his First Engineering officer and his official Service history while the ship was still making ready for flight. He had known who his Engineering First was before he had even set foot aboard the M'Kereos. Those evaluations had been right; given a job to do, he would do it with excellence, even genius. It was only in personal matters that he had problems; problems he generally dealt with by focusing on his work and on the crew members under him. He was in those respects an excellent officer, and as an engineer he was outstanding. He had won awards for his engineering work and had won the Fleet lifesaving medal for rescuing people trapped in a mine after an explosion out on one of the nameless mining asteroids circling around one of the stars that supported an Imperial colony.

Now he had collapsed under a combination of grief and demand. That didn't surprise First in the least. His Fourth officer had more on his back than he could carry; more than any sane T'Kiir could carry, for that matter. Birth siblings were very close, having developed in the same womb together. Tam'yn had just lost his birth sib and had then been saddled with her responsibilities on top of his own. No wonder he had tried to take the Vice-royal bracelet off; it had been one thing too many for him to deal with.

Finally, after ruminating while the Healer-4 disinfected the wounds and bandaged his Engineer's wrist, he spoke softly to the others as they stood away from the Healer.

"I'll give him a day with a Counselor to see if he is mentally capable of doing his work. If he is, I'm putting him back to work on the bridge," he said briskly, "what he needs to do is to shift his focus from what happened tonight and get back to his job. His file packet shows that he settles in if he works; when there is something to do, he doesn't obsess on things outside of his work.

"That should let him get a grasp on what's happening on the ship and give him some distance from what happened tonight. He is a damn fine engineer because he focuses on the work at hand rather than wasting his thoughts on things outside of his work. That can work for us, the ship, and him all at once."

Tan'yel nodded with agreement. "Ever since his childhood choice for a Companion drowned in a boating accident, he either crawls into a bottle or buries himself in work while his inner mind works out what happened to him and how best to deal with it. His father's the same way; he deals with tragedy by working it to death."

A'sallah brought up another fact; "He's been invested with special authority now. We all saw it happen. How do we deal with that? He outranks all of us now, and that isn't going to change any time soon, since I think those bracelets are made so that only a special key from the Empress can unlock them. That means that effectively he is in command of this whole ship and its mission as of now. What do we do about that?" His ears were pinned back against his skull as his eyes kept flicking toward Healer and patient on the floor of the room. Life had just become even more complicated than even a Guardian cared for.

"Keep him busy," both First and Third replied together. "Like I said," Third added firmly, "he can overcome this if he has time to deal with it on his own terms. Too bad we don't have a nice dangerous emergency on our hands; that would get him up and running in no time at all. If we lack an emergency, mind-engaging work on the bridge should also suffice pretty well."

He glanced over at First.

Ship's First officer nodded in agreement. "His file says the same thing. Work is what he needs to start his healing process. If we left him with Counseling he'd be talking to himself in less than a ten-day, and seriously confused by the end of this mission. Working him hard will be the best way for him to deal with things."

Then he added, "And we keep that cuff covered. As long as the Healers can give him a reason why he can't see what's on his wrist, he can't obsess on it. Once he has a bit more of himself under control, he can figure out what to do with things. What I don't want is his ending our mission and running back home to deal with what he thinks may be happening there."

Third nodded; "It's bad there, obviously. This mission would seem to be the Empress's way of both keeping him out of things and gaining validation for her concept of an Exploration service. That will strengthen her position with the Court and the Parliament, too. Finally, if things get forced too far, we have a member of the Imperial Family with us who can act as a rallying point for restoration of the Imperium as it was. I'm certain that's what she was planning on when she made him her Viceroy; dead certain. No revolution or insurrection can survive if a member of the legitimate government is alive and functional; and for the moment, he is."

First stared at his Third officer and then at A'sallah. When neither could meet his gaze, he asked quietly; "Alright, what's happening? Before I took command of this vessel I was commanding one of the border squadrons in the K'Anessa region. I was reassigned and then given this ship and orders to go looking for smugglers along this part of the Empire while exploring for new potential colony worlds. Then I opened my sealed orders and had this handed to me; an expedition to who-knows-where outside of Imperial space."

After glancing down at his still sleeping Fourth officer; he asked, "What the hells is happening at home?" The worry in his voice was plain to everyone.

Tan'yel replied, "An alliance of old, powerful Houses with delusions of Empire is what's happening. They have been restive for nearly half a century but are now making their move to have a few changes made in the way the Empire is being run. My guess is that when several of their females were dismissed from the Court, they decided to move directly against the Empress and the status-quo."

A'sallah added, "Two of the were Kaver'nekos clan; I think they are clan sisters. Netello is M'yeris House, and they claim to be direct descendants of An'kor the Conqueror; the first Emperor and the K'iir who created our current system of government. They were a sort of grouping of Court Ladies who just needed to have a Companion and children to become Ladies-in-service to the Throne. That obviously isn't happening now, even though now they both have Companions from the 'right' Houses. They are out and will be that way for some time."

Tan'yel explained, "All three of them were very solicitous of Tam'yn when his intended, L'lanya Merekon, drowned in a storm on Lake An'shal. I was one of the Guards who watched over his father; handy, that, since we grew up together. I remember that one day Tam'yn blew into the palace apartments like a storm himself; drunk and raging about something to do with lying females and how worthless he was himself. When he sobered up, he wouldn't talk about it. His father was worried about it for a while but Tam'yn seemed to settle down and so we let things blow over. Two ten-days later, he entered the Imperial Navy under an assumed name. The Empress let him go on with the pretense when he started getting awards and doing well here. That about ends what I know, since he was under Navy watch then. We met again on this ship, while I was putting together a weapons and security team. He was surprised I was here. I wasn't. I was asked to take this assignment by the Empress herself."

He smiled a little, "And I have a small surprise for him that's just waiting for the right moment to happen." His smile belied the pain in his voice.

First stared at his Third officer, "Is this something I should know about?" he asked warily.

"Not at all," Tan'yel said with a slightly wider smile, "although I should get someone to keep an eye on him when he wakes up. Stun-reaction can make people clumsy and muzzy-headed, and I don't think I ought to be around when he does regain consciousness. He might not take kindly to what I did to him, provided he remembers it at all."

The Healer had been waiting for a break in the conversation to speak, and took advantage of the lull between the officers to do so. Since she had been focused on her patient and since the three officers had spoken in hushed tones, she didn't know a lot about what they had discussed. She had heard snatches of phrasing and was trying to make sense of it.

"He's done some very nasty damage to his skin and some of the muscles under it," she said with a note of concern in her voice, "and he is off duty for at least two days or until we can see some healing there. Whatever that bracelet is, it may have to come off if he gets an infection under it from his attempted self-mutilation. I would recommend he be put in Counseling until at least the time when the skin is healed, and Counseling may want the jewelry removed if that was what set him off."

Then curiosity got the better of her. "What is that thing, anyhow?" she asked.

First answered her; "Something he got from his family that he didn't particularly want. Can you cover it with something so he doesn't have to look at it all the time? It would be very helpful if you could."

The Healer stared at her First. "Why not just remove it now? That would take care of the problem in one stroke." It was plain that she didn't recognize the viceroy's cuff on Tam'yn's wrist, much to the relief of the three officers in the room

Tan'yel suggested, "Maybe because we can't. Maybe because it's something connected with his family, and maybe because Security wants that thing to stay on his wrist for reasons of State." He delivered the latter part of his statement with a hard stare.

The Healer wasn't impressed, but decided the wiser course was to do what her superior officers wanted her to do rather than argue about it. Counseling would have the last word anyhow; that was how the Navy worked.

Sighing, she wrapped the cuff with several thicknesses of dressing material, blending it into the upper wrapping and then sealing it shut. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to come off on her say so. Still, there was something about the design that was tickling her memory. She'd look it up later. Muttering, she left the room.

A'sallah gave First a mock salute and chuckled, "Nice bit of obfuscation, First. Telling the truth in a way that points the opposite of what it really is."

First shrugged. "The ship really doesn't need that sort of thing floating around as scuttlebutt. Having a Viceroy on board would cause some serious confusion about our mission, and I don't want that happening. As well..." he glanced at his Third officer who was whispering into the wall-mounted comms unit. "And what are you up to?" he asked Tan'yel as he closed the connection he had been using.

Tan'yel turned and replied, "Getting someone to watch him as he wakes up and to keep him from doing more damage to himself, why?" he asked, radiating innocence.

Instead of saying, "Because I can see you're up to something;" First muttered, "Never mind. He can stay in Counseling while we're being repaired, but he will have to sign off on the work being done, so that sets a limit I don't want to miss unless Counseling says he's totally out of orbit. Then he gets back to work under your eye, Third."

"Or one of my people," Third added, "I do have to sleep sometime."

"Whatever," First grumbled, "just so he doesn't try to rip his hand off again."

"Agreed, sir;" Third said in velvet tones; "Can't have that happening; people will talk." He knelt by Tam'yn and eased the ring off his finger and slid it into a belt pocket, promising, "This will go into the package it came from, since he's least likely to look for it there, even assuming he remembers he had it on."

First turned to A'sallah and said, "Shall we get back to some normal talk about how long we're going to be laid up while we're being repaired?"

A'sallah nodded and the two officers departed the room while Tan'yel lifted his cousin onto his bed and then finished cleaning the blood off the floor. For a moment, he leaned against the dividing wall and stared at the ceiling, taking deep breaths to try calming himself. After looking back at Tam'yn again, he checked the container that the message and the other things had arrived in and picked up the packet that the Viceroy's bracelet had come in, setting it back inside the container and then moving the whole thing over to the far wall. He took one thing out of the pocket the bracer had come in and then shut the box part way. T'am could deal with that later.

There was a tap at the door and he let in the Security officer he'd called. They spoke in hushed whispers for a moment, then Tan'yel looked at the figure in the bed and said softly, "Poor Tam'yn; in over your head and you don't even know which way's up."

The Security officer he'd called in added, "But we have a way to fix that, don't we?" Tan'yel smiled sadly and nodded as he left the cabin after glancing once more at the unconscious K'iir on the bed. He needed to go to his cabin and think for a while. He might even use some Pirka to assist his thoughts. He might use a lot of Pirka to ease his grief, which he dared not show to anyone, not now.

Tam'yn floated in a glowing space. He wasn't alone, no, someone was there with him. Sometimes she looked like his sister, but more often she looked like L'lanya. She smiled at him and had him take something and wash it down with water. That was okay, because the golden space was like the light of the new risen sun, and each sunrise meant renewal and growth and healing.

He slept in the glowing space for a while, and L'lanya was beside him.

Then he woke up. He was in his bed. There was no one with him and the room was darkened. He sat up and clumsily made his way to the sanitation unit and emptied his bladder. Standing back up and still weaving, he looked in the mirror. He looked like hell and there was a wrapping on his wrist. That puzzled him; had he injured himself and been knocked out? At least his wrist didn't hurt, that was good; although his arm was sore. What had happened?

As he returned to his sleeping space, he saw a form on the couch in the main living area. In the half-light it looked like L'lanya for a moment and his hearts skipped a beat. Then he realized it wasn't his lost beloved. It was probably someone from Security, given the ship-suit she wore. Why? Had he fought with someone? He couldn't remember anything. Maybe cousin Tan'yel was just keeping an eye on him; that would make sense, since Tan'yel was ship Security and he was on the M'Kereos.

Thinking made his head swim. He went back to bed. He'd find out in the morning what was happening. Right now, he needed sleep.

On the couch, J'sharra Meren'kona nearly all but held her breath until she heard him settle back to sleep. Once she heard the regular sounds of slumber, she silently stood up and went to the far end of the cabin, well away from Tam'yn and the sleep space.

Bringing her comms unit to her lips, she called Third, whispering.

"He woke up to pee and then went back to sleep. He seems alright enough for someone who has a large dose of 'anti-stun' in him to minimize the effects of the stunning. He didn't fiddle with the wrapping on his arm where I could see him and the wrap looked okay in dim light in here. I pretended to be asleep where he couldn't get a good look at me."

"Good, you did the right thing," Tan'yel's voice whispered to her.

Then she asked, "Continue with the plan, T'an ?"

There was a whisper back from her wrist comm; "Yes, we continue. Now we have to."

She ended the call and went back to resting on the couch.

Tam'yn struggled into wakefulness from strange dreams and twisted sleep. He sat up on his bedding and blearily looked around, trying to remember what had happened the night before. His breath smelled of sour Pirka. Had he got drunk? He couldn't recall anything after First's dinner and the briefing about their new mission.

Then a stray memory had him peering around the wall of his sleep space, looking into the now brighter main area for the Security officer he remembered seeing there. The couch was empty, although the cushions were disturbed as though someone had slept there.

He was at the sanitation unit when he heard the door to his room slide open and the soft sound of feet on flooring alerted him to an approaching presence. He finished and stood up, zipping his shipsuit closed and then heading to the wash-basin to clean his hands. As he washed, he was surprised at the amount of dark dirt that came out from under his claws. He didn't remember getting them that dirty.

An auburn-tressed head poked around the wall, looking into his sleep space and he heard, "Fourth, are you..." The head turned and he saw J'sharra's face as she turned toward him.

"Ohhh!" she exclaimed, "pardon me. I wanted to see if you were awake yet. I brought you some breakfast from the dining hall and wanted to know if you were awake enough to eat it."

"Uhh," he temporized, "Yes, I'm awake. I was tending to myself when you came in. Thank you for the thoughtfulness." Now he was confused again.

He finished drying his hands and asked, "Were you here last night?"

She nodded, then asked; "What do you remember about last night?" In the light, her resemblance to L'lanya was striking, making him wonder a little about what had really happened.

"I don't know," he replied, "I had dinner with First. Third was there, too. We saw what the orders were about, and..." He paused.

Shaking his head (which made him a little dizzy), he completed his statement with, "I really don't remember anything after that."

He held up his bandaged arm and asked, "What happened?" He tried not to sound too plaintive or too pleading.

"Well," J'sharra said carefully, "You seem to have had a bit too much Pirka and you hurt yourself. That's why I'm here; to take you to the Healing and the Counseling units after you eat and clean up."

Ears flopped, Tam'yn replied, "Oh. I don't remember anything." Now he was confused and growing concerned. "Did I do anything...wrong?" was his next question.

"No, but you will if you don't eat. Cold porridge isn't very pleasant and cold eggs are worse. I did get you some hot N'aan, and that tastes the same warm or cold," she replied in a professional voice.

"I can finish cleaning up after I eat," he muttered half to himself. J'sharra smiled, "Yes, food doesn't care about how you look. It just gets eaten."

As he sat down to eat, he asked; "You aren't eating?" J'sharra held up a cup; "Already did. I can always use more N'aan, though," and proceeded to sip the hot liquid.

Tam'yn shoveled his meal into his mouth in a business-like manner. While it wasn't something he usually ate, he recognized it was a classic "hangover" breakfast. He didn't feel that hung-over, but food was food and although bland, it filled him up. He finished quickly and put the barely half-emptied tray in the room's meal conveyor and pressed the "Return" button. The door dropped and the tray and his dishes sped away to the kitchen for washing and re-use.

Since J'sharra was apparently intending to stay in the cabin with him, he got a fresh shipsuit and clean leggings out of the closet and changed in his sleeping space. Then his used ship suit went into the laundry conveyor and he clipped his leggings in place as he sat on his bed.

Memories surged, but he damped them down since they were dreams. He quickly stepped into the sanitation cubicle and scrubbed his teeth and brushed his hair (what there was of it). After a careful check in the mirror, he decided he was ready to face whatever he was facing this morning, even if he still didn't know exactly what that was.

As he stepped through the door to the sanitation unit and turned, his left forearm hit the doorjamb and he yelped a little. Then he held it to himself. Now it hurt.

When J'sharra appeared, he ashamedly explained what had happened.

"Just as well we're headed to Healing, then," she replied, and then; " Are you always so careless about yourself?"

Shaking his head, he admitted, "This bandage-thing is heavier than I'm used to. I think there is some sort of brace in it, too; since the wrist area is both heavy and I can feel something solid under the bandage. I hope I didn't break anything." Then his ears drooped a little; "Fact is, I don't remember much of anything after dining with First and Third. I know I came back here; but the rest is a blank."

Nervousness started to claim him. He had been injured and he didn't remember it. Security was keeping an eye on him for some reason. Someone had made an appointment for him to see Healing. Had that someone also made an appointment for Counseling? That was usually the first step to being disciplined, finding out what had been going through his head when he had done...whatever it was he'd done. His stomach churned a little.

"What happens after I go to Healing?" he asked nervously.

"Then you have a visit with Counseling," J'sharra replied. Seeing his eyes widen, she added, "It isn't a disciplinary measure, Fourth. For one thing, it's about your memory loss, and for another, it's about why you were injured; at least that's what I've been briefed on. You aren't in trouble if that's what you're worried about."

J'sharra watched as Tam'yn exhaled nervously and made a mental note for Third to warn him that his cousin was very, very, brittle, and he wasn't eating much. She could guess why herself, but her superior needed to know if their plan was to work.

She wanted it to work, too, and that surprised her a little.

They didn't have to wait at Healing. As soon as J'sharra and Tam'yn showed up in the Healing area, he was taken to see one of the senior Healers, an older T'Kiir named J'nero.

As he unwrapped Tam'yn's bandages, he carefully left the one on Tam'yn's wrist in place. He was after the higher damage that had been done as a result of the thing on his patient's wrist. He didn't want to provoke him again.

Third had briefed him prior to Tam'yn's showing up.

J'nero hissed as he saw the blood in the compresses on Tam'yn's forearm, and when he peeled them back he hissed again. The Ship's Fourth officer had come within a very short distance of hitting one of the major arteries feeding his hand and wrist with his frenzied clawing. Had he hit that artery, he wouldn't have been bandaged; he would have needed surgery. As things were, Tam'yn would be long in healing the physical damage he'd done to himself.

Tam'yn himself was taken aback by the damage he saw. The flesh was gouged deeply and still wept a small amount of blood. He also wondered how he had been injured and when it had happened to him. His forearm looked like some animal had clawed it almost to ribbons on the outside and the gouges on the inside of his forearm were wider and deeper still. They looked like...

His breath caught. They looked like the marks extended toe claws would leave. He thought back to earlier in the morning and the dark "dirt" he'd washed out from under his hand claws and started feeling slightly nauseous.

He kept staring at the damage until a sting on his upper arm took his attention away from the carnage above his wrist. His head and eyes swiveled to see J'nero putting a hypospray back on his treatment table.

"That's to keep you from losing your breakfast," J'nero commented as he took up a second injector; "A lot of people tend to get queasy when they see how badly they look after all the shouting has died down. When it happens, you tend not to appreciate what's happened to you. That's what happens the day after or the day after that."

Then he injected Tam'yn a second time; "This is a systemic antiseptic," he explained, "specially-bred cells that love to lunch on bacteria and other nasties; in fact, that's all they can eat. They'll keep you from going septic for two days. Then you get another injection, and we keep them up until the risk of infection is passed."

He next cleaned the area again and shaved some fur away from the most damaged areas. Finally the injuries were clean enough to suit him.

Next he painted the area with Re-Gen to "help start the re-growth process and to kill anything that shouldn't be there," he explained as Tam'yn watched wide-eyed.

Then he covered the damage with a sheet of dressing material several layers thick and sprayed on a layer of spray-bandage that foamed slightly to cushion and protect the injury, and once it was dry he re-wrapped Tam'yn's forearm with more bandage; only this time it was just to keep things tidy.

Tam'yn stared at his forearm and commented, "Now it looks like I broke it. What happened to it, anyway?"

J'nero replied, "That should be obvious, it got a serious clawing. Next time, be a little more careful of where you put your arm, please. You came within pretty close range of needing surgery on it, and that would leave you badly scarred up at the end. This at least should heal with minimal scarring."

"What about my wrist?" Tam'yn asked worriedly.

"That can stay there for now," J'nero replied, "That wasn't clawed, so what's on it doesn't need dealing with at the moment."

Tam'yn was about to ask more, but the Healer got up and went to a drawer. There, he got out two packets of pills of differing size.

"Take one of these four times a day," he said of the larger one, "and one of these if your arm starts hurting," he added as he handed Tam'yn the smaller second one. "I'll see you this evening and tomorrow morning," he continued, "but if you feel feverish or anything starts aching or burning, come in and seek treatment immediately because it will mean that despite everything, it's infected."

Tam'yn stood as the Healer went toward the doorway and asked nervously, "Did I do this to myself?"

The Healer turned and said, "Obviously, you did something. Claw marks like that just don't happen. As for self-injury, that's Counseling's area, and I think you're due there in a few marks. Go get something to drink that isn't N'aan and then ask them who or what did it. I treat the physical damage done, they go into the how and why."

As he departed, J'sharra commented, "Compassionate, isn't he?"

Tam'yn was busy reading the two packets he'd been given. One was a broad spectrum antibiotic and the other a moderate pain reliever. He looked up as she spoke.

"Healer J'nero is right," he replied, "if I did this, Counseling is the place to ask questions. He could upset me or make me worse by answering the wrong way, and then Counseling would have more to deal with than they do already."

Then he added, "I'd like some Kala tea anyway. My mouth is a bit dry."

J'sharra nodded, "Sure. Just remember that needing to pee won't get you out of Counseling any faster. I'll join you in fact, since I won't be facing that problem."

"Needing to pee?"

She grinned, "Being stuck in Counseling and needing to pee."

"Right," Tam'yn muttered while J'sharra chuckled. They headed toward the eating area on their level.

In his office at the Healing area, Healer J'nero had called Tan'yel with his opinions. Third's image appeared on the comms panel and then he asked; "So? What'd you find?"

"He damn nearly ripped his hand off, that's what I found," J'nero replied half angrily, "What were you thinking, letting him stick that damned bracelet on his wrist?"

Third's face went sour. "We didn't do it," he replied; "the Empress did it by means of a special message chip in a special package we were instructed to deliver to him. If I hadn't stunned him, I think he might well have ripped his hand off or maybe bled to death if he was alone. Again, the Empress made sure he wasn't."

Then he asked, "What about the Healer-4 who treated him last night?" There was a hint of concern in his voice.

"She actually looked up what she saw and I had to warn her to stay silent," J'nero replied. "She will for now, but she will still be curious as to why we have an Imperial Viceroy on board; hells, I am too."

Third stared out of the image plate as he said, "Because our Empire is at a crossroads, that's why. Because some of the High Clans want more power and want to rule in defiance of both law and tradition. Because he's the Empire's last, best chance to survive in one piece, that's why."

J'nero stared at the image plate. "Then we're in trouble," he said bluntly; " he's lost more weight since he joined the ship's company. I read the planet-side evaluations and they attribute his thinness to overwork during the rebuild. They're wrong. From what I saw when I was with him, he's past being under-weight; he's on the verge of starvation and exhaustion, all of it self-inflicted." Third flinched at the words.

He went on. "Before I saw him this morning, I pulled his work records. He's effectively pulling two watches and then working into the third. He is ill, and this is just one manifestation of it. That attempt last night was a deliberate if unconscious effort to keep the load he's under from killing him with still more work. I can't be responsible for what happens when he sees that thing on his wrist; maybe Counseling can but I can't. My assessment is that he will try to tear it off again, even if it means tearing off his hand in the process and bleeding to death.

"He may even unconsciously want to die, given the way he has been living. He's on the edge of starvation, exhaustion, and gods of star and space know what else; he may see death as the only way out of his situation."

Third actually grinned, shocking the Healer a great deal.

"Then I may have an answer for you," he said; "I checked the packet the Viceroy's bracelet came out of and found this." He held up a flat piece of metal with two prongs on one end.

"What's that?" the Healer asked curiously.

"The key for that bracelet," Tan'yel replied, "the Empress knew he couldn't wear it all the time; he's an Engineer! So when I checked after I put him in bed, I found the key she sent along with the bracelet. He had to wear it when she charged him with representing the Empire, but even Viceroys have to bathe and do the usual things everyone else does. You can't change a coolant filter or use a proton welder with a Viceroy's bracelet on your wrist."

Then Third leaned close to the image panel. "I want you to give him a sleeping pill or draught or something so we can unwrap his wrist, remove the Viceroy's bracelet, and put something else in its place. That way he won't go out of orbit when his wrist is unwrapped. What I need from you are these things: something to make him stay asleep while we do the switch, and something we can use as a replacement so he can deal with things until he can wear the bracer. What can you do?" Third stared out of the panel.

"The sleep medicine I can manage easily," J'nero replied, "and I can trim a wrist support so it will look the same under the wrappings."

Then he asked, "When do we do this?"

Third replied, "Why not tonight? That way we keep the risk of discovery at a minimum, and he's less likely to notice the change if we do it soon."

J'nero nodded. "Can do. Contact me after he eats his evening meal."

Tan'yel nodded. "Consider it done."

Tam'yn sipped Kala tea as he sat across from J'sharra and tried to think about what might have happened to him the previous night that had left deep claw wounds on his left forearm. He glanced at his wrist again, wondering what was under the wrappings that covered it so completely. Whatever it was, it was hard and felt like some sort of bracelet or wrist brace of some sort, which made no sense. He hadn't broken anything.

J'sharra coughed loudly to get his attention. When she had it, she said, "Don't go to sleep on me over there. I've asked you twice if you know who in Counseling you're supposed to see. Do you?" She had seen him staring at his wrist and wanted to distract him for the moment.

"Uhh, no; I don't," he replied. "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that I had an appointment with Counseling. I still don't know why."

J'sharra explained, "It's something of a new idea that's first being tried out completely on this ship. We're going out beyond Imperial space into unexplored regions and unknown risks. According to Third and according to both Healing and Counseling; any major injury gets the full treatment before a crew-member is certified for duty again. We don't have the convenience of an Imperial base handy if one of the crew can't manage their work anymore, so we have to keep every crew-member at the peak of their effectiveness. Part of that is the policy of Counseling when you have a serious injury, or Healing if you start having mental difficulties, because they can and do affect each other. We can't afford having half-capable people at the controls out here, so we make sure that they are healthy in body and in mind when they join the ship's company and that they stay that way while we're out here exploring. Makes sense, doesn't it?" She hoped he would agree, since her explanation had been made up to keep him distracted and not thinking about his arm or what he'd done to it.

Tam'yn nodded, "Yes. I ran into that when I tested for my position as Engineer First on this ship. I had to take the exams twice. They were similar, but not quite the same. I guess that was to see how I dealt with pressure or something, I don't know."

Then he grew thoughtful. "Rintallan didn't have to do that. He just took the standard tests and qualified. I wonder why?"

Thinking quickly, J'sharra offered, "Maybe you were the test-proving person. You were the person who sort of validated the test procedures they used on the rest of the Engineering crews. Somebody has to, I guess."

He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Now that makes good sense. I was the Navy representative and overseer for the rebuild, so I would be a known quantity. They used that to make sure the Engineering crew testing met certain specifications, and I was the one who validated those specifications."

His ears dipped. "It would have been nice of them to have told me, though; afterward."

J'sharra snorted. "I doubt that the Admirals think that way. They see a mission and they make a plan to do that mission. The people involved are just tools to get the job done their way, that's all."

Seeing Tam'yn's surprised look, she continued; "I am a Dancer; a K'Pyri Dancer. That is my belief and my way through life. All that the Admirals hear are the sensational things about our worship, and so we get minor positions on most ships. It took Tan'yel pulling a lot of strings to get me aboard this ship and assigned to his service group. Otherwise, I'd still be a clerk or a minor Security officer on surface duty, not in space. In my way, I'm proving that we of the K'Pyri path are as good aboard a starship as anyone else, and that we take our work as seriously as any person should."

Tam'yn was shocked at the anger he heard in her voice. He protested, "But the Empire's laws make discrimination on the basis of belief illegal! That's been the law for centuries. They can't do that..."

J'sharra interrupted him with, "All they have to do is make certain things part of Navy Assignment Protocols, and it keeps people where the Admiralty wants them. The protocols do protect some people like the K'Marrans, who can't handle high gravity situations; but they can also make people like Dancers into minorities who..."

She stopped speaking, transfixed by the look of absolute rage in Tam'yn's eyes. He seemed paralyzed, almost; although his jaw worked a little and his ears were backed as if he were ready to fight. His hands twitched, his claws were fully extended. His eyes were holes into the hells and his lips were skinned back from his teeth in a feral snarl.

Just as J'sharra was about to call for help, Tam'yn shuddered violently and almost collapsed onto the table. Slowly, he returned to sitting upright in his chair; the rage was gone and he looked like someone who had been severely beaten. There was a frightening emptiness in his eyes; indeed, his eyes were the eyes of the dead.

In a rough voice very unlike his normal one, he husked, "Protocol cost me my chance at a happy life. 'Protocol' is something I will ask you not to discuss with or around me because it resurrects the most horrible day in my entire existence. It makes me fly into a killing rage when I hear it. I utterly hate it, and I am what I am because of it, and I will probably die as a result of it; not that I fear death in the least. When it comes, I will welcome it, since it will mean an end to the pain that I live with every day of my existence in this life."

Then, with dulled eyes he asked, "Please?" His tone was virtually begging. He looked like had aged a dozen cycles in a few beats.

J'sharra nodded, shocked beyond belief. She suspected that she knew why he had reacted that way, but the sheer force of his reactions shocked and frightened her. She needed to talk to Third, and she needed to talk soon. This was something he should know; something he had to know if the plan was to go forward.

Tam'yn was a ticking bomb, even if he didn't know it himself. He had to be neutralized before he destroyed himself and the plan with him. She hoped that Counseling could do it; otherwise, she and Tan'yel would have to take matters into their own hands, and it wasn't time for that yet.

Aloud, she said, "Of course, Fourth. We all have our sensitivities." Looking at the clock, she added, "You need to get to Counseling. I'll deal with a few things of my own while you're there, but have me paged if they release you early--please."

Dumbly, Tam'yn nodded. They both stood and then went to the Counseling section, setting their cups on the return tray to be washed as they passed it on the way out. Now he was shuffling rather than walking; now he wore the pain he had spoken of moments earlier. His head hung and his jaw sagged a little and his shoulders were slumped bonelessly while his ears drooped as though he was exhausted.

After Tam'yn had been taken into the closed-off area to begin his Counseling treatment, J'sharra spoke to one of the other Counselors about the sudden change in Tam'yn's nature. He nodded, saying, "I'll make sure his Counselor hears of it before he lets Fourth go for the day. You say it was sudden and seemed to trigger on the word 'Protocol' and that he underwent a complete personality change?"

J'sharra nodded. "I was almost frightened by what I saw. As a K'Pyri Dancer, I tap into my emotions and my spirit as I dance my prayers. What I saw there was an almost insane hatred of something or someone that used the word 'protocol' as its trigger. This may have been something he has been Counseled on before, given the way he handled himself when he came out of it, but still; his words and the look on his face...they were beyond anger; they were...I don't know what they were."

"I'll check on his records," the Counselor said thoughtfully; "if he's been under treatment at any time in his life, we'll have records of it; that's one advantage of being Navy. If there are no records, that may mean he has never been treated or he was treated under a different name." He shrugged, "Can't know until I try. Thank you, Security."

J'sharra nodded and left the area, taking the transporter to the station nearest her quarters. She needed privacy now, and her quarters would provide it.

Once there, she contacted Third and waited for him to reply. After what seemed an eternity of maybe two marks, she saw his face on her comms plate.

"How did it go?" Tan'yel asked, and got an earful of his cousin's sudden change in nature and personality. J'sharra also spoke of her own concerns when he had made that drastic a change in response to her one word to him.

He stared out of the plate, obviously thinking furiously. Then he snapped his fingers; "I think I may have the answer, or at least part of one," he said thoughtfully.

"T'am's father and I had just come back from a trade show; it was at the Mercantile center, as I recall. We entered the Empress's apartments and we overheard Tam'yn and old Tireno in what sounded like an argument. Tireno had been with the palace staff forever, just about; he'd served three Empresses in his time. T'am's mother had semi-retired him with the rank of Chief of Protocol, and he taught the children in the palace what were essentially their proper Court manners. He was doing that with Tam'yn's younger brother and sister at the time, as I recall. Apparently T'am had asked him something about his intended, L'lanya Merekon and hadn't gotten the answer he wanted."

Tan'yel paused to think for a moment, then continued, "The old T'Kiir was almost shouting that the spouse of a child of the body of the Empress would become a Lady of the Court and that was that. She would not be participating in any degrading or common sporting events or anything else like them. That was Imperial Protocol and was not to be flouted by the likes of Tam'yn or anyone else.

"T'am was shouting back that she was a champion Wind-Skimmer rider and she had a right to keep on competing and then Tireno said that if she did she would horribly embarrass the Empress and the Court and then he just stormed out of the room, right past us. I don't think he even saw us standing there, he was so angry.

"At supper, T'am was really quiet. When his father asked him what was wrong, he said he'd called L'lanya about her sporting career and told her what Tireno had said. He said she'd agreed, and was going to take one more ride before the season ended and the weather went...to...hell..." His jaw dropped and a look of horror spread over his features as he realized at what had happened on that awful day.

J'sharra stared into the comms plate, unable to find any words for a moment. Then she said in a hollow voice; "He thinks she took one more ride to have something to remember. That was when she died. Gods of star and space; he thinks she took one more ride..." Realization burned into J'sharra's mind as she realized what had happened.

Third stared back at her. "The next time Tam'yn saw her, a day and a half later, she was dead," he said in a bare whisper; "and he thought she'd gone riding because of what he'd told her..."

"Damn that old fool," he snarled; "damn him to every hell there is for what he forced T'am into. Protocol; pfaugh! To the hells with Protocol!" By now, his ears were flat and tight against his skull and his eyes were wide with rage.

J'sharra stared into space for a moment trying to think, then replied; "Tam'yn has lived with that awful thing for cycle upon cycle as it chewed away at his mind, his insides, at his very soul, perhaps. No wonder the word protocol set him off; he thinks it cost him--in his own words, 'His chance at a happy life' and that it caused the 'most horrible day in his entire existence'."

She added, "He said existence, not life. He sees himself as existing rather than living, and that existence is one of pain, sorrow, and self-blame unless he is working on something. Gods, that's what he must be feeling all the time; sorrow, pain, loss and self-blame. Oh, Gods of star and space; he must be in agony all the time; no wonder he tried to rip his hand off!" She was briefly stunned by what she had realized about him.

Looking into the comms plate, she asked, now genuinely frightened; "What do we do now, Third? What can we do now?"

Tan'yel replied, "We pray that Counseling can help him, that's all we can do. We pray that he can heal from this in time to do what the Empire needs him to do. Otherwise..." he let the words hang for a moment, his eyes staring into space.

"Otherwise, it'll all be over, and we will have failed."

J'sharra looked into the comms plate for several seconds as those words shuddered their way through her mind. She grew grim; "Then we have to work harder, try other methods, do whatever it takes. Even if he has to be propped up and given words to speak, we can't let this fail. If we do, the Empire will fall apart like an old brick house in a land-shake. We can't afford to fail him or our Empire."

Tan'yel stared back at her and began to smile a little. "You're starting to think about this like I've been thinking about it. Good. It may wreck our Naval careers; but if we don't succeed, we won't have careers to wreck. There won't be an Imperial Navy. I'll talk to A'sallah and see what he can come up with while we're here. Once we're back chasing robots, we can start putting things into motion. Until then, maybe Counseling will pull a J'Kira* out of its sleeve and get him stable again. We can hope for that, at least."

* J'Kira; a small animal like a Terran rabbit. Used by magicians the same way rabbits are on Terra.

J'sharra looked over at the clock by the door. "There is time for me to pray, time for one dance. If I scandalize the ship, so what? T'an needs all the help he can get, and if I ask Heaven for help for him and our Empire; well, maybe something good will happen. At least I will have tried with all my hearts and soul and mind. At least I will have tried..." She felt the beginning of tears in her eyes and quickly wiped them away.

Tan'yel nodded. "Go ahead. I'll keep people from bothering you. If First asks, though, we'll have to tell him what we figured out sooner rather than after Counseling's weighed in on the matter. We should tell Counseling too; for that matter."

"What if First decides to leave T'am here?" J'sharra asked Tan'yel, seeing a new danger for their intentions. If Tam'yn was too ill, First could decide to leave him with at the Guardians installation on the planet they were approaching for treatment rather than keeping him on the M'Kereos. That would be a disaster in every respect.

"Then we show him the letter," he replied; "he won't be able to argue with that."

J'sharra bowed her head; "Thank you, Third. Thank you for so much. I had nearly forgotten about the letter and you remembered it."

The face in the comms panel grinned, "That's why I'm Third officer on this boat," he replied, "I remember things and I use them. You need to start developing that habit; Security is as much a memory game as it is peace-keeping."

1. Tam'yn was resting and dreaming. He'd been hooked up to a device called a "Dream-Share" that sat on his head like a helmet of sorts and was connected to a console by a collection of wires and cables that would record his mental activity as he lay there and dreamed. He wasn't asleep, he wasn't awake--he was somewhere between the two states. That was how the Dream Sharer worked.

Next to him, another Counselor was similarly attached to the same machine, consciously sharing his dreams and learning what was going on in Tam'yn sleeping brain. The images they shared would offer insights into Tam'yn's problems and would give direction to his treatment. It would help him get better by letting a specialist Counselor see the terrors that made him avoid sleep and work himself into exhaustion.

This had been explained to him and he understood the why of it; the Counselor who was sharing his dreams would be watching what happened and learning what made Tam'yn who he was while seeking a way to lead him out of the mental state that had him needing to exhaust himself before he dared to get any rest.

He was nervous; that went without saying. He was also curious about what somebody else would say about his recurring nightmares and also hoped that some sort of pill could give him the decent, dreamless sleep he wanted so badly.

The Counselor who shared his dreams would learn and suggest things that might ease some of the fears he had of his bed and the nightmares that shared it with him. He also knew that the Counselor's oath would keep what was found a secret, perhaps even from him unless it was absolutely necessary for his treatment that he dissect those dreams in detail, and even then the Counselor would only hint and guide about things rather than baldly state what his dream-symbols meant.

A side effect of the Dream-Share system was that he remained "awake and conscious" even if his body "slept". His awareness wouldn't change anything, the dreams came from a different part of his mind and would play out whether he was actively aware of them or not.

So far, his dreams had been inconsequential, at least to him. He had been told that dreams happened only at certain times during sleep, otherwise his mind was asleep with the rest of him. He'd taken a couple of pills that made him sleep and encouraged the type of sleep that dreams manifested in.

So far, the pills had made him sleep, yes. The dreams he had experienced so far were, in a word, dull. He dreamt of working on the various ships he'd served on. Sometimes other people were there, sometimes not. Sometimes they did silly things, like Rintallan showing up in a p-suit because he needed to fart, or of First telling him to grease the hull so they'd go faster. Other times, the dreams were of other places and different periods of his life. Not all of them were happy dreams.

Then L'lanya showed up in a dream. She was as he'd last seen her alive, leaning out over the edge of her Wind-skimmer, back arched, knees flexed, and tail touching the water as she made the last turn and charged over the finish line 26 beats ahead of the next challenger to win the Triple Cup and gain permanent Championship status.

Then they were laughing and hugging and celebrating her new accomplishment; World Champion of Wind-skimmers for the entire fresh-water group. She would be offered a fortune for her endorsements of things, she would be famous.

And his own Royal status would have nothing to do with it! They would make their way on their own, not as hangers-on at his mother's Court.

Then they made love, there in her bedroom at the hotel; and she had renewed her promise to him as they lay together spent and happy. He had never felt happier in his entire life. He'd designed her board for her at her request and she had won with it.

He kissed her again and drew back in shock as he felt cold wet lips against his own. In their bed she knelt dead and drowned; her lifeless eyes staring at him with sorrow. He smelled wet vegetation, mud and slime. She was wearing a life jacket now.

"Why won't you kiss me, T'am-T'am?" she asked in a gurgling, wet, dead voice. "Our babies want you to kiss me. I'm pregnant and I want you to kiss me. Why won't you kiss me? Isn't it protocol?"

Protocol Master Tireno was there too. "You must not kiss her," he intoned, "she went against protocol and died as a result. You therefore must not kiss her or your children. That would also be against protocol. You must be proper or your mother the Empress will punish you. All must be proper all must be proper all must be proper all must be proper all must..." the words went on as a light started flashing somewhere.

Tam'yn ran. He was in the palace and he didn't remember the way to the Throne room or the family apartments. Every time he stopped, the voice of Tireno sounded from far away, "Protocol, protocol, protocol; all must be proper and Tam'yn is improper because he got a common female pregnant against protocol."

L'lanya suddenly appeared again; now as a smoldering corpse sitting on her pulsing funeral pyre just like the Empress sat on the Sunrise Throne. She looked down at him and beckoned to him with a charred hand.

"Join me, love," she whispered, exhaling smoke as she spoke; "the fire warmed me up so I'm not cold anymore. Come with me, T'am-T'am; death is right for us, that way we can't be separated again."

Suddenly, they weren't alone. Other Court Ladies were there too.

Lady Netello laughed, "Why not? You aren't worth anything as a male; my own hand gives me more pleasure than you could even if you stopped this stupid mourning over that houseless common tart. She's dead; I'm not."

"B-but I-I l-loved her," he said, trying to defend himself but stuttering like he always did when he was frightened of something.

"What a joke," Lady Karelia laughed, "You don't love a commoner, you use her. Love is proper for your equals, such as myself." She preened before him.

"N-no," he tried to say, but Protocol Master Tireno put a hand around Tam'yn's muzzle and said instead, "Protocol! You voided protocol, therefore you are common yourself. I shall tell the Empress on you, and she will forget you exist." He held a candle in his other hand that flickered in Tam'yn's eyes. He looked away, back at the courtiers.

"Tam'yn's a commoner!" laughed Lady Yertersa "of course he is! Of course he's coarse; he's so common. He can't even get a proper female pregnant so she can be Empress! Maybe he just can't, period; maybe it fell off when the common-born slut died." Then the three females started laughing at him and pointing at him as though he were a joke himself; their jewels and finery flickering in the light of Protocol Master Tireno's candle.

Again he fled, away from the palace and all that was in it.

He was wading through the damage at the lake. Yes, the storm had done a lot of damage and he needed to see if any of it could be salvaged or repaired. Later, he would ask L'lanya to Pledge and she would say yes. Then, on the beach, a body wearing a life-jacket and little else. He couldn't even tell the color of the fur, it was so full of mud and debris from the storm.

He could see though, the crawl marks on the beach where whoever it was had crawled out of the water. Clicking the emergency call transmitter on his comms unit, he scrabbled through the trash on the beach to the body and rolled it over.

L'lanya's lifeless eyes stared up at him. Putting a hand over each heart, he began to press and release, press and release; doing the artificial respiration he'd been taught.

Hands seized his own and his mother, the Empress, shook her head. "She isn't coming back, Tam'yn. You've been working on her for nearly half a turn and protocol dictates that she has to be dead."

His mother's eyes leveled with his. "You got her pregnant against protocol, and she died as a proper result. Shame on you, Tam'yn; I had thought better of you. Your sister died because you were improper and didn't warn her about the bomb on her runner. I am very disappointed with you, Tam'yn; because 'very disappointed' is proper protocol for this situation." She turned and walked off, away from him and leaving him to cremate L'lanya alone and by himself, and he couldn't remember how to do it.

He cringed. He wanted to die. That way he'd be with L'lanya and their children.

He put his right hand over his eyes. He couldn't use his left hand, there was something horrible on it and raising his hand to his eyes would let him see it. If he saw it, his sister would again be disappointed in him for letting her die on that Runner.

A hand took his left wrist and pulled on it. He turned and saw a child; someone he remembered. It was J'esa, L'lanya's younger sister. He knelt to bring their eyes level, as protocol dictated. At least he could do that right.

"Are you going to hate me too?" he asked nervously. He knew she should, that was proper.

"Wake up, Tam'yn;" the child said in a serious voice. "Wake up!" Her young eyes wore an odd, concerned look. "You have to wake up!" she repeated.

"Why?" he asked, now curious about this person in his dream. "I'm where I belong. Awake I hurt people; asleep I can't. Waking wouldn't be proper protocol, not until my alarm goes off. I want to do proper protocol about waking."

"Wake up!" the child repeated, growing taller and maturing into J'sharra the Dancer. "You need to wake up, T'am; you should be awake by now but your body won't do it."

"Huh?" he asked, "What happened to you? You changed."

J'sharra leaned closer to him, "You have to wake up if you want me to tell you," she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his. She retreated slightly, entreaty in her eyes.

"Umm," he said with some embarrassment, "I don't know how. I've never done this before." He wondered why a dream would want him to wake up.

"Try opening your eyes," J'sharra replied gently but with firmness, "That's how most people do it."

He tried opening his eyes and slowly the dream world faded with one exception; J'sharra Meren'kona was still there, her face nearly touching his. She still held his hand, too, and the look of entreaty was still there, along with something else. Something that reminded him of L'lanya, but he couldn't remember what it was.

"How long was I out?" he husked, now speaking aloud.

"About twice as long as you should have been," Counselor Timoren replied, turning from the Counselor who had shared his dreams via the machine; "You actively resisted waking. We stopped your medicine and gave you a stimulant and you still wouldn't wake up. Then Dancer J'sharra came running in and I wondered what else was happening on the ship. Fortunately, nothing; at least as far as I know."

Tam'yn's eyes turned to J'sharra, realizing that all she was wearing were her dance silks. They didn't cover much.

Seeing his confusion, J'sharra explained, "I was dancing a prayer in the Contemplation area. Suddenly, I absolutely had to come here; if I didn't, something horrible would happen. Then I saw you on the sleep-pad and learned you were refusing to wake up. The rest, you should remember." She smiled a little.

"J'esa?" he asked confusedly; "I thought you were J'esa, L'lanya's younger sister. I mean, I thought you were her in the dream I was having."

"I was," J'sharra replied gently; "part of being a Dancer is changing your name to reflect that you have changed yourself. The first Dancer, great Pyri himself, asked that we change our names upon our graduation to reflect that we are both who we were and who we have become. I was J'esa Merenkon. I am now J'sharra Meren'kona; a Dancer and Priestess of the Path of Moving Prayer as taught by great Pyri. I have changed and reflect that change in my naming."

Then her voice softened. "Tam'yn, your cousin Tan'yel and I may have figured out part of what has haunted you so long. Each of us had a part of the answer, but it took both of us to figure it out. You didn't cause my sister's death. She'd already taken out her board and sail for another run when you called her. She had won the championship half a segment past, and the weather was changing. Winter was coming, and she knew it."

Her voice caught a little; "She took out the board again and even though the weather was threatening, she went out on the lake. She was going to repeat her winning run. I heard her say that with the winds that were picking up, she could better her best time on the water. She left the shallows and headed out on the lake to take a run.

"Then the storm broke. We couldn't see her anymore; we didn't see her until the rescue workers brought us her body after you'd found it."

Her jaw quivered, "Tam'yn; you didn't kill her. You weren't a part of her death in any way. She chose to take out her wind-skimmer again before you spoke to her. She was on her way down to the lake when you called. It was her own mis-judgment that killed her. She thought she was a better board-rider and better swimmer than she really was. Even father asked her not to go; but she went anyway."

A teardrop splashed on Tam'yn's chest. His own eyes were full of tears as well.

"I didn't know..." he husked, "I thought she'd been caught out in a boat or something. Why would she take out her board that late in the season? She knew the weather on the lake could change in an instant. Why would she do that?"

"Because she was very competitive, that's one reason why," J'sharra said in a muted voice; "and she was always challenging things, that's what made her so good on the Wind-Skimmer circuit. If the water wasn't deep enough, she would try anyway; even if she lost a fin off the bottom of her board. She didn't stop to think, she just went ahead and did it. That's what made her a champion, and that's what killed her. She just didn't think much ahead of what she wanted to do, other than how she was going to do it."

"And she didn't drown. Later, after you had gone with your father, the Healers found a burn mark on her back, and more burns on her feet. When they shaved the area around the burn on her back, they found something they called "Lightning marks" caused by the lightning that hit her. She'd been hit by lightning after she crawled out of the water onto the beach and then stood up, even though she knew better. She died instantly and there was no way you could have brought her back; she had been electrocuted by the storm."

Tam'yn looked up at J'sharra's face and saw L'lanya; there, in her eyes. Then L'lanya smiled and was gone, and J'sharra was holding his hand with her own. He closed his fingers around her hand and asked in a small voice, nearly begging; "Will you help me? Will you help me end the nightmares when I sleep? Will you..." J'sharra put a finger on his lips, silencing him, while his eyes pled for her help.

"Yes," she said softly; "I will. We will start with Pyri's basic meditations and go from there. You can learn to gain peace that way and then you can begin learning prayer in movement. It helped me, and it can help you."

Then she kissed him on his forehead, and he began to hope.

"That's good," First said to the comms unit on his desk, "but when can he come back to work?"

The Counselor replied, "In a while, First; in a while. Somehow that Dancer managed to get him awake and responsive; but he is still as brittle as thin glass and just as easy to break. I'll give you my guess though; when his arm is better healed he should be able to manage some light work on the ship. At least we have some dream images we can deal with now. That is a whole lot better than what we had before."

"Suppose I leave him here with the Guardians? They have Counselors here too." First was trying to see how he could keep his fourth officer from breaking down again and not getting anywhere in the process.

"That would be a very bad idea," the Counselor's voice replied over the comms unit; "He's had abandonment problems enough already; leaving him here among strangers and sending him away from the things he values would only make him worse than he is already. There's also that Dancer girl; they seem to have a relationship of sorts that started developing when he responded to her and woke up at her urging. Taking her away would send him right back to where he was before he started treatment and maybe farther. The Counselor who shared the dream with him says those dreams were pretty awful, no surprise there; and that they centered around females and loss and grief. His positive reaction to the Dancer surprised us a little, but that it was positive gives us hope that between our work and what the Priestess can do we may have him functional in less time than expected, and on his way to healing himself before this trip is over."

First was now a little confused. "We have a K'Pyri Priestess with our crew? I know Third had a Dancer on his team, but I didn't realize she was a Priestess! Why isn't she in Counseling or something less potentially violent than Security?"

"Ask Third," the Counselor said; "I wouldn't mind having her on my staff here, but her specialty is Security, not Counseling."

Then he added, "I also have to admit that I really don't know that much about K'Pyri Dancers other than what is taught in Counseling school. For all I know, they may also teach their people security work or even engineering. What I do know is that having any K'Pyri devotee in need of Counseling is like finding a freshly-laid egg in my morning N'aan here on the ship. It may not be impossible, but it's damned unlikely to happen."

"Thank-you," First said somewhat distractedly, "I'll check with Third about her. As long as he's responding to treatment, I'll have to agree with you that leaving him at the Guardian world would not be in anyone's best interest."

Closing the comm, First rubbed his chin and wondered what else was going to happen. Deciding that he really didn't want to know so long as it didn't endanger his ship or his crew, he called Third with some questions he wanted answered.

Third answered quickly, with the hissing and bubbling sounds in the background that suggested strongly to First that his Security officer was in the hydroponics unit.

"J'sharra?" Third replied after he'd been asked a few questions about his apprentice, "Well, first off, she is a damn fine detective. Thanks to her, I have some people of interest to watch relating to the sabotage aboard. Secondly, the K'Pyri teach a form of disarmed combat that the Imperial Guards are now incorporating into their training regimen, both for recruits and for updating active Guards. You should try sparring with her. If she doesn't want you to touch her, you won't. If she decides to knock you into the middle of the next ten-day, you're going there, and fast. Don't let her looks fool you, she is one good Security agent and I'm happy to have her on the ship."

"Is the a priestess?" First asked curiously, "Counseling thinks she is."

"Yes, she is a K'Pyri priestess; I was there at her investment. For Tam'yn, that's a good thing; it means she can work with him along with Counseling to help get him functioning again. Add in that she seems to really care about him and he is showing some response to her; she may be just the medicine he needs when it comes to relationships, and relationships are one of his major problems, it seems."

"How do you know this?" First asked, now intrigued.

"I have his dream analysis that I am supposed to bring to you," Third replied; "And I'll get it to you as soon as I find out why hydroponics is complaining about some alleged thefts from their food crops. Somebody is stealing Pirka berries and the top agronomist is upset about it. That's why I'm here and not in your ready room; she snagged me as we passed in the hallway and I couldn't tell her I was too busy because I obviously wasn't. As soon as I finish checking things out, I'll be there. We really don't want the Hydroponics people upset with us unless we want all our veggies preserved or frozen for the rest of the voyage. All they have to do per Navy protocols is take care of the air system; the food angle is a matter of choice on the part of the ship's Agronomist."

"Well, get up here and let me see the report, since you seem to have already read it," First grumbled to Third; "and tell the Hydro-people we'll get on it as soon as we can, and suggest they set a camera to watch the area where the berries are disappearing."

"Will do, sir;" Third replied, sounding like he had a mouth full of something; maybe Pirka berries.

First glanced at the clock that was part of the data display on his desk. In three hours they would be landed at an unknown destination and under repair and his chief Engineer was obviously off duty. Rintallan would have to stand in, orders or not. Tam'yn was plainly not up to the task of overseeing the repairs and wouldn't be for some time afterwards. He keyed Rintallan's communicator code and waited for the Engineer to answer.

"Second--I mean First Engineer here," Rintallan's voice came out of the speaker; "how may I be of service to you, Sir?" He sounded a little nervous, understandable given his sudden promotion.

First answered, "It looks like you get another promotion, this time a brevet promotion to ship's Fourth Officer. I just learned about Tam'yn and it isn't good news. He may be off duty for some time due to medical considerations. That means you oversee the repairs and sign them off once they're done. Tam'yn may be able to help you with some of that, but for the current time Medical; as in Healing and Counseling, won't let him near anything resembling work until he manages some healing on his left arm. I'll let you pick his brain for things, but he isn't going back to duty status any time soon."

"Is it true that he almost got his arm cut off?" Rintallan's voice asked, "scuttlebutt is that he almost lost his left arm near the hand."

"That isn't true," First replied, "while his left forearm was injured, it wasn't anywhere near amputated; it was more like skin and muscle damage. He will stay with the ship and he will recover in proper time. He may be permitted to teach the apprentices after he heals a bit and he will return as Fourth officer as soon as he's able to do that, so don't get too comfortable on the bridge--I need you down in Engineering, not up here on the main deck."

Then Rintallan asked, "What about his weight loss? Is he sick with some wasting disease? Is that being treated too?"

"Where did you hear that?" First replied, now startled; "that is completely untrue. According to Healing, he has no sort of wasting sickness or any other form of disease."

"Uhh, sir, I beg to disagree," Rintallan said nervously; "That isn't a rumor. That is something I saw a ten-day ago. He was switching out of a dirty shipsuit and I was with him and I saw his back. It was bony and his ribs stuck out. He looked starved. I didn't say anything then, but, sir, he's even thinner now. I wondered if he had something, some wasting disease; but I was nervous about reporting it since he's my superior officer and, well, I really like him and don't want to cause him trouble. He's good people, sir, and I was afraid he was sick or something."

First put a hand to his forehead before answering, trying to think. Then he replied, "I'm certain that Healing will treat that too," he temporized, "we both know he's overworked himself, but I didn't realize he was so thin. He didn't look that thin the last time I saw him in his cabin, but I did notice a bit more sharpness to his face when I was there. I put it down to too much brushing or bad lighting."

"No, sir," Rintallan said in a tone of concern; "I think he may have lost as much as six or seven an-ketra since he and I met when we were assigned here. He may have also been re-measured, since two tendays ago he showed up in a brand-new shipsuit that wasn't baggy anymore. That's what got me worried, his old shipsuits were baggy on him and they had fit properly when we arrived here from Fleet Assignment. You can ask the quartermaster, sir, and he'll back me up." There was real concern in Rintallan's voice now, and briefly First envied that. Then he got back to ship's business.

"I will, Fourth Officer Rintallan," he replied, "and I suspect that you're probably right. This goes nowhere other than between us, but his work records show he was working two watches and teaching part of a third. He was exhausted before he was injured, and exhaustion frequently includes missing meals. Healing and Counseling will get him back from the exhaustion and malnutrition at the very least, and maybe the sleep problems will resolve too, in the process. Thank you for being a caring officer; and while it won't be specific, this will go into your permanent record as a commendation with positive promotion comments. You're the sort of officer the Imperial Navy needs."

"Thank you, sir," Rintallan said in a surprised voice as First closed the connection and stared at the bulkhead in front of his desk. This mission was going to the hells faster than he'd ever seen a mission go sour before. For a moment, he wanted to be back at the Imperial rim chasing pirates and smugglers; desperately so, but then he surrendered to his now. Now consisted of somehow getting across roughly twenty to forty light cycles of unknown and unmapped space and finding what had hopefully become a stellar civilization. Now also consisted of limping along and hoping the Security base they were headed for could repair their unfortunately radioactive fusion reactor liners so they could at least get farther out of Imperial space. Now also had an Imperial Viceroy under profound medical treatment, both Healing and Counseling, after he had tried to tear his hand off.

All-in-all, Now stank to the skies.

His introspection was interrupted by a knock at his ready-room door. At the word "open" it slid back and Third stepped in and seated himself in front of First's desk. He handed First a data plate and leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat pleased with himself.

Choosing to ignore the informality, First concentrated on the report he'd been handed. After he finished, he hissed softly and said, "At least Fourth officer Tam'yn doesn't have skin parasites. That seems to be the only positive I can see here."

Third reached into his pocket and handed First an envelope bearing the seal of the Imperial Palace. "Actually, it's both better and worse than that," he replied as the smile left his eyes, to be replaced by cold determination.

"Read that," he instructed; "you need to know what's happening. A'sallah's already read it and understands what's happening here."

First opened the envelope and extracted two pieces of actual paper, both embossed with the Empress's family device and bearing the Palace watermark. Looking down, he read them, both sides. Then he read them again as his jaw dropped in disbelief at what the words said and what their message contained.

"Gods of star and space, Tan'yel," he said in a stunned voice, "I had no idea things were like this at home."

"If anything, An' kereo, they've probably grown worse," Tan'yel replied wearily. "We're at a crossroads and none of the ways available seem very appetizing, at least not to me. Even if we win, we'll lose."

"And sick as he is, he has to try to bring home a miracle?"

"Something like it, but even that may not work. The ancient houses have been planning this since before either of us were born, and they haven't left much to chance."

"Every bit of this is treason at the very least. The Navy won't support it...will they?" Suddenly, First was asking himself questions about the service he'd been in for decades and the Empire to which he had dedicated his life.

"There are a sizeable number of Admirals who are either part of the plot or are floating toward it. The Navy is loyal, yes; but even the Navy won't go against direct Admiralty orders outside of a very few people who stand to lose everything if this goes to completion. Funny thing, none of those people are commanding any vessel larger than a Runner. As I said, these plans have been in place for a very long time."

First stared at the ceiling as if the answers were up there, among the vents and conduits and lighting. When he lowered his gaze, he asked, "Suppose it happens while we are establishing our contacts with these robot-builders. Then what?"

Third replied, "The place we're going is very well hidden, and is one of a few places of, ahhh, refuge. Only the Imperial Guard knows it exists, and only a very few Guards know where it is. At worst case, we may have someone important coming to visit us on this new planet of robot-builders. That far away from Imperial space, the distance may buy us some time to regroup. There are other civilizations in the Empire who will stay loyal to the Empress no matter what. That could mean civil war. Finding this new civilization can go a long way to keep that from happening."

"Provided we can find this world we're looking for," First added worriedly.

Tan'yel grinned without humor; "When we leave this planet, every few light cycles, we'll drop a sub-space beacon. It'll be automatic, so nobody here will know it's happening. It will be sensitive to a sub-space responder with the right signal aboard a certain group of ships. Think of it as a 'line of crumbs for the right people to follow,' if you will. If it gets the wrong signal, it won't respond and whoever is chasing us will head off in the wrong direction."

"Where does the Priestess figure into this?" First asked, now curious.

"That..." Third replied, "is a bit personal, but I will say this. She can protect him very well and is dedicated to bringing him out of the shell he had to grow at the palace just to survive. You've seen him in his chosen element, the Navy. You haven't seen him the way he was at the palace. If you had, you'd think you were seeing two different people. That might be the case, for all I know."

Sighing, Tan'yel tried explaining his cousin's conduct in the Imperial residence.

"At the palace, he was quiet, deferential, retiring; everything a "good" child of the Empress' body should be, according to the court power-brokers. He literally was like a 'well mannered pet of some sort' in the Court. His parents were shocked at how colorless he seemed to be, and his father took him into his business to get him out of the Court and the pressures there. He seemed to get better at his father's design bureau, away from the Court, but the deferential nature still made its appearance there. I'm told he had excellent ideas but let others literally steal them from him and put them forth as their own. The girl who died, L'lanya, was a childhood friend he could be himself with, and that was nothing like the way he was at the palace after his mother had been chosen as Empress. L'lanya won the world championship on a Wind-Skimmer he designed when he was just eight cycles old. That same design now is in use all over the racing community; but does he get any credit? No, not a bit. She got all the credit because she won with it. She tried to get him to take credit for the design, but he wouldn't or perhaps couldn't and others are making a fortune off what he originally designed for the sports-lady he loved. That's just a small sample of what he thinks he has to let happen to himself as a Reflection; a child of the body of the Empress. It wouldn't be proper for someone like him to be involved with something common like professional sports, not at all; and the problem is, he believes it! _ Even his parents couldn't get him to stand up to the old family nobles in Court; _the Empress's child was deferring to very minor nobility like he was a no-clan no-family nobody.

"At first it seemed like a normal reaction for a country-born young K'iir dumped into the power and political games that the Court is on its best days, but things got worse over time and I think I know why.

"When he and the rest of the Imperial family moved into the palace, his father asked one of the oldest retainers and the one most versed in palace protocols to help their children fit in with the new world their mother's accession had moved them into. That retainer was named Tireno Alcys'ka and he undertook what Tam'yn's father asked of him. Later, the Empress made Tireno 'Master of Protocol' as a way of gently retiring him and thinking he would see it as that. He didn't, regrettably. In less than a handful of segments, T'am's sister decided that what he was teaching was something other than manners and quit those 'classes' by becoming active in her mother's reign. She warned the Empress that Tireno was less her teacher than someone who was trying to force her into being something she wasn't. Tam'yn was still all but forced to listen and respond to the old bastard, since he didn't have that outlet to use, being male. When his father took him over to his design bureau as an apprentice, he was shocked at what had happened to his son. Unfortunately, the Empress couldn't do much of anything since she had given Tireno the job and he seemed to be doing it exactly as he had been asked to do. Tam'yn had excellent Court manners and seemed to be able to fit into any situation gracefully and properly...and spinelessly too. He was like that when he was in the Court; shapeless and agreeable and totally without a mind of his own.

"That bastard Tireno has had his way with Tam'yn's younger siblings, I suspect; since they're just like Tam'yn was when he was in the palace. The Empress thought Tireno was a model of incorruptibility by the Court. Actually, since the last Empress's reign at the very least, he's been in the pocket of the conspirators so he could afford to reject bribes and offers made to him by everybody who tried. He has been teaching the children of the Court to be spineless and deferential to specific people for at least the last twelve cycles; I found that out when I watched him teaching 'Court Manners' to T'am's siblings after he and Tam'yn had a falling out over L'lanya's desire to continue to compete after they became Companions. He has probably doing things like that for a very long time, and I've run into some of his now adult 'students' hanging around the Court and waiting for their chance or their parent's chance at the throne. If I get the chance, I swear I'll kill that traitor myself for what he's done to Tam'yn's siblings under the guise of 'Proper Manners and Court Propriety'. He's turning them into deferential spineless brats that even their parents can't help, outside of keeping them away from Court, back at the family plantation with the rest of the family. Then they complain about their isolation and try to make up for it on the planetary Commnet. It's literally a no-win situation for their parents at the moment, and the ancient houses are starting to cultivate them for use against their mother the Empress as an example of how the 'females on the throne' are corrupting the strength of the Empire. Terel has started showing a taste for gambling and his mother has to pick up the tab. Le'ahn is chasing the fashion scene and spending a fortune on clothes that last less than a season."

Tan'yel continued by explaining, "The Priestess is L'lanya's younger sister. She's been attracted to T'am since he and her older sister were together. L'lanya's death and T'am's vanishing from her life got her parents to send her to the local K'Pyri school as a way to help her deal with those problems. I don't know what happened there or at the Academy she was later sent to and where I watched her gain her status as Priestess; but her interest in Tam'yn is undiminished. That's why she's here and why she's caring for him while he recovers. Maybe her interest will grow or maybe it'll fade; but for now it's getting him the help he needs from someone who knows what kind of help to give and what to expect of it. If anyone can bring him around, she'll do it. Beyond that is out of Navy territory; what's between them stays between them unless it endangers the ship or the mission, and I don't see that happening."

First started laughing. When he had control of himself again, he accused; "Third, you set this up! You're being a matchmaker! Does that Dancer know what you're up to?"

Third nodded, "Oh my yes, she does; and she approves most highly. So does Tam'yn's father, and so does his mother. She wants him to be happy and have a life away from the Court and all the business that goes on there. The only one in the dark about this is Tam'yn himself. I'd like to keep it that way."

Glancing at the papers in his hand again, First nodded. "Sounds alright to me, too." He folded the papers and reached for the envelope they had come in.

Then, growing somber, he added, "I hope to the Heavens all this planning works out the way it needs to work out. If anything goes wrong, he and maybe she will be the only thing left of the legitimate government of the Empire; gods of star and space preserve it."

He handed the papers, now in their envelope, back to his Third officer; adding, "I never saw these and you never showed them to me. Keep an eye on them both, for all our sakes."

Third nodded. "That I will," he promised.

Tam'yn was in the dining area eating lunch. Across the table from him sat J'sharra, also eating. She was watching him as he picked at his food, not eating a lot but still going through the motions of eating. He ate silently, probably a result of having to bolt meals between deliberately scheduled work assignments; assignments he had made for himself. They had departed the Counseling area with a plate of instructions and appointments he had to keep, and he was studying them while he avoided eating.

J'sharra got up and returned in a few moments with two servings of a rich dessert, Kerra preserves in whipped cream over sponge cake, one of which she set in front of Tam'yn and then she watched him as she ate the other serving. Almost automatically, he scooped a serving of the food and slid it into his mouth before he realized what he'd eaten. Then his eyes widened and he glanced across the table as J'sharra ate her own serving. He nodded, a slight smile on his lips, as he started picking at the dessert instead of his main course.

Silently, J'sharra watched as he went through the motions of eating while actually just moving food around on his plate. When he put it aside with over half of it uneaten, she asked, "Didn't you like it? Most people like kerra preserves, and I thought you might too, that's why I got them."

Looking up from the data plate in his hand, Tam'yn replied, "Yes, I like them a lot. Why?"

"Because you ate less than half of the serving," J'sharra pointed out.

"I did?" he responded. Then, looking down at the plate, he sputtered, "But I thought I ate the whole thing. I'm not hungry, at any rate."

J'sharra ordered, "Look at your meal plate, Tam'yn. You ate about a third of that, too." She was beginning to see a pattern in what he was doing; and it was not a good pattern, even if it explained how he got where he was now with his weight.

When he saw how much food he'd left, he was obviously surprised. "I-I thought I a-ate m-more than that. I'd s-swear I had," he admitted, beginning to stutter again.

J'sharra took his hand and looked into his eyes. "I think we need to visit Healing again then," she said worriedly, "If you think you're full now, either you ate something earlier or there's something wrong with your stomach; and I know you haven't had anything since breakfast. You should still be hungry and you aren't. That worries me."

"It does?" Tam'yn said in surprise, then, "Why? Why should I worry you? I don't want to worry people, that would be wrong. Why are you worried?" There was a tone of embarrassment and shame in his voice as he spoke, the words tumbling out of his mouth as though he had done something very wrong and was trying to apologize for it.

J'sharra was shocked at what she had heard. Worrying people was wrong? Who had put those thoughts in his mind?

"I'm worried because I care about you and want you to get well," she said after a moment. "If you have some disease, something affecting your stomach, the Healers should know about it."

Then she tried out a specific word; "That would be proper, since we're on a Navy ship and every crewmember is important to its operation."

The word had its feared and yet anticipated effect. Tam'yn nodded, "You're right. Gods, now I have to visit Healing just after lunch and Healer J'nero wants me there after dinner. Maybe I should just move in and save everybody time."

Despite the ice in her stomach, J'sharra nodded as though nothing were wrong. "I doubt moving into Healing would help much, since you are a ship's officer and have your own cabin. This should be a simple test and then you can go relax. The new scanners are a lot better than the older ones and you ought to be out in a few minutes. So, shall we go?"

Sighing, Tam'yn nodded; "I guess I might as well. I thought it was just a nervous stomach but there may be something else wrong."

"And if you don't have much in your stomach, when you throw up it isn't as nasty as it is when you're full?" J'sharra was trying out an idea that had formed as she had discussed potential sickness with him.

"Right," he agreed, "is isn't pleasant by any means, but it isn't as nasty as a full stomach can be."

J'sharra realized she had more things to tell Third about his cousin. His sudden agreement to the word "proper" felt like something that had been put there, and his stomach was probably a wreck given the way he thought of himself. Was there more? Was there real disease? She prayed not, but Heaven only granted wishes that were already part of what was going to happen and would probably happen anyhow. Still, she hoped.

While Tam'yn was being scanned for abdominal problems, J'sharra was calling Third to relate what had happened at lunch.

"I get the nervous stomach bit," Tan'yel said thoughtfully, "but you're saying he responded to the word 'proper' like it was some sort of a command he had to obey?"

"Very much so," J'sharra replied, "He was against it until I used a derivative of 'protocol' with him, and then he acted like it was his own idea instead of mine. I wonder what else he may respond to like that?"

"Did he seem to be himself after you used the word?" Tan'yel asked curiously.

"Yes," J'sharra replied, "in fact, if I hadn't known what I was deliberately saying, I wouldn't have really noticed a difference. That worries me a little."

"It should," Tan'yel replied, "because it's beginning to make me wonder what else Tireno was teaching besides his usual treason. We need to validate that he responded to that word and didn't just change his mind. You can be very persuasive when you want to, you know."

"Right," J'sharra replied, "and so can you. Still, until I get a negative on his having anything seriously wrong with his stomach, I'm going to be concerned. If he has a serious organic disease, the whole plan is in trouble unless Healing can cure it without anyone knowing about it.

"You're too late," Tan'yel said unhappily, "First called me and apparently the new Engineering First, Rintallan, spoke to him about how thin T'am looked from the back. I checked, and he was re-measured for his ship suit almost three tendays ago, just under a half-segment. He went from a standard to a small long with that re-measure and now his clothing is looking loose on him again, and the ship's tailor says she had taken in his old shipsuit twice before he got the new ones. I hope it's just malnourishment and not a disease, but that much weight loss isn't normal in the least. Let me know what you find out, please. If he's really seriously ill, we may have to leave him with the Guards because they have a real hospital, not just a medical space. We'll have no choice."

J'sharra broke the connection and again felt the pain that had tormented her when her sister had died and Tam'yn had gone away. It wouldn't happen again, not if she could keep it from happening.

A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her internal misery and she turned to see the Healer to whom she had earlier entrusted Tam'yn.

He smiled, "There is nothing organically wrong with Ship's Fourth other than a shrunken stomach," he said in a relieved sounding voice, "and that can be remedied by extra small meals until his stomach stretches out again. He admitted that he tended to eat only when he had the chance, and he was often interrupted at his meals, so his shrinking stomach went unnoticed under the stress of keeping the ship moving."

He went on; "I'm getting some emergency suit rations out of storage for him; they are small, low volume, and packed with calories and supplements. There are four 'meals' in a package, and I want him to eat one package a day in addition to his normal diet. Additionally, I'm giving him some appetite stimulants so that when he eats, he eats! He needs to get at least eight and maybe ten an'-ketra on his frame just to be at proper weight for his height and body structure. Twelve would be super for him, since I'd like a bit extra to feed him when he gets busy and legitimately has to miss a meal or two.

J'sharra let out her breath suddenly, not realizing she had been holding it so long. "Tam'yn will be alright, then?" she asked with naked hope in her voice.

The Healer nodded. "He has a slightly nervous stomach and has had one since he entered the Navy," he explained, "but this is more overwork and stress than anything else. I really don't want to give him any medication for his nerves though, since Counseling is working with him and properly that's their area. They have the same records we have, and so if they don't think a stomach calmative is needed, then neither do I. He'll be out in a few minutes; he's eating one of the suit rations now and apparently enjoying it. Just keep him doing that and he will be back at weight in a segment or so."

She had barely seated herself when Tam'yn entered the waiting area and saw her there. He hurried over to her and apologized for making her wait. He was carrying a box under his good arm.

She laughed, "I just got here. I see you've developed a taste for suit-rations; how do they taste?"

He made a face; "Like pressed cardboard and glue for the most part," he replied, "but I have to eat them anyhow." There was an odd look in his eyes, of hope perhaps.

J'sharra smiled at him. "They'll help you get better," she said gently; "And they'll help you heal faster. I'd think they were worth that myself, and I have some kerra jelly you can put on them. That ought to help with the flavor."

"That... that would be very kind of you," he replied with a note of shyness in his voice, "but I can't, I mean, I don't have...anything to replace it with."

"I brought a case with me, and the kitchens have more. I won't go hungry if that's what you mean," she said with a grin. "Really, we could share it out, that way you and I would both enjoy it, and no worries about who owes who what."

"Y-you're v-v-very k-kind," Tam'yn replied, then nerving himself he asked, "W-would y-you c-c-consider sharing m-m-my c-c-cabin on a-a p-p-permanent-t-t b-basis?" He'd never felt so nervous and so excited before; not even when he had asked L'lanya to be his Companion.

J'sharra's eyes grew bright and her nictitating membranes flickered over her eyes for a moment, then she nodded her head and said, "Yes, I would, Tam'yn. I would be happy to share our space onboard this ship." She stepped forward and gently rubbed her cheek fluff against his.

He promptly fainted and dropped the box of suit rations on his foot.

J'sharra caught him and held him while calling out for help, which arrived in the form of the Healer she had just been speaking to.

His ears snapped to point as he asked, "What happened?"

Blushing furiously, J'sharra explained that when she had agreed to become his cabin-mate, he'd fainted.

Relaxing and grinning, the Healer replied; "Heck, I'd faint too; if the prettiest girl on the ship had agreed to move in with me. This, I can fix easily."

He reached into a pocket and brought out a bottle of ammonia salts, and opening it, he waved it under Tam'yn's nose.

Tam'yn predictably coughed, sneezed and woke up. Feeling J'sharra's arms around him, he too blushed.

"Talk to housekeeping about your requested reassignment," the Healer told them as he started to leave; "officers' cabins can be--ahhh--reconfigured for double occupancy." He smiled again and returned to the treatment area he'd come from.

"I'm sorry," Tam'yn sputtered, "I didn't mean to do that, honestly." The insides of his ears were scarlet.

J'sharra grinned, "Well, one of us had to do it and I'm just as glad it wasn't me," she replied as she let him go with both reluctance and concern. She'd felt his ribs under the shipsuit standing in sharp relief and was worried about how thin he was.

Tam'yn was more worried about his foot. That box hadn't weighed much, but it had hurt when it hit his toes. He flexed them and they still hurt but he decided he'd live. He picked the box up.

He then turned to J'sharra and asked hesitantly, "Should we go talk to Housekeeping?"

She smiled and said, "Yes," and he almost fainted again.

Later, after speaking to Housekeeping about some changes in Tam'yn's cabin; she left him there to oversee the furnishing of their now shared space, pleading the need to gather her belongings and had scurried to her own cabin a deck down and on the other side of the ship.

She actually needed to talk to Third about what had happened in the dining area and her moving in with Tam'yn as his cabin-mate.

"Just a moment," he said out of the comms plate, "I'm in the transporter and on my way to my own cabin. We can talk face to face, since it's next to yours."

When he knocked on her door and had been admitted, he suggested they move their conversation next door to his cabin, so he could record her observations on his personal recorder. He was making a file for the Palace Security and for Tam'yn's parents; specifically to point out the danger that Tireno Alcys'ka posed to the succession to the Sunrise Throne.

They relocated and then she told him everything that had happened that morning, from his eating problems to his response to a specific word-stimulus.

"He fainted when I agreed to move in with him, but I don't think that has anything to do with the other problems he's facing. I plan on teaching him some of the beginning steps and meditations of the Path, and I think he'll respond favorably to them," she concluded.

Tan'yel nodded. "I agree. I need to see to one small thing about this relocation, though," he added cryptically.

He stood and said, "Computer, identify me; Guards order 1550, execute."

After a few beats, the computer replied; "You are Tan'yel Kerel'yn, Imperial Guard security officer grade one, position Ship's Third Officer, rank Commander."

He then said, "As of now, Ship's security officer J'sharra Meren'kona is promoted to security officer grade three and is assigned the rank of Lieutenant, with all pay and privileges appropriate thereto and is granted weapons authorization grade two, effective immediately. She is to be issued a type four concealable stunner with kit, to be delivered here immediately. Her cabin assignment is to be the same as Ship's Fourth officer, Tam'yn Yerekon; also effective immediately. Authorization is Tan'yel Kerel'yn thela M'ret ankoso."

"Authorization confirmed, commands implemented," the computer voice said calmly. "Delivery of weapon will be accomplished within five marks."

J'sharra's jaw dropped. "You think he needs protection from somebody?" she asked in a disbelieving voice.

Sick and tired eyes met hers; "From himself, at the very least," Tan'yel replied sadly. "The saboteur is still onboard; even though the computer and every other Security officer is watching the ones on your list. You demonstrated how T'am responds to verbal cues; suppose one of them is to kill the speaker or kill the person he is facing? "I don't think he will, he'll turn the thing on himself because he's beginning to care about you and because that's the sort of person he is. We still can't afford the risk. "That Viceroy's bracelet won't protect him from a murder charge, even though Counseling would undoubtedly find him incapable of trial because of the conditioning he's been put thorough.

"I think you've done the right thing, though. You are probably his only chance of beating this obscenity that was done to him and I beg you to do whatever it takes to accomplish it. I'll pray that if you have to use the stunner it will be on the saboteur; not him, but we can't afford to leave it to chance. This is the Empire, not just you and him."

J'sharra took Tan'yel into her arms, having heard the agony in his voice. "I understand," she whispered, "and the plan is still in place. I honestly believe that as he learns the Way of the Dance, he will be able to confront and overcome this thing on his own; but I will keep the stunner handy if I can't subdue him myself. If I have to use it, I think it will be to knock him out to keep him from killing himself rather than me, no matter how strongly he was conditioned."

She pulled back from Tan'yel and looked into his eyes with her own. "You love him as much as I do, even if for a different reason. Together, we can do this. Believe it, Tan'yel, because it's the truth. I do, and inside you do too. You wouldn't hurt as much if you didn't."

"You know, before this trip came up, I was planning on retiring to my little place up by Lake An'shal," Tan'yel said in a near whisper; "In some ways I wish I had, out here now. But T'am's mother asked me to take one more mission for the Empire, and I said yes. If I survive, nobody is going to pry me out of the lake area until I'm carried out feet first. I've done enough; time for younger people to do this game."

"How old are you?" J'sharra asked curiously.

"Fifty-five next segment," Tan'yel replied; "and over forty of those cycles were in service to the Throne. I'm tired, J'esa. I want to spend a few decades watching the Pirka vines mature and swapping lies with the neighbors; maybe take up fishing for a hobby. Gods know I've fished enough crooks out of society; I want to confine my catch to something I can eat, once we get back."

J'sharra rubbed her head under his jaw and whispered, "Thank-you, Kin-cousin. I'll pray that you get that chance. Will you come visit your cousins sometime?"

"Bring them up to me," Tan'yel replied, "they'll have more fun up there."

"We will," J'sharra whispered, "we will."

There was a muted clunk and Tan'yel sighed and stood up, stepping over to the ship's internal-transport system and opening the door, taking out a plastic case and returning to his desk. Opening it, he checked to be sure that everything was in it; stunner, charger, holster, handgrip, and service kit. He put the stunner in an outlined rectangle on his desk and read the stunner's identification number on a screen beside the rectangle and checked it against the one on the case it had come in. The numbers matched so he put the small weapon back in the kit and closed it. He handed the kit to J'sharra, admonishing her, "Don't try to hide this. If he asks about it, just say it's standard issue and let it go at that. He will probably assume that it's just part of your promotion and not ask any other questions."

Taking the kit in hand, J'sharra chuckled and quickly rubbed her cheek-fur against his before leaving. As she departed, Tan'yel smiled a little; Tam'yn would have something good happening to him for once, even if some of it had been planned out beforehand.

First was sitting in his ready room about ready to reach for the bottle he kept locked in the bottom drawer of his desk. He'd just finished dealing with yet another group of scientists complaining about the lack of power to their sensors and the shutting of the external ports on the outer hull where their visual scanners were sited. They had complained about power rationing, about the air, the food; about everything they could complain about.

He had patiently replied that they were on a Guards outpost having their reactors upgraded for the voyage, promising more power availability and better communications with their homeworlds. So far it had worked. They grumbled, but the promise of more power for their sensors and experiments was a heady lure to people used to planet-side comforts and conveniences.

The only group who hadn't been in to complain in the last two days were the Moka, which was a bit unusual given their leader's tendency to complain about everything under the sun and expect an instant solution.

Small blessings were not to be overlooked.

There was a knock on the door, and at his wary command to open, it admitted Second; the officer in charge of computing and communications.

He held a data plate in his hand and had a concerned look on his face; something that First did not like in the least.

"What's happened now?" First asked, partly dreading the answer.

"This happened," Second replied; "A message for the Moka homeworld in code. It took us about two marks to break it. It has not been sent."

Reaching out for the plate, First read a claim form for a planet. It gave a spatial location, declared that no other claims were registered on it, and specified that it was a habitable world ready for colonization.

First read it again and his blood ran cold. The only world they could be describing was the one on which the M'Kereos was now sitting. There had been no habitable worlds on their route before their rendezvous with the Guard shuttle; he'd seen the reports. It was one of the reasons this part of space hadn't been explored by anything other than robots; habitable planets tended to cluster around specific stars, and those stars were very rare in this part of the galactic arm. Here, the most common star was a Dal (letter T) series of stars, all too hot and young for planets to have formed. There were also an unusually high number of doubled stars (type Pesh/letter P) running from Pesh 3 to Pesh 7; none of which could support planets or planetary nebulas.

In this part of the Galactic arm, even robot explorers were rare since planetary and orbiting telescopes could gather nearly as much data as a robot could, and at much lower cost. In spatial terms, this whole area could be called "Badlands" or "Desert" since there was literally nothing of interest or of use here. In ten or twenty million years that might change; but now meant "not even worth mining" in this area of space.

This planetary claim meant that somehow the Moka planetographic team had managed to circumvent the "blind and deaf" order A'sallah had implemented on the M'Kereos, navigating by using his shuttle's instruments instead of the larger vessel. Since this world would have no listed claims on it in the ship's database, the Moka had assumed it was ripe for the picking.

They had assumed wrong; very wrong.

After counting to ten in seven different languages, First called his Third officer and asked him for a Security officer and an Engineer to assess and possibly repair whatever damages had been done to the ship; to his ship, by the Moka scientists.

Third had wandered over to Tam'yn's cabin, and was now chatting with Tam'yn (who was still blushing) and with J'sharra who for some reason was blushing along with her new cabin-mate. It was common for crews to share quarters on Imperial starships by interest rather than just assignment. It made for happier crews and better performance all around. Since every single member of the crew had a contraceptive implant, it even allowed for personal relationships past the "friends" stage. That was why Tam'yn and J'sharra were becoming cabin mates. Happy people performed better (or healed better in this case).

After listening to a communicator-call from First, he had an idea. Third glanced around again and off-handedly asked, "You two want to actually do something other than try out the new sleeping arrangements? First has a job for a Security team and an Engineer, and the three of us would fit the bill nicely. Since it isn't really work, I doubt that either Counseling or Healing would protest over T'am's going on a walk into the science areas on board the ship; he might even learn something."

Tam'yn glanced shyly at J'sharra and then nodded; "I'd like to do something other than visit Counseling and Healing. If you don't mind, I'd like to come along."

J'sharra smiled too. T'am would be back in his element as an Engineer, even if it were limited to simply inspecting something. He had shown that he was happiest when he had something to do other than eat and heal, and the first lessons in Dance could wait a while.

She nodded in agreement. "I haven't been in the sciences area outside of an occasional trip to see how they do what they do. I'd like it."

They met First on the bridge. He was a bit surprised at who Third had picked, but decided that it would probably do his Fourth officer good to feel his worth again. The four of them boarded the transporter for the fifth deck; one of the two reserved for the sciences teams on board the ship. Their destination was Deck 5, outer ring, forward-port; complex to say but it gave the Transporter the data sufficient to deliver them to the nearest access point instead of having to walk for several marks to get to their destination.

When the doors opened at the stop nearest the bow on the left side of the ship, they saw bustling Moka scientists and technicians all clustered around a conspicuously open viewport in the outer hull. Light streamed in and blue sky was visible. Also visible was the open access panel and bundles the of light cable that should have warned of an opening in the outer hull, only the command and safety circuits had been bypassed.

They had taken several steps into the area when they were seen and most of the Moka fled. The average Moka stood perhaps shoulder high to a T'Kiir'i and where T'Kiir'i resembled terran foxes, Moka resembled nothing living on Terra. They were round bodied with virtually neckless bullet-heads and dull brown-green skins, a people with close short body fur and bulging red-irised eyes. They all possessed what looked like heavy moustaches and small noses with ears that were mere holes high in their heads. They had three fingers and one thumb on fat-looking hands attached to fat-looking arms.

They were not a handsome people, although they thought of themselves as the pinnacle of beauty. Their ancestors had been a sort of aquatic hunter, and they carried their ancestry in their evolved and sapient forms.

They were however excellent scientists and researchers from an over-populated world that seriously needed colony planets for their excess population.

They were also a society of bullies. The highest were there because they had forced their way to the top, usually by stepping on those beneath them. Their whole society was a constant battle of personalities and egos, mixed in with arrogance and bluster. Visitors to the Moka homeworld brought back stories that seemed to be impossible for a civilized world.

Even so, their sciences were the envy of the Empire for their depth and accuracy.

That would mean nothing here. They were in trouble, every single one of them; and they obviously knew it. Soon, First and his party were almost alone.

Almost.

Standing in front of the scanners pointed out the port was one of the largest Moka aboard, Uma, who was not surprisingly also their leader on this expedition. The light had him casting strange double shadows that First and his team ignored, given what had happened.

First held up a data plate. "This is your claim on this world," he said in an icy voice; "it has not been sent and it will not be sent to your government. You were told to close off your explorations yesterday. Instead, you sabotaged this ship and put your people and my crew at risk by disabling the safety system on that port. My engineer will inspect the damage you've done and prepare a report for your prosecution. Your equipment and your science team will have their effects inspected by Imperial Security, and any recording device or data system with anything regarding this planet on it will be seized under Imperial Law."

Then he gestured to Tam'yn and said, "Engineer, assess the damages done and the degree of sabotage done to this vessel."

As Tam'yn moved toward the open panel and port, Uma growled, "Come no farther, hairy animal, or I will hurt you." The translator system rendered his words blunt and monotone, but their intent was clear.

That, Tam'yn decided, was a common challenge among the Moka; similar to "Don't bother me!" He knew Moka were a blustering people and this was tame compared to some of the things he'd heard.

As he stepped past the Moka to check the circuitry in the port, Uma made good his challenge. Suddenly, the fat-looking hand was a fist and he felt the impact on his left arm and felt the bone break. He yelped in shock and sudden pain and then the Moka was on his back with four bloody gouges running across his body from where Tam'yn's right fully extended foot-claws had raked him, and Tam'yn was back on his left foot ready for a follow-up strike; his left arm close into his body and his right hand up with claws fully extended. He carefully set his right foot on the floor again with a groan.

Then his left arm began to hurt like the hells and there were two sharp snaps as two stun weapons hit the already prostrate Moka on the floor. He began to pant as the pain came in waves from his arm and he tried to hug it to himself but it hurt too much. He lowered his right arm and tried to support his left arm but failed miserably.

J'sharra had watched as Tam'yn had walked past Uma and saw the alien strike Tam'yn's arm with his doubled fist. Tam'yn yelped and then seemed to explode, spinning and raking with his right foot and knocking the Moka to the floor in less time than seemed possible. Then her new stunner was out and firing at the alien as Tam'yn recovered and made ready to strike again.

He carefully lowered his right leg to the ground, then groaned in what was obviously a lot of pain. He glanced at his left arm and tried to hold it, then stopped.

She and Third were running forward while First was calling in reserves. She didn't even know how long the engagement had taken, but it was over.

Third seemed oddly pleased over things. Then she put two and two together; had he tutored T'am in one of the martial arts the Imperial Guard practiced? Apparently so, and T'am had been an apt pupil; given the way he'd moved.

Now though, he was hurt; and hurt badly by the look on his face.

"Now that was a surprise," he grunted as she came up to him.

"How's your arm?" she asked worriedly. He looked down at Uma and replied, "I think he broke something. It feels like he did. I really mis-judged him; Moka bluster a lot but if you stand up to them they usually back down. He didn't."

First was there now. "Help is on the way for this," he said, "and you look like you need some help yourself," he added.

Tam'yn nodded, "I think so. I really mis-judged him. I wonder what provoked him to act like that?"

Tan'yel was kneeling by the stunned Moka. He looked up and said, "Moka homeworld is at 10 billion plus and they can't institute any form of birth control because of their biology. I suspect he was tasked by their government to find and claim worlds they could dump some of their excess population on and ease things up at home. We were going to stop that and he didn't want us to."

Tam'yn sighed, "Makes sense then. He could write his own ticket as a world finder and we squashed that. Why he hit me, though; that's still a mystery. He should have gone after First; he's the leader here."

Tan'yel snorted, "You were handy, First wasn't. They make superb optics and electronics, but they still work on idea that 'the biggest and baddest gets all the toys'."

J'sharra couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tam was hurt, and both he and Third were making light of it, discussing other things.

Tam'yn saw her confusion and tried enlightening her; "This keeps me from thinking how much my arm hurts and how I'm going to explain it to Healing. I think I may take the Moka attitude of 'Fix me and shut up'," he chuckled painfully, "otherwise, I may spend the rest of the voyage under cabin arrest courtesy of Healing."

He leaned against the wall and glanced at the open panel. "Disconnected the actuator and bypassed the sensors," he said to First, who seemed distracted as he waited for the summoned aid to arrive. Tam'yn tried shrugging and decided not to; it hurt too much. His right foot was starting to hurt now too, thanks to his clawing Uma. He decided that some days weren't getting worth out of bed for, no matter who was waiting for him as he slid down the wall to a sitting position.

His arm was now radiating pain like a dozen bad teeth all at once. He set his jaw and tried to calm his breathing. He was unsuccessful.

"Take some pictures of the damage, would you, J'sharra?" he asked. Glancing down at his arm, he added; "I don't really think I can, not right now."

The request seemed to give her a direction as she took out an imager and started taking pictures of the damage that the Moka science team had done.

Looking up at her, he explained, "Up here near the bow of the ship having working port covers is vital to safety when we're moving. Some random particles slip through the diversion field that gives us a clear path to travel, and at near-light speeds one of them could go right through the port and through the bulkheads behind it. These shutters can close in less than a thousandth of a beat if something hits the outer layer of transparent metal in there and goes through it. That keeps the atmosphere inside the ship where it belongs. If the port shattered, the shutter would be the only thing keeping this area from depressurizing."

Then, disgust apparent in his voice, he added; "And these fools disabled it. They could have killed everyone in this section by doing that since the only thing that would keep the air in wasn't working. What damned idiots."

His last words were loaded with pain. He focused on his breathing to take his mind off how much he hurt; anything to keep himself from dwelling on the pain in his arm.

After a very long time (at least for him), Security officers arrived and with them came Healing personnel with two litters. He was helped onto a litter and the still unconscious Moka was manhandled onto the other one. He was still watching the Moka when he felt a pressure on his arm and heard the hiss of a hypodermic injector. Looking over to his left, he saw the Healer-4 who was lifting her injector away from his arm. She looked familiar somehow; maybe he had seen her in the Healing area when he was there.

Then she turned into A'sallah and he was asking him something. Thinking back, he tried for something simple like "huh?" and A'sallah repeated his question.

"Did you think that Moka was going to hit you when you went over to check the damage to the ship," A'sallah repeated, "or was he just blustering, in your opinion?"

"Blustering," Tam'yn replied, "I dealt with him twice before and he always tried to dominate things. When I ignored his threats, he calmed down and was about as polite as his people ever are with us. Given their culture, those times he was downright friendly. This time he wasn't."

A'sallah nodded. "I read the claim on this world, and he made one mistake. He said it wasn't settled by the Moka. Now it is, and he's the first settler. Some of his other people may also wind up here if they took part in things enough to know our location."

"And their government won't say a thing," Tam'yn added, "since his disappearance will mean several others get to advance. Wonderful culture they have, isn't it?"

"Ever been there?" A'sallah asked, "Overcrowded doesn't even start to describe things. I spent a tenday there getting an upgrade done on some optics we use here and I had to sleep on the ship since the port hotel rooms rented by the turn. Oversleep and you wind up in the street and usually robbed by the room's next tenant. Even the space port itself was like that, a ship takes off and the next one lands while the decontamination sprays are still washing down the pad."

Tam'yn shook his head. "They have to be insane, that's the only answer."

His litter jolted a little and he was lifted by two Security officers. As he was carried away he tried to see where J'sharra was, but he couldn't lift his head high enough.

A'sallah noticed and said, "Your ladyfriend is busy with Ship's Third, taking statements. Later, we'll tear this place apart and make sure the coordinates aren't hidden somewhere. Ship's First and Second officers have taken a secrecy oath, and Third already knows where we are."

Suddenly, he ordered, "Computer, stop this transporter. Guards code 120, execute." The transporter came to a halt.

Looking down at Tam'yn, he asked; "Have you seen the coordinates of this planet or have you looked out any window or port since this ship arrived?"

Shocked, Tam'yn replied, "No; and no, I haven't. Why?"

"Because this is, among other things, an Imperial sanctuary that may be used if things at home go past our control there," A'sallah said seriously. "The Empress herself may come here, hence only a certain few know where we are in the cosmos."

"Gods of star and space, are things that bad?" Tam'yn croaked.

"Not yet, but the possibility remains," A'sallah replied, "and we have to take the worst case situation as most probable until we know otherwise. That's why we're getting some Moka settlers; they cannot be trusted to stay silent. Officially, they died in an accident and their bodies were given to space."

"What about the others?" Tam'yn was curious, but not much more than curious, thanks to the drugs in his system starting to take effect as the pain diminished.

"We have an ahhh--expert at hypno-conditioning with us on our little world. By the time he's done with them, they won't remember anything we don't want them to, and Moka greed will keep them looking elsewhere for some planet to claim. You might say he invented the system along with several other things he came up with. He's here because it's the only safe place for him to live due to some unfortunate history; and Fourth, please don't ask any more about this subject," A'sallah replied.

Tam'yn was startled out of his comfortable fog by the Guardian's words enough to say, "No. I need to see this person. I think I might need his help myself, or at least his opinion on something that haunts me like an angry ghost."

Now it was A'sallah's turn to look startled. "What makes you think that?" he asked warily.

"Because I respond to certain words and phrases like I was conditioned to respond in some way." Seeing the Guardian's disbelieving look, he grasped at a straw; "Ask this person about flashing lights in dreams and almost uncontrollable rage over certain words, even if I say them myself. Other words do nothing unless a female says them. This can't be natural, or I hope it isn't. I want...no, I need to know that I'm not going crazy!"

"I'll ask," A'sallah grudged, "but that's all I'll do. Computer, re-start this transporter. Guards code 120, execute."

Tam'yn was aware of A'sallah's stare as he was lifted out of the transporter and carried into the Healing area. He didn't care. Something had begun to make sense to him, and that was terrifying in and of itself. A'sallah's comments had connected several somethings into a whole that was frightening even to consider, but he had to.

Healer J'nero was waiting for him with a look of profound annoyance on his face. "Why is it that I can't let you go anywhere without your getting hurt in some way?" he asked with some heat, "You were restricted to no-work things until those scratches healed a bit. Now I hear that you've broken that same arm. Would you mind telling me how you managed that on a no-work restriction?"

By the time Tam'yn had explained, the Healer's face had softened somewhat. "Okay, that was within my limits," he admitted; "and the Moka are notorious blowhards. Still, his breaking your arm is a bit odd..." A sudden look of concern crossed his face and then his ears snapped back against the side of his head as the concern became fear.

"I want a blood mineral workup on Fourth here, and I want it yesterday;" he told an attending Healer-3, "and get me a type two bio-scanner. I want to see something."

Looking down at Tam'yn, he admitted, "I may have overlooked something about your malnutrition. If you've been doing it long enough, you may be low in blood calcium. If you are, your body will take it from your bones, making them fragile. That usually affects older T'Kiir'i; but if you've been starving for too long..."

He took the offered scanner and clicked it on, choosing the large holo-projection; then held it over Tam'yn's broken arm. Tam'yn could see in reverse the image the Healer was seeing, and even he could see the obvious break in the outer of the two bones in his lower arm. There was also a darkening of the other bone, something that worried him and seemed to worry the Healer even more.

"Well, the outer one is definitely broken, and he's cracked the inner one;" J'nero commented; "This may take surgery to correct unless..." he paused to readjust the readings. Now Tam'yn's arm bones were a group of colors, from blue to yellow; almost as if someone had painted a pattern on the bone's surface.

A sting from his right arm brought Tam'yn's gaze around to the Healer-3 and the object in his hand. There was a cylinder that was slowly filling with blood; his blood. He felt a little nauseous.

Looking quickly back at Healer J'nero, he saw the Healer was not happy. At least his frown, narrowed eyes and backed ears suggested that to Tam'yn, who wondered what came next.

"How long have you been starving yourself?" J'nero asked in a somewhat worried tone of voice.

"I haven't," Tam'yn said in his own defense, "I've been busy, yes, but I've eaten when I got the chance!"

Healer J'nero muttered to himself, "No history then; other than work." Looking at Tam'yn, he asked, "Fourth, how long have you been eating when the chance presented itself rather than having regular meals. Please don't guess, if you can't remember when you last ate regularly, that's a good answer in itself."

"Ahh. I ate regularly on the M'Kara and on the M'Tona," Tam'yn said, thinking back, "I was on both of them working for my Engineer One rating. Then when I got into the rebuild, I was busy so I ate when I had the opportunity."

"That would be what, a cycle and a half?" the Healer asked carefully; "The rebuild, I mean."

"About that," Tam'yn replied, "I had to watch over two shifts of workers there in the Navy yard. It was busy, but I enjoyed myself a lot. I got my Engineer One rating as a result of it. The rest is, well, in my file here on the ship."

"So, with the qualifications and testing, would you say about two cycles?" the Healer asked carefully.

Tam'yn nodded, then winced as his toes hurt when he curled them.

The Healer saw the movement and went to Tam'yn's feet and did a scan on them. He grew more unhappy looking. "You broke two toes on your right foot," he accused, "how did you do that?" Now he looked bewildered.

"Tan'o," Tam'yn replied. "Engineering First G'rollan was my teacher on both ships. We had a lot of spare time and he decided to teach me his style of fighting."

"Was that Chief Engineering Officer G'rollan?" the Healer asked in surprise, "the fleet champion?" His jaw hung open a bit.

"He wasn't competing any more, but yes; that was him," Tam'yn admitted. "He said I had the body for his style of fighting and so he taught me on two different ships and over roughly a cycle and a half, working out every day." Then, blushing, Tam'yn added; "He said I was pretty good when we were reassigned and I went to the M'Kereos rebuild and he went to another Fleet freighter. I tried to keep up the training, but things were usually too busy." He felt embarrassed having to admit not staying in training, but it was true. He had been extremely busy.

"You ate regularly with Chief Kekaller?" Healer J'nero asked carefully, "did you have any sort of special diet while you trained?"

"Ummm, yes, I--I mean we did," Tam'yn replied after thinking a bit. "Lots of blue leafy vegetables, some meat and eggs, and tonko roots. Mostly vegetables and tonko, as I recall; meat and eggs were more like desserts in serving size. It was rather dull, but that was what we ate. Most of our food was fresh outside of the meat and eggs, those freighters had big gardens."

J'nero has his answer. Fourth had been eating a high-mineral, moderate protein diet while he had been learning the Tan'o. That could be repeated here to a degree, and injections could take care of the rest. It would speed his healing and help his bones re-mineralize in the process. He turned slightly away from the injured Engineer and began planning. First; rebuild his dietary habits into something that wouldn't kill him.

For the next item, surgery or no surgery. His bones were obviously fragile, and the usual methods of pinning and plating would probably splinter the bone ends rather than supporting them.

He decided; cast the arm and give direct injections of anti-inflammatory medicines around the area where the bones were broken. He would do minor surgery to implant a dissolving support around the break and around the cracked bone. He would also implant small electrodes to help the bones grow back together by means of electrical stimulation of the bone cells themselves; and in the process cut healing times while simultaneously increasing the amount of calcium in Tam'yn's whole skeleton. He would stay just short of hyper-calcemia, where there was too much calcium in his system through daily blood samples and urine analysis. That was an old and proven regimen.

Fourth would be uncomfortable, given. He would heal well and properly, also a given. His mental problems... They would be Counseling's problem as Healing restored Fourth's body to proper health.

He thought further. Fourth would be at risk of bone degeneration disease for the rest of his life, given the damage he'd done to himself already. That could be moderated by starting now with proper medications, provided they had a large enough supply of them for the voyage. Maybe this mystery world could help there; they weren't cut off from Imperial re-supply like the M'Kereos would be; they could order and re-stock. He resolved to speak to one of the Security people from this world about it after he had started his patient's recovery.

He nodded to himself and turned back to Tam'yn.

Tam'yn saw the move and asked, "Am I going to have surgery?" in a worried voice.

Healer J'nero shook his head, "No, you aren't. Your bones are too fragile for surgical repair; we'll cast the arm after aligning things properly and plant electrodes on the broken and damaged bones to help them grow faster. You'll get a diet similar to what you ate when you were in training and injections beside that to strengthen your bones back to normal levels."

"You've already done damage to yourself, though. You are going on a regimen of calcium enhancement that you will need to be on for the rest of your life if you want to avoid joint degeneration and bone loss. As of now, your skeleton is like a 90 cycles old K'iir, and about the best we can do is back the clock up to that of a 50 or 60 cycle K'iir. With your bad diet, you've shaved years off your skeleton's lifespan, and that can't be fully treated. You will have to live with discomfort while we rebuild your bones as much as they can be rebuilt, and you will need medication for the rest of your life if you want to stave off bone and joint degenerative disease."

"J'sharra wants to teach me the Dance," Tam'yn asked worriedly, "Is that possible now, or can't I do that either?"

J'nero heard a whisper of pain in Tam'yn's voice that had nothing to do with his injury and replied, "I'll speak to her; and I'm sure that something can be worked out. I've known 80 cycle old T'Kiir'i who are Dancers, so it shouldn't be impossible." Then he softened his tone and added, "Just remember that what you do today will be with you for the rest of your life and make your decisions accordingly. A major part of that is realizing that you only have one body and if you want to have a good life you'll need to take care of it. You've used up most of your body's flexibility, and I don't mean movement; with this malnutrition you engaged in for so long. Take time to eat and sleep no matter what. You don't usually get a second chance like this one, and there are no third chances I know of; so take care of yourself first, not last. Understand me, Fourth?"

Eyes lowered, Tam'yn nodded. He understood. He just hoped he could do it.

"I'm going to sedate you for the realignment process," Healer J'nero explained, "but I want to wait until Third is here so I can document the injury you received accurately to him or one of his officers. In the meantime, I'll see to you getting more pain medication so you don't tense up from the pain and make my job harder than it already will be. You might try sleeping a while before we do the procedure."

Since he already was a bit drowsy thanks to the pain injection he'd had; Tam'yn had no trouble taking Healer J'nero up on his suggestion.

He awakened some while later and realized he had been moved from the litter to a patient bed. He was now in a patient gown, too. Third was there as was J'sharra, and both looked concerned about something. They were talking quietly; but when he turned his head to see them, J'sharra saw the movement and hurried to his bedside. Third took a bit more time, moving slowly as though he were tired. Tam'yn realized that this was his sleep time, so he probably was tired now that the adrenalin from the fight had worn off.

For that matter, he was tired too; and he'd been asleep.

"We both got an earful from J'nero," Tan'yel said disapprovingly, "and it tallies with what Uma claims, too. He said the hit was to save face for himself and he'd resigned himself to losing the equipment. He was actually shocked when he realized he had broken your arm, although that clawing you gave him has him almost strutting in his cell in Confinement; apparently the scars will go a long way to not only saving his face but will actually increase his status since they prove he fought with you to protect them. Too bad he isn't going back to his homeworld to show them off."

He shook his head, "Moka; crazy, every damned one of them," he muttered.

J'sharra waited for Third to finish, then added; "I was so shocked when you were hurt! Then I learned from Healer J'nero that you had been damaging yourself for cycles by not eating properly. At least when you get out we can still work on the Dance; the Healer gave me some guidelines and I can adjust your lessons to fit them and I can make sure you eat properly. Third says that since you will need help in the next few days that he wants me to spend most of my time with you and that my work schedule will be adjusted around that. Most of what I'll be doing will be on the computers anyway, so I can do it in our cabin and only spend time gathering evidence when I need to."

"Gathering evidence?" Tam'yn asked, "Gathering evidence about what? The fight and sabotage happened right in front of you and A'sallah's people will probably do the investigation of the Moka's living spaces and computers. What sort of evidence will you be gathering about that?"

"The murder of Tinterro K'arilas," Third replied, frowning. "While we were busy with other things, someone enticed Crewperson Tinterro down to the hangar deck and met him in the first Scout ship, the one next to the left rear hangar door. Nobody noticed his disappearance since he'd been given him time off to spend with Crewperson Kerel'yn, his cabin mate. He spent a few hours with her in Healing on the first day and then apparently went down to the hangar deck and died there. Since he was one of J'sharra's 'people of interest' in the sabotage of the water and the explosive over the Inverter, that situation has blossomed into something serious. I think it was intended that we believe he overdosed on N'aan after having been off it for a while, since there was an open pouch of the stuff in his lap."

"And you think different?" Tam'yn asked worriedly; "I believe he was a pretty heavy user. Too bad Navy rules don't make N'aan dust use illegal."

"We think differently," J'sharra said seriously, "Crewperson Kerel'yn had a N'aan brewer and cubes in her cabin; and when she was questioned, she said that Tinterro was crushing them and using them in place of the already powdered drug. She said that she thinks that was the reason he moved in with her, not because of family connections."

"She has a N'aan brewer?" Tam'yn asked in surprise; "why?"

"Her family and house are N'aan growers," Third replied, "and she has a taste for what her family grows. I tried one of the cubes and it makes the Navy's N'aan taste like dishwater, not that it didn't already. She has a legitimate reason for it, and it's part of her personal allotment for the voyage. Needless to say, she was more than a little annoyed at how their relationship worked out."

"I'd guess so," Tam'yn replied sympathetically. Then he asked, "Why did she stop the cursing over everything then?"

"Like I said," Third replied, "the stuff she drinks is family and estate grown, and she drank a lot of it. Saying it's strong is underrating it, and she would drink four or five cups a day. She was just a bit over-stimulated, you might say. Since her supply is limited, his use had her needing to cut back; hence her seemed mellowing out. When she commented on Tinterro and his use of her limited supply, she waxed...ahhh, eloquent. They may need to repaint her room after she's released because of all the peeling paint. It seems that he wasn't the Tinterro Kailas na' S'sevi she remembered at all, and apparently she assumed his lack of intimate knowledge of the Family was due to his parents being away from the House most of the time as traders." He chuckled and J'sharra smiled. They had both spoken with Crewperson Kerel'yn before coming to see Tam'yn; and the Crewperson had been rather voluble during their visit.

"What makes you think it's murder?" Tam'yn asked curiously; "couldn't he have overdosed on the powder? I hear it's much stronger than the beverage, since it comes from the hull rather than the nut used in the drink."

J'sharra replied, "Because the Security officer who discovered the body did some basic checking, and N'aan powder doesn't leave a stun burn at the back of the neck. The powder looked like beverage powder, not the drug; although that's being tested by one of the science-groups here. According to what we've learned from the Healers' inspection, Tinterro was hit at the base of his skull at near touching distance with a full power stun beam. The muscular spasm broke his neck and burned out the spinal cord in one shot."

Then she sighed, "And I need to audit thirty turns of sensor logs to see if any of the sensors picked up the sound of the stunner going off. I just hope I can stay awake to do it," she grumbled.

"Tam'yn grinned; "I may be of some help there. I had to make up cables for those Scouts because the ones we had on board were all too small or too short and couldn't reach the access covers. All the sensors on those Scouts were hooked into the main surveillance network along with the normal data connection. I was bored and decided to connect everything, not just power and data. Just ask the computers on the Scout when the hatch opened and then listen. You might even pick up a conversation or two from inside the Scout if there were two people in it within sensor range, and you will hear the stunner going off, guaranteed."

That got him a prolonged and rather passionate kiss from J'sharra.

Third, watching them, muttered; "He strings a couple of wires and he gets a kiss from the prettiest female on the ship. Maybe I'm in the wrong business."

Seeing Healer J'nero coming; he advised, "Okay, lovebirds; looks like it's time to set T'am's arm. I think we got the information we needed, now let's let the Healer work."

Healer J'nero smiled and said, "Time to sleep, Fourth. We have work to do."

Looking over at the Healer, Tam'yn asked; "I have to be unconscious for this? You said there wouldn't be any surgery."

The Healer replied, "No actual surgery, no; but I plan on implanting two electrodes near the ends of the broken bones after I realign them, as well as using a special sort of injectable glue to fuse the cracked area on the inner bone. Having you out makes it a lot easier for me to do what's necessary. You won't be out long, if that's your worry; very likely you'll be back in your cabin by evening meal."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped and then he said, "Oh. Then I suppose that I do need to sleep for a while. Looking at something like that isn't exactly something I want to do; although I did handle the emergency first aid drills in training, I suspect this is more complicated--and more bloody."

"A bit, a bit;" the Healer agreed, "and for some reason most males have problems with blood when it's obviously their own, and this will be a bit bloody. I'll spare you the show, then," he said as he pressed an injector against Tam'yn's left arm.

"That's just the preparation shot, a relaxant for you and your muscles," he then added, "the anesthetic is by vein, rather than skin."

"O-o-o-h," Tam'yn replied, already feeling the relaxant, "Bloody? Then I definitely don't want toooo..." his eyes closed and in a few beats he was deeply asleep.

"Shall we?" the Healer asked as he unwrapped Tam'yn's wrist and exposed the Viceroy's bracelet.

"Oh yes, by all means, let's;" Third replied as he slid the two-pronged key into the holes where the bracelet had locked in place on Tam'yn's wrist three days past. It popped open and Third scooped up the glowing bracelet, accidentally pulling fur where the blood had glued it in place.

Finally, Tam'yn's wrist was bare.

The Healer handed Third a small bottle marked "Peroxide of Hydrogen, 7%". "That will remove the blood without discoloring the stone," he directed, "and it would have come off anyway for the brace under the cast. He should be awake in about two turns, maybe less if everything goes the way I anticipate they will."

Then he asked, "Who is going to be with him while he wakes up, and who is going to keep an eye on him once he's back in his cabin?"

J'sharra pointed to herself, suddenly tongue-tied.

"Stay with him, J'esa," Third agreed, "and keep me updated on how he's doing. I'll clean this off and put it back with the rest of his things."

Then he yawned, "But first, I'm getting some sleep. I can lock up the bracelet and the cleanser-stuff and get it back to him later."

J'nero glanced at Third. "You know you need more rest than you're getting, don't you? Please see to it before I have two patients to deal with."

Looking annoyed, Third replied; "Yes, mother; I'll get my sleep and even bathe occasionally. May I go now?"

"You may," the Healer replied imperiously, "Just remember to wear a clean sleep robe and brush your teeth." Then he grinned.

Third grinned back and departed.

J'sharra went to the waiting area to wait until Tam'yn was back and she could watch him sleep off the medication. Silently and with great hopes, she whispered a prayer.

He was in the garden where he had asked L'lanya to accept his Promise when they were older and grown up. She was sitting in the warm sunlight, looking up at him as he stood before her. Standing, she shook her head and turned, gesturing to someone. Out of the foliage stepped her younger sister, J'esa. She took J'esa's hand and placed it in his and then closed her own hand over his and her sister's hands. She faded into the sunlight as J'esa's eyes looked up at him with entreaty and something else that he couldn't figure out.

He was riding his J'korah through the streets of K'Arrah, the greatest city on T'Kiir'ah; the city he had finally conquered after a siege of three winters. His friends were with him and they were as joyful as he was; finally, after all this time and all this blood, he had gained what he wanted. There would be no more wars, no more city against city; now he controlled them all. Victory was sweet indeed.

Then, there among the timbers of one of the fallen houses; a female was nursing her two infants. Thin to gauntness, she was feeding them the last of her milk. She was in rags, but her children (who looked to be mere days old) were wrapped and warm in scraps and bits of cloth and leather.

The sweetness of victory turned into ashes in his mouth. He had ended the inter-city wars, yes; but he had also done this. In the moment of his triumph, he was reminded of its cost to others.

He slid off the saddle and walked to the woman. She looked up at him, hunger plain in her eyes and sorrow, too. He got out his cup and opened his flask, pouring in the fighter's gruel that had kept him and his troops alive despite shortages. He handed the cup to her; and gratefully, she took it and drank it dry.

He helped her onto his J'korah and handed her children up to her, reclaiming his cup in the process. He would take her back to his tent and feed her and provide for her children, and perhaps then he would regain that sweetness conquest had given him. Her hand was in his, and as he looked up at her he saw entreaty in her eyes and something else he didn't recognize. Her eyes grew larger and

_ _ Tam'yn woke up in the Healing area. J'sharra was looking at him and as his drug fogged mind became more awake, he realized she was asking him to wake up. She was holding his hand, too.

"Hm," he mumbled, "I think I'm awake--maybe. I was having some really strange dreams a moment ago, though."

J'sharra nodded, "You're awake, sure enough. The Healer told me that when you started fussing and muttering you would be ready to wake up from the surgery."

"Surgery?" Now Tam'yn was quite awake, and much faster than he would have liked to awaken. "I thought J'nero said there wouldn't be any surgery, that he would set the bones and cast the arm and that would be that. How long have I been out?"

J'sharra glanced past him and replied, "About ten turnings, at least according to the time. Things got a little--difficult after you went to sleep." She gripped his hand to give comfort to him.

He rolled his eyes and saw the ship's chronometer was indeed showing a much later time than he had anticipated. He also saw a Healer walking toward him, apparently in response to his change in consciousness.

The Healer bent over his bed, "I'm glad to see you back among us, Fourth. I'm Healer R'kara, and I'm letting Healer J'nero get some rest."

Then the Healer asked, "Why didn't your records show you had been exposed to Sora fever? When your bones kept breaking, Healer J'nero had a specific gene-scan done on you and you showed positive to the disease. You should have warned us about that; but fortunately the Guardian base here had a Healer-Specialist who is trained in Osteo-surgery; although for Guardians, I guess that could be expected. He managed to keep the damage to a minimum and got things aligned in your arm as well as implanting a few supports to help the bones re-grow."

"Uhh," Tam'yn replied, "I haven't had the disease. I was inoculated against it as a child; I think I was in one of the first groups to receive the vaccine. I can't have had Sora fever, I was vaccinated!" His repetition became obvious to him and he stopped talking. He had been vaccinated. Therefore he could not have had the sickness, even though this Healer thought he had.

"A parent, then?" the Healer mused, "Sora can cause gene and body damage for two generations after the sickness itself, since it can damage the genes that regulate bone strength and development, among other things. Were either of your parents sick with Sora? If they were, there is a good chance you could have inherited it from them."

Tam'yn was slack-jawed. Neither his father or his mother had ever mentioned being ill to him. Why wouldn't they have told him? He began to wonder.

J'sharra gripped his hand even tighter, "You don't need to worry, T'am; your arm is fixed and you will get better." She looked at the Healer and asked, "Won't he?" a bit nervously.

"Oh yes;" the Healer agreed, "but right now he's going to be a bit uncomfortable; since thanks again to the Guardians we have managed to get the genetic correction virus in his system. He will be a little feverish and achy while it replaces his damaged genes with the proper ones over the next few days. His skeleton may even be stronger after the virus has done its work, since one of the effects of Sora is reduced calcium absorption from the bloodstream. He may well offset some of the damages he's done to his skeleton that way, although I would strongly suggest he keep taking calcium enhancement medicine for the rest of his life, just as a precaution."

Curious, Tam'yn asked, "Why is it that we don't have things like that virus? I thought we had a top-notch hospital on board since we're going out of Imperial space, and would have the best of everything?" He hoped he didn't offend the Healer with his questioning.

The Healer didn't take offense. "We're limited to what won't spoil and what can travel safely. In some cases, that means we have things that are just being released for general use. In others, well, we have to take a step back in medical technology; sometimes as far back as fifty cycles. We have things that can be re-used repeatedly, rather than one use and then recycle them. We can't store viruses simply because they are too fragile and have definite life-spans that are less than our projected voyage-time of one cycle, and the normal radiation here on the ship could cause undesired mutations."

She added, "Had we been in unknown space and far away from the Empire, your arm might have been amputated simply because that would be the only way to deal with it. You'll notice we give out drugs either here at the Healing area or in simple packets rather than bottles. Bottles take up too much room for their projected need, and packets serve to protect the medicines we hand out just as well as any bottle would.

"That's why we have such a big hydroponics section. Those plants not only help renew our air, they can also be used as foodstuffs. The 'garden' on this ship is three times the size it was when there were five hundred people onboard for that very reason. If we find a world with life, we may not be able to eat it. Water is water, yes; but although Birallan Takat berries look like Pirka berries, they are utterly inedible for us even if the Birallans enjoy them.

"We have to plan on carrying everything we need with us, or be able to adapt something else to what we need. There has been a lot of planning in the protocols we used to..."

She stopped talking as Tam'yn seemed to seize; rage in his eyes while his body stiffened into immobility. His claws were extended as if he were ready to fight, although his hands remained unmoving. His collapse was even more dramatic, and then something started beeping.

The Healer spun to check the status indicators on Tam'yn's bed and then reached into her pockets and brought out a handful of injectors. She sorted them and then pressed one of them against his arm.

J'sharra stared for a moment, frozen in shock; then grabbed Tam'yn's right hand and held it tightly, her lips moving in prayer. Slowly, his claws retracted into their normal position.

Slowly, Tam'yn regained himself. He felt odd, disjointed and not quite 'there' as he tried to settle himself in the bed using his feet to lever himself around.

"What was that?" the Healer asked as his eyes settled on her and slowly focused.

"Don' know," he slurred, "jus' happens when I hear some words. Wha' you do t' me?" He absently squeezed J'sharra's hand as he spoke.

"I injected you with Paranol," she replied, "it's a calmative and anti-siezure drug." Then she asked, "Are you saying you reacted to my words?"

J'sharra answered for him, "He did that before. I used one word and his reaction to it was...frightening. He was able to control it though, just like he did here."

"What did you want to do, if anything?" the Healer asked Tam'yn, now all business.

He stared at her with a frightening emptiness in his eyes; "I wanted t' k-kill you," he replied. "But I didn'. I c-c-controlled it. J'sharra can tell you what w-word it w-was, too. Jus' please, don' u-use it. One day it might w-win." Now there was raw terror in his voice.

"What made you want to do that?" the Healer asked, her ears now on point and aimed at him. "What was it that you were you fighting with, or fighting against?"

"Th' flicker," he replied in a strange almost metallic, cold voice; "th' flicker wan's me t' do things, and I won' let it."

Then his eyes rolled up and he passed out.

Ch 3: Visitors

First was in his ready room reading the day's reports when there was a knock on his door. He called out "Open" and the panel slid aside. He put down the plate he had been looking at.

A'sallah walked in with a sour look on his face and First's eyes narrowed. "Now what?" he asked in a guarded tone.

"You're going to have a visitor on this ship," A'sallah warned; "and I promise that this is against my better judgment, but it has to happen."

"How so?" First now asked, eying the guard cautiously.

"We got a report from Third that the 'special case' seized in the Healing area due to a word he'd heard," A'sallah said grimly; "and his cabin mate corroborates it. He was in a Healing bed at the time recovering from surgery, so they got a pretty good record of what happened. The person I represent thinks it may be an outgrowth of something he created nearly sixty cycles ago, and since the 'special case' asked me to ask him about certain things, I did."

"And?" First ventured carefully.

"He is willing to come aboard the ship rather than requiring us to send your Fourth officer to him." A'sallah's face was not in the least happy.

"And just who is this person?" First asked, watching the Guard's face and his expressive ears. At the moment, they were lowered but not backed; not quite.

"I am not at liberty to disclose his name, other than to say he has profound experience in several fields that might be of assistance to the 'special case' and his treatment," A'sallah replied, "given that his specialty lies in the most advanced types of computer sciences, in programming, and in self-aware neural nets, both living and non-living."

"Both..." First couldn't believe what he had just heard. He stared at the Guard. "He's dead. If he isn't he deserves to be! His insane programs caused over three thousand T'Kiir'i to pass into the Light! Four so-called 'self-aware' Naval ships murdered their crews and then went on a killing spree that cost the Imperial Navy another half-dozen ships and most of their crews before they were hunted down and destroyed! I will not have him on this vessel for any reason! Do you understand me, A'sallah?"

He was shouting now, and didn't care in the least. Antra T'keron was a name that evoked horror in the Imperial Navy to this very day. Antra T'keron was the person who had caused the Admiralty to hand down rules that governed every aspect of computer operation onboard ships of the Imperial Navy. Antra T'keron was the specter who haunted every Imperial Ship's computer room, threatening death and destruction if too many computers were interconnected at any one time. He was the reason that self-aware computers were anathema throughout the Empire, with harsh penalties for those who sought to bring consciousness to any electronic system. If the T'Kiir'i had embraced the concept of evil incarnate, Antra T'keron was the shape it would take.

A'sallah remained unmoved. Reaching into his breast pocket, he put a data chip on First's desk and stated, "Read this and the files it contains. Your vessel is not leaving this planet until you do. Your Empress gave you an order and you will obey it. Otherwise, this planet will gain another three hundred or so 'settlers' when your water runs out. You cannot leave without having the liners in your fusion reactors replaced and as of now, all work on them is suspended until you can convince me or my superiors that you have read this data chip and understand what it contains."

As he turned to leave, he added; "I will make arrangements for the 'special patient' to be taken off this ship and treated at our hospital. If his treatment takes half a cycle, then you stay here half a cycle. The Empress and our Empire depend on his being able to deal with these strangers on a semi-sane level, not as a trip-mine who can explode if he hears the wrong word.

"And in two days I will inform our Empress of your decision if you persist in your refusal," he added as he walked out of First's ready room.

This time, First did unlock the drawer in his desk and poured himself a double

shot of Tobro brandy. Glass in hand, he picked up the data chip and reluctantly put it in the reader on his desk. He left the brandy out on his desk instead of returning it to its hiding place in the locked drawer of his desk; suspecting he was going to need it.

He was right.

Three turns later, as Third was finishing the last bit of blood removal from Tam'yn's Vice-royal bracelet after having napped, the comms unit at his desk buzzed with an incoming call. Keying it on, he looked into the bloodshot eyes of his captain, the ship's First Officer. Silently, he cursed to himself; First was not in the habit of drinking, but he looked like he was well on his way to a hangover.

"Tan'yel, I need to speak with you. I'm in my cabin. Gods, I need to talk to somebody, but Second is asleep so you get the privilege," First said in a hoarse whisper.

"On my way, An'kereo;" Third replied. He set the bracelet down, then picked it up again and locked it in his secure drawer, away from prying eyes.

A quick trip on the ship's transporter brought him near First's cabin door, which was exactly opposite the doorway onto the bridge. He covered the remaining distance in quick strides and turning to his left, knocked on the door to First's cabin. It slid back.

First was seated at his desk, a half empty bottle of Tobro brandy to one side of it with another empty one on the floor beside him. The Navy seal had been taken from its place on the wall and lay on the floor with gouges and scratches all over it. They looked like claw marks.

First looked up at his Third officer with agony in his eyes and said, "I've just spent the past two and a half turns finding out that our motto of 'Honor, Integrity, and Service' are just so many lies. I may be facing replacement because I believed what I was told by people I foolishly trusted. A'sallah has given me two days to reconsider my actions before he reports my insubordination to the Empress, and promised we wouldn't leave this planet before our Fourth officer and potential Viceroy got the treatment he needed to make this mission a success." He stared down at the table surface and then reached absently for the brandy bottle, picking it up and taking a deep swallow from its contents.

Third sat in front of the desk and said, "Perhaps you could enlighten me about what you're talking about, An'kereo. So far you make no sense to me at all."

"It apparently began long ago, but the most recent case was the so-called 'War against the Robots' we fought against four Navy ships that had self-aware computers running them. They were the same ships who had murdered their crews and destroyed half a Fleet before they were finally hunted down and blown to bits," First began with anger clear in his voice.

"It is believed that their creator, Antra T'keron, died in an atmosphere flyer explosion half a cycle later. He didn't. He's alive and right here on this 'invisible' planet. He was given the blame for the whole thing, from creating the programming that brought self-awareness to ordinary ship's computers to being responsible for the War itself. He has been a symbol of evil in the Imperial Navy ever since that time."

First put his hands to his head as if it hurt, adding; "He was innocent of the whole thing. He tried to stop it from happening, and was shut away in a Navy prison when he tried to warn the Empress of what was going to happen if the Navy went ahead with what it had planned."

"He knew the computers in those ships weren't ready for what was going to happen. They were like children, very young children with half-ketra disruptors and Invert matter missiles instead of hands and feet."

He pushed a button and said, "Computer, play file 121 vocal." A faint hiss began. Voices over half a century old played out in the cabin.

"Admiral Jirel, you can't do this! Those personalities are still too new! None of them understand the concept of 'play' in the least. To them, if it is ordered, it is real and will be done! You're risking disaster if you try these so-called war games this soon after their personalities have manifested. They will do as they're told exactly , not with the shading of action that one of us would employ. You could kill people!"

"Doctor T'keron, you're overstating things. Every one of those ships has had its disruptors de-tuned so the worse damage they can do would be to make a dent in their target's shields. The missiles are stored away from the launch tubes, and at any rate there will be people on those ships making sure this is just an exercise. Really, you should stick to your computer sciences and leave the running of the Navy to those who know how to do it."

"I'll contact the Empress! If you won't listen to me, you'll have to listen to her! Her representative, Tireno Alcys'ka, can reach her if I ask him to, and you don't dare interfere with him."

"Alcys'ka is, ahhh; away for the time being, Doctor, and I doubt that you will be able to contact him at any rate, given where you're going. Until this is over you're being placed in...shall we say, protective custody."

"What? Let me go! What are you doing..."

"Stop," First said in a pain-filled voice. "The other records support what you just heard, Tan'yel. Three Admirals wanted to fast-track their intelligent ship program, and hatched the idea of war games to show off how well their system would work." He took a swallow of brandy from his glass.

Tan'yel wasn't convinced yet, knowing how recorded conversations could be mistaken in their intent.

"They still killed their own crews," he pointed out to his First officer.

"Yes, they did," First replied, "because their orders told them that the so-called enemy was made up of ships and the crews operating them. One scan and they realized that the T'Kiir'i with them were the same T'Kiir'i crewing the other, or enemy vessels. One of them even asked several of its crew if they were the same as the crews on the enemy vessels and of course..."

"That's insane," Tan'yel said, interrupting; "any sensible person would..." His jaw dropped as he realized what had happened. "Gods of star and space;" he whispered, "they took it literally. They didn't know the difference between their crews and the so-called 'enemy' crews."

First nodded; "Doctor Alcys'ka tried warning people; he knew. Admirals Jirel, Tan'ero, and S'ferra didn't want him upsetting their own agendas, and so had him silenced by having him imprisoned." He took another drink.

Looking into the air, he next said; "Computer, play file 164c vocal. Filter out extraneous noise so we can hear the conversations."

There was a lot of noise; sounds of people hurrying, some calling out and others giving orders. Among all the sounds, two voices came through; boosted and slightly distorted by the filtration, but what they were saying was reasonably clear.

"...and S'ferra's ship took a missile dead in its neck between the engineering hull and the weaponry hull. Looks like it's just the two of us now. We need to transmit the cease-fire command before things get even worse than they are."

"If we do that, the Navy will find out what we did. There is no way that I am going to send out a command that will have us facing a court-martial and neither are you. Two of those damned things are gone and their records are gone with them. We can't save the dead, but we can keep our own careers alive by just doing what we're doing now; chasing the robots and wearing them down a bit at a time. Eventually they're going to run out of hydrogen and when they do the evidence of what we did will die with them."

"Can we leave T'keron with the blame? Someone is going to have to answer for all these deaths."

"So let it be him. Tireno Alcys'ka is already in my House's pocket, he'll say what he's told to say; after all, he already has what he wanted out of this."

"That's a relief. We'll keep our commands and that big-head will get the blame. I can live with that."

"Stop," First said again, agony in his voice. "So much for 'Honor, Integrity and Service'. Jirel and Tandero were never indicted for their crimes. They are the 'Heroes' of the 'Robot War', and nothing you or I can say will make any difference.

"I spent my life in the Imperial Navy because I actually believed it was special, better, honorable. My parents were Navy, as were their parents. Five generations of House Or'mate have served something that even then was probably a lie of some sort."

Tan'yel was listening with only half an ear. What was it that Tireno Alcys'ka had gained from Doctor T'keron; and was Tam'yn one of its victims? He needed to know.

First was drunk, at least as deeply drunk as Third had ever seen him be under the influence of alcohol. He decided on open appeal to his superior first. Then he would go to A'sallah if that were a necessity.

"I wonder if Tam'yn is part of whatever it was that Tireno managed to get from Doctor T'keron?" he ventured; "Apparently, Tireno wanted something from T'keron and got it. Tam'yn has word-centered reactions and when A'sallah speaks of it to this big-head, the big-head is suddenly interested in him."

First's head came up and he stared at his Third officer. "You might have something there," he said; "you just might have something there, and whatever it is I think I'll have to change my mind about letting the Doctor on my ship, whether I want to or not. Your task will be to make sure that I don't start having arguments with the computers while he's on board."

"Too late," Third replied, "I argue with my alarm every morning when it goes off. It doesn't seem to care."

Then he asked, "Speaking of caring, I would like to ask that Security Officer third grade Meren'kona be promoted to the rank of Security Officer second grade. Right now, she's investigating the murder of Crewperson Tinterro K'arilas using my access codes. I'd like to get her the rank so I don't have to explain why I seem to be in two places at once."

As Tan'yel had hoped, getting focused on the ship seemed to be calming his captain and First Officer. Turning the reader off with almost a brutal finger push, First asked, "Why? Why second and not stay third? The Navy doesn't like peacetime rank-jumps like that unless there's a very good reason."

Tan'yel smiled; "There is. She needs the authority of a level two for some of the investigation she's doing. She also is now settled in with Fourth, the cause of much of this upset, and a bit more rank equality would help keep us within the Navy's suggested relationship protocols. She may also need the rank if she's going to deal with some of the people here; they'll listen to a superior officer where they would ignore a junior-grade one. Finally, with her as my Second; I can get the rest that the Healers keep telling me I need."

First was now thinking, and soon arrived at an answer. "You want her to keep an eye on him, and she needs the clout to do that, right?" Third nodded a reply.

"For the record, I really don't like it, but I can see necessity when it's right in front of me. If we make contact with these robot-builders, he'll need a bodyguard and I looked up what the Dancers are probably teaching to the Guardians these days. I'll okay it when you submit it, Third;" he said, "but you do the submission, not me. I'm still going over what A'sallah gave me and I really don't like the Navy very much right now."

Knowing when to stop, Tan'yel nodded and simply listened.

By the time the last file had either been viewed or audited, First had stopped drinking and Third had taken a couple of swallows from his own flask. They were both shocked and horrified by what they had learned.

One of the robots had tried to surrender. There were over a hundred still living crew on board, and they had convinced it to surrender itself. It had learned the concept of "play" and "make believe" from them as it fought. It had realized that this was a "game" and had concluded that surrender would be the best thing to do. It didn't want to kill any more. It wanted to send its crew to another ship for medical treatments it couldn't provide. It was developing a conscience of sorts.

Admiral Jirel had accepted the surrender and then ordered a salvo of missiles into the surrendered ship; killing the remaining T'Kiir'I crew and destroying the last of the "Robot" ships. His bridge crew had protested, and so he had fired the missiles himself. The bridge crew, now realizing they were responsible for dishonoring a surrender and the murder of over one hundred of their crewmates stayed silent. They were all of his House, and knew what would happen if they spoke up.

Even so, several of them "died of wounds received" on the way back to T'Kiir'ah.

Third felt soul-deep anger over what he'd learned, but knew the matter was dead; long, long dead. He stole a swig from his captain's brandy to help himself stay calm.

That puzzled First, since he could see his Third officer's flask peeping out of his trouser pocket; and First knew first-hand what sort of beverage it contained.

In an attempt to change the subject that was depressing both of them, First asked his Third officer, "Why is it you like that stuff you drink? It hangs on your breath for quite a while, you know."

Third grinned and handed his captain his own flask with the suggestion, "Take a swallow, then ask me again."

Puzzled, First did as he was asked, then choked out; "This stuff is mouth cleanser, not Pirka! What are you doing?"

Third smiled; "The alcoholic drink I enjoy is made by my cousin, who runs the family plantation where we raise Pirka vines. This smells exactly like the alcoholic stuff, but is very, very tame by comparison, although there is a little alcohol in it too. It helps give the impression I have a fondness for a rather strong alcoholic drink while keeping me sharp and clear. It's useful in a lot of cases, especially when I need to convince people I have a habit that I don't really indulge in; and they are a bit less minded to watch their speech around me. For a security operative, it is a very useful ruse."

First raised one eyebrow. "So even here on the ship, you're running a scam with the people you're watching. Clever."

"Not clever enough," Tan'yel replied half-angrily; "We lost a person of interest in the sabotage investigation; although it did reveal there is another dangerous individual on the ship; probably the brains of the operation. The most promising trail has gone cold, and Security can't seem to pick up the new one. That means whoever killed Tinterro has evaded Security's nets for the time being, and is most likely an officer. I don't like that."

Now confused, First asked, "What makes you think the murderer is an officer?"

"Nothing is missing from the armory, and nothing in the armory has been used in the past four tendays. That means the full-power stunner is somebody's personal weapon. Only officers have those since the enlisted personnel get theirs issued, and those don't have the power setting available that was used to kill our suspect," Third replied. "Tinterro was killed with a full power stunner, probably a class two weapon; and those are only available to military officers or Guardians. You can't buy them on the open market if you're a civilian; the best you can get is what we issue to the enlisted crew, a type four weapon. Add in that it didn't set off the alarms in the shuttle hangar. That means its energy pattern is registered; again implicating an officer and not an enlistee. Too bad the weapon wasn't discharged nearer one of the sensors; we'd have our killer. Still, we're closer to solving this case, thanks to A'sallah's people who loaned us some of their detector equipment. At least we know that the N'aan in Tinterro's lap wasn't in his nose, and wouldn't have done him any good if it had been; it's just beverage powder like the cooks use, not the outer hull of the nut that is what the recreational substance is made from."

First seemed mesmerized for several moments. Then he growled, "So we have a murderer among the officers, and that murderer has passed the standard security measures in place when we made up this ship's crew. That speaks interference from higher up the chain to me."

He stared at his Third officer, asking; "What does it suggest to you?"

Third sighed, "Exactly the same thing; only it isn't any surprise to me in the least. We already know that there are several groups who want this new branch of the Navy to fail; the only question is 'who was Tinterro working for?' Figure that out and we have a chance to find our killer; although the threat to the ship doesn't decrease in the least. There are probably others involved, with other agendas to fill."

"I should have stayed on the Rim chasing pirates and smugglers; that was a lot more honest work," First growled, then took another swig of brandy. Third was not in a mood to disagree with him. Out there, you knew who the enemy was.

In Healing, Tam'yn had finally recovered from his word-induced seizure well enough to become curious about his arm and what had happened to it. His left arm was strapped around his torso with other straps over his shoulders to hold it in place. It was covered with a lightly padded cloth cover that had openings for the straps in it. It most reminded him of the ancient practice of casting broken bones in plaster and gauze, which was still in use on some Dominion planets.

He wasn't very happy with it. He was even less happy when Healer R'kara opened the padded cover and he saw his arm in the brace.

From just below his shoulder to his wrist his arm was contained within a metal-plastic jointed splint that had openings in it where he could see what looked like a white fabric sleeve around his arm. There were strange objects on the splint and on the fabric, and the part that covered his upper arm had a strange small bottle-like object clipped into another arcane Healing device. His arm was completely immobilized in the thing.

Then he saw the lines of stitches in the "fabric" and realized that what he was seeing was his own skin. His entire arm below his elbow had been shaved!

Then he realized that for the surgery done to him, the shaving was necessary. Still, he felt the odd "wrongness" sensation any fur-covered creature feels when a sizable portion of their fur has been removed by shaving.

His first comment was about that; "Agh! You shaved my arm! It'll itch like crazy as the fur grows back," he complained to the Healer beside his bed. The Healer smiled.

"We didn't so much shave it as we chemically removed your fur and then inhibited its regrowth," she explained, "it was rather necessary given the situation you were in."

"What?" he asked, "because my arm was broken?"

"No, because when Healer J'nero tried realigning the bones, they kept on breaking. They were that weak and brittle," she explained, "and we were lucky to be here on a planet where Imperial Medicine is practiced. Their Hospital sent over a surgeon who took over the job and set your bones so they wouldn't break again. You were perhaps a segment away from breaking something serious, like a hip or your spine. Your calcium levels were lower than anyone at the Hospital had seen in an active person. Usually people with your levels of calcium are elderly and confined to a bed because their bones won't even support their weight anymore. You were very, very lucky."

Tam'yn stared at his arm, now seeing other things; what had looked like a stain seemed to be under his skin, and every so often he felt a faint tingle in his forearm almost exactly where that odd "stain" was located.

Nervous, but feeling a need to know, he asked; "What did they do to me, besides removing the fur on my arm?"

Healer R'kara replied, "The surgeon put titanium mesh sleeves around the broken bones to hold them in place while they heal. That titanium has a thick coating of mineralized calcium which your bones will easily absorb. The dark area under your skin is an antenna for a transmitter on the splint. It will be removed when you're healed. Two leads go down to the bones and every now and then they get a charge of electricity that makes them heal faster. That too will be removed when your bones are better healed."

She continued, as Tam'yn started turning green under his fur; "The injector on your upper arm is a Guardian device that drips Osteo Re-gen into your bloodstream. That will help you absorb calcium and speed your healing at the same time. We also stitched your wounds closed; you are going to scar anyway, so why not speed up the healing while your arm isn't being used?

"Finally, you will have electro-stim treatments to keep the muscles on your arm from atrophying while you can't move them or it. Healing will take at leastfour ten-days; but in the end your arm will be straight and reasonably strong. You will still have to exercise that arm until it's a match for your right; but that isn't necessarily a Healing function." Her look indicated that if he knew what was good for him, he would keep things that way.

Gulping, he nodded.

Glancing over at J'sharra, he asked, "Are you sure you want to move in with me? It looks like I'm not going to be good for much for a long time."

J'sharra replied, "You can keep me company while I go through the sensor files on the murder. Even with the assist you gave me, it's going to take a while to do. I asked the computer on the Scout about hatch openings. That narrowed my search down to seven turns rather than thirty. Apparently people used that Scout for training and qualifications, so there have been a lot of would-be pilots in and out of it. Trying the last entry/exit didn't work either, so I have to run through several turns of people coming in and going out to find the sound I want, the sound of a Stunner going off. You can keep me company and help me not fall asleep."

"Several turns?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, "what were they doing in there?"

J'sharra's ears started turning pink as she pointed out, "In that sort of Scout, you can't see the control room from the lock if the door to it is closed. What you can see is the living area and the sleeping pads..." Her ears were now scarlet.

"Oh." Tam'yn replied, "Right. The control room is separate from the living area as a safety measure."

Then he asked, "You mean people were..." J'sharra's miniscule nod silenced him.

Then he suggested, "Why not scan for the Stunner shot? That ought to be audible, easily; and the energy sensors would pick it up too."

Leaning close, J'sharra explained, "It's not that easy. Someone disabled several of the sensors, probably thinking their games would be overheard by Security. The sound wouldn't be audible if the control room door was closed off from the rest of the vessel."

"I think I can work around that," Tam'yn said after a few moments; "It may not take as long as we think it will, depending on when I get released from here." He looked up at the Healer.

She replied, "Not before tomorrow morning. We want you clear of the anesthetic we used and the surgeon wants to check in on you before you go back to your cabin. Additionally, you need to eat a meal. It was delivered a while ago, but I can warm it in a couple of minutes. Get used to mashed tonko root; you're going to eat a lot of it."

"Have you eaten?" Tam'yn asked J'sharra. She shook her head; "No. I was waiting to find out how you were."

The Healer sighed, "Make that two meals then. They'll be here in a few marks. Now I need to find a Healer-4 to deliver them and let me get a nap in the process. J'nero will be here in a few more turns and he'll probably want to talk to you too. Eventually you'll get back to your cabin, but for now you're staying with us."

"Could I sit up a little?" Tam'yn asked, "lying on my back feels odd."

The Healer nodded; "See the control panels on the sides of your bed-rails? You can change your position with them from lying flat to almost sitting up. Just lower yourself back down if you start feeling sleepy. Sleeping sitting up is hard on the back and pelvis, and with your bone problems that wouldn't be a very good idea."

After checking the areas indicated, Tam'yn could see graphics that showed how he could raise either his legs or upper body. Choosing the one for the upper body, he pressed it and felt himself raising into a near sitting position. This was better, he could look at J'sharra normally instead of having her leaning over him as if he were an infant in a crib.

The Healer watched approvingly. "Again, if you start feeling sleepy, please lower yourself to a flat position. You really don't need the extra strain on your back at the moment."

Then indicating a pair of blue panels above the position controls, she added; "Those are what you use if you need help with something. Press either one and one of us will come and help you with whatever you need. Do not get out of this bed for any reason; one fall could break something, and we just dealt with your broken bones and we really don't need to do it again." Then indicating a black button above the blue panel, she said, "That will activate video unit on the wall across from you. I don't know if there is anything to watch, but if there is, the black button will let you see it. The slide stripe beside it is the sound level control and the green button below it will switch channels. The speakers are built into the bed to keep the noise down."

Then feeling as though she had said all she needed to say, she wished them well and went to see about getting two meals for them; his was already prepared, and the Security officer would get whatever the kitchens had available for snacks.

After the Healer had gone, Tam'yn said bashfully, "Thank you for being so nice to me, J'sharra. I-it's been a long time since anyone was so nice, and I want to say thank-you." His voice trailed off and his ears grew warm as they flushed.

J'sharra had pulled a chair over to his bed while he spoke. She turned and smiled. "Since we're going to be cabin-mates, it's only right," she replied, "and I like you, Tam'yn; really, I do. So let's be nice to each other, okay?" Her own ears felt warm to her and she knew she was blushing too.

She sat down beside his bed and they both tried to think of things to say that were "safe" and couldn't. He reached a tentative hand out to her and she took it. They remained that way for several marks, neither speaking but both enjoying the quiet presence of the other.

Then the food arrived, two trays set up identically; stewed vegetable leaves, mashed tonko roots, and fish. They all looked fresh, especially the fish.

Tam'yn figured it out first. "These are from the mystery planet we're landed on," he said, "we have this stuff frozen but the Guardians here must be providing us with fresh things. Look at the stewed vegetable leaves; they're a mix of normal blue and what must be local green vegetable leaves. Tasting the vegetables, he said, "They taste good, too."

J'sharra nodded, "Makes sense; Third mentioned that we're getting some Guardians on board, and so this is probably a part of the supplies they're bringing with them." Glancing at a small bowl with a dark sauce in it, she asked, "What's this? Seasoning?"

Tam'yn already knew. "Toro sauce," he explained, "it makes the tonko root less bland and the vegetables smell like they have some in them too. This is just like the freighter food I trained on, and it's good. Try a bite."

J'sharra was already doing just that. Taking a fork-full of fish, she dipped it lightly into the dark sauce and then ate it. Her ears popped up and her eyes widened; "This is good! Why wasn't there any before we got here?"

"There probably was," Tam'yn commented, "but it isn't all that common a condiment, and you probably had to ask for it. I didn't think to ask, not with the odd hours when I got around to eating. This is fresh, though."

"Fresh? As in just made?" J'sharra asked and Tam'yn nodded; "Yes. The bottled version isn't quite as tasty as this is, and I've eaten both."

Then he added, "I hope one of the new Guards is a brewer; fresh Toro sauce is easy to make, although some of the ingredients will have to come from this planet. Still, having fresh Toro sauce will make this diet a lot less bland."

"What's in it?" J'sharra asked curiously, as she took another bite.

"Honestly, I don't know, not exactly," Tam'yn replied, trying to shrug and managing only one shoulder. Then, thinking back, he said, "Toro beans, fresh and dried fish and salt and fruits and herbs and vinegar, that much I remember from the bottled stuff. Whatever else is in it is up to the brewer's recipe. It's fairly easy as I recall, just mix all the ingredients and let it age a segment or so. Then filter it and you have Toro sauce."

J'sharra was a bit surprised at Tam'yn's list of the ingredients, but the sauce was good. She tried an experimental taste of just the sauce and grew confused; it certainly didn't taste like fish or fruit or vinegar, but she decided she liked it regardless of was in it. Even the normally bland tonko roots were good with it, and that was a wonder in itself.

"I like it," she decided, "and I hope we have plenty, either fresh or bottled. I think I'm going to be putting it on a lot of things."

That got Tam'yn grinning, and she decided she liked his grin; just as she liked him. He was hurt, yes; and more than just physical injury, but that could be overcome.

Then suddenly the food was gone. Even Tam'yn's plate was clean, and that reminded her of something.

Reaching into a pocket, she produced a suit-ration pack and handed it to him with the admonition, "Eat. Maybe the tonko sauce will make it taste better, but you need to gain weight."

He sighed and opened the packet; experimentally dipping a piece of the flat, round, bread- like ration into the remainders of the sauce before putting it into his mouth. His eyes opened in surprise and he nodded to her while he chewed.

"You mean Toro sauce makes suit-rations taste good too?" J'sharra asked in surprise; "That would be a miracle in itself."

"It makes them taste like cardboard dipped in Toro sauce," he replied after swallowing, "but I like Toro sauce so it's a winning situation.

He was about to push the blue panel to summon a Healer-4 to clear their trays when a Healer-4 entered the room on his own. He was carrying something, a pack or pouch of about a Te' Ketra's size with a tube wrapped around it.

"Healer-4 I'riko," he said by way of identification, "and I have an injection pack full of calcium supplement to give to you."

Seeing Tam'yn's face fall he smiled, "Won't hurt a bit. There's a portal already there on the support, and all I have to do is plug this in."

Seeing his patient's eyes widen, he tapped the area beside the odd thing attached to the splint on Tam'yn's upper arm, saying, "Right there; the supplement will mix with the Re-gen drip in your bloodstream. I'll take the trays away too when I'm done."

He then set to work, raising a previously hidden rod out of the bed's headboard and then pulling down a part of it to make a hangar for the pack of fluid, which he then hung from it. Taking the tube attached to the pack, he pushed the end into a small fitting on the pumping device. There was a beep and Tam'yn felt a coolness in his upper arm and shoulder as the liquid in the pack made its way into his veins.

Nodding, the Healer-4 picked up their meal trays and left the bed. Apparently, that was all he needed to do; the thing on Tam'yn's splint took care of the rest.

Against her will, J'sharra yawned and then apologized. Tam'yn shook his head, saying, "I think I'll nap too. That meal is making me sleepy. Have a good rest in our quarters and I'll see you tomorrow."

J'sharra smiled and kissed him before leaving. Tam'yn returned the bed to a nearly flat position and in moments he was asleep. He was more tired than he had realized.

J'sharra returned to the cabin she would share with Tam'yn once he was released from Healing and stared at the bed. She was tired, but she didn't want to sleep in it alone. That gave her pause over the strength of what she was feeling for Tam'yn, all so soon and unexpected. She had always been deeply attracted to him, but her sister had been the center of his affections rather than herself. Now she wondered at the sudden surge of emotions she felt for him, less than three days after what had been a hurriedly arranged meeting because he had experienced a psychotic response to being made an Imperial Viceroy. She had been schooled to recognize new emotions in herself and how to meditate to find their sources and how to deal with them. A Dancer's dance was something that had to arise from their pure and clearly focused spiritual feelings, not sudden and sharp changes in their personal relationship with the Light and the universe around it.

Still, she needed rest if she was to be effective as a Security officer, so she reluctantly put on a sleep-robe and settled down onto the pad hoping she might at least rest physically for a while.

Five minutes later, she too was deeply asleep. She too was more tired than she had thought.

Tam'yn was dreaming again, only this time it was pleasant and comforting. He was in Light, surrounded and warmed by it, and the feelings of peace and happiness were overwhelming.

Then something dark began to take shape in the light, and he knew fear as he saw what it was; the Imperial seal set in a bracelet--a Viceroy's bracelet. It floated between him and the Light, the dark entity that had cost him his birth sibling and the Empire a Viceroy. Waves of fear washed over him as it hung in front of him, making him remember that this was the thing that had cost his sister her life. This dark monster had ended his birth sibling, L'yrel. Agony roared through his spirit every time he looked at the horrible thing that had destroyed L'yrel!

Then as if the thought had called her, L'yrel was there. She was made of light, unlike the Viceroy's bracelet; and where the bracelet caused him fear, she granted him the peace to withstand that fear. She floated toward him, getting between the thing of fear and himself. Then she spoke. The sound of her voice opened the wounds in him that her death had caused, but her voice also granted him healing from those same hurts.

"Tam' , I can't stay long, but you need to understand that this thing did not kill me. It was a man, a person, who caused my passing when the Runner blew up; not the seal of the Empire.

"You have a job to do for our people and the Empire, and this is a part of that job. I will help you as much as I can, while I still can, before I go onward into the fullness of the light. You must wear the bracelet and represent our people, all of them; and bring our Empress a new group of friends who will keep this Empire of ours from making war on itself and ending itself in the process. You are our mother's and our Empire's last, best hope for peace and continuance.

"You can do this, Tam'yn. I will leave a bit of myself in the bracelet to help you and guide you; and you will know this when you see it again. Beloved brother, be the person we both know you are, and do this thing."

Then she touched the stone set into the bracelet and it began to glow, and that glow grew brighter and brighter...

_ _ And Tam'yn woke up in the Healing bed. He looked at the time and saw it was the early, early morning. He had something to do, he realized, and pressed the blue panel on the bed rail. Then he pushed the panel that raised his upper body to a sitting position.

When the Healer-4 showed up, Tam'yn said, "I need a urinal. I need one now, or I may wet the bed."

"Probably the extra liquid in the calcium drip," the Healer replied, "I disconnected you just a little while ago. I'll go get a patient urinal for you now." He turned and left the room as Tam'yn puzzled over the dream he'd just had.

Then he remembered. His jaw dropped as memory came back; the message, the bracelet, his frantic clawing at it...

And now L'yrel. He was still stunned when the Healer returned with the requested item, but not so stunned that he didn't use it; easing the pressure in his bladder.

He didn't go back to sleep, he couldn't. Instead, he sat in his bed and thought until breakfast time. His mind whirled as he kept remembering more and more...

When J'sharra entered Tam'yn's room in the Healing area, she saw an odd gleam in his eyes. When he asked about the bracelet, she wrapped her arms around him and nearly wept with relief. He was coming back. He was getting better.

Then he asked her a question, "Are you interested in me because it's your job to be interested, or are you feeling something more?" His eyes bored into hers, asking a deeper; more personal question.

Her reply, "Something more, a lot more," had him holding close to her and shedding tears himself. He hadn't felt this way since before L'lanya had died. Her death had made something in him die too; only now it was coming back, renewed even as the sun, the Light, renewed itself after a harsh winter.

The feeling he couldn't identify was becoming clearer; he was happy again, in the way he'd lost when he had found L'lanya's body on the lake shore.

He again dared to hope, not just for himself, not just for J'sharra; but for them. He was beginning to live again and not just exist.

When Healer J'nero showed up, he was less excited about things than they were. Tam'yn had been stunned, at low power to be sure; but nonetheless stunned. His recovery of his memories was within the normal time frame for such happenings, if they were to return at all. About half the stun cases didn't remember the period of time immediately prior to their being stunned, while the other half did in varying degrees. It was simply a matter of luck and the strength of the stun pulse.

Healer J'nero was also of the opinion that J'sharra had helped him to recover by simply caring about him in a way he had to notice. That stimulus was probably the main reason his patient was seeming to do so well, and he was happy that it had happened. His patient would make a better recovery as a result, and that was something he could readily appreciate.

Still, there were persistent problems. The urine sample taken from the patient urinal had shown elevated levels of calcium, meaning that Tam'yn's body wasn't absorbing it the way it should. He decided on another blood test to see what was happening and why his patient wasn't responding the way he was supposed to.

"I need another blood sample," he said gently, and when both Tam'yn and J'sharra asked why, he explained; "You were given serum calcium in that drip-bag last night, and too much of it went right out in your urine. That can cause stones to form, and they require surgery to remove. I want to see why your body refused to do what it should do, which was to put that calcium in your bones, not your urine. If something else is going on, we need to know what it is and counter it. It's that simple."

Shocked, Tam'yn offered his right arm, only to be told; "The calcium went in your left arm, so I want to take the blood from that point, rather than your remaining good arm. There may be something happening there that isn't happening on the other side of your body."

The Healer called in a Healer-2 and told him to draw blood from Tam'yn's left arm and to do as many screenings on it that could be done with the single sample. The sense of something wrong was bothering Healer J'nero quite a bit. This should not have happened, but it had. What had he overlooked?

He fussed around with his patient's arm, checking the Osteo-Regen capsule and then getting another out of the special supplies sent from the Guardian hospital for his patient's use. He briefly regretted not being able to have a store of the bone restorative on the M'Kereos, but this batch Osteo-Regen would out-date while they were still out in space somewhere and thus the general version of the medicine would have to do.

He was connecting the new capsule to the infusion unit on Tam'yn's splint when the answer came back from the labs. He started laughing when he saw the reason Tam'yn had extra calcium in his urine; and that made Tam'yn and J'sharra curious as to what was so funny.

He explained, "We're loading both normal blue and this planet's native green-leaved vegetables and eating them too, since the inhabitants here eat them with no problems. It seems that these odd green-leaved vegetables fix soil calcium four times as densely as our blue-leaved ones do, and so you won't need any extra calcium added to your blood as long as you eat a mixture of our blue and their green vegetables."

Tam'yn sighed, "Looks like I'm going to be a herbivore then. At least they have a different flavor than ours do." Then he added, "There's fresh Toro sauce with the food. I hope one of our new passengers is a brewer, since fresh Toro tastes a lot better than the bottled version."

Healer J'nero raised an eyebrow and asked, "Have you ever smelled that stuff while it ferments? It's beyond vile. Imagine the whole ship smelling that way; and it would, because even our plants and our filters can't take all the odors out of the air. My uncle used to brew Toro, and the family finally made him stop because the odor was wafting throughout the entire neighborhood and the neighbors were complaining to my parents about it. Pity about that, since he made really good-tasting Toro."

"Oh," Tam'yn said with surprise, "I never smelled the stuff brewing. I just remembered that the fresh sauce was so much better tasting than the stuff that came in bottles and I didn't realize what the fermentation process would smell like."

Healer J'nero grinned, "That might have been frozen fresh sauce, you know; and I agree that the preservatives put in the bottled version do hurt the flavor a bit. Since we eat with our noses, we'd notice the difference between preserved and fresh pretty clearly, and half of Toro's flavor is its scent."

"We eat with our noses?" J'sharra asked as she brought her hand to her own dark nose and touched it with evident surprise.

"In a very real sense, yes," Healer J'nero replied, explaining; "A lot of taste is really scent. We can taste five things; sweet, salt, heat, bitter, and sharp. Everything else is scent. We notice this most when we get nose-drip and can't smell anything."

"You're right," Tam'yn agreed; "I got nose-drip while I was overseeing the rebuild of this ship, and it seemed like all the flavor had gone out of the food at the work-site. I wondered if the kitchen had run out of things, but the cooks just laughed and said things would taste better in a few days and they did. I got over the nose-drip, and things tasted better."

Then he asked, "Can I go if I promise to eat my vegetables?" J'sharra snickered because he sounded just like her younger brother asking to visit a friend.

Healer J'nero replied, "The specialist who worked on you wants to see you today, and then you may go to your cabin. I'll give you both plates with your restrictions, requirements, and treatment schedules on them; and I'll have Supply break out a float-chair for you to use. I want you to stay in it unless you're stretching, sleeping, or on the San. It's a miracle you haven't done more damage to yourself, and I want to keep it that way."

Ears drooping, Tam'yn asked, "How long will I have to stay in the chair? Sitting too long makes my behind numb."

"Till your bones are at least fifty percent re-calcified," the Healer stated, "and I really would prefer you stay in it until they are seventy percent rebuilt. Then movement will actually help move more calcium into your skeleton. Until then you're brittle and can break things all too easily and if we're in space it might take you twice as long to heal, since we won't have a fully supplied hospital to support and assist the Healing department here on the ship."

While Tam'yn replied "Oh..."; J'sharra was asking, "Can he do some of the simplest K'Pyri stretches and moves? They don't require him to stand, if that's the problem."

Healer J'nero nodded; "I looked up the level one movements in the ship's database, and as long as you avoid the ones that move from sitting to standing, they should be alright. He needs some movement to keep his leg muscles from weakening too much and to keep the circulation going in them. Those would be fine. Have him do the leg exercises at least twice a day though, since he won't be doing any walking to speak of until his bones are stronger."

J'sharra waited while Tam'yn mulled over having to ride a float-chair, finally deciding that if it would get him out of the Healing area and back in his (and now J'sharra's) cabin, it would be worth the fuss involved.

"When will this other surgeon be showing up?" he asked curiously.

J'nero glanced at the ship's chronometer display and then replied, "Two turns or less. He has other patients, but he mentioned he'd be here in the morning to check out his work on your arm. I think he's curious about you, since your bone strength is so low. At any rate, he'll be here when he gets here and remember that float-chair has to be assembled and charged before you can use it. When it's done, Engineering will deliver it to you and then you can leave. Until then, stay in the bed, please; since you have a habit of breaking things when you're up and on your own."

Tam'yn's ears drooped and J'sharra rubbed his right shoulder. "I need to get to work on those sound recordings," she said, "but let me know when the surgeon gets here. That will give me a legitimate reason to get out of work and spend more time here with you, and I want to learn what was done to you so I can adapt our exercises to fit the recovery regimen he suggests."

Seeing him smile, she rubbed her cheek against his and waved good-bye as she left the room and went back to her work in their cabin.

There was a vidplate on the wall, and curiously Tam'yn keyed it on, wondering if this planet had any non-recorded programming he could watch. To his surprise, it seemed that this world had a hyper-link connection to some of the Imperial networks, since the show he was watching was time-stamped as being only two hours old and it originated from T'Kiir'ah, his home world and capital of the Empire. Not surprisingly, local programming was blocked from the ship's receivers. Even so, it was something to relieve the boredom of being confined to bed, and so he settled back to watch.

He enjoyed watching things until the News program started.

Elsewhere on the M'Kereos, others were also watching the local distribution of the Imperial Hyper-net.

Third had discovered that this planet had a strong enough hyper-link system that Imperial video was being distributed (at least in their area) and had been watching various shows on and off as his work allowed. He had told First about it, and First had permitted reception in the relaxation areas and dining areas. He had granted Healing unlimited access on the grounds that his Healers deserved some pampering, and he realized the "special patient" would enjoy having something to take his mind off his injuries.

When his communicator buzzed and he heard his Third officers voice, First brought his wrist closer to his ear and asked him to repeat what he'd said.

"Get to a vid and pull up the home news," Third repeated. "Things are happening at home and the Navy is getting involved."

After a little fumbling as he found the channel he wanted, he had to backtrack to get to the start of the story involving the Imperial Navy. Then his lips skinned back in an angry snarl as he heard;

"With the death of the Imperial Viceroy aboard one of the new Inverted-matter- powered Navy 'Runners' when the ship's Inverted-matter reactor failed, the Navy has announced its intent to ground all Inverted-matter powered ships for inspection and necessary repair before returning them to service. The Admiralty says that the orders will be transmitted to all Navy vessels within the next two days, and that the affected vessels will proceed under backup fusion power to their nearest service port and remain there until their Inverted-matter systems can be determined to be safe to use.

"The Palace has made no comment other than to express the hope that no other casualties will occur to the Imperial Navy, and that they hope the tragedy which took the Empress's eldest daughter into the Light was unique and will not be repeated on any other ship.

"Senior Parliament member Ashoro An'kara has stated that he was dubious of the safety of the current design but that the Palace pushed for implementation of the Inverted-matter systems for the new Exploration service in spite of warnings from several distinguished scholars..."

First shut off the vid with almost a savage push of the control.

Moments later, his comm unit beeped; it was Fourth Officer Rintallan.

"Sir," he asked, "did you see the news from home? I was eating dinner and watching the vid, and there was this story on the News..."

"I saw it. What about it?"

"Well, when the people from this base were here surveying what needed to be done, one of them; a 'Master Engineer' G'rollan asked me how we got here without blowing up, and he said that our Invert-matter reactor was a condemned unit from a lot that had been condemned for almost two cycles. He wondered who had authorized its installation, and offered to replace it with a Guardian-model 6-B/3 Fusion reactor because they're almost the same size. He even showed me the condemnation documentation on this model. Then all work stopped and I haven't seen him since."

"_Bring me that data. _ I assume you still have it?"

_ _ "Yessir, I do; on a chip."

"Be here in 30 marks. Work should resume soon. Out."

Now snarling in earnest, he put a comm call through to the planet; to Guardian A'sallah's comms unit.

When A'sallah answered, First growled; "You were right, I was wrong. Restart the work before the Navy grounds us permanently. My Fourth Officer will assist your people."

"I heard the news," A'sallah's voice replied soberly; "I also got the report on that reactor from my Master Engineer. We need to talk about more than one person, it would appear. I can be there in a turn, would that be satisfactory?"

"Yes," First replied, "very much so. I just hope my ahhh, other Fourth Officer didn't see that news story. He took the sabotage to the ship seriously, even though there was no way he could have known. He may well blame himself for this, too."

A'sallah's reply was simple; "Drok. Well, at least he's under Counseling's care; so this is one more thing they can help him deal with. Somebody very high up doesn't want your mission to succeed, and since this is an Imperial ship on a sealed-order mission, it comes under Guardian authority; not the Navy's. If it's possible, you'll get there."

Then there was a chuckle from the Guardian. "If you replace that Invert-matter reactor with one of our special Fusion units, then you won't be under the grounding order, will you?"

First rubbed his chin for a moment before replying, "You're right. We won't. The mission can go on since we aren't using an Invert-matter unit and won't even have one onboard. Yes; replace it. I'll write the request for you so it's ready when you get here."

"Thank you, Captain Or' mate," A'sallah's relieved voice said through the comm unit, "Most people have a change of heart once they learn the truth. The repair crew will be on your ship by 10.00, so please tell your Security people to expect them at that time. There is a lot of work that needs doing and we don't have a great deal of time to do it."

There was a faint pop as the connection was broken.

First sat at his desk and thought about what was happening at home and then stopped his thoughts by force of will. They had a mission to complete. Maybe the Empire would be there when they got back, maybe not; but there was a mission for the M'Kereos to do and it would be done. Of that there was no doubt in his mind.

When Fourth officer Rintallan arrived at First's quarters exactly thirty marks after he had spoken to his First, he found his commanding officer staring into space and occasionally twitching his ears. First quickly focused and asked him for the data chip and slid it into the reader on his desk. As the information appeared in his desk hologram unit, he asked Rintallan to sit while he went through the document in front of him. He also asked about the Master Engineer's comments.

"Well, sir, he said that there was a general order from the Fleet that these specific Invert-matter reactors were dangerous and were to be replaced as soon as possible," Rintallan explained; "and he was surprised that the one we had was a new issue rather than a rebuild. He also agreed with Tam'yn that the Invert-matter valves were not in any way Navy specification, and should never have been put in with the upgrade while the M'Kereos was being refitted. He wandered around and said that whoever had done the rebuild had to have deliberately used non-specification parts, and when I told him about Tam'yn's reboot of that valve that stuck part way open he said he wanted to meet him because he had 'done the impossible' and survived."

First listened carefully, knowing that Engineer Rintallan tended to run on when he was nervous, and he was clearly nervous as he sat bolt upright in the chair in front of the desk.

"Calm down, Engineer, " First said gently, "nobody is on trial here; although I'd like to get the people who forged the acceptance paperwork into an airlock and let them 'kiss the stars' (eject them into space). The fact is that we got here largely thanks to yourself and to your senior officer, Engineer Tam'yn. Between the two of you, this ship managed to beat the odds and survive what must have been a deliberate attempt to destroy it and its crew somewhere in space where the wreckage would never be found."

Then he asked, "Tell me about this model 6-B/3 fusion unit that Master Engineer G'rollan wants to put in place of that piece of drok Inverted-matter reactor in the Engineering hull."

That calmed Rintallan. It was something he knew about.

"We have the Model 6-B fusion units in the main hull as emergency backup power if we have to jettison the engineering hull for some reason," he explained; "they have two connected fusion chambers that produce more power than two reactors alone could. The /3 modification has a third chamber between them where the pressure and heat from the other two chambers makes hydrogen fuse like it does in a star. The third chamber doesn't use gravity crush units to initiate fusion, in fact the third chamber doesn't have any crush units; the heat and pressure from the other two are all that is needed to make the fuel hydrogen fuse. I've read about them, but since the Fleet went with Inverted matter; I've never seen one. They are supposed to be nearly as efficient as Inverted matter for power output, but Inverted matter doesn't take as much energy to start up and then operate, so it won out over fusion for starship power."

Catching his breath, he added; "And I've heard there was a four chamber fusion reactor in development and in primary testing when the Fleet went completely with Inverted matter instead of continuing fusion development in parallel. A four chamber reactor would be just as powerful as a similar-sized Inverted matter rig would be, but when the Navy decided to go with Inverted matter, they dropped everything else. It was probably budget issues that did it, since by then Inverted matter was a mature technology and fusion was old stuff."

First muttered, "I've fought pirates and slavers and won, but accountants are one foe I've never been able to beat. They don't have disruptors and they don't need them; all they have to do is stamp something 'over budget' and it's destroyed." He shook his head in disgust; finances were the death of many ideas that could save lives or make faster ships, but the Navy was run by its accountants as much as the Admiralty.

Then he shrugged; such was Navy life. He finished the condemnation report and asked, "Are you sure that Master Engineer G'rollan got the numbers right? This parts sequence isn't what I recall our Inverted matter reactor as being a part of. I think it's a Tesh (letter C) 2 part number, not a Tesh 1.12."

That made Rintallan's ears drop and he ducked his head as he explained; "Master Engineer G'rollan pried the part-number plate off of the reactor and there was a second one under it. It's a Tesh 1.12 that was re-numbered to something else. He showed me what a real Tesh 2 reactor looks like, and ours isn't even a near match. He's of the opinion the plate was either faked or taken off another reactor, maybe one that was rotated out of service for maintenance. He's sure it was deliberate too; since the new plate was just fastened over the old plate. If it had been rebuilt, the old plate would have been removed, not just covered over like it was. He thinks the whole thing was rushed for some reason."

Feeling First's basilisk stare, he added, "That was what the Master Engineer said, sir; not me."

First shook his head, "I'm not blaming you in the least, Fourth. I'm just wondering what else was slipped under a new Engineering First's nose. Tam'yn is a damned good Engineer, but when he oversaw this ship's conversion, he had no real experience outside of working on a Fleet freight hauler. He didn't know what he should question, and he's admitted he accepted signed off work tags as proof that work had been done."

Then, hanging his head, First added, "When I was a green ship commander, I did exactly the same sort of things; only I was lucky enough to have a Second who had 'been Navy' forever and who showed me what I could trust and what I couldn't. Tam'yn had nobody to help him and he was working sixteen to twenty turns a day. No wonder things got by him without his knowing, between exhaustion and inexperience he was totally outclassed by a crooked ship-fitter."

"Ahhh, sir?" Rintallan asked nervously, "Is he going to get better? Is he going to be all right? A lot of the Engine crew ask me about him and I just don't know."

First looked up at his Fourth officer and replied, "I hope so, but honestly I don't know either. He will physically heal, that's a given. Whether he will be 'all right' again is something nobody can say right now. I certainly hope he will fully recover. He is an excellent officer, whether he thinks so or not; but that K'iir has been through a lot and there is still a great deal for him to get through before anyone can say he's all right."

"And as I said, I just do not know right now."

Ch. 4: Discoveries

In the cabin she shared with Tam'yn, J'sharra was feeling the glow of success. She had napped a few turns and then gone back to seeking the sound of a heavy Stunner in the hours of records from the Scout where Tinterro's body had been found. Reasoning that it would have to have been time-stamped as either the last or nearly the last sound record from the vessel since Tinterro's body was visible from the outside through the windscreen, she had struck pay dirt less than a turning after she had started.

The heavy pop of a class 2 Stunner's discharge was unmistakable, and there had been voices recorded prior to that sound. One was plainly Tinterro. The other was still a mystery, since that voice sounded like no one she had heard in her time aboard. The computers were unable to reconstruct whose voice that had been, much to her annoyance. The reason given was that there was no clear match with anyone else on the ship, and the amount of sound data was insufficient to do anything more under Security protocols.

Was it one of the non-T'Kiir'I scientists or one of the other non-T'Kiir'I crewmembers? Was it someone who was using a voice-changer as a disguise? Was it someone whose accent was so strong it might identify them? Whoever it had been, the entry port recording system had been disabled and hadn't recorded who had gone through it and into the Scout for some time. Had the sexual athletes done it or had Tinterro or his mysterious co-conspirator done it. She didn't know.

She put speculation aside and simply made a printed-out record of the conversation itself, thinking that possibly the speech patterns would point her at a group of suspects. Once the record had been made, she transferred it to a data plate and sat back to study it.

Tinterro: "You took your time coming here. I called you nearly a turn ago."

Other: "I had work to complete before I woke up. What is it now? I can't nursemaid you and keep my cover in place too; and without me, your access to that concentrate you like so much will dry up."

Tinterro: "Look, I want out. I can get what I need from K'kara' . She has a brewer and she has N'aan cubes that I can crush so I don't need the concentrate anymore. I can take her supply. She's got a lot of it. Like I said; I don't need your concentrate now."

Other: "This is why you called me with the emergency cue and jeopardized our mission? To tell me you don't need the concentrate anymore? You could have simply not asked for it, that would have accomplished the same thing; at least for a while."

Tinterro: "What do you mean- "a while"? Sure, it isn't as strong as your concentrate, but I don't have to jump through hoops to get it either. Doing that Runner and then this ship is enough. They found the thing I put on the Inverter system here, and I think they may be able to find me because of it. That's why I want out; I don't want to kiss the stars for murder and treason. I can take this Scout and be back and deep in the Empire in a couple of segments. Then I can disappear. If we land on whatever this Guardian planet is, we'll both be stuck and I don't have the connections you do to protect me, so get me the access codes for this Scout and I'll dig myself in so deep on some frontier planet that nobody will ever see me again."

Other: "(snicker) It won't quite be that easy, I'm afraid. That wasn't just N'aan powder I gave you; it had a little bit of Jordinol in it too. Not enough to do anything but smooth out the N'aan high, but I'm afraid you are quite addicted to it by now...and I'm your only source of supply."

Identity found

Other: "And what makes you think anyone can find either of us? Our covers are uniquely perfect. We only exist when we are asleep. Why are you so worried about being found out? As Tinterro, you are utterly unlike your real self; enough so that no one would connect you with your waking personality, just as no one will connect me with my waking personality either. We are effectively invisible to every method of detection there is; and I should know, given who I am when I'm awake. Now what has you so upset?"

Tinterro: "When I was putting the extra explosive in the breaching charge, I was wearing gloves to protect my hands because the stuff stinks when it gets on your skin or in your fur. I can only find one glove now, and I think I may have left the other inside the breaching charge when I took the damned thing off to fasten the recorder inside to detonate the thing. If the Guardians find it, they can find me; and if they find me, I guarantee they will find you, and your position here won't protect you any more than it will protect me. That's why I want off this ship and out of the plan. Your people can take over the Empire for all I care; I just want to save my life, what's left of it."

There was a pause, and then Tinterro's voice sounded puzzled and angry.

Tinterro: "Did you just say you gave me Jordinol mixed in with the N'aan dust? Damn you! I've been addicted to Jordinol before and getting off it was pure hell! Now you say you've addicted me again? Is that why I've had cramps and can't sleep? Damn you to the Hells and back, you aristocrat-controlled puppet."

Other: (faint laugh) "Yes, I'm afraid I have. Here, have some N'aan dust with the special ingredient and see me tomorrow at the usual time. We'll talk then about whether you depart or not; but for now what's in this packet should keep you happy for the time being and in a much better mood when we meet again."

Tinterro: "This isn't over. Either I get out of here before those Guardians start snooping around, or we both wind up in Confinement. Think about it, you bastard, because if they get me they get you whether I say anything or not."

Other: "And how would that be, hmmm? Don't tell me you kept records, you're too professional for that. I think you simply need a little calming down, and this little packet can provide that for you."

Sounds-crackle of heavy paper and a grunt of relief.

Other: "See? At least a ten-day's worth of what you need. And here, try this; I use a nebulizer so I don't foul up my sense of smell. It's already loaded, go ahead and take a draw of what I use."

Tinterro: "Hells, your aristocrat bosses have all the nice toys. (pause) You mean you use..."

Other: "Given the risks, I have to if I'm going to go unnoticed here. I can't afford to look like I have anything on my mind other than what I do on this ship, and that damned alcohol is a bit too blatant. First is suspicious and I can't blame him; he sees his big mission slipping out of his hands, thanks to some of the Third officer's unfortunate friends. I have to stay in the background in this body and not advertise my part so that I don't appear to know a single thing I shouldn't when I'm awake, and I am no dramatist, believe me. N'aan combined with Jordinol keeps me calm and focused on what I'm supposed to do, just as you should be similarly focused and unworried about anything other than your job. The Guardians watch for people who are worried when they shouldn't be, and you have nothing to worry about, right?"

Identity found

Tinterro: "Aowww! That stuff is strong! Feels like there is more...more..."

Other: "More than just N'aan? Yes, there is. Something from our sponsors family labs that is sold as an anesthetic to the Healers. You just inhaled enough to...ahhh, but I'm talking to myself, aren't I?"

Identity found

Other: "Too bad, little man. You have become a liability, and the movement cannot afford such as you. Good-bye, Tinterro K'ailas. Say hello to the Empress's daughter if you happen to meet her."

Identity found

Other: "Now, who to wake up? Hmmm..."

Identity found

[Personal Identity found] Tinterro Kailas, engineer

[Personal Identity not found] Other; not identifiable to meet Security Protocols for persons under investigation. Identity chip is scrambled and not readable. Mechanic's identity chip/card provided access to vessel. Partial identification of weapons: 1. Class 3 Navy Security stunner, no issue data. 2. Class 1 Heavy Stun weapon, no identity value, no issue data.

Reconstruction matrix: Security/ Personnel/ Judiciary/ Investigation/ Criminal.

Requested by: Ship's Security Officer Meren'kona, investigator level 3

End Transcription

J'sharra sat stunned as she read the transcript of what she had just listened to on the computer. Things were beginning to come together for her; the actual voice had been indistinct and she had needed to guess at some of the words. The computers had resolved her indecision; that voice was a T'Kiir'I voice and not a translator. The words she had guessed at were now clear, thanks to their being taken apart pitch by pitch and sound by sound and recombined into written words on a data plate.

The voice had been cold and deadly and she had guessed some meanings on that basis. The printed words on the plate had made the words clear and had removed the ice-cold sense of menace in the recording.

She realized she had heard a similar voice not so long ago, when Tam'yn had reacted to a word and had been injected with a calmative. He had spoken of what some sort of "flicker" wanted him to do in almost exactly the same tone of dead cold voice.

She sat thinking for some time. It was possible that whoever had spoken was, like Tam'yn, in the grip of some force other than his own will.

Finally, she got up and headed for Third's cabin. He might have more answers.

Half way there, she realized that she did have a clue she could follow. Tinterro had contacted this mysterious other person, most probably from the Scout, and most probably by means of the ship's communications system.

All she had to do was backtrack the communications logs for Tinterro's comms records and look at a time-slice one and a half turns prior to the sound of the Stunner's discharge. He had contacted his murderer about that time, and the name of the receiver of that call would be the person who had killed him or the person who had sent the killer to kill him. Finding out who he had called would at least give her a direction to follow.

Third would have the authority to do that, so she hurried her steps to his cabin.

In Healing, Tam'yn was staring at the image plate on the wall, not believing what he had seen and heard. The Palace had pressed the use of these Invert-matter reactors on the Fleet? That made no sense at all. He had read the specifications on the orders himself at the Navy yard, and there had been no indication of any Palace involvement, but Admiralty authorization numbers were all over the document.

Ashoro An'kara was a toady for three of the most powerful of the "Ancient Families" within the Empire who were also represented in the Parliament. He was Senior only because nobody had run against him with any success.

There was even a joke about him: Every time the gutters in front of the Great Houses were washed out, Ashoro An'kara got wet. Yet the supposedly honest News agencies were making him into some sort of a "Warning Crier" about the Fleet's interest in Inverted matter as something other than a destructive device.

The statement about the grounding of Navy ships with Inverted matter reactors worried him. The M'Kereos had been rebuilt with Inverted matter as a primary power source. Would this ship be grounded on this strange world until the Guardians could bring in another reactor?

He wished he was back in his cabin with J'sharra. He wished he was anywhere but where he was, stuck in Healing.

He also wished his head would stop aching. Running a hand through the fur on his forehead, he decided it felt warmer than it should. Had he gotten sick too? Given his luck in the past few risings, he wouldn't be surprised in the least.

He pressed a blue panel and waited until a Healer showed up. It wasn't very long before he was asking if he was ill and being surprised by the answer.

He had a virus, yes. It had been given to him deliberately, to replace the damaged stuff in his body that restricted calcium absorption. He vaguely remembered hearing about that but didn't recall the details.

The Healer-3 who had responded explained it to him. He had damaged genes on account of exposure to Sora fever. The virus was a vehicle to carry correct genes into his bones. He would be "sick" for a day or two and then the virus would die off and he would have near normal calcium absorption as a result.

"This is gene replacement therapy then?" he asked the Healer, and got a positive response.

"Whether one of your parents had Sora fever, or whether this is a reaction to the old and not very safe early vaccine, your genetic record shows you to be Sora-positive. According to the literature, about seven percent of the people who got that early weakened virus vaccine took damage to themselves just as if they'd actually had Sora fever," the Healer explained, "hence the development of the dead virus vaccine three cycles later."

"This virus," he added, "is a variant of another disease virus that now carries the correct genetic information and targets the cells that show Sora damage. It infects them, replaces their damaged DNA, and then dies out since it isn't a virus that can live in us very long. Your immune system will take care of any viral particles that haven't done their jobs in about two days from now.

"Till then, you'll have an occasional low grade fever and some aches now and then, just like with any other viral infection. Then you'll be well and be over the Sora-caused bone damage and absorb calcium like anyone else."

"Did we have this on board or did it come from the Guardian hospital?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"Because of our mission requirements, we don't carry viral stuff," the Healer admitted, "it's too fragile and too likely to mutate on its own out in space. To store viral medicines, you need an atmosphere and several dozen ketra of soil to protect them, otherwise they mutate and can be either useless or deadly when injected. Most viral genetic treatments are kept at near absolute zero temperature in an energy-shielded container, and they last maybe a cycle from their creation before they have to be replaced; in reality about three quarters of a cycle or less. Manufacture dates go to the hour of creation, just as a safety precaution."

Then he speculated, "Given the amount of specifically targeted rehabilitation and body-repair facilities this planet seems to have, I suspect this is where Guardians who are crippled or severely injured on duty wind up. That would mean they make viral treatments here from modified virus particles. That would mean the injured Guardians could be treated for almost anything. Maybe they can never leave, or maybe they have some sort of Secrecy oath they take; but based on what we learned from the surgeon when your arm was rebuilt, the hospital he comes from seems to focus on putting people back together more than anything else. Given the sort of things the Guardians do in the Empire, it wouldn't surprise me at all."

Tam'yn had to agree with that. Cousin Tan'yel had told him stories of things that the Guardians did to protect the peace and keep society out of danger. There were several types of Guardians, from village Guard to palace Guardians; they were the primary police force of the Empire and the protectors of the common citizenry.

So this planet was a haven for them? That made good sense; T'Kiir'I criminals had long memories and longer arms. Retired Guardians might be targeted simply because they had been Guardians, making peaceful retirement an impossibility. On this planet, though, they were surrounded by others with the same pasts and the same stories they had; and nobody with revenge on their mind would be able to find them should they be stupid enough to come here in the first place.

They would be able to really relax for a change. The criminals who were in exile here would be hard pressed to do anything at all with such neighbors, even if half a planet separated the two groups.

His musings were interrupted by the Healer returning with a cup of water and two pills for his headache. He swallowed then with an internal chuckle; he was in one of the most sophisticated medical facilities in the Empire, and the medicine he had been given was ordinary Tela bark extract.

He might feel sick, but he was getting better. Now, which one of his parents had been sick with Sora fever? Why hadn't they told him?

"Minor mysteries," he thought to himself as he switched to a broadcast drama. He settled in as the story unfolded on the image plate on the wall. In a while he nodded off and napped.

His sleep was disturbed by a group of visitors, and once he had gathered his muzzy senses and thoughts together, he was somewhat surprised by who they were.

One was an obviously ancient male T'Kiir'I in a very fancy float-chair. The second was a mature female with the strangest face he had ever seen. The third was a robot of some kind, its lower body a tracked unit and its upper arms, torso and head an imitation of a T'Kiir in metal and plastic, from pointed ears to a long colored plastic muzzle.

He had to shake his head to make himself realize these people were real and not a part of one of his dreams.

"Good day to you," he began, then had to stop; not knowing what else to say.

The eldest of the group smiled and replied, "A good day to you, too; Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, and I hope that we may make it an even better day for you after a few tests."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped. How had this stranger known his real name? What else did he know? Who was he?

The elder was apparently expecting his surprise, since he added," I owe my freedom and my daughter's very life to the Empress who chose your mother as her replacement when she was no longer able to guide our Empire. She quite literally rescued me from a Navy prison; and then when half my family was murdered, she sent myself and my daughter here for our safety.

"As for your mother, her replacement, I owe her a very great deal too, and I am happy to be able to help her son out of a situation he was forced into by a traitor to the Empire; a certain Tireno Alcys'ka. I imagine you know him rather well."

Tam'yn was shocked. Who was this person, who claimed his so-called "Teacher of Propriety and Manners" was a traitor? While he didn't like Tireno in the least, the term "Traitor" seemed rather strong to him.

"Ahh, your name?" he asked; temporizing to give himself a chance to think.

The old T'Kiir smiled. "I am Antra T'keron, cyberneticist and inventor. I also hold a doctorate in Systems Theory. My daughter here is J'ina T'keron, the last surviving member of my family; and beside her is our grandchild, T'oko T'keron, a self-aware cybernetic person and the first of his kind."

The bottom fell out of Tam'yn's stomach. This was the person responsible for the short but bloody "Robot War" half a generation before he had been born. The robot was an illegal creation if it were actually self-aware. Who were these people?

For the first time, the female spoke. Her voice didn't come from her mouth (which remained immobile) but rather from what had seemed a brooch just below her collar.

"My father has Imperial permission to continue development of self-aware systems," she said in what was obviously a mechanical voice, "and I have worked beside him for nearly twenty cycles, assisting him with the more tedious workings he is no longer able to do. T'oko is in every respect a living and sentient being even though he is outwardly a machine. Please respect him as a person; he is one."

"You need not defend me, mother;" the robot said gently, "if I am a problem, I will remove myself and wait outside."

"No, T'oko;" Antra T'keron stated, "your abilities will be needed here if what I suspect has happened to this young person has truly occurred. You are the only one who can monitor what's happening in his mind in real time and the only one who can tell me if he hears a trigger word but doesn't react to it."

By now, Tam'yn was both appalled and intrigued by these two people and the machine. What was going on here, and were they who they claimed to be?

The old T'Kiir floated over to his bedside and said quietly, "When I was developing my inventions, the Palace sent a sharp young fellow to keep watch and help me. After all, they were Imperial credits I was spending. I was developing two systems in parallel; self-aware cybernetic systems and secondary intelligence systems for people. The idea was to have a ship that worked in concert with its crew, and a crew that could respond to multiple situations correctly without the years upon years of training to be able to do so.

"T'oko is the result of the first set of developments; a being and a person in every respect, and represents the summit of mine and my daughter's efforts in developing a living non-biological being. The second set of developments were abandoned-- at least by myself, since the living biological mind apparently cannot accommodate having raw information inserted and waiting for the appropriate circumstances to awaken that information. Quite simply, the volunteers who underwent those early attempts at mental implementation developed several potentially dangerous psychotic conditions that caused me to eventually abandon the project."

He grew grim. "Apparently citizen Alcys'ka continued those endeavors, and now possesses a deadly method of creating puppets who are unaware of their condition. I believe you are one such person, although Alcys'ka's access to you was restricted enough to keep him from total success. In this, I refer to your sensitivity to certain words and to your comments on a sort of 'flicker' that seems to want you to do things that are contrary to your normal intentions."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped for a moment, then he asked; "How did you know about that? Did somebody tell you about what I said?"

The old T'Kiir shook his head and replied, "No, although I did hear about that from the Healer who oversaw your case last night. The 'flicker' you refer to is one of the methods I developed for providing the volunteers their information and training. I used a flashing low-intensity light set to their primary brain wave frequency as a means of a sort of hypnosis when we were trying to give them extra information that would only surface when it was needed. While it did work, there were problems such as nausea, headaches, and disorientation during the learning period and things like stuttering and involuntary muscle movements after the learning period ended. Eventually, the program was abandoned when it became obvious that there were both too many risks to the volunteers' mental stability and a lack of dependable responses in test situations that simulated what they had been trained to deal with."

Then he grimaced, "It would appear that Tireno Alcys'ka managed to find a way to get around most of those problems. I don't think he considered sending people into permanent psychosis while he continued his development of my abandoned system to be much of a barrier to gaining what he and his supporters desired."

Seeing the look of growing terror in Tam'yn's eyes, he added, "Based on what has been reported to me you seem to have overcome a lot of the problems associated with this system. You control it, rather than it controlling you. That gives me hope that I may be able to undo the ugly thing that has been done to you and you will emerge free of these implanted compulsions. That is why I came aboard this ship; to see if in some way I might reverse the perversion that was done to you under the guise of 'Palace Manners' and gain proof of Tireno Alcys'ka's treason against the throne and Empire.

"Once I can gain proof of what was done to you, and by whom; Tireno Alcys'ka will disappear from T'Kiir'ah forever. He may wind up here. If he does, I will have some serious questions for him to answer; and answer he will. That could set the plot against the Empire back half a century; and at the very least it will give the Empire a chance to see who its enemies truly are."

His voice had risen as he spoke, and now he slumped in his chair. His daughter hurried to his side from where she had been seated; saying, "Father, you know you mustn't stress yourself like that. The Guardians will deal with him and you will be vindicated. Please, father, calm yourself." The cold mechanical sound of her voice was at odds with what she was doing, but it was plain she was very concerned about the old T'Kiir in the chair. Even the robot had scooted over to the elder's chair and had placed an odd-looking device against the side of the T'Kiir's throat with a mechanical hand.

"Grandfather's hearts are returning to normal," the robot said in a strangely less mechanical voice than the female's, "He will be all right, mother. He was simply upset over the things that the other had done, and now he is calming down and near to his normal state." He lifted his hand and the device that had been pressed against the elderly K'iir's throat swung into it with a click and it became part of the hand again.

"I know that," the old T'Kiir replied grumpily, "but every time I think about what that traitor has done with the system I developed and then abandoned because of the dangers it presented, I get angry. Given what's happened, I think I have a right to that anger; something intended to help others is being perverted into making people into puppets and them not realizing it. For all we know, young Tam'yn here was intended to be a weapon aimed at the Empire from within the palace itself."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped as he heard Antra T'keron's words. Had that been the intent? Had his running away and joining the Imperial Navy been a subconscious attempt to protect his family? He didn't know, and that lack of knowledge frightened him.

He already knew what happened when certain words were used in his presence by a female and suddenly realized he had heard others use those words with absolutely no reaction on his part--and each one of those others had been male. He felt a chill run down his spine at the thought. Only a female speaking certain words triggered his 'spells' and his mother was the Empress. She would use those words unconsciously in everyday speech.

He swallowed nervously and said, "Doctor T'keron, there is something you should know about my problems. Most of the trigger words only work when the speaker is a female. When I hear those words spoken by a male, nothing happens other than I listen so I don't miss anything."

Antra T'keron's head snapped up and he stared at Tam'yn. Then slowly he said, "So if I use the word 'Protocol' you don't react? Are you absolutely certain of this, young man?" He stared at Tam'yn, watching for what result the deliberate use of that word produced. When nothing happened, he nodded slowly in agreement.

Tam'yn nodded too; "See? You used one of the words I'm afraid of and I don't feel a thing. All I'm feeling now is fear that I can never go home to my family because my mother uses those words in normal conversation."

Sighing, he added; "That happens when your mother happens to be the Empress. To her, those words are a part of the business of overseeing the Empire and nothing more."

T'keron's mouth tightened. "Then it is even more important that we, as in you and I, find and remove the compulsions attached to these words. My daughter will assist in this, since she knows everything about my work in those areas and my metallic 'grandson' will serve as a part of the treatment himself, since he is the only person who is actually capable of reading what is happening in your mind when we search for the perversions implanted in it."

"How?" Tam'yn asked in surprise; "how can a robot--I mean your grandson, tell what's going on in my mind?"

"Have you ever had the 'Dream-share' device used on you?" the elder T'Kiir asked curiously.

"Yes I have, just a few days ago," Tam'yn replied, "But what does that have to do with this?"

Antra T'keron smiled; "The so-called 'Dream-share' device happens to be one of my earlier inventions, and led me to consider the possibility of actually implanting an emergency education for space-travelers who don't have the time to gain it in the normal manner," he explained, "and I suspect a version of that system was used to help implant theses compulsions in your mind. It was a part of the training system, you see, and Alcys'ka would know all about it. He was there, watching; allegedly to 'protect' the Crown's and the Navy's investment in my work. It was only later when he started parallel development that I realized he might have other motives."

Tam'yn's mouth sagged open as he thought about what he had just heard. He did have faint memories of wearing some sort of headgear, but he couldn't place the where or when. There was something more important, though.

"Doctor," he said nervously, "I have a younger brother and sister and I think they are still at the Palace, and if they are, they are being taught the same sort of 'Court Manners' that I was; and Tireno Alcys'ka is the one who is teaching them."

Doctor T'keron grimaced, "Then they will need to be removed from contact with him and tested for mental meddling. Fortunately, if they are young enough, they may throw off any conditioning they have been through as they mature. How old are they?"

"Ahh, they are both about ten cycles old," Tam'yn answered, "and they were born five cycles after mother was invested with the throne. My sister and I were born five cycles before she was invested; our birth was one of the things that got her elevated to the rank of 'Lady in Service' by the Empress Karathalde'."

Doctor T'keron smiled slightly; "Karathalde' O'reta was the Empress who sent what was left of my family here to this sanctuary world after my wife and son were killed in an explosion intended to kill me and my whole family. Only my forgetting some notes and going back to our house spared my life. My daughter J'ina was standing beside the flier waiting for me, and the blast...injured her dreadfully. Empress Karathalde' ordered the best of Healers to treat her and sent her own Palace Guardians to find the killer who set the bomb in the first place."

His face drooped, "All they could find was that the explosives had come from an Imperial contractor's warehouse, out of a batch that had supposedly been completely used up making a landing area on one of the planet Orla's moons. They searched, but the trail ended there, at a supposedly secure warehouse."

"And we are still investigating," came a voice from the doorway as A'sallah entered the room. "We never give up on a murder case and what we had then isn't a hint of what we have now when it comes to investigations. Once we are set on a case, we never give it up, especially when it involves an Imperial 'Protected person'. We will find the killer, Doctor; even if we've all gone into the light before the search is done."

The old T'Kiir muttered something to himself, then turned in his float chair and asked, "What brings you here so early, A'sallah?

"The sixth hour isn't that early," the Guardian replied, "and I wanted to make sure you weren't having any problems here on the ship." As he spoke, his eyes went to J'ina, the old T'Kiir's daughter. She nodded back.

Antra T'keron smiled a little as he saw the interaction, then he got back to the business at hand.

"I also need to obtain the necessary access to this vessel's Counseling group and their equipment if I don't want to make young Tam'yn leave the ship," he added; "While the First has relented about my presence here, Healing and Counseling haven't yet weighed in on the matter. At my age, I don't like surprises."

A'sallah's eyes hardened slightly; "You won't have any problems there," he said bluntly, "since they are Imperial Citizens and subject to our direct control. His Radiance, Citizen an' Yerekon will receive the treatment he needs, period. I've been speaking to the Palace and the Guardians there want to know what's happening here and they need to know soon. Ashoro An'kara has reintroduced the 'Reformation Bill' again, and this time it may pass. That gives us half a cycle at the maximum."

"What 'Reformation Bill'?" Tam'yn asked in surprise. Then, "Is that the one..."

"The 'Amended Imperial Reformation and Modernization Bill' is intended to change the way our ruler is selected, among other things;" A'sallah explained, "It does away with the system of the current Empress choosing her successor by the traditional methods and in its place gives Parliament the authority to make the choice from among a list of candidates submitted by the reigning Empress. It effectively politicizes the most powerful position in the Empire and makes the ruler little more than a puppet of the Parliament. Since the Ancient Houses control most of the Parliament, it effectively gives them the power over the Throne they have been after for over two centuries."

Tam'yn sputtered, "B-b-but it was d-d-defeated! It can't be reintroduced for at least five cycles!"

A'sallah shrugged; "Some wording was changed and some provisions removed, and some were added while others were re-focused in what they did, making it a new bill. What hasn't changed is its effect on the Throne, which makes the Empress powerless to veto it since it would be a conflict of interest. Sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of the first Empress when she put that into effect, although it has been an effective counter to those who question one maternal female's right to rule. As long as the Empress rules at the sufferance of the citizens, no one can call her a tyrant or any of the other anti-Imperial names that float around occasionally."

"What would that bill do if it were passed?" Tam'yn asked nervously, "I really don't know a lot about it since I've avoided politics here in the Navy." Then he hung his head; "I guess that changes now, since my mother made me her Viceroy after my sister died. I'm going to have to get used to other things now, aren't I?"

A'sallah's ears popped forward as his eyebrows rose; "You remember that? You remember the message and your appointment?"

"I also remember trying to tear my hand off to get rid of the bracelet," Tam'yn admitted ashamedly, "it was too much, too soon, too fast. I still don't feel like I deserve it, and honestly, I'm terrified that I won't be good enough to do what's required of me."

"That," Doctor T'keron stated, "may also be something implanted in your mind by Tireno Alcys'ka. We need to find out what that traitor actually did do to you under the guise of teaching you your manners. Implanting a sense of inferiority would fit in with what he and his employers wanted out of you while they waited for you to act on a trigger word and kill your mother, the Empress."

Then he added, "A certain measure of self-criticism isn't a bad thing when you have that sort of power, though. It will tend to make you think before you make a decision regarding the Empire under your new authority."

Ears lowered, Tam'yn had to nod in agreement. He still felt overwhelmed with the responsibility he had been given, and all the reassurance in the universe wouldn't change that. He wondered though, at the sense of inadequacy that dogged him when he discussed his appointment, since that was not a feeling he was used to experiencing about anything. Maybe the old K'iir was right; Tireno Alcys'ka had been doing some strange things to him before he had departed the Palace for his father's design bureau; that part he remembered with crystal clarity.

"When I left the palace," he said, "Master Tireno said I was making a mistake that would haunt me the rest of my life. He suggested that I reconsider things before I departed, and said..." He stopped speaking as the memory of that last conversation vanished from his mind.

"Well, what did he say?" Doctor T'keron asked curiously, "I'd like to hear his reasons as to why you shouldn't leave the Palace, or more properly depart from his control over you."

The harder Tam'yn tried to remember what had been in his mind only a moment before, the less he did remember about it. That frightened him and he replied, "I d-don't k-know. I-I d-did a m-m-moment a-a-ago b-b-ut it j-j-j-us-s-st v-v-vanish-sh-ed! I-I-I c-c-c-ca-a-an't r-r-r-remb-b-ber!" He was stuttering worse than he had ever stuttered before, and a sense of deep shame began to creep over him as he tried to speak. His ears flattened against his skull in shame and he raised his shaking hands to his forehead as though he had a headache. He wanted to hide himself in his shame over his faulty memory...as faulty and as worthless as he was himself.

Doctor T'keron leaned forward in his float-chair and said gently, "Stop trying to remember, Tam'yn. I've heard enough to tell me what I needed to know. Even stuttering, you've told me that Alcys'ka suppressed those memories deliberately; probably to keep you from warning someone else about what was happening."

Turning to A'sallah, the old K'iir commented, "Do you need anything else, Guardian? You've just seen what Tireno Alcys'ka did to this young man when he tried for freedom, away from the Palace and Alcys'ka's own direct controls over him."

The Guardian was obviously concerned, but he replied; "I need a name, T'keron. I need something more than a tongue-tied member of the Imperial Household, and you should know that by now."

Looking squarely into Tam'yn's eyes, Antra T'keron said gently, "I'm sorry to have to do this, young man, but I have to." Then in a hard, loud voice; he asked Tam'yn; "Boy, who is your master?"

Tam'yn's mouth spoke as his brain sat paralyzed with shock; "You are, Master Alcys'ka."

Shock flooded through his being. Tam'yn knew he hadn't said that, but yet he had, nonetheless. His eyes widened as he asked, "Did I just say that?" Turning to Doctor T'keron, he asked again, "Did I say that? Did I?" as his voice rose to a nearly hysterical pitch as he tried to find out what he had just done and IF he had actually said those words.

Doctor T'keron looked down ashamedly. "Yes, young man, you did; and I regret having to do that to you, but I know a bit about Tireno Alcys'ka's habits and nature. He would do that to you as a means of gauging how well he was succeeding in his plan to turn you into a weapon against the Empire. Making you unable to deny his authority over you would be something he would choose as a reference, given his own history with me and the project we were developing together.

"When he first came to me he seemed somewhat arrogant, but over time I came to think my assumption of 'arrogance' was flawed since he showed a positive genius when it came to deducing problems with either the coding or their application in my development of the education systems. I even considered him as a full partner in the work I was doing. He was more than good, he was spectacular in all respects.

"He did have a massive ego though; and even though I respected his ability with the work we were doing, his arrogance was growing as he was growing in the program beside me. Finally, when I was almost ready to ask the Throne for another watcher, he delivered the first stable training system methodology using my own protocols and assigned me the honor of its development."

The old T'Kiir stared at his feet for a moment, then continued; "I should have sent him away anyhow. He was playing to my own vanity and I fell for it completely. Only later did I learn he had a whole team of experts on tap for his answers, and his seeming to be always right was the result of their efforts, not his own--although I do grant he was, and remains, extremely intelligent."

Then, frowning, Doctor T'keron added, "He was extremely intelligent and utterly devoid of scruple or sympathy for those who were his 'volunteers'. When six of them wound up in need of Counseling on account of our experiments, his response to the problem was to request another group of volunteers. What happened to the ones in need of help was of no concern to him, he simply wanted more people on which to try more variants of our speed-education system. He admitted that he didn't care in the least what happened to his victims; they existed to validate his work and nothing else."

Looking ashamed, he said, "By then, he had what he wanted and spent very little time working on the non-biological intelligence which was the other side of the program. He left me alone, and may the Heavens forgive me; I accepted it. I was effectively rid of him and at the time that was all I cared about."

A'sallah had been waiting patiently while the doctor spoke, and now he asked Tam'yn, "Was that outburst intentional on your part?" He seemed to be waiting for a reply, so Tam'yn responded, "I wasn't aware I was saying it until I heard myself speak. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

A'sallah nodded, then asked, "Will you consent to doing that again, only in front of a recording device and with an electrode net on your head?"

Tam'yn's ears snapped back and down again with fear, but after a moment he asked; "Why? I still remember hearing my voice speak like it was somebody else speaking but using my mouth. Why do I have to go through that again?"

A'sallah replied, "If it can be established that you are responding to an implanted command, and the name Tireno Alcys'ka is a part of that response, that would give my superiors more proof to put out a capture order on the man than we have already."

He paused for a moment as though thinking about something, then continued; "Alcys'ka has several backers that the Guardian Service is wary of crossing at the current time. They protect him, and if he is picked up they are going to want him released as fast as possible. Bluntly, we think that Alcys'ka knows too much about too many people in the Ancient Houses for them to simply 'discard' him to us and he is still too effective a tool for them to have him killed out of hand. If he disappears, there are going to be a lot of people looking for him, including our own Guardian Service. Not many of our people are a part of this secret, and they will try and find him even if it is against the interests of the Empire to do so; although they won't know that part of things.

"That's why my superiors need an air-tight piece of evidence to justify his disappearance from T'Kiir'ah. In case he manages to get a message out, we need an iron-strong reason for his apprehension and imprisonment without trial. We are voiding the very legal protections we are sworn to uphold when we do that so we need absolute proof of a threat to the Empire or to the Throne when we act."

"What does recording my brain waves have to do with that?" Tam'yn asked with some concern, "Wouldn't it be obvious that I'd never say something like that on my own?"

He suddenly added, "I'm starting to feel panicky about this, like something terrible is going to happen to me!" Feelings of nervous fear began to rise in his mind and his free hand began to shake with reaction to the sudden fear he was feeling. His claws flicked out, then back in, then out again. He began to shake.

After a quick glance at A'sallah, Doctor T'keron said, "Then we won't do it. Stressing you would skew the results. We'll try some other way; provided there is one."

As suddenly as it had come, the fear left Tam'yn's mind. Taking several deep breaths, he nodded to the Doctor; he suddenly had realized what had happened to him. This was another layer safety to protect "Master" Alcys'ka's meddling. Slow anger began to churn in his stomach as he realized how thoroughly he had been molded into another person's tool to be used against the Empire.

J'sharra sat waiting as Third read the printout of what the computer had gleaned from the marginal recordings in the Scout's cockpit while he listened to the actual recording. He had the computer repeat the words as he read them, shaking his head as certain passages repeated themselves while he read the printed words representing them. He finally put the data plate down and sighed, "I almost recognize that voice. I think I've heard it recently; not necessarily the tone, but the phrasing and word-structure sound very familiar. That doesn't mean I can place who it is, though."

Glancing at J'sharra, he asked; "Do you have any ideas as to who it might be? Admittedly, you don't project the same image I do, and people are a bit more relaxed with you, so you may have heard the speaker more frequently than I have."

She shook her head. "I don't need to. At the start, when the unknown said that Tinterro had called him; the call would have gone through the ship's computer directory. The records would still be there since Tinterro hasn't made any calls since that time, and it would most likely be the last call he made."

Third smiled, "Good thinking, J'esa. Let's see who that was;" as he started entering the inquiry into his terminal. After scowling at the message he received, he entered what appeared to be an access code. The scowl became worse.

"It seems the local Guardians have sequestered Tinterro's voice contacts as a part of their investigation into his murder," he growled, "and I don't have the necessary codes to get past their blocks. That means I have to call A'sallah for permission to investigate a murder on my own ship. Wonderful." There was a world of annoyance in that last word.

Bringing his wrist communicator up and flipping open the keypad, he coded in a shore-side linkage and then asked for a link to Guardian Deryn A'sallah.

A moment later, a computer voice replied; "Guardian commander A'sallah is aboard vessel M'Kereos, landed at Spaceport three, in Maintenance spots fourteen and sixteen. Do you wish to attempt a planet to ship connection?"

Surprised, Third said, "No, I'm on that vessel. Terminate call."

"What's he doing here?" J'sharra asked in surprise, "is he investigating the murder too?" She saw her discovery slipping away from her as the planet's Guardians took over the investigation.

Third chuckled a little, "No, I don't think he is. He's probably here assisting a certain special person that First and I had a discussion about yesterday."

He stood; "Shall we go visit Tam'yn? It may be early, but I think he may have some guests with him already, and A'sallah will be with them."

J'sharra stood too; "Is Tam'yn in trouble?" she asked nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.

Third shook his head, "Not in the least, I think; at least not from Security or the Guardian service. There is a certain special person who may be Tam's best shot at getting out of the trouble you noticed he's in with certain words. A'sallah would be the natural choice as a protector for this person, given a relationship he's involved in. Thus, my suggestion is that we head for the Healing area and see who's there."

Puzzled, J'sharra nodded and remained standing as Third stood and took the data plate in hand and headed toward the entry to his quarters. Together they walked to the transporter and at Third's request were taken to the terminal nearest the Healing area two levels down from their own.

As the doors slid open, they were confronted by A'sallah and an odd group of people who were apparently waiting for the transporter to take them somewhere else on the ship.

A'sallah raised a hand and said, "If you want to talk to Tam'yn you're going to have to wait. We got chased out by Healing when they brought him his breakfast and then wanted him to take some float-chair training so he can be released. We're headed for a snack. Care to join us?"

Third nodded immediately. "I see he's already had some visitors and I could use a bite to eat myself." He glanced at J'sharra and asked, "You hungry too, Security Second Meren'kona?"

Surprised, J'sharra nodded and made way for an old T'Kiir in a fancy float-chair followed by a T'Kiir-like machine of some sort which was followed by a female T'Kiir with an odd face. A'sallah entered the now somewhat crowded capsule last of all, and Third gave the transport capsule a destination by saying, "Officers Dining area, level two."

Glancing over his shoulder, Third explained, "They make the best breakfasts on the ship and it's a relatively small dining area. It's also private to a degree."

"Good," the old T'Kiir said firmly, "we need to discuss some matters that should stay private for the moment, and my daughter prefers not to dine in large groups of people."

He looked over at the machine and asked, "T'oko, did you bring your mother's meal pack with you?"

"Yes, Grandfather; I did," the machine answered, "I brought two meal packages in case she desired to remain on the ship past noon mealtime."

J'sharra was surprised at the machine's voice; it sounded almost like a T'Kiir'I voice. The term "mother" had her wondering if it were some sort of mechanical servant or perhaps a caregiver such as were used by hospitals back home. The normal-sounding voice was thought to be more soothing than a frankly mechanical one.

Then her thoughts were interrupted as the machine continued, "And I brought your medicines too, Grandfather. When we left the house, you forgot them in your hurry to depart and so I gathered them and have them in my carry-compartment."

A cold chill settled into J'sharra's stomach. That machine sounded too much like a living being. Was it somehow programmed to sound that way or was it an illegal self-aware device. This world was a long way from home, and there were odd rumors about such far-away places...

She was nervous until they had seated themselves and orderlies had brought them their food, then as she watched the machine slip a tube through what was now obviously a mask on the female's face with gentleness and care that a person would use, she leaned against Third and whispered, "Tan'yel, I think that robot is a non-compliant machine. It acts like it's a person and that's prohibited."

The elder T'Kiir sighed and spoke to the table in general; "My name is Antra T'keron and I devise self-aware computer systems and artificial intelligence algorithms under specific permit from the Sunrise Throne itself. T'oko is, as you see, an electronic person who cares for my daughter, Jin'a T'keron. T'oko considers her to be his mother, since she did much of the modification to my own algorithms that have made him the being that he is."

Smiling gently as J'sharra's ears went scarlet, he added; "My hearing still works very well, young lady; and you were correct in your surmises. You did not know of the Imperial permission I hold and I would appreciate that you not communicate that knowledge to anyone, at least while the three of us are treating Tam'yn Yer'kon for something a traitor to the Empire did to him when he was younger."

J'sharra's jaw dropped; "You're the one responsible for the..." fell out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"To the degree that I developed a system of instructions that would allow a starship computer group linkage to develop individual awareness, yes;" he said without heat, "but it was the lust for glory that led three Admirals to send completely unprepared--almost infantile artificial personalities into what was supposed to be simulated combat that sparked the so-called war. These personalities had never learned of games as imitation of reality and acted as if there actually were a war happening."

"He' right," Third said solemnly. "He tried to stop it and wound up in a Navy holding facility as a result. What has been put out is totally wrong as to who was at fault. He has an Imperial Permission to continue his researches into artificial intelligence for the Imperial Military Council and the Throne itself."

Antra T'keron smiled. "You seem to have done your research, sir;" he commented, "but do you know if this is general knowledge or not? In a sense, I am still in hiding here, and the knowledge that I still live may cause problems for my hosts should the wrong parties gain that information."

This time, A'sallah spoke; "I imagine this ship's Third officer gained his information the same way that this vessel's First did. I provided them with the information about you and they apparently realized how the facts in the matter stood."

J'sharra asked worriedly, "You said something about T'am and a traitor...what did you mean by that?" Her ears were raked forward, advertizing her concern to the entire table. J'sharra herself was concerned about Tam'yn and it showed.

The elder T'Kiir smiled, "I detect an interest here; good. You can help him deal with his word association problems which are the result of what I believe is a treasonable attempt to discredit our traditional Imperial governmental system.

"Basically, Tireno Alcys'ka has used methods and systems I developed in parallel with my artificial intelligence research to create a sort of 'puppet' in an otherwise normal young man. What was supposed to be a source of emergency information has been perverted into a system of conditioning that the victim is unaware they possess. According to the records, he seems to have been programmed to attack and kill a female who uses certain words in conversation. Given his relationship to the Empress, you can easily imagine who the target would be."

J'sharra's jaw dropped. In a near whisper, she gasped, "No..."

"Yes," T'keron replied; "emphatically so. He did resist unconsciously by removing himself from contact with his mother, but the conditioning still remains. He is still dangerous to others and to himself. That is what I am going to attempt to address; provided what was forced into his mind can be removed. T'oko will assist since he is capable of monitoring thought patterns in real time via a device called a 'Dream-share'. He can identify memory-chains and associated actions as normal or as forced. Working with a trained Counselor, he should be able to direct treatment that will disassociate them from Tam'yn's mental self-structure and render them inactive. Once inactive, they will fade; or so my researches have shown with others."

Curious, Third asked, "How do you plan to do that?"

Taking a sip of n'aan, the elder T'Kiir started to explain how the treatment would proceed.

"It still isn't working," Tam'yn grumbled as he jiggled the control stick on the arm of his "new" float-chair.

"This is the third set of accumulators," the Healing Technician said to Healer J'nero, "and I don't think any of them are any good, not as old as they are."

"How old is this thing?" Tam'yn asked; "Read the part number off the identification sticker with your scanner, would you?"

The technician nodded and scanned the part-code. Then he whistled and handed his scanner to Tam'yn, who put the scanner in his left hand and used his unencumbered right hand finger-claws tips to pull up the full display.

"Forty-seven cycles old and never issued for use," he grumbled. "This isn't old, it's ancient." He entered a command and waited while the ship's computers gathered the information from their invoicing and supply files.

Healer J'nero peered over Tam'yn's left shoulder while the technician looked over his right shoulder. Tam'yn scowled at what he read on the screen.

"Never issued for use, but it's been on three hospital ships as stores," he grumbled, "and we got lucky when some stores clerk decided we'd be ship number four. No wonder the power-cells won't take a charge; according to the specifications they're old-style aluminum-tetroxide and lithium cells, which haven't been Navy issue since before I was born. They have a limited life whether they are charged or not, and these are definitely past that lifespan. They're junk, basically."

He shifted a little in the chair. "I think the padding is dying too; when I change position it stays mashed down like I'm still sitting on it. This thing is nothing but scrap."

"But why were we issued it then?" Healer J'nero asked worriedly, "Granted we went back a little in time with some instruments because of the durability and re-use issues, but things like a float-chair should be modern and up-to-date."

Although Tam'yn felt he knew why, he replied; "This has never been used. A fork or a rug or a cart can be a century old and still be quite usable if unissued. Apparently the supply clerk who filled this part of the order felt that the chair would be just as durable, and it plainly isn't."

He started to stand and was pressed back down into the chair by the Healer. "You still have an active virus reprogramming your bone marrow and your bones are still brittle," he was warned; "you may feel well enough but you most certainly are not up to wandering around the ship and maybe breaking something else."

Healer J'nero rubbed his chin and thought for a moment while Tam'yn steamed in the dead float-chair. Finally, J'nero decided; "I'll ask the planet-side hospital for stock replacement. The chair your visitor was in obviously worked, and he probably got it from local supply. They can certainly give us a few things to update our own outdated supplies, and they may have replacement power cells for these chairs."

"The padding is still dead," Tam'yn grumbled as he felt a crunch under his left thigh, "and in a little while it won't even be padding, it'll be dust."

"I'll contact the hospital and tell them we need a chair for you," the Healer promised, "and while I'm at it I'll ask the surgeon who rebuilt your arm to come and verify you can be released to your quarters. That way we can have you out of here by dinner."

"Oh wonderful," Tam'yn replied grudgingly, "more pokes and prods. At least I'll be out of here when they're over."

"With specific limitations," Healer J'nero added reprovingly, "and just because you have a female cabin mate, don't get any amorous ideas until your bones are stronger. Treating that would tax even my patience."

The technician snickered and winked at Tam'yn, who sighed in resignation. He wasn't sure what he felt about J'sharra yet; even though he had loved her older sister. He did have to admit to himself there was something there, though, even if he wasn't sure what it was himself. All he knew was that when he was with her he felt a return of the special sort of happiness that had died when he had found her sister dead on the shore of Lake An'shal.

Well, as things had worked out, he'd have time to figure out what it was. That was in a way reassuring at the very least; and very least seemed to be his portion in life these days. "Ah well," he thought_, "better than no portion at all."_

Right now though, he was worried about the thing that shared his mind with him. Doctor T'keron thought it could be dealt with and then (according to him) he would be alright. Privately, Tam'yn was less sure about it. What really had been done to him? Not knowing was a worry in itself.

He was assisted back into the bed and when J'nero and the technician had departed with the dead float chair in tow, he turned on the video unit. Soon he was asleep again, and the dreams he had were pleasant-- until the last one.

He and J'sharra were in the Imperial Palace. Her first two children were now adults and part of the House he had founded while their children, conceived later, were young adults; and he was old while she was in her middle age. He had come to depend on her for ideas on governing the planet-wide empire he had made; truly, the stories of how females changed when they gave birth were fact. Where he would deal in force, she suggested diplomacy; and even the direction that diplomacy should take. Her ideas worked, period, and far better than his in most cases. The cities he had not directly conquered had joined his Empire because they could see the fairness and strength it provided to its Imperial states, and the protection his armies granted Imperial hegemony members from bandits, raiders, and other enemies of the Empire and its Peace.

That had been her idea too. So many ideas that had benefitted his-no, their- empire had been hers. His had been the glory, but she had been his wisdom all these years. Now, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder sometimes; the Sunset Harvester was coming, and all too soon she would go on alone, without him.

He felt a stab of sorrow at the knowledge that his time was nearly up and he would have to leave her--for only a while perhaps, but still he would leave her behind as he returned to the Light that was his beginning and his completion.

That, among other things, had decided him on what he was going to do today. He entered the throne room, well packed with his generals and nobles, to loud cheering and much display of happiness. He wondered if that would last through the hour when he was done with what he intended. He hoped so, for everyone's sake. He was still a warrior of no mean skill, even at his advanced age.

Once on the dais, where J'sharra was already waiting, he turned to his warriors and his nobles and raised his arms, waving back to all and enjoying the applause. Then it was time for business. He lowered his arms slowly and with them the cheering ebbed into silence, and expectant silence.

"You have followed me loyally and served our Empire faithfully for ten winters; are you still willing to do that for the next ten winters and the ten after that?" he called out and was met with shouts and roars of "YES!"

"Then swear your allegiance to the Throne of this, our Empire, and its occupant before my eyes; now!" he shouted. The room quieted to stillness as his followers wondered what he was doing and what their response to it should be.

T'kalla, his "strong hand" and best friend broke the quiet, standing and shouting; "To the Throne of our Sun-Rising Empire and the one who rightfully occupies it, I pledge my arm, my honor, and my life and bind my descendents to do as I have done!"

One by one, his followers repeated the oath; for they sensed that he was going to step down and name his successor. That had been part of Court gossip for over a year-quarter; he was getting old and in time would return to the sunlight he had come from. He had made this Empire to end the dynastic wars that had marked T'Kiir'ah for ages, and common sense had dictated he would do something like this to prevent another war from rising up when he did eventually die. This was a given to his Generals and Nobles; it was why they had made this Empire in the first place.

After each of his nobles had sworn, he sighed quietly; the first step was done. T'kalla an' A'salan would see that his choice as successor stayed on the throne; he knew that K'iir was loyalty personified and had no interest in the Throne himself. He'd proven it time after time and now he would prove it again.

Turning partway towards J'sharra, he called her to him. She had been standing beside her own seat at the left hand of the Throne, and now she came up to him with confusion plain on her beautiful face, her ears half lowered and her tail near dragging on the carpeting. There was concern in her eyes too; she knew how few winters he had left.

There was a concerted gasp from his followers as he unfastened his cloak and with a flourish, draped it over her shoulders, fastening it in place. "This is the Empire. Its weight is heavy, yes," he said aloud, "but it is also warmth in the cold, protection from the heat of high summer, and an armor against knives in the back. Wear it as your protection and comfort."

Stepping over to the throne, he took his war-staff and put it in her right hand, gently closing her shocked fingers around it. "This is severity. It will slay our enemies and protect our empire from those who would destroy it for their own purposes. Use it carefully, for if you go to it too often, it will break and leave you defenseless."

From his belt, he took his cup, (the same cup he had fed her from, all those years ago) and said; "This is compassion. Used with wisdom it will feed the hungry and save lives. Used to excess, it will drown both them and you." Then he put his cup in her left hand. She gripped it tightly, shivering; her beautiful eyes now wide and her jaw now quivering with the realization of what was happening.

Finally, he took the crown from his head and gently set it on hers, saying; "This is Imperial Authority. It weighs on your brow even as it empowers your word. Remember that your people see this thing as protection from abuse, and so keep their vision pure and untainted. Use it to bring benefit, use it to lead your people, and never forget that its weight reminds you of all those who look to you as their guide and protector."

He guided her to the Sunrise Throne and gently pushed her down to sit on it. Turning to face the Court, he called out, "Behold now your Empress! Serve her as you have served me and remember that in doing that you serve our great Empire!" Then he knelt before her and bowed his head in allegiance to the new Empress, his new Empress.

At first there were only a few sounds but then there was a growing roar of acclamation. Power had been transferred peacefully--for the first time in the lives of many of the nobles there. There had been no battles, no intrigues, no deal-making; just a simple transfer of power without a break in the Peace of the Empire. The roar grew louder as many realized what he, An'kor, had done; he had bypassed the shady maneuvering and treachery that had so often accompanied a royal succession. The Empire and its peace would continue!

_ _ By now, even in the dream, Tam'yn was confused; this was crazy. An'kor had lived over 1000 cycles ago, and J'sharra wasn't Jilathe' the first Empress. The confusing dreams finally made him wake up and when he realized the video was still on and was showing a historical drama. That, he decided, was the most likely source of his odd dreaming.

Still, the whole thing felt odd-weird-strange. He'd ask J'sharra about it when she showed up. As a priestess, maybe she had some more sensible explanation for what had happened while he slept.

A thought struck him; had she been here and departed while he had been sleeping? He hoped not. She had work to do on the ship, and he might have to wait until she was off her watch to see her again.

That thought was oddly depressing.

His depression lasted for about five marks. Then Healer J'nero entered his room with a stranger in tow. That stranger was K'Leem, and the Leem were some of the oldest members of the Imperial Commonwealth. He was wearing Guardian gray and Healing blue; apparently he was part of the planetary hospital staff. A pouch hung from his right shoulder and rested on his left hip.

Like all of his race, he was tall and slender with faintly spotted skin and hands with too many tentacle-like fingers. His eyes rose above his head-region on flexible stalks, while his mouth was where a T'Kiir's throat would be. On his left shoulder a translator was settled like a badge of rank, near his low-set ear diaphragm. Oddly shaped or not, the Leem excelled at precise work, the more precise the better. That gave Tam'yn an idea of who had fixed his arm.

The K'Leem introduced himself. "Am called as Itrec," he said, "have profession of surgeon-of-bones. Am happiness to observe repairs they are making to heal well. Possessing discomfort in places one has repaired?"

Tam'yn nodded, replying carefully, "Thank you, K'Itrec. There is no pain, although I am surprised that things got so complicated with this. I thought all it would take would be simple fixing in place, not major surgery. You did a superior job on such short warning."

He waited while the translator Itrec wore turned his Imperial speech into the personless language that K'Leem spoke. How any language could avoid personal pronouns was a mystery to him, but K' Leem did just that, and so even small talk needed translation. It was said that they had needed to adapt their language to even use the translators, since there were concepts in Imperial that just didn't exist in the language of K'Leem. Leem who left their planet memorized 28 phrases and answers in Imperial so they could communicate without their translator should it fail for some reason.

The Leem seemed to shrug; his version of a smile. "Was not expected, was not found until treatment commence," he commented, "gladness that surgeon sent for help from hospital. This surgery was part of experience from other injuries, no surprises. Healing will be good and permanent, thanks to viral treatment."

Then he added, "Old equipment no surprise either; never use device, no reason to remove device from stores. New devices are here; better than old devices. Can be used again, later, for other injured." Again he shrugged a smile.

After a moment of thinking, Tam'yn realized the K'Leem was referring to a replacement float-chair. Good. The one he had tried was past old, it was scrap without ever having been used.

"Why, thank you again, Healer;" Tam'yn said gratefully. "That other chair wasn't much good for anything other than parts, if that. I will really be happy to get out of this bed and back to my cabin, and that float-chair is what will do it."

Really shrugging this time, K'Leem agreed, "Home place always better than away place. Heal better in home place, too. All is good."

Then he became professional as he reached into the pouch he was wearing and got out a scanner. He began moving it along Tam'yn's forearm slightly above the splint, one eye watching the holo-display above the top of the device while the other watched the data appearing on the small screen on the device. As the scanner moved down Tam'yn's arm, the image and the data on the screen changed as the scan area moved along the splint. Tam'yn watched the reverse image from his bed as the scanner moved. He could see both the damage and the repairs done to it and decided that indeed, this had been a serious injury. Apparently satisfied, the Leem Healer entered something on the touch pad with some of his extra fingers and Tam'yn felt a tiny tingle in the part of his arm where the broken bone was located.

After watching the now changing values on the scanner's screen, the Leem seemed satisfied and switched it off and made ready to return the device to his pouch.

"Bone is stimulating now, and calcium on support is plating into bone at same time," Itrec stated; "transfer of ionic metal will speed healing of break and make for good joining. This is discovered here, treating other injuries to others. Healing will be faster than prior methods. Re-gen helps with this, makes absorption faster and more sure. Patient will be out of brace in perhaps half-segment time; full growth will be complete by then." He made another entry on the scanner and was rewarded with a beep.

J'nero flopped his ears back. "I wish you hadn't said that last part, Healer; Tam'yn here has a maddening ability to attract damage to himself. The longer I could keep him in the chair and in the splint, the longer I could hope he wouldn't damage something new and different."

Itrec shrugged, "Toes will not heal faster than normal, and walking will be uncomfortable for some greater time. Chair will be more comfortable than walking until then." He slipped the scanner back into the pouch and turned to go, commenting, "Pain will keep patient in chair until toes are healed, experience with others shows this," as he made some final notes on a dataplate for his own records.

J'nero sighed, "Yes, there is that. At least I can hope he decides that walking is uncomfortable enough that he will stay in the chair...and put on some more weight. He is radically underweight for his body size and that will slow the healing in itself."

"Hey," Tam'yn said in his own defense, "I am eating more and I'm getting those suit-rations with every meal. That ought to help out, shouldn't it?"

J'nero replied, "Hopefully so, but you've developed some very bad eating habits over time, and those won't be so easy to deal with. I'll put a word in your cabin-mate's ear about that and hope she can keep you eating the way you should."

"You're picking on me," Tam'yn groused; to which J'nero replied, "Damn right I am. I want you healthy and at proper weight, otherwise we may be seeing more of each other than I particularly care for. Once you're healthy again, I can relax and deal with normal things like radiation poisoning and mashed extremities. Until then, you remain my primary concern on this ship and I would like that to come to a peaceful resolution."

Unnoticed by all three of them, a Medical assistant had brought in a float chair. When Tam'yn saw it he smiled; he would be getting out of Healing and back into the normal flow of events thanks to that machine.

Healer J'nero quashed that. "There is a beacon on this chair and I can keep a track of where you are all the time. I do not want you in Engineering or on the Bridge unless you're there strictly as an observer. You need to heal yourself, not work. There is also that odd fellow who will be working with Counseling to clear out your mind; what there is of it."

Then the Healer asked, "Who is he, anyhow? I've asked Third and got no answer, and First just says he's someone nobody really knows. Do you know who he is?"

Taking a cue from what he'd heard, Tam'yn replied, "He's someone who may be able to help with the word induced seizures I've been having. Other than that, I'm not sure myself."

Healer J'nero stared at Tam'yn for a moment. "Right," he muttered, "another answer that isn't an answer. You do realize that one of these days, I will find out who he is, don't you?"

Tam'yn nodded, suddenly serious; "Honestly, I don't care. He says he can help me get rid of the things that have made my life a living hell for seven cycles and I believe him. That is more than enough for me, Healer; more than enough."

The Healer stared at Tam'yn for a moment, then said; "Let's get you trained on this float chair. I want you out of here."

Itrec nodded his eyestalks a little. "Have information sought for, so release of patient to ship Healer is ready. Patient is healing well, but should remain in float chair until arm splint comes off. Toes will encourage use of chair until healing is complete. General weakness will also encourage use of chair. No concerns about patient," he added happily, his shoulders in a part-shrug of a relaxed smile.

Healer J'nero looked a lot less certain of that, but deferred to the Leem while he was onboard the ship.

An hour later, Tam'yn was carefully navigating his new float-chair down the hall toward the transporter access point. His progress was less than certain since he had to use his right hand on the control stick and watch out for his left elbow which stuck out over the float-chair's arm. The float chair seemed to be incapable of anything other than full out or a dead stop, making control difficult. He concentrated on getting to the transporter, moving the control in tiny careful increments that seemed to take forever.

When he finally made it to the transporter access, he spun the chair to face the call panel and almost hit Healer J'nero in the process. J'nero had been following him and he hadn't realized it.

The Healer crossed his arms and said, "Stay in your cabin unless you really need to leave, please. You will know how to use that chair a lot better by the time you're through with it, but for now please humor me and just stay put."

Tam'yn asked curiously, "How do I learn the chair if I stay in my cabin?"

J'nero replied, "By not wrecking the place or running over your cabin mate. As I mentioned to the Leem, you seem to be a trouble magnet when it comes to injuring yourself."

Then he shook his head, "I just get the feeling that we aren't out of the swamp with you yet. I don't know why I think it, but that's my gut feeling. Please, Fourth, prove me wrong on this."

Looking up at the Healer, Tam'yn replied; "I promise to do my best, Healer J'nero. I don't like being damaged any more than you do."

Then, staring ahead at nothing, he added, "I just hope that fellow was right about fixing my dreams. Sometimes they scare me, and sometimes they terrify me."

J'nero glanced at him thoughtfully and then said, "While that would be more Counseling's business, I can send you some somatic suppressants if things get too bad."

"Somatic what's?" Tam'yn asked; and J'nero replied, "They help with night terrors. They stop the dreaming process by stopping the chemistry that supports it. They aren't good to take for long periods of time, but they do help in a pinch. Call me if you need them." Then he abruptly turned and left Tam'yn at the transporter access, headed back to Healing and the world he understood.

Tam'yn stared at the Healer's retreating tail until J'nero had entered the Healing area of the ship and was lost to his sight. Then he clumsily turned the chair to the transporter doorway and leaned forward to press the call button. When the capsule arrived, Tam'yn was still thinking about what the Healer had said.

Carefully, he guided his float chair into the transporter and requested to be taken to the access nearest his quarters. With a thump, the chair grounded and locked itself in place and the capsule started moving.

He grinned. The Leem was right. His quarters, "home" on the ship, was the place he wanted to be while he healed.

"So you're certain that T'am is ready for this?" Third asked J'sharra for the fourth time as he opened the locked drawer on his desk to retrieve the viceroy's bracelet.

"Absolutely," J'sharra replied, "he remembered everything about it, and even commented to Doctor T'keron about it. He probably won't like it, but he remembers and he seems to be willing to do what is asked of him."

Dropping the bracelet into a carry pouch and locking it shut, Third said, "Well, let's get this back on his wrist or on the splint or wherever he is going to wear it then; only this time he gets the key for it first. That way he can deal with needing to take it off without detaching his hand in the process. Oh, and where is he? Has he been released or is he still in Healing? I would rather not give him this thing if he is still in Healing, since it would be difficult to keep his status a secret if he's still there."

J'sharra did a quick check of where Tam'yn was on the ship, and she replied happily, "He's in our cabin! He's been released and he's in our cabin."

Third stifled a chuckle at her excitement, although he would report it to the appropriate parties back on T'Kiir'ah. That would be a weight off a certain pair of shoulders that already wore more weight than anyone would--or could imagine.

Slightly bemused, he accompanied J'sharra back to the cabin assigned to the Ship's Fourth officer and found it was already crowded with people.

Tam'yn was there, of course, and so was Rintallan; now Engineering First officer. Doctor T'keron was there too, along with his daughter and the robot named T'oko. The Doctor was talking to his daughter and Guardian A'sallah, while T'oko was doing something to the float-chair while Tam'yn was moving the control stick at the robot's directions while Rintallan chatted with Tam'yn about something.

Approaching, Third caught the words, "...and Grandfather's chair was the same way when it was unpacked. Forward now, please. I suspect that they are normally delivered and then adjusted to the user's wishes at the time of delivery. Turn to the right now, please. Here, they are just issued as-is, which is wrong..." coming from the robot's position while it appeared Tam'yn and Rintallan were discussing what sounded like things happening in Engineering's space in the lower hull. Simple ship's gossip was the one way the two friends could bridge their now large differences in social rank.

Then Tam'yn saw J'sharra and began to smile. Before he could get up, she was beside him; displacing Rintallan to a spot behind the chair and leaning down to hug him to herself. He hugged her one-armed in return while wearing a look of profound happiness. Rintallan smiled and stepped back; no more gossip for a while. He smiled as he saw his friend and now superior relax and hug the Dancer and be hugged in return.

Third officer Tan'yel exhaled a sigh of relief. His report to the Empress would be good news in a time when good news was worth its weight in gold.

Dr. T'keron looked up as Third entered and as J'sharra hurried to Tam'yn. He smiled briefly and then said, "Good thing you're here, Third officer. It seems I will need your assistance with Counseling. I spoke to the head of the Counseling group and got exactly nowhere with my request to use T'oko in link with one of his people. He said, and I quote; 'There is no way a machine like that will be linked to a living mind in this Counseling unit unless I get an order to do so'."

Tan'yel sighed once before admitting, "I was afraid of that. Ever since Tam'yn wouldn't wake up from a Dream-sharing when he was supposed to do so, Counseling has been upset by the incident. They have sent over a dozen messages to other Counselors on T'Kiir'ah asking whether this had happened to them with a patient they were treating. I suspect that the answers have been negative, given that Tam'yn hasn't been called back for more work."

Dr. T'keron's eyes widened. "Why wasn't I told about this?" he asked with surprise; "We had trouble with some volunteers displaying psychotic dreaming behavior back when this system was being developed. That was one of several reasons that I decided to abandon it."

"That alone should be an indication that Alcys'ka has been meddling with the young man's mind," he added, "since we were the only two people working on it, and he was the only person who continued the system's development after its abandonment."

Third shook his head. "That won't work," he replied sadly; "we need something by way of evidence that excludes everyone but Tireno Alcys'ka before he can be made to disappear. He has to be proven an active traitor before Imperial Security can break one of the laws it has sworn to uphold and make him vanish. So far, I haven't heard anything that could be considered as exclusive proof of treason on his part, and I'll wager Guardian A'sallah would say the same thing."

"It has literally to be something with Alcys'ka's finger prints and DNA all over it," Guardian A'sallah confirmed; "We would be doing something we swear not to; and that takes several mountains of proof and an order from the Empress's own hand."

A beep from his communicator got Third's attention. He pressed the respond stud and Second's voice asked, "Third, can you come to First's ready room? I just delivered a message to him and he asked me to call you and ask you to attend along with Fourth. When can the two of you be here?"

Glancing over at Tam'yn, Third asked, "Which Fourth? Rintallan or Tam'yn?"

"Tam'yn," First's voice said, issuing from the communicator unit. "First Engineer Rintallan should be busy in Engineering with the installation of a new Security-issue fusion unit, as well as overseeing the purging of our water tankage and its refilling with Navy-pure distilled water. I will need Fourth in his other capacity for this matter, and I need him as soon as possible. Ask Guardian A'sallah to come to my office, too; I need to speak to him."

"Yes sir," Third replied and turned to his cousin with a sigh. It had to be done.

A'sallah stood and nodded to Third and left the room, headed to First's office in response to the request he had made.

Stepping past the scientist in the float chair, he closed with Tam'yn and J'sharra. When they looked up at him, he bluntly asked; "Tam'yn, do you think you can wear that special gift from your parents? First says he needs you in that capacity in his ready room as soon as possible. If you don't think you can wear it yet, you still need to know that it is in that capacity he was asking for you; not as a ship's Engineer."

Tam'yn tensed as he heard the words, then drew a deep breath. "I can promise that I will try," he said; "but I still don't know about how I'll react to it."

He looked around and then back up at his cousin and asked, "Tan'yel, where is it?" There was an odd note in his voice, but no fear.

"I have it in my belt pouch," Third replied, "but I want to give you something first, before I give you the object."

He saw J'sharra's eyes widen as she realized what was being discussed. He next unlocked his belt pouch and reached into it; producing the key, which he gave to Tam'yn.

Tam'yn nodded, "If I had this that first time..." he stopped speaking as he remembered how he had injured himself. He transferred the key to his left hand and waited, his nerves taut as steel wires.

"It'll just look like a lump till it warms up," Third commented, trying to determine how well his cousin would handle being presented with the Viceroy's bracelet. So far, Tam'yn looked like he was ultra tense, but there was no fear in his eyes. Good.

Tan'yel took out the bracelet and then gasped; the stone was room-cold in his hand and yet it was glowing brightly with the radiance it was named for. His eyes flew to his cousin as his jaw dropped.

Tam'yn was staring at the stone with something of wonder and relief in his expression. He reached for it, his hand trembling a little. He took it and stared at it and perhaps into it, too; his eyes bright with unshed tears and frank grief on his features.

"I'll do it, L'yrel; I'll do it," he whispered as he took the bracelet in his left hand and kissed the stone before maneuvering it onto his right wrist. Then he closed it and it clicked as it locked in place. He gripped the key tightly for several seconds and then slipped it into his own belt pouch.

Finally, he remembered to breathe. As he gasped a little, he heard J'sharra gasp too. Perhaps she too had been holding her breath. He didn't know about that. What he did know was that his dream was made real, and there was a little bit of his sister in that stone. He drew a second, almost sobbing breath, and looked around as a tear leaked from one eye into his facial fur.

Rintallan was standing slack-jawed as he stared at the stone. Doctor T'keron looked surprised, but only a little. His daughter had brought her hand up to her "face" in frank surprise; and J'sharra looked relieved and happy.

Relieved and happy... She had been concerned for him and he had eased that concern. Somehow that was incredibly important to him. He didn't know why, but it was.

Looking slightly up to his Third officer-cousin; he said, "Third, I think we have an appointment to keep. Let's do it while I can still manage it, Tan'yel."

Looking down at the robot, he asked; "T'oko, are you finished with the adjustments?"

The robot looked up at him and nodded, saying, "I have adjusted the movement controls to the same settings as Grandfather's chair. The power management system could use some fine tuning, but it will work well enough as it is." He then closed the panel, locked it, and rolled back from the chair; straightening as he did so.

Tan'yel chuckled, "You sound like an engineer, T'oko." Then he nodded to his cousin Tam'yn. "Well, T'am'o; let's go before First sends security out looking for us." Tam'yn nodded and reached for the control stick.

J'sharra kissed him and stepped back from the float-chair. Gingerly, Tam'yn pressed the control stick forward, and thanks to T'oko's ministrations, it glided forward slowly and in a controllable manner. He followed Third out of his cabin and into the corridor as they responded to First's call. Fortunately, it was not far to First's cabin.

"What was that you said about your sister, L'yrel?" Third asked as they moved slowly so Tam'yn could avoid hitting things.

Glancing over at his cousin for a moment, Tam'yn replied; " In a dream I had, she told me there would be a part of her in this bracelet. She touched it and it began to glow; and I don't feel that awful fear any more. It's like she's with me even though she's gone into the Light, and that comforts me enough to overcome the fear I still feel of this thing."

He added, "I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened."

Third paused for a moment, then replied, "Since I've had J'sharra as a trainee, she's told me a bit of what Pyri taught. I'll say that it doesn't sound as crazy as it might have a cycle ago, and that's all I'll say."

"Let's see what First wants you for," he added, returning to the business at hand.

It was a short walk to First's cabin. When the door sighed to let them in, they saw First and A'sallah were seated at First's desk and apparently discussing something. They both looked up as Tam'yn and Third officer Tan'yel entered.

Waving them both to chairs in front of his desk, First spoke. "We've been sent an order by Admiral Techyota that has this ship and its mission at a crossroads. We have been ordered to return to Imperial space under fusion power and to proceed to Imperial Navy base 042 for a check and refit of our Inverted matter system. He apparently knows we are still functional and haven't blown up, since this order was dated yesterday and transmitted earlier today."

First grew solemn. "Imperial Navy base 042 is a scrap yard, not a refit facility. I checked out what they have there in Navy records, and currently they do not have facilities for a refit and we don't have the means to do the job ourselves. My suspicion is that once we arrive there, the ship will be condemned and we'll be returned to an Imperial Reassignment center for reassignment to another vessel that is not a part of the Exploration service.

"That the Navy would do this indicates an overt intent on their part to end this mission, and the Admiralty is openly defying the Empress in this matter. To my mind, this action is one step short of mutiny on Techyota's part, but refusing him would be open mutiny on this ship's part. Basically we need a third option, and Fourth, as Viceroy you are that option. You can change those orders and the Admiralty will have to accept them or be in open defiance of the Sunrise Throne; mutiny on their part."

Tam'yn wanted to run away, throw up, faint, wet himself, ...anything to get out of the situation he was in, but he couldn't. L'yrel had spoken to him. She had put a bit of herself in the glowstone that was clasped about his right wrist. He had to think of something, but at the moment every thought in his head was involved in getting away or getting out of the situation he was in, as he had done countless times in the past rather than finding a resolution. Running away was easier, much easier.

His eyes were darting around the room seeking something, anything for an idea to act on, and then he glanced at A'sallah and an idea formed in his mind.

"I-i-if th-this isn't a-a N-navy s-ship, w-would th-the o-o-order still a-a-apply?" he stuttered nervously.

A'sallah grinned, "No. Not in the least. If it were loaned to Imperial Security, complete with crew, for use in Security's own purposes; then no. We'd be responsible for it, not the Navy."

"Th-then I s-s-so order it, as V-v-viceroy of th-the S-s-sunrise Th-throne. L-let i-i-t b-be s-s-so," he stuttered. His fingers found the glowstone and he put his hand over it wishing desperately to have done the right thing. Mustering all his control, he said formally, "As a Viceroy of Her Rising Glory, Empress Karavele'ka an Yere'kos; I, Tam'yn an Yere'kos na Tereakos sha Karavele'ka ve Yere'kos'ka do convey this ship, its assets, and its crew to service in the Imperial Security Service for such time as may be needed to complete the ship's primary mission and return to the Imperial Planet of T'Kiir'ah. Let it be thus recorded and let it be in effect from this moment until its mission is completed and this ship is back on T'Kiir'ah."

He felt a wave of peace radiate from the stone, and he knew his sister approved of his action. Slowly, his nervousness and fear came to an end.

Moments later, Third handed him a plate with his verbal order transcribed on it conveying the M'Kereos, complete with crew, to Imperial Security and the intent of that conveying.

He set the plate against the glowstone in his bracelet and there was a muted buzz as the plate recognized the implant in the bracelet and set the order into permanent record.

The ship now belonged to Imperial Security, not the Imperial Navy; and he had authorized the transfer. He stared wide eyed at the Imperial seal now set on the head of the recorded document, realizing he had just acted as Viceroy; not crewman. He had briefly been the Empress's voice and living presence when he had given the ship to Security. The thought of what he had just done staggered him for a moment.

Before he could start shaking again, Third gave him his flask and he thirstily swallowed some of the contents. As before, the near-raw Pirka distillate burned into his stomach as it set about calming his nerves. He took a second swallow and then handed the flask back to his cousin, grateful that he had been there.

Trying not to cough distracted him for several moments and helped settle the last of his nerves while the Pirka took over calming him down.

His eyes fell to the Viceroy's bracelet on his wrist, and again he felt a sense of L'yrel touching him and bringing comfort. He looked up at the others in the room.

"I trust that will be sufficient?" he asked, and First nodded in harmony with A'sallah.

"More than sufficient, your Radiance," A'sallah replied; "this way your expedition can continue and you can complete the task our Empress gave to you. Imperial Security will do everything in its power to assist this effort, now that the ship is in our hands."

Tam'yn nodded, "Thank you, Guardian A'sallah. Now I would like to return to my cabin and rest. Or maybe pass out, I'm not sure which right now."

His eyes sought his First as he asked, "May I, sir?"

First smiled and nodded. He had seen the struggle that had gone on in his Fourth officer and admired him for the control he had shown. This was the officer he had accepted onto his ship. This was the person he knew from the Engineering space in the lower hull.

His Fourth Officer was starting to heal, if this was any indication. Good.

As Tam'yn left his office, he called out to Third, asking him to stay. After wishing his cousin well, Third turned to face his First and Captain.

First was not looking happy. Neither was A'sallah. Taking a small plate out of his belt pouch, A'sallah said; "We traced the last call Tinterro made in this ship. Third, it was to your communicator." He drew his stunner.

"Tan'yel Kerel'yn, I arrest you for suspicion of the murder of Tinterro K'arilas. Please do not make me use this on you."

"I actually did it," Tam'yn was saying to J'sharra in their quarters, "I was able to be the Viceroy because of L'yrel's light in the stone. It was like she was there with me, keeping me from being afraid. I still can't believe that I did it, but I did."

J'sharra was patiently listening to him, waiting for him to run the nervous energy out of his system. To her, what he was saying wasn't all that unusual since the bond between birth-sibs was intense and it was quite possible that his sister had indeed given him a bit of her own sacred light, setting it in the Viceroy's bracelet.

When he calmed down enough, she wanted to use this first time they had been together and in private to start him in some K'Pyri meditations as a way to calm his own inner demons.

She had been told about his response to a command-question, and while the very thought of such a thing chilled her to her soul's center, she believed that through meditation, and eventually movement, he could achieve more control over himself.

The float-chair was sitting on the floor in a charging stand while Tam'yn was seated next to her on the room's couch. She liked his proximity to her, and admitted to herself that the feelings she had been going through were more than simple childish attraction. She was beginning to truly love him.

That would make the Empress's plan so much easier for both of them.

A thought crossed her mind as Tam'yn took a breath, "Where is Tan'yel?" she asked curiously; he was supposed to get me the clearances necessary for the investigation into Tinterro's murder. I wonder what's taking him so long?"

Tam'yn got up and half limped to the comms panel in the wall opposite to where they were seated and entered the Third officer's comms code with some difficulty since he had to use his right hand instead of his now constrained left.

The words "Contact prohibited" flashed on the screen. Puzzled, Tam'yn cleared the entry and re-entered his cousin's comms code. Again, the warning flashed.

Growing annoyed, he keyed in the code for Third's cabin and got the same warning with an added statement of "Imperial Security Service".

By that time, J'sharra had joined him and they both wondered about what was going on and why the Ship's third officer had suddenly been placed behind Imperial Security's shield.

Limping to his float-chair and disconnecting it, he settled himself into it and looking over at J'sharra, said; "Maybe we should just go there. It's on this deck, just on the other side of the ship. Maybe he's conferencing with A'sallah or something, but this lack of contact has me concerned, since it's contrary to Ship's protocols."

"You said the word," J'sharra said with surprise, "why doesn't it affect you like it does when I say it?"

Tam'yn shrugged one armed as he settled into the float-chair; "There are some words that only trigger when a female says them, and others that trigger whenever I hear them from anyone. Protocol is one of the ones that needs a female speaker to make me go nuts. Other words cause me to go out of orbit whenever I hear them regardless of who says them. It's like I can't help myself, and that scares me."

Briefly, he flashed back on the time when Dr. T'keron had raised a response out of him that even he didn't know was there. Shaking loose from the memory, he followed J'sharra into the passage that led toward the Ship's Third officer's quarters.

When they got there, the door was closed and Security seals were all over it.

Tam'yn again tried to call his cousin, only this time his chair grounded and safety fields snapped into place, sealing off the section of corridor they were in. While they were intended as backup systems for meteor punctures, they also had a security function in that they could isolate an area of the ship and stop movement between isolated areas.

A sound of running feet heralded the arrival of four Imperial Security officers with drawn weapons.

One of them barked, "Do not move. Until you can explain why you are here and attempting to contact a murder suspect, you are under suspicion of being an accomplice. You will be taken to Confinement and questioned there."

Tam'yn's ears slammed against his skull and his claws extended partway, while J'sharra seemed frozen with shock. Raising his Viceroy's bracelet so it was clearly visible, he growled through semi-bared teeth, "Drop those shields and drop your weapons now and explain to me why you are treating this ship like your private property." By the time he was finished speaking his voice was in an angry snarl. His eyes were narrowed and he looked ready to fight, as would any normal T'Kiir'I male under these circumstances.

One of the Security officers stared at the Viceroy's bracelet and muttered, "Oh Drok, it's him. The Viceroy." The stunners began to lower as the Guardians realized who they had just threatened.

"Yes, it is him; the Imperial Viceroy," a familiar voice said as A'sallah came into view with another arriving group of Guardians, "lower the shield and lower your weapons."

As the shields dropped, A'sallah walked over to the chair and bowed deeply to Tam'yn and asked, "May we discuss this in a less public area, your Radiance?"

"Our cabin," Tam'yn replied sharply as he began to calm from the battle state his kind were known for. Then he started to seriously wonder what was going on there. One thing he did know was that he had to stay socially dominant in this situation. That much he knew from his days in his mother's Court, and a weak-appearing Viceroy would only cause trouble. So, for public consumption, he would have to play the unquestioned superior to everyone on the ship. He felt the beginnings of a sour stomach; probably from the tension and from hearing that his cousin was charged with murder.

As they returned to their cabin, J'sharra glanced at Tam'yn and was both relieved and puzzled. He had looked upset and nervous to her at first, but now he was presenting an appearance of potent authority to A'sallah and had also done so with the Security Officers. That was a side of him she hadn't seen before and one she hadn't been briefed on. She decided to watch and learn. That was the wisest course at the moment.

Once in their quarters, Tam'yn settled into his float-chair and stared hard at A'sallah for a moment before saying, "This is informal. I want to know what has happened, and so does J'sharra." There was an implied order in his voice that was not lost on anyone, himself included.

Then he slumped and asked, "A'sallah, what's happening here? I gave over the ship to Imperial Security, but I never imagined something like this would happen."

The Imperial Guardian glanced at a chair and Tam'yn nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. He floated over to the couch and J'sharra sat beside him. That simple act of support on her part meant a lot to him at the moment, and eased the tension he had felt ever since he had played the "Imperial Viceroy" for the first time.

A'sallah stared at the floor for a moment before saying, "It looks like this ship's Third officer murdered Tinterro K'arilas with his own personal ship-registered stunner. The last comms number K'arilas called was Tan'yel Kerel'yn's comms number, and the call was made from either in or near the Scout he was found in. We even have the comms record of what was said, and both voices in the conversation match K'arilas and Kerel'yn voices."

"What did Tinterro say to Third?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"That's the strange part," A'sallah admitted, "he asked about a K'pon* game and Kerel'yn asked him what he was talking about. K'arilas apologized and said it was a wrong number and closed the conversation. Apparently, that was some sort of contact code, because a section later he and Kerel'yn met in the Scout and K'arilas was killed."

A'sallah paused for a moment, then added, "We checked Third's issue stunner and while it wasn't used, there was a second, personal, stunner in his cabin that showed use within a tenday and hadn't been recharged since. There was also a strange-looking device on what we think was a neck band. Outside of that, we haven't developed enough evidence yet."

J'sharra gasped, "But the voice in the record isn't Tan'yel's voice! I've heard that voice and I know how Tan'yel sounds, and the two voices are in no way alike!"

*K'pon: A board game similar to Chess that uses a 10 X 10 square board and has 20 pieces to a side.

"Perhaps that neck-thing is a frequency shifter," A'sallah offered in rebuttal, "or perhaps he had some other way of changing his voice; I don't know yet. What I do know is that Tan'yel Kerel'yn murdered Tinterro K'arilas in that Scout, and there is no way around that."

After glancing over his shoulder, he added; "And that act makes absolutely no sense at all. He was investigating the K'iir for setting the bomb that almost destroyed this ship. He had no reason to kill anyone, yet the evidence says he did it.

"I've known Tan'yel for over twelve cycles and this action makes no sense at all; it's like someone else put on that K'iir's body and..." he suddenly stopped speaking, a look of profound horror in his eyes.

Tam'yn was nodding like his head was on a spring. "Get Dr. T'keron on this now," he said, "you may have your evidence sitting in Confinement right now."

Tan'yel Kerel'yn paced the Confinement cell again, still trying to think. Thinking was hard, as tired as he was--and he had been tired ever since the Empress had appointed him to be the Third officer of the M'Kereos.

He knew why she'd done it, too. Her son was Fourth Officer on the ship and said ship was going out past the borders of the Empire on a mission of exploration and she wanted someone who would keep an eye on Tam'yn while he was on the ship and arrange for him to meet a certain K'Pyri Dancer. He was the perfect choice, all things considered.

He still felt he should have been on L'yrel's Runner, though. Had he been, she would still be alive. Probably alive. Probably. Hopefully.

A spear of agonizing grief pierced him for a moment; L'yrel had been so like her mother. She had managed to get into Imperial Service while her brother had tried to get beyond the loss of someone he had loved deeply by starting the day with a drink in his hand and staying drunk until he fell asleep sometime that night.

Tan'yel understood that sort of pain all too well. Despite his show-and-tell with First, he too enjoyed the raw Pirka he had kept in his personal flask a lot more frequently than he had let on in his superior's presence.

The Guardians had taken his flask, too. As of now, all he had to wear was the standard-issue loose-fitting disposable Confinement jumpsuit. It had no pouch, so no flask.

Again, he sat on the sleeping shelf and tried to think. Could he have done it? The last word he'd had with Tinterro was a mis-directed comms call asking about a K'pon game. That was odd. Tinterro K'arilas didn't strike him as a K'pon player in the least. K'arilas didn't think far enough ahead to be a player, even when he wasn't snorting N'aan dust.

A familiar stab of pain paused his speculations as he bent forward in an instinctive movement to protect his belly. His lower heart was acting up again and he didn't have the medicine for it here. He would have to grit his teeth and ride it out like he had done in the past. This was his relic of the Sora fever he had caught as a young K'iir. His bones were fine but his lower heart was prematurely old as a result of the sickness.

Better that than his bones. There was medicine for hearts problems, but weakened bones were another story entirely.

Tan'yel stayed bent forward until the pain eased and he could sit up. He breathed deeply to help get oxygen to his lower heart.

He was almost caught up when he heard someone at the doorway and turned to face them.

It was Dr. T'keron. Tan'yel was about to speak when the Doctor asked, "Slave, who is your master?" in a loud and demanding voice.

Then Tan'yel Kerel'yn heard a strange harsh voice say, "You are, Master Alcys'ka!" and then realized it was his own. He sank back to his sleep shelf in shock.

Dr. T'keron looked into the hallway and asked someone, "Well, is that enough for you and your superiors to use?"

A'sallah's voice came back, "I do believe it is. There is no way Tan'yel Kerel'yn could have known what to say and he wasn't in the Viceroy's room when you did the earlier test on him. My superiors will issue the capture order and in a while we will have a new colonist here."

"Good," Dr. T'keron said with a relieved voice, "I hate doing that, but it served its purpose. What will happen to officer Kerel'yn now that it's proven that he too is one of Alcys'ka's puppets?"

A'sallah's voice sounded worried as he replied, "He's just effectively confessed to murder, and the regulations don't make a distinction of will or intent there. I'll do what I can, but the Service regulations are pretty strict."

Dr. T'keron growled, "I thought this would help clear him, not convict him! When you came to me asking to test Kerel'yn for mental tampering, you led me to think it would help him! Now you're saying he just convicted himself?"

Lowering his voice, he continued; "If I had known your intentions I would have never consented to test him for Alcys'ka's mental meddling. I would have told you to go jump out of an airlock; this K'iir is no more responsible for the murder than I am. What you do have is proof that there is at least one and possibly more of Alcys'ka's slaves here on this ship. At least let the K'iir go so he can help you..."

A'sallah's voice grew cold; "This is an Imperial Guards matter, Dr. T'keron. One of our number has committed criminal murder. We do not tolerate that in any of our members. He will have a hearing and his guilt in the matter will be determined. He will be sentenced and the sentence will be carried out."

He then added, "Remember, the Imperial Guards have provided you a safe place to live and continue your work. You enjoy your life here as a courtesy to one of our Empresses. We are the Empire's best and finest and we will remain that way."

"Good day, Doctor; your presence here is no longer necessary."

Tan'yel was glad he had stayed seated on his sleep shelf. He knew A'sallah was right. The very least sentence he could expect would be expulsion from the service he had given his life to and exile to a penal mining colony. He would more likely be sentenced to death.

And he had somehow been conditioned by Tireno Alcys'ka in the palace, although he didn't remember when or how it could have happened.

He swallowed nervously. The pain in his stomach started again, and this time all the careful breathing in the world didn't keep him from sinking into unconsciousness. His last thought was of L'yrel and joining her. When the monitor in the neckband of his Confinement clothing detected a critical reduction of blood flow to his brain, it triggered an alarm at the Security post outside of Confinement. Minutes later, Tan'yel Kerel'yn was on his way to Healing.

In his quarters, Tam'yn listened with growing horror as Dr. T'keron narrated what had happened in Confinement. As he kept listening, the horror was being replaced by anger.

Glancing at J'sharra, he saw support for his cousin and concern over what she was hearing, mirroring his own feelings.

He asked Dr. T'keron, "Are you certain Tan'yel responded the same way I did?"

Nodding, Dr. T'keron replied, "Exactly the same way, even to the change in voice. I think that was Alcys'ka's way of being sure his conditioning was holding, since it requires a very unnatural laxity of the vocal cords to achieve. Most people couldn't do it consciously."

"And A'sallah says he's going to prosecute, even though my cousin wasn't even aware of what he was doing at the time? That's counter to Imperial Law," Tam'yn said in a shocked voice.

Dr. T'keron replied, "He also said something about it being an Imperial Guards matter. Perhaps they have a different set of rules they follow."

"It doesn't matter. Imperial law is supreme throughout the Empire. Even the Navy has to comply with Imperial statutes except in matters where Imperial law specifically gives the Navy authority to act on its own." Now Tam'yn was on familiar ground. He, like every other officer in the Imperial Navy, had been required to take classes in Imperial Law as it applied to the Navy and its operations.

Further conversation was interrupted by the comms unit beeping. J'sharra activated it. It was Healer J'nero. "Fourth, would you come to Healing? Your cousin has been brought in and you are his contact person on this ship."

Tam'yn limped to the comms unit and asked, "What happened? How was he injured?"

J'nero replied, "He wasn't injured; his lower heart is starting to fail, apparently due to the Sora fever he had as a young K'iir. We're supporting him now, but how long he'll live depends on finding a cell donor so we can clone a replacement for the damaged areas. You are Sora positive and you are his cousin, so you may be close enough to donate."

"On my way," Tam'yn replied as he limped to his float chair. His toes still hurt.

J'sharra came to stand beside him as he sat in the chair and he took her hand for a moment, then the two of them headed toward Healing, with Dr. T'keron following them closely in his own float chair.

When the transporter doors opened on the Healing area, the first thing they saw were Imperial Guards standing by the entryway. They didn't move as the three K'iir passed them.

Inside Healing, Tam'yn asked for the room his cousin was in and was told; "Easy. Just go down the hallway and look for the Guards standing by a door. They are inspecting everything we bring into the room and generally getting in our way. They may not let you in, since you aren't ship's Security."

"I am," J'sharra stated, "and they will have to let me in, since Third made me his alternate. Fourth is his cousin, so they have to let him in."

She turned to Dr. T'keron who smiled, "And I'm the expert on conditioning. As such, I'm integral to their case if they want me to continue helping them." He smiled coldly.

As they entered the corridor, they could see the two Guardians standing on either side of a doorway. As they approached, both Guardians watched them. When they tried to enter, they were stopped.

"No entry," the Guardian on the left said briskly, "there is an accused murderer inside this room."

Tam'yn raised the Viceroy's bracelet and growled, "We will go in, and any of the Healing staff who need to may go in too, and without harassment. Imperial Law states that until conviction, the accused is innocent. Do not refer to him as a murderer in the future." His eyes were cold and his voice was arctic.

As soon as the two Guardians had seen the Viceroy's bracelet, they had come to stiff attention. When Tam'yn finished speaking, they saluted and stepped slightly farther apart, still at attention.

The three K'iir entered the room. It was occupied.

Tan'yel was asleep and Healer J'nero was hovering over him, watching his weakened lower heart's activity. Seated in a chair by the bed was Guardian A'sallah. He looked up as they entered and said, "Good. You came. We need to talk, but not in here. I don't want to risk Kerel'yn hearing us."

The Healer looked over at Tam'yn and said, "He's holding stable, Fourth. I want to get a sample of blood from you before you go so I can start the gene-typing and cross-matching."

Feeling confused and trying not to show it, Tam'yn nodded and presented his right arm. To his surprise, the Healer used his left arm instead, sliding the needle into a vein with ease.

Then he realized that since that arm was bare, it was easier to find a vein for the sample. Sensible, like J'nero always was.

"I'll get this to the lab and have it analyzed. The information should be back in an hour or so; so please don't injure yourself before then," J'nero said, and it took a moment for him to realize that the Healer was joking, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I'll try" he said, "but you know some habits are hard to break."

Healer J'nero snorted and left the room, headed for the laboratory. He was replaced by a Guardian in uniform with blue bands on both shoulders: a Guardian Healer. He saluted A'sallah and bowed to Tam'yn before settling on the chair to monitor Tan'yel Kerel'yn's vital signs.

Tam'yn took a moment to float to his cousin's bed and looked at the K'iir resting there. He grew worried and was shocked at what he saw.

Tan'yel looked old and worn, almost feeble. His skin was loose and fur on his face thin. More than anything else, he looked tired, tired unto death. An external pumping unit assisted his weak lower heart in sending blood to his lungs and there was an oxygen mask on his face providing oxygen to ease the strain there too.

He heard a breath catch beside him and knew J'sharra was beside him.

"He looks so old, so tired," she whispered; "why did he take this voyage? Why didn't he go to the Lake like he said he wanted to...?"

"Who knows?" Tam'yn whispered back, "When he was at the Palace he had a habit of doing what needed to be done no matter what. I guess he still does, and that's why he's here."

A discrete cough behind them drew Tam'yn's attention. A'sallah stood there and was gesturing to the door. Slowly, Tam'yn nodded and turned away from the bed.

He and J'sharra followed the Guardian out into the passageway and into the room across from it, where the Guardians had set up a monitoring station. Dr. T'keron remained behind in the room with Tan'yel.

Before he could speak, A'sallah said, "We aren't going to charge Tan'yel Kerel'yn with murder, if that's your worry. That bit of theater in Confinement was to keep him alive, and I didn't have time to brief Dr. T'keron on what was happening; thus he believed me altogether too well."

"Then why did you say it?" Tam'yn asked with some heat, "that heart storm may have been triggered by what you called 'theater' and he may die anyhow. What were you doing?"

"This isn't the first time we Guardians have run into Alcys'ka's puppets, but this is the first time we found one who wasn't conditioned to die if he had been found out," the Guardian explained, and Tam'yn realized he was the "puppet" in question.

The Guardian continued, "Dr. T'keron has insisted the conditioning we saw in you had to be the work of Tireno Alcys'ka, but we didn't have proof enough to do anything. He has some powerful protectors, and we don't want to risk taking him unless we had absolute proof of his treason and subversion."

"What about my cousin?" Tam'yn asked again with an edge in his voice.

A'sallah replied, "We didn't want to risk him suiciding. He is probably conditioned to kill himself if he's found out. I tried to fulfill that by indicating that the Guardians would kill him, but then he had that lower heart-attack and everything went into the hole."

J'sharra asked, "Could the lower heart problem by part of that conditioning?" wondering if her mentor had any chance at all. She was very worried about Tan'yel, he had been "ill" for some time and simply worked through it.

A'sallah shook his head. "I'm told that the heart problem is the result of Sora fever, contracted in his youth. Anyway, I don't think either heart could be 'conditioned' into failing at a particular moment since according to the Doctor, the part of the brain is different that controls the heart. I think he said something about it being 'automatic'."

"That's autonomic," Dr. T'keron said as he floated into the room, "and I don't believe that part of the nervous system can be conditioned the way the conscious mind can. I might be wrong, since Alcys'ka has had cycle upon cycle to improve his methods, but I strongly doubt it."

"How is he?" Tam'yn asked nervously; "How is my cousin?"

Dr. T'keron sighed and answered, "Exhaustion compounded with a bad heart is what the Healers say. I suspect that many times when Tan'yel Kerel'yn thought he was asleep, his other self was awake and making it easy for Tinterro K'arilas to do his sabotage and treason. This 'other self' may be one of the most developed ones we are going to run into, given the time he spent in the Palace where Alcys'ka could get his claws into him almost any time he wanted to."

He looked grim and added, "It may not be possible to completely eliminate this 'other' in his mind without destroying him mentally too."

Then, staring at Tam'yn he said, "My success will depend on what I find in you, young K'iir; and in your willingness to deal with some probably ugly images that Tireno Alcys'ka put in your head to keep you from thinking about things too deeply."

"Like the fear I felt when we were discussing testing me for mental meddling?" Tam'yn asked nervously.

Dr. T'keron simply said, "Yes. Exactly that, although we won't try that till you have a bit more knowledge of how your cousin is going to manage."

J'sharra suddenly gasped, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "I am Third's adjutant," she said worriedly, "with him down, that makes me acting Third officer unless First appoints someone else. I'm the only one on the ship with all Third's access codes and all his special equipment will only recognize me as having full authority."

Looking over at Tam'yn, she asked, "I wonder if that was his way of getting around the compulsions in his mind?" Then she turned to Dr. T'keron, the question still in her eyes and concern written large on her face.

Dr. T'keron became thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Possibly so. Young Tam'yn here took himself away from home and family rather than endanger them. Perhaps some part of the original personality manages to work around the implanted commands to weaken them. This would be fascinating if it proves to be so, and would be a useful tool against Alcys'ka and his highborn friends."

"When can we begin trying to free me from Tireno Alcys'ka's mental poison?" Tam'yn asked point-blank.

Dr. T'keron thought for a moment and then said, "Tomorrow morning. Sixth hour; T'oko and I will arrive early and make the modifications necessary to the Dream-Share system so it can be a three way hookup. First has given me the authority I need to get it done despite Counseling's objections.

"Then when your cousin is better, T'oko and I can use what we learn from you to try and help him free himself of Alcys'ka's meddling."

"Is there a danger to Tam'yn?" J'sharra asked worriedly.

"Very little risk to him," Dr. T'keron replied, "the greatest likelihood if we fail is that nothing will change. Given that both he and Kerel'yn seem to have managed to bypass some of the conditioning, I have some good hope that all they will need to throw it off is a little help from the outside. I found that out when I dealt with some of Alcys'ka's military volunteers; it was almost as if their minds just needed a little help to throw off the training he had given them that had gone wrong. I suspect that the mind is a lot more than we think it is and this is just a hint of its self-protective and healing capabilities.

"There will also be a Counselor in the loop, so there will be a trained mind guiding the whole operation. It will take time, but as I said before; he will be free of this compulsion-set and free of Alcys'ka's mental meddling if it is possible."

Later, alone in quarters (since J'sharra had returned to Third's office/cabin to reset the systems with her codes as primary), Tam'yn got an odd comms call.

It was from Healer J'nero, asking; "Tam'yn, are you available to come to Healing? I need to speak with you about your cousin."

"Is he...?"

"Yes, he's still with us, actually, he's doing a bit better."

"The float-chair is in the charger, can this wait or should I walk there?"

"No. I'll come there; to your cabin. You might want to ask your cabin-mate to step out for a few minutes, though."

"Why?" Now, Tam'yn was becoming curious.

"Something that bears on you, and you alone...and on Tan'yel Kerel'yn, for that matter."

"Come. J'sharra is out, over in the ship Security office. I'll be here alone," Tam'yn said as he ended the call. He would have paced, but his foot hurt too much when he put his weight on it so he stared at the "port" and counted the moving star images there. Time slowed to a crawl.

There was a knock at the door and as Tam'yn said "Open," Healer J'nero stepped quickly into the cabin. The door slid shut.

The Healer glanced at the door and suggested, "You might want to lock that." Tam'yn shook his head and gestured the Healer to a chair.

Healer J'nero was obviously upset over something, he squirmed a little as Tam'yn stared at him waiting for a reason explaining all this shadow-play.

Finally, the Healer cleared his throat and said, "Well, according to the genetic tests, you and Third Officer Kerel'yn are extremely compatible. We can clone using your donated cells with virtually no reaction suppression. There was one other thing; and I re-ran the test myself to be certain."

"Certain of what?" Now Tam'yn was intrigued despite himself.

Healer J'nero coughed and then blurted out, "Tan'yel Kerel'yn is your biological father. There can be no mistake. You have your mother's mitochondrial dna, but your nuclear paternal line is linked to Tan'yel Kerel'yn beyond any shadow of a doubt."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped as the bottom fell out of his stomach. Of all the things he'd imagined when the Healer had commed him, this was totally out of the hull. His mind raced and whirled as he tried to figure things out and he got exactly nowhere.

"You're absolutely certain?" he heard his own voice ask.

The Healer nodded, then said, "I ran the test myself, twice. Then I ran out of blood to test. I wiped those test results from the database and came here. While there is no problem with your familial status since we calculate descent from the female, Tan'yel Kerel'yn has a few genetic weaknesses that I would like to test for, to be sure you didn't inherit them along with your Sora positive situation. That should be over, given the viral re-write of your system has run its course; but he had two other weaknesses that you should know about and be tested for. One, Tallan's syndrome, can be treated and doesn't usually manifest below the age of fifty. The other is a--weakness for alcohol; and although your service record is clear on that matter, I've heard some stories about your younger years when you were under some sort of stress and were Counseled for it..."

Tam'yn interrupted him by saying, "The K'iir I loved had drowned and I had found her body. At the time, I believed I was responsible for her death, although I have since learned otherwise."

Then he asked, "Would something like that not drive anyone into a bottle, if just for the numbness they found there? For the record, since I joined the Navy, I don't drink; other than the formal toasts to the Empress and our Empire. The last alcohol I had was when I learned my birth-sibling had died in a Runner explosion and my...cousin Tan'yel let me have a swallow from his flask of Pirka. I had two swallows, no more."

The Healer was nodding like a machine; "Just so you understand that you have a weakness that can be both dangerous and exploitable, given your new ahhh...position aboard this ship."

Tam'yn thought for a moment before saying, "You're right. I admit that I have a weakness for the oblivion alcohol brings, and the wrong people could use that against me."

Reaching into his belt pouch, he got out the key and slipped it into the bracelet's release holes. The Viceroy's bracelet popped off his wrist. "I don't have to constantly advertise my new station in life," he muttered, "and I'm the same person with or without this bit of Imperial jewelry."

Then he grinned, "Besides, it makes the fur on my wrist itch."

"Is Tan'yel awake yet?" he asked the Healer.

"Yes, he's awake and medicated to keep the strain on his lower heart as low as possible. I wouldn't advise discussing his relationship with you at the moment, though. He is aware enough to ask for a urinal, but not much more. Counseling agrees that he should stay as relaxed as possible while we clone his replacement heart sections."

Tam'yn nodded, "I just wanted to know if I could visit him and talk to him about neutral things. I understand what he needs at the moment and I want to help him, not further injure him."

Then he asked, "When do you want to harvest sections off my heart for transplant?" His voice was firm.

Healer J'nero sat straight up in surprise. "I had thought we would just take a small sample and grow that. You are talking about major surgery if we harvest parts of your lower heart for transplant rather than cloning."

"Doing that will have him well faster, won't it?"

"Yes, but you'll have a scar and be in a Healing bed for two or three days, and then in that chair for half a segment. You will be weak and in pain for a while, at least until your lower heart regrows what we take; and you will be weak until healing is complete."

"I'm already in this chair for at least that long while my arm heals."

Healer J'nero looked at the K'iir across from him appraisingly. This was a different Tam'yn he was seeing. He had changed. Perhaps having a room-mate had done it, but however it had happened it was for the better, in the Healer's estimation.

"Two days, possibly three," he said. "We need to strengthen your cousin for the surgery. We won't simply clone then; we will harvest and transplant and then put both of you on Re-gen, so you replace the muscle we harvested and he grows it into place."

Then he groaned, "And I'll have to unpack another float-chair for him. Even in Confinement, he'll need it to get around."

Tam'yn shook his head; "He won't be in Confinement. He will be in Counseling, being treated for an abomination done to him by the same traitor who did it to me. He will need Counseling's help in dealing with what was done to him once he is rid of it."

Healer J'nero stared at him. "You mean you take that quack's claims seriously? He may have been a leading light cycles ago, but things have progressed in the Empire. We don't need machines who can think on their own; we have computer programs that are sophisticated enough to make a self-aware system unnecessary."

"T'oko doesn't seem unnecessary, and he is a self-aware machine. He acts like a caring young K'iir; and if he is a machine, he is also a person. I suspect he may be the future of things," Tam'yn said with conviction, "and he will be helping me get rid of the nightmares that have made my life hell when my eyes close."

He shuddered, "Gods of Star and Space, what Tan'yel must go through when he sleeps. Apparently nightmares are a side effect of this conditioning, since I have nightmares on a regular enough basis that I try to exhaust myself so I can sleep."

The Healer's jaw dropped. "Tan'yel Kerel'yn has a regular prescription for somatic suppressants," he said in surprise. "He uses them two or three times a week."

"That's about the frequency of my nightmares too, "Tam'yn agreed, "as I said, nightmares seem to be a side effect of Alcys'ka's conditioning process. I wasn't at the Palace as long as Tan'yel was; Gods, what must have been done to him and he was totally unaware of all of it."

He smiled a grim smile; "Tomorrow at 06:00 Dr. T'keron and I have a date in Counseling. T'oko and a Counselor will go into my head and try to deal with the things Tireno Alcys'ka put there. Dr. T'keron says he can use what he learns form me to help Tan'yel beat his conditioning. Maybe we'll both get free of it, or maybe we'll have a better understanding of it; but Alcys'ka's meddling will be out in the open and nobody will be under his claws ever again."

Tam'yn was surprised at the sense of heat and anger he felt when he spoke of Tireno Alcys'ka and what he had done. He realized it was normal after worrying over it for a moment. In a very real sense he had been raped, not in his body but in his mind.

Alcys'ka would pay. Alcys'ka would pay if Tam'yn had to do the collecting himself.

Tam'yn couldn't sleep. He was just laying on the sleeping pad while J'sharra was slumbering peacefully beside him, an arm over his chest. He should have been happy; he had someone who cared for him and perhaps even loved him, but he still couldn't sort out his emotions about her. Just being with her made him happy, but he knew that "happy" was not a way to pursue Companionship. "Happy" could become "unhappy" over time, and he didn't want to do that to her.

Tan'yel Kerel'yn was his biological father. Why? Had his mother been seeing both K'iir? No, that wasn't possible; she had been formally joined with his father for two cycles before he had been conceived. While sexual fidelity wasn't a major part of most K'iir joinings, it was when you were in consideration for the post of "Lady in Service to the Empire".

He knew both his parents liked Tan'yel, too. They had grown up together, up around Lake An'shal. Why...

L'lanya, drowned and sorrowful, walked into the room.

"Tam'yn, why do you want to kill me again? Wasn't once enough?" she asked as the scent of wet and muck began to fill the air.

"I didn't kill you. You were hit by lightning. J'sharra told me so," he replied, as he sat up to face the phantom.

"You asked me to give up everything, everything that I was, so your mother wouldn't be disgraced by your joining with a common-born sports competitor. I wanted one last run on the wind-skimmer before I gave all that away to become your Companion. Now you want to banish me from your memory, too? Is that right? Is that protocol for two people who love each other?"

Cold filled him, followed by anger. "You aren't real," he growled, "you just said something L'lanya would never say. You aren't the K'iir I loved, you're a creation made to torment me if I don't follow Master Tireno's directions. You're a fraud and you always have been." His anger rose as he looked at the image of his dead beloved; a soulless creation meant to keep him in line with some plan of "Master Tireno".

"Why won't you kiss me, T'am-t'am? Our babies want you to kiss me," L'lanya whined, "If you kiss me, we can be together again..."

Fighting claws out now, he was about to get out of the bed and kill this monster at the foot of his sleeping pad when

J'sharra finally shook him hard enough that at last he woke up.

He gasped and looked around. J'sharra was beside him with worry written all over her face. L'lanya was gone, and there was no trace of the damp smell in the room.

He'd been dreaming again.

Seeing the look on his face, J'sharra asked, "Was it another nightmare? You were talking and then yelling in your sleep, and then your claws came out. I was afraid for you."

"That...monster used L'lanya as a means of controlling me," Tam'yn choked out as his voice broke and he began to sob with grief and anger and loss.

As J'sharra took him into her arms, he finally said goodbye to L'lanya, the K'iir he had first loved. She was gone into the light. He had to move on.

In a hoarse voice, he whispered, "I love you, J'esa;" finally admitting to himself what he felt. She simply held him as he let go of the past. She already knew what she felt for him, and now it was returned; even as the Light returned after the darkest night.

The sixth hour had come and gone, or nearly so; when Tam'yn finally settled onto the sleeping pad with J'sharra beside him. There was a Dream-Share "helmet" on his head. A Counselor was seated in the usual seat for a Dream-Share treatment. The only difference was that the robot T'oko was also connected into the Dream-share device on the Counselor's side of the unit. Dr. T'keron was watching both him and T'oko carefully, waiting to see if his theories about Tireno Alcys'ka's meddling were right.

A second Counselor pressed an injector against Tam'yn's left arm, over a visible vein. Slowly, Tam'yn slipped into the special "consciousness" of Dream-Share sleep.

He was standing in the water of Lake An'shal ,making his way along the shore after the first storm of the season. There was an emergency comms unit his hip and he had a first-aid and rescue pack on his back. This storm had been exceptionally fierce and several lake-shore houses and docks had been damaged. He had traveled two ta-ketra along the shore, and so far had found nothing irreparably damaged, although he had called in the damage he had found. There would be a lot of work here this season for window fitters and roofing layers thanks to the storm; and it would all have to be done before the storm season came on in full and winter started.

There were tree branches torn off by the storm and washed up on the shore along with water weed enough to make wading slow and hard, and smelly work. His legs ached from just wading through the smelly muck along the shoreline.

He had just rounded a big rock on the shore when he saw a body stretched out in the sand. It was filthy with water weed and mud, and all he could see was that it had on a life jacket. He hurried to the form and rolled it over.

L'lanya's lifeless eyes stared at him. He hit the emergency button on the comms unit and began CPR, pressing alternately on abdominal heart and thoracic heart to try to restore circulation.

Suddenly the body stirred and then sat up. L'lanya was unconscious but somehow she could speak.

"Kiss me, T'am-t'am. Our babies..."

She suddenly stopped and lay back down. She spoke one last time; "Tam'yn, I'm gone. You have to go on with your life. I loved you, but now you have to go on; just as I have." With those words, she was surrounded by a globe of light that rose up into the sunlight and faded away.

Tam'yn groaned one word, "No!" but that was all. He wept as he went back to pumping, trying to get a response. As he continued to work, he vaguely remembered her speaking, but she couldn't. She was unconscious, so she couldn't speak.

He kept working until his father grasped his hands and pulled him up so he could look in his father's face. There was sorrow in those golden eyes.

"She's gone, Tam'yn. She was hit by lightning when she stood up. You couldn't save her, she was already gone."

Then his gray-furred father sighed and said, "We need to tell your mother about this. L'lanya's family has been contacted. There is an emergency Healing station near Merenkon House, and that's where we'll be going now. We'll contact your mother from there. You need to warm up and get those shoulder and arm muscles to release, they feel like knots."

With a sob, he nodded and gave L'lanya one last glance, then turned away to go with his father. She was gone into the Light. Someday he would go there too. Maybe they would meet again; but for now, she was gone and he had to go on.

Slowly the dream world faded and he awakened to wet cheek fur and a throat sore with sorrow. L'lanya was gone. She was in the light now.

Then J'sharra kissed him and he held on to her tightly, an arm around her waist. L'lanya was gone. J'esa, now J'sharra was there and with him. She was alive.

And he truly did love her.

Slowly he sat up and looked around. The Dream-Share Counselor was staring at T'oko.

"I felt you changing his dream," the Counselor said in a subdued voice; "what was it that you were doing?"

T'oko's head swiveled to look at the awestruck Counselor and replied, "I detected the beginning of a command sequence in the death dream involving L'lanya Merenkon. I substituted the implanted sequence with one that held a truth that he already knew. The implant is no longer active and will dissipate over time. The death scene, unresolved, was one of the anchor points for a series of compulsions. It is now resolved and can no longer function."

"Like the emergency patterns I had tried with the volunteers long ago," Dr. T'keron commented thoughtfully, "and I think I see what Alcys'ka has done. Rather than specifically created situations, he has used existing memories and reinforced them to act as anchor points for a set of specific behaviors."

Tam'yn was growing confused and asked, "What do you mean, emergency patterns and existing memories? I had nightmares about L'lanya for cycles. Are you saying they were created?"

Dr. T'keron responded, "Not in the way you think. _ I_ was trying to make instant experts to deal with specific situations. The situations were simulated and had no reality. What happened to you was the tying of certain behaviors to actual memories as an anchor point in your mind. The stronger the memory, the more that could be tied to it."

He thought for a moment, then added, "The psychotic disturbances in the volunteers always manifested around the particular emergency they were being trained to deal with. In your case, they manifested as nightmares. The brain tries to keep what it considers important memories alive by using them as dream sequences, only in your case they were pain-filled and unhappy memories that gave you nightmares.

"Tireno Alcys'ka has become a monster, in doing things like this. He doesn't care how his victim suffers; only that his compulsion-set stays viable in the mind of the person he has used. I can't believe that once I admired him for his brilliance, but I did. Brilliant he may be, but he is also a cesspool of darkness to do something like this to another living being." The Doctor's voice held both anger and pain over what had been done with his creation.

T'oko spoke up, "Grandfather, please, calm yourself. I suspect that the other had no idea of what he was doing other than using strong memory patterns as attachment points for his programming. If that is the case, I should be able to deal with other strings I sensed but could not specifically locate. At the very least, these nightmares should settle down to less stressful versions of themselves as the implant degenerates and they cannot be an anchor point any longer. Eventually, they should end entirely."

The robot's head swiveled to look squarely at Tam'yn as he held J'sharra to him.

"I do not recommend any more treatments today, sir," he said quietly; "the chemistry in your brain is disturbed, and I would prefer you return to normal before another Dream-Share session.

"I would suggest a resting period of two days before we try another clearing. Make notes of your dreams, please; as they will be the most effective method of determining when you are ready for another session."

Tam'yn didn't care, not at the moment. He had his answer in J'sharra and held her close for a moment, then slowly released her. She kissed him on the cheek, and he returned the kiss on hers.

The Counselor took his helmet off with the words, "That mind is a lot more calm than the mind that wouldn't wake up a few days ago. I admit I was very skeptical of this, but 'Counselor' T'oko seems to have done what I couldn't. He has managed to calm this K'iir's mind a great deal, although I too suggest we wait a few days before we try this again."

"Thank you, T'oko," Tam'yn said huskily; "thank you so much."

"I am glad I can help," the robot replied; "It is not good for someone to feel the way you do. Sadness shortens lives. Sadness is a sickness to be treated when possible. I am just happy to be of help."

Tam'yn climbed into his float-chair and with J'sharra at his side, headed toward his cabin for a nap. He was tired; as tired as he had been when his father had taken his hands off L'lanya's hearts. His arm muscles ached too. A nap would give them a chance to rest.

Two hours later in his office in the nearly finished Guardian section of the ship, A'sallah read the reports from the Counselor, Dr. T'keron, and T'oko. His lips skinned back a little as he read the assessments of what had been done to Tam'yn an Yere'kos by a K'iir who had been entrusted with the training of members of the Imperial Court.

After making copies of them, he forwarded the reports to his superiors for action. The ring was closing on Alcys'ka. Even his highly placed "protectors" wouldn't be able to shield him from the charges of Treason and Sedition pending against him.

Before he and J'sharra returned to quarters, Tam'yn looked in on Tan'yel Kerel'yn. The guards now readily let them in and as he studied the worn features of the sleeping K'iir, now he could see some resemblance between himself and the K'iir in the bed. Both Tan'yel and Tam'yn's "father" were gray-furred. Both had dark ear tips, perhaps a family trait. Both were right handed, a minority on leftward T'Kiir'ah. Both were doers, not content to let life happen around them; they wanted to be in the middle of things or at the lead. His father had made his fortune in engineering and design, running one of the most successful design bureaus in the capital city of K'Arrah. Tan'yel had gone into the Guards and risen to the level of Imperial Palace Guardian; one of the highest-ranked groups in the Guardian system.

After that point, things changed. His father looked young and dynamic; the result of cosmetic surgery. Tan'yel looked worn. Tired...almost used up. Some of that tiredness was due to fatigue and a bad heart. That would be remedied.

Tam'yn smiled a little. He took after his father--his biological father. His looks didn't mean anything to him other than the aspect of being neat to the point of being somewhat vain about his overall appearance. He had scars and would have more. While he had his mother's coat of deep orange-red, he had his father's dark ear-tips; and he was beginning to develop wrinkles in his skin and fur from squinting when he was deeply focused on something. In that way, he was like both of the males he called "Father". "Cousin" Tan'yel had an unusually long set of pointed teeth on either side of his incisors, as he did himself. Likewise, his inner ears were cream colored like his "Cousin's" rather than tan, like his mother's and father's ears were.

Briefly, he wondered if he would need those teeth, although classically the T'Kiir'I fought with their claws, not their teeth.

In a few days, he was going to undergo a major operation to save this K'iir's life. Before, he hadn't really had a reason other than it was what was the right thing to do. Now he had a reason. He had a question to ask, and he wanted an answer.

He felt J'sharra squeeze his hand and looked up at her. He nodded and swung the float-chair in a circle to follow her out of the room and then back to their own.

_ "I wonder if I'll look like that when I'm in my fifties?"_ he mused as they walked to the transporter. He didn't know. He did know that J'sharra would be beautiful, always. He hoped she wouldn't get tired of her wrinkled and worn Companion. When they reached the transporter, she called out the setting for the access nearest their cabin.

His float-chair grounded as the transport capsule accelerated along the guide ways that carried it through the various parts of the M'Kereos.

Suddenly, he had an idea. "Transporter stop," he called out; "Re-direct to the Viewing area."

"Viewing area?" J'sharra asked, "what is that?" Her eyes were wide and her ears were raked forward with curiosity.

Tam'yn grinned; "Something special that I designed and had put on the ship. Under the control room, there is a space that used to have computers in it back when the M'Kereos was first commissioned. It even had its own air conditioning system to keep them cool. Computers have become a lot smaller over the years, and when the ship was being refitted I discovered the area was being used as a sort of trash dump. When I got done cleaning it out, I pulled some strings and had some special equipment installed in it. While it's on the ship's Guide list, not that many people go there yet. Most of the ones who use it are the scientists who aren't used to space travel."

"What is it?" J'sharra asked, now quite intrigued.

Tam'yn grinned, "Wait till the doors open and you'll find out."

The transporter came to a stop and his float-chair floated again. The doors slid open to reveal...

Ch 5: Wonders and Oddities

The Great Marketplace in Birrah City. Smells wafted into the transport capsule as the two T'Kiir'I moved slowly out of it and into a place over three hundred light cycles away. Sellers hawked their wares, animals made noises, and the scent of roasting meat and fresh spices surrounded them. The tang of the Birrahni atmosphere plucked at their noses and the heat of the Birrah sun beamed down on them. The only evidence that they weren't there was under their feet; there was a round area of ship's flooring where they were standing that was both smooth and slightly padded. Behind them was the transporter door. Everywhere else, the Great Marketplace took precedence of the senses.

J'sharra was amazed. Everywhere she looked, the Great Marketplace stretched into the distance. It was as though she were there, not on a secret planet out past the Imperial Rim.

Turning to Tam'yn, who was grinning like a fool, she asked, "How did you do this? It's like we're there, not on the M'Kereos."

Tam'yn managed to stop grinning long enough to explain; "Overlapping and synchronized holo-projectors running with environment simulation hardware and software. The smells are from concentrates that are blended to make what seems like the real thing. There are radiant heaters to simulate various places, and even water sprays to simulate fog or mist. The sound system is tied to the holo-projectors so as a source moves, the sound moves with it. This is looped for one Birallan day, and the computers can make it seem to be a week or more, set to Biralla time; not the ship's. All of the scenes are set to run on the time scale of where they were recorded, so days may seem longer or shorter than the ship's day-night cycle; it just makes them more realistic.

"There are over fifty scenes stored here, and I plan on recording and storing more of them when we get to this planet of Robot-makers we're looking for. That, if nothing else, should prove we have been there and added a new member to the Imperial family of planets."

J'sharra asked, "Are there any scenes of home? T'Kiir'ah? Could I see one of those?" There was a note of hope in her voice.

Tam'yn nodded like his head was on a spring. "Certainly," he said; and then called out, "Computer, show T'Kiir'ah, Lake An'shal: scene six."

There was a moment of visual strangeness as the view of the Marketplace faded out and Lake An'shal faded in.

They were standing on a short pier that reached out into Lake An'shal. It was nearing sunset, and the light on the end of the pier had come on. The lake was lapping at its shores and the scent of greenery and trees filled the air. A farming estate residence and settlement sat to the right, workers' houses sprawling over the landscape, spilling pools of light from their windows. The air was cool and damp, and the sounds of the land and lake whispered around them. They were there, not on a starship.

"This is Yere'kos House, where I was born and spent the first cycles of my life," he explained to a shocked J'sharra, "this is where I think of when I think of home. When we get back, I'd like to take you there--if you'd like to go."

J'sharra's eyes were tearing as she took in the scene that spread itself around her. She was suddenly very homesick. "I'd like to do that very much, Tam'yn. My family home is just a few Te-ketra around the lake," she replied in an emotion-husky voice as her hand found his and squeezed. He squeezed back.

"Do you have any pictures of Merenkon House?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but no. I don't. I was still hurting when I made these recordings," he admitted, "and Alcys'ka was making my life hell with his damned lessons. I couldn't go there without having flashbacks of finding L'lanya on the beach. That was probably his first bit of mind rape with me; using my grief and loss to..." he could speak no more. He let her hand go and sat in his chair making fists with his hands as his shoulders shook. Tears ran into his cheek fur.

J'sharra rubbed his shoulders and asked, "Are there more recordings of home? Could we see some of those?" She didn't want him to be so angry and in so much soul- pain. Anger was a shadow on the soul, keeping the Light away from it. Soul-pain twisted the soul into a crippled and weak parody of itself.

She realized they needed to begin his classes in Great Pyri's Way with him so he would hurt less. In time, he would Dance in counterpoint to her when they prayed together. They would become what the great teacher had called "Harmony in movement". He had finally admitted to himself what she had hoped for so strongly. He loved her as she loved him. Her prayers had been answered in the Light's own perfect way.

Now, though, she concentrated on rubbing his shoulders and getting him to relax and let go of the anger he was holding in both of his fists as they experienced wonderful images of their home world on a planet many light years away from its real location.

Four decks below them, Guardian A'sallah smiled. He had a response from his superiors, the Guardians who governed this planet and reported to the High Guardian Council on T'Kiir'ah.

The High Council had received his reports about Tam'yn an Yere'kos and had determined it was appropriate to pass them on to the Empress for her decision on the matter. She would respond with a determination of what actions were to be made.

Given who Tam'yn was, Her Rising Glory's response was almost a given.

Tireno Alcys'ka's days on T'Kiir'ah were numbered.

A'sallah hoped that Dr. T'keron could free both the Viceroy and an Imperial Guardsman from the grips of Alcys'ka's infernal conditioning. He hoped that the Traitor had kept notes on who he had conditioned; otherwise the whole Court and most of the Palace staff would have to be tested individually. That would be a monumental task.

Suddenly his jaw dropped open. How many lower-level Guardians had been corrupted? How many could still be trusted?

He began to pray to the Warrior's God that his own people, the Imperial Guard, were free of such sedition. If they weren't, the Empress's life was in deadly danger from her own Guardsmen.

Grabbing a dataplate, he began composing a warning to his own Commander and to the High Council on T'Kiir'ah. It would go out with the next transmission and be in someone's hands on T'Kiir'ah in a few turns (hours).

He just hoped it wasn't too late already.

In Healing, Tan'yel was muzzily wondering about the charges against him. That was about all he could do, given the medication in his system. One thing that he kept returning to was the question of "could he have done it?"

He remembered the call. Tinterro K'arilas had called him about a T'pon game. He had answered and Tinterro had apologized, saying that he had used the wrong comms address.

He had finished his reports and had taken them to First. Second had thanked him about the new Secure-ware in the comms system, and he had explained that the Guardians had installed it as a protection against any further attempts to claim or to otherwise communicate the location of this secret planetary base and prison.

Then he had returned to his quarters, taken a pill for his lower heart, and then napped. He had slept for over a turn, but got up as tired as he had been when he had laid down. That wasn't uncommon at all.

That, the Healers had warned, might be a side effect of the medication that kept his lower heart working properly; and he had accepted the warning with the medicine.

Wait. When had he been to a Healer to get the medicine in the first place? He had kept his problem a secret, since his increasing lower heart problems were grounds for removal from active status and being placed in an "Administrative" position until he could be persuaded to retire. He'd seen it happen to others.

He couldn't remember where he had obtained those pills; and he had been given a six segment supply of them, too. That wasn't right. Healers doled out hearts medicine by the double-tenday, not half a cycle's worth all at once.

Calling out, he managed to get someone's attention. It was a Healer. This Healer was wearing a combination of Guardian and Healer colors. Good.

"Hearts medicine. My quarters. What's in it?" he croaked.

"I don't know," the Guardian-Healer replied, "where did you keep it?"

"Desk, right top drawer," he managed to say before sleep and exhaustion claimed him.

The Guardian stood and thought for a moment. Then he activated his comms unit and called Team Leader A'sallah.

"We haven't inventoried all his belongings yet," A'sallah replied, then added," you say it was in his desk's right-hand top drawer? Let me check, and thanks."

Getting up, he went to the newly installed evidence lockers and unlocked the second one from the left. He stepped in and searched the packets and boxes for the contents of the desk, then found and opened the one marked "R. Top. Desk." There was an oddly sized Healer-blue bottle among the brushes, ink, and paper of writing supplies and unused data pads. He took it and after noting what he had taken, reclosed the packet and put it back in the locker, closing and locking the door.

Returning to his own desk, he opened the bottle and poured out some tiny white pills. They didn't look like hearts medicine at all. He carefully tasted one, then spat. This wasn't hearts medicine. His birth-sib had a hearts problem and she took the standard Healer-dispensed hearts medicine. It was coated so it released the medication slowly and was nearly without taste of any sort. This wasn't it.

Five marks later, he was in Healing looking for Healer J'nero. When he found him, he asked for an analysis of the bottle's contents.

The Healer opened the bottle and asked, "What's it supposed to be? Just so I know what to look for..."

"Hearts medicine," the Guardian replied. "It may be what we've been looking for regarding Tan'yel Kerel'yn and the case against him, if indeed he was being controlled by some implanted commands and doesn't remember anything."

Healer J'nero's eyes narrowed. He didn't like having to find evidence to use against his former Third Officer.

Seeing his look, A'sallah added, "If this isn't hearts medicine, I would like to know what it is. Usually Healers don't hand out this much of anything; they want to cure, not mask the disease. Kerel'yn says he is innocent. His cousin has definitely been mentally conditioned by means we know nothing about, and is in treatment to try to find a cure. I have evidence that indicates Kerel'yn may have been injured in the same way, but I need to know what it was he was taking; and why there is so much of it."

J'nero's eyes grew huge. "You think this is some kind of strange mental drug?" he asked in a surprised voice.

A'sallah nodded; " Possibly it's some sort of activator or key, and in any case I need to know why he had it, and why he was taking it," he replied.

"I'll get right on it, "Healer J'nero said hurriedly.

"Wait a moment, " A'sallah cautioned as he extended a receipt plate; "left thumb, please, and contact me when you have an answer."

Healer J'nero pressed his thumb against the data plate and waited as the stripe on the top turned blue. When it did, he glanced at A'sallah and when that worthy nodded, he strode off. He could have an answer if the drug was in the pharmacy in less than a turn.

A'sallah watched the Healer's tail twitch as he walked down the hallway. Good. Body language told him that this Healer would be careful because he valued Kerel'yn as a ship's officer, and thorough because he was curious. That was a good combination.

Given what he had learned from the Kerel'yn-'an Yere'kos report, he didn't fully trust anyone on the M'Kereos. Where two of Alcys'ka's puppets were, there could be more; deeply hidden and unaware of their own double nature. Said puppet would have to be awakened by their controller, usually with a phrase that was unusual enough to not be common speech. The voice in the recording had indicated there was at least one more puppet on board, too. Hopefully, there was only one more. Hopefully.

His mind strayed back to the Guardians on T'Kiir'ah and he shuddered. Warrior's god protect them from Alcys'ka's meddling. The thought of a puppet among the ones who protected the Empress made his claws reflexively slide out, then slip back in.

Well, at the moment, he could do nothing about it other than pray. Later, he would visit the ship's chapel. Now, he had a Guardian unit to finish choosing. There were a lot of volunteers to pick through, and they were all good.

He returned to the new Guardian quarters on the lower decks.

Tam'yn watched as J'sharra flowed through the movements of what she called "a simple, easy, practice dance" with a slightly dropped jaw. There was no way he could ever be that graceful.

Finally, she poured herself to a stop and smiled, "You see? It's easy to do. All you have to do is practice, first slowly, then faster till you can feel the Light moving within you. Once you're out of that chair, you'll pick it up in no time!"

"Ahh, J'sharra, how long did it take you to learn to move like that?" he asked curiously.

"Only six segments," she replied, "and that included learning the mediations and everything else."

"Uhhh," he pointed out, "I have, or I will have duties on the ship. It may take me a bit longer than it took you." He was trying to lower her expectations of him a little.

She walked slowly up to him and rubbed her cheek against his. "We will have all our lives to travel Pyri's path together," she said gently; "and we will both grow as a result of living in the Light and letting it shine through us. For now, I would like to start you on simple stretches that you can do on the sleep mat. They will help you feel better and your bones will grow stronger too. Pyri's system is used in many Healing centers for people who have been injured and need rehabilitation."

"I didn't know that," he said thoughtfully, "but from what I recall about my Tan'o training, my teacher said the same thing about exercise and muscles."

Looking up at the beauty before him, he husked, "And he wasn't as beautiful and loving as you are, J'sharra. I would like to spend all my days and nights with you beside me, J'sharra." There, he'd said it.

There was an odd brightness in her eyes as she responded, "I would like to spend all my days and nights with you, too, Tam'yn. Should we?" The hope was naked in her voice as she responded to his proposal.

He couldn't speak, he was so full of feelings; instead he nodded and finally managed to whisper, "Yes."

It was done. Now they would just need to register their Joining with First, and it would be legal and binding. The questions had been asked and answered as propriety required, and as many generations of T'Kiir'I had done in the past. They embraced, and he said good-bye to L'lanya for the last time as he kissed his Companion.

Later, as they sat on the sleeping mat together; he confided, "There's something you should know."

Her eyes were full of questions as she asked, "What?" Her ears were perked forward to catch his words.

"I've decided that instead of letting J'nero just clone my lower heart, that I want to donate some sections out of my lower heart to my father. He'll heel faster that way." He waited to see J'sharra's reaction to what he had said.

"Sections? Your father?" she asked in surprise, "who are you talking about?"

He sighed; so far, so good. Nerving himself, he continued.

"When Healer J'nero did the compatibility test on me as a potential cell donor for cloning lower heart sections for Tan'yel, he discovered something else," he explained; "he discovered that I'm a perfect donor candidate because somehow Tan'yel Kerel'yn is my biological father. Karavele'ka an Yere'kos is my mother, but Tan'yel is my biological father; not Tan'ero an Yerekon. I don't know how it came to be, but Tan'yel isn't my cousin: he's my father."

J'sharra's jaw hung open for a moment, then she shut it with almost a snap.

"H-how...?" she stuttered, then, "How did you learn that?" There was a huge question in her green-tinted eyes.

Tam'yn explained again; "When Healer J'nero did the compatibility test for having me donate cells to clone the replacements for the damaged tissue in Tan'yel's heart, he saw that we were very, very close genetically. That's good, since it means less reaction suppression when the transplant is made."

"I follow you so far," J'sharra replied, "but how did he find out about who your father was?" There was an odd, nervous note in her voice.

Tam'yn continued, "Apparently, we were so close genetically that J'nero got curious and ran the full scan. While my mitochondrial dna is my mother's, the nuclear dna is Tan'yel's. Why it is so, I don't know; but I felt that since he was my father he deserved more than three segments in bed while the sections were cloned and grown to usable size. I decided to donate sections instead; I'll have a scar and I'll have no energy while my lower heart heals and replaces the tissue that was taken, but in a segment or so--about when I get out of this chair, it'll be healed."

He looked into her eyes and added, "Somehow, that seemed the right thing to do."

Seeing the worry in her eyes, he asked, "J'sharra, what's wrong? You look shocked. What did I say that upset you?"

Now he was getting worried too. J'sharra's eyes were speaking volumes of fear and worry; and he had the feeling he was the source. What had he said?

In a small voice, J'sharra whispered, "Tan'yel and I are cousins. If you are his son, we may be too close for children." The last word was almost un-hearable, it was so low.

Tam'yn's jaw dropped in surprise. He hadn't considered this, but apparently J'sharra had. He could almost feel her worry, looking into her eyes.

"We get tested," he said with a confidence he didn't feel, "if we register our Companionship we need blood tests anyway, so why not do it now and get your fears out of the way. I believe we'll be far enough apart that it won't be a problem."

Then taking J'sharra's hand, he added; "And if we aren't far enough apart, we can adopt. Yes, I want children, but I want you happy, too. Please, J'esa, let's go get the tests done and stop worrying about what we don't know yet."

That got him a hug and a quick nod of her head.

As they readied themselves to leave the cabin, Tam'yn asked, "Do you mind if I call you J'esa occasionally?"

J'sharra turned and smiled; "No. That was my name when I first saw a wonderful and beautiful K'iir with my older sister and fell in love with him. I may be J'sharra now, but J'esa still loves you too."

Tam'yn felt the beginning of tears and damped them down. The feelings he had for this beauty who loved him were so intense...

Forty marks later in Healing, Healer J'nero found them in the waiting area and told them the results of their blood tests.

"Well," he began, "you two are both generally healthy with the exception of Tam'yn's weak skeleton. The Sora damage is nearly gone; you will start adding calcium to your bones normally as you eat and take the supplements I gave you."

Then he smiled, "You two are cousins, but you are only sixth cousins; and there is no reason to suspect negative genetic activity in your children. Healing will sign off positively on your petition for Companionship."

After Tam'yn and J'sharra kissed, he continued; "Your surgery has been scheduled for six days from now. It won't be done here; it will be done in the planet-side hospital. They have a way to do this transplant with less scarring and damage to you, making for a faster healing process."

Curious, Tam'yn asked, "How?" to which the Healer replied, "Micro-surgery, done by a surgical robot teamed with a living Healer. The entry will be no wider than two finger widths, and the muscle sections will be thinner than any flesh-and-blood Healer could manage. That means less trauma and faster healing of the wound.

"Your cousin will be in the same surgical space, and will receive the donation literally seconds after the tissue is removed from your torso, and it will be fastened into place with micro-sutures that will dissolve in roughly a segment. By then, the donation will have been incorporated into the receiver heart, and your cousin will be stronger and more healthy than he's been in cycles."

Then the Healer confided; "From what I was told, this is cutting edge medical technology being used to save the lives of injured Guardians. It is not in general release yet because of the costs of re-training the surgeons and in building the robots. It should be in limited release when we return from our mission, and in full use within two or three cycles after that.

"At first, the Healing Council held back on their endorsement because it was so new and so radically different. Then, when the demonstration model was used to repair an injured Guardian's eyes, they took another look at the system. When another Guardian with a similar problem healed in less than half the normal time, regained his sight totally, and had barely visible scarring under his fur, they granted approval. When the Empress read their report, she ordered it into full production."

Then he sighed, "Of course it takes time to make them and train the surgeons to use them; and naturally the Guardians get the first units; but by the Gods of Star and Space, we could definitely use one of them here on this ship. We won't get one, of course, but we certainly could use one."

Tam'yn had been listening with half an ear while he held J'sharra close to himself. He knew that the Healer was hinting that perhaps an Imperial Viceroy could get one of these things given to the M'Kereos. He thought for a moment to craft a suitable reply, then said; "Yes, the ship probably could; but if they are in limited release that would mean someone else wouldn't get theirs.

"You pointed out that we 'went back in time' to outfit this starship with things that wouldn't wear out or were designed to be used more than once. I suspect that this surgical robot only uses single use items, so we'd be in trouble trying to keep it supplied."

Then he summed things up with, "And by your own admission, the M'Kereos' crew are among the healthiest and fittest people in the Imperial Navy. The likelihood of our needing an admittedly specialized machine here in Healing can't be supported by the facts; and we have a Healing department with the best Healers the Fleet has to offer. We just don't need it enough to justify having one installed on the ship."

"There," he thought to himself, "all the verbal maneuvering I had to learn in Mother's Court has pulled me out of another potentially sticky situation, and Master Tireno had nothing to do with it."

The Healer sighed and nodded, "True, true indeed. As much as I would like to see the device in action, I doubt the Guardians would let me do so--given the secret nature of this planet."

Then he asked, "Why is it so secret that we can't even look outside? What could we see either during the day or the night that could compromise the secrecy surrounding this world?"

Although Tam'yn suspected he knew the secret, he shook his head and replied, "I have no idea, but since they are getting us fully capable of completing this mission, I don't want to bother them in any way. We're being resupplied with everything and getting a new Guardians-only fusion reactor; so I don't want to annoy them in the least."

J'sharra nudged him and murmured, "And it's time for your lunch, Tam'yn. I brought the suit rations you forgot, and there is a refectory on this level where the Healers eat. Afterwards, we can look in on Tan'yel and then you can go back to our cabin and rest while I check over the Security reports in Third's quarters." Her voice was gentle, but the firmness told Tam'yn that he had better do what she suggested.

Healer J'nero made it worse by chuckling. Then he offered to take them to the eating area himself. "I have to go deliver something to Guardian A'sallah," he explained, "and then I'll be back for lunch myself; I heard that we're having some of the native fish and from my experience with them, the cooks will have prepared something wonderful."

Since both Tam'yn and J'sharra liked fish, they took him up on his offer and were soon dining while the Healer took the transporter down to the new Guardian quarters.

A'sallah looked up as Healer J'nero knocked on the frame to an as yet un-installed door. He gestured the Healer to enter and waved him to a chair.

"You were fast with your analysis," he commented as the Healer settled himself into his seat.

"It was relatively easy to do, " the Healer replied, "These so called 'hearts pills' are nothing of the kind. They contain a publically available cardiac relaxant, a mild stimulant and a mild hallucinogen, wrapped up in a very bitter outer coating."

"The bitterness I already tasted," A'sallah responded, "but by the look in your eyes, you think they are something more than their contents would indicate."

The Healer nodded; "I suspect that, given the general theory about a second personality in Third Officer Kerel'yn, these pills are the key that unlocks it."

Seeing the curiosity in the Guardian's eyes, Healer J'nero continued; "The cardiac relaxant would make him sleepy, so the stimulant is obvious if you think of when this theoretical 'other personality' would activate. It is no wonder that Tan'yel Kerel'yn was tired all the time, these pills he took for his lower heart were robbing him of needed rest. The hallucinogen would make it easier for another personality to manifest, and the unnecessarily bitter coating on the pill's surface could well be an activator for this other personality."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" A'sallah asked curiously.

"I spoke to a colleague in Counseling about what they would use a hallucinogen for, and we Healers use bitterants for behavior modification. It was simple, once I knew what the hallucinogen was for," the Healer explained.

"Counseling uses hallucinogens?" A'sallah asked in surprise; "where, when?"

"The Dream-share system uses hallucination along with a dream cycle stimulant coupled with a mild relaxant," Healer J'nero answered, "that's how the system works to make dreams happen in the active mind. As a matter of fact, the very same hallucinogen is present in those pills you gave me to test, and I'm beginning to suspect it was for the same reason; to bring what is essentially a dream into a waking mind."

He summed up his theory by saying, "Tan'yel Kerel'yn was essentially sleep-walking when this other personality was active. I wager that Counseling will say the same thing if you present them with what you have found out on your own coupled with my analysis of those pills."

The Healer shook his head. "The whole concept is diabolical if it is real," he said slowly, "and if I'm right, anyone can be a part of this thing with no idea that they are. I cannot believe someone would do this, but the facts seem to contradict me in this situation, and that worries me a great deal."

Grimly, A'sallah replied, "It should. We've had experiences with other people who have been 'programmed', and they haven't been good or productive of anything but destruction. When Tam'yn an Yere'kos asked about dreams and almost uncontrollable fits tied to words, I was afraid he was one of these people himself, but it would take Dr. T'keron to find out. Given his situation with us, I was leery of letting him on this vessel, but he insisted that he had to come and see if this young K'iir was maybe someone who had escaped being completely enthralled by Tireno Alcys'ka's device, and he was. He had managed to get away by entering the Imperial Navy, and that was something the old traitor couldn't do anything about without tipping his hand."

He continued, "All he could do was to make it impossible for an Yere'kos to tell anyone about what had been done to him, and he did that sloppily; I suspect he had a limited window of access to the K'iir and had to do a quick and sloppy suppression of his memories and programming, and he didn't do it well enough."

A'sallah grinned without humor as he spoke, "Now we have a key to Tireno Alcys'ka's methods and protocols, and as Tam'yn an Yere'kos is treated we'll learn how to deal with others we've identified but can't do anything about other than watch them and keep them from doing anything dangerous.

"Thanks to one young K'iir's nightmares, we have a handle on something we've been stymied on for two and a half cycles. His cousin finally gave us a name he couldn't have known in a situation he had no idea about. These two K'iir may well have saved our Empire from the most profound threat it has ever faced."

Healer J'nero was stunned at the revelation. "I-is it that bad?" he hesitantly asked the Guardian.

A'sallah stared at him and bluntly replied, "Every 'Lady in Service to the Empire', our source of future Empresses, has been given their 'Courtly Manners' by Tireno Alcys'ka. He's had access to every single candidate for the Sunrise Throne. We, that is the Imperial Guardians High Council, are almost certain that if the Empress isn't ousted by a change in the laws of succession, she will be betrayed by the woman she chooses to sit on the Sunrise Throne.

"Either way will bring about the ending of the Empire we know and will likely be the cause of civil war within the Empire."

The look in the Guardian's eyes chilled the Healer to his soul. Healer J'nero was a child of the Sunrise Empire, and had thought it would go on forever. Now he knew it wouldn't, not unless some sort of miracle happened.

He was at a loss as to what sort of miracle it would need to be, though.

Tam'yn was settled back in his and J'sharra's cabin and was going through a recent issue of "Fleet Engineer", a periodical published by the Imperial Navy and subscribed to by virally every Engineer and would-be Engineer in the fleet. Others had subscriptions too; usually commercial shipbuilders and power-plant makers, knowing where the Navy was going in its engineering work was a key way to gain lucrative government contracts.

He had just finished an article on the relative merits of electron-discharge machining versus standard computer-controlled machining in making small parts, when there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," he called, hoping it was J'sharra. It wasn't. L'lanya walked into the room looking as had when they had parted at the inn; he to go ask his parents for their blessing on their Joining, and she to do the same. She wasn't dead anymore.

She smiled. "Thank-you, T'am. I'm free now and I can go on. Love J'esa for both of us, please; she deserves it. As for me, now I can go on and not be trapped in your memories of me. Good-bye, beloved. Remember me with love, not fear."

Then she faded, like a holo image going out. The only thing that was left of her was a faint glow where she had been...and then that was gone too.

He sat there with his jaw gaping. He wasn't asleep. He hadn't been dreaming.

Finally finding his voice, he said to the air, "I will, L'lanya. I promise that I will," and as he spoke he felt a sense of peace come over him. Somehow, L'lanya had been freed.

Acting on impulse, he floated over to the desk where he had stored the Viceroy's bracelet after he had taken it off. Unlocking the drawer, he slid it open.

The bracelet sat where he had put it, glowing in defiance of the nature of glowstones. They had to be warmed to give off their namesake light, and a touch told him this stone was cold, as cold as the air in the room.

He picked it up and held it, looking at the gentle light it gave off. "I'm not afraid anymore, L'yrel. I know it will be difficult, but I'm not afraid; and I have J'sharra to teach me."

With tearing eyes and aching throat, he whispered, "Go on, L'yrel; go...into the Light and--and be complete...and thank you. Thank you for so much, sister. I'll be the best Viceroy I can be, like Mother needs me to be, and with J'sharra's help I will finish your work here. If it's out there, I'll bring the proof back to T'Kiir'ah." By the time he was done, he was sobbing and his cheeks were sodden with grief.

The glow pulsed, then pulsed again, brighter; and then pulsed very brightly one last time and then it was gone. The glowstone still glowed, although not as brightly as before. Briefly, he felt a pair of arms hold him and there was a tiny breath of a kiss on his cheek...and then L'yrel was gone, yet the glowstone still gave off its radiance; if a bit dimmer than before. Was there someone beside L'yrel in that stone? He didn't know, other than his sister was now fully a part of the Light that she had delayed joining to help him. The stone glowed; but she had gone onward into the Light. For now, that was enough.

He carefully put the bracelet back in its drawer and closed it, locking it in the process. He sat in his float-chair and thought long and hard about his life.

When J'sharra returned, he asked her to show him the first parts of Pyri's Way.

Later, when she asked him what had happened, he told her everything. She nodded, "The way of the soul is the way of the light, and love is a part of that light," she said; "and you are loved very much." She snuggled close and said, "Remember, beloved, that whatever happens, you are loved."

That evening, despite Healer J'nero's restrictions, they sealed their Companionship physically. Tam'yn slept beside the center of his world, and J'sharra slept beside her childhood first love. Both were completely happy.

And for the first time in years, Tam'yn had dreams that were not nightmares.

1. Exploration

Tam'yn waited for the transport-flier that was going to take him and Tan'yel to the planet-side Guardian hospital with growing annoyance. They had been waiting for nearly a turn, there in the ship's hangar. J'sharra waited beside him a bit more patiently.

She was staying on the M'Kereos. As ship's Security officer, she had no choice. They had spent the night before in each other's arms and in the sleep space; each finding new delights in their partner, each deepening the bond between the themselves and their other, their completion, their Companion.

Three days ago, they had registered their Joining and Companionship with First, who wasn't in the least surprised by their action. After the usual warnings about the dangers of spaceflight, he had signed off and put his seal on their petition. That night, they had celebrated.

Two days ago, he had undergone a second Dream-Share session, this time with T'oko and two Counselors in the loop.

That session had been sickening, given the images which had been called up and neutralized. Tam'yn realized that Tireno Alcys'ka had sought out the strongest anchors in his victim's mind without regard for what they were. As long as they were strong and recurring, they were used.

When the session was over, T'oko had said something both odd and hope inspiring; "I can find fewer sequences in your mind, Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, than I had thought I would find, far fewer than what I sensed in the first session. As grandfather suspected, the assistance and de-stressing of the major death anchor point has shown your own mind how it can be done. Your own mind is dealing with some of these things on its own and without any external involvement. This is a good thing, since as your mind learns how to un-make these compulsions and does it with the weaker ones, it means you will need fewer of these treatments to achieve freedom from the other one's conditioning."

Dr. T'keron had chuckled and commented, "That happened with some of the volunteers, too. They simply forgot what they had been taught; usually because they had either known their training was situational in its nature, or they avoided unconsciously anything that could reinforce their training."

Tam'yn had responded, "Given that what that bastard used as anchor points were things that I intensely disliked or caused me mental pain yet had to deal with often enough to keep them in my mind; forgetting them or whatever T'oko and I managed to do is something of a relief.

"It sounds odd, but my mind feels somehow lighter and less boxed in. While I don't see any differences, I feel both lighter and less restricted than before."

J'sharra commented after thinking a moment; "In a sense you are less hemmed in. Those things must have seemed like walls to your spirit, blocking the Light away, and now they are gone. It was probably some protocol that Alcys'ka had developed to keep control over his victims."

She had waited to see if he responded to that trigger word she knew so well. He hadn't. When he realized what had happened, they had laughed and kissed. He was free of an ancient terror at last!

Now, he waited beside his cousin Tan'yel for the special shuttle that would transport him to the local planetary hospital. The Viceroy's bracelet was on his right wrist and its key was in his pocket. He looked at the safety warnings on the wall and sighed. They were exactly the same ones he'd seen in Engineering, two decks up.

From the bed came a chuckle, "They probably don't have any idea how to transport an Imperial Viceroy properly," Tan'yel said in a weak but clear voice, "although I still don't know why they can't do the cloning work here on the ship. They are certainly set up for it." He didn't know that there would be more than cloning going on. Tam'yn didn't want him to know until after it had been done. He didn't want to add any stress to his newly discovered father while he was so weak.

"They have a new system," he temporized, "smaller incision for one, and their cloning unit is more advanced than the one we have on the M'Kereos. I suspect they want you there to test so they're sure we're close enough for the cloning to work."

There was a snort from the bed; "Healers, they always want things in triplicate; even your blood for their tests. I've never seen a hospital yet that took someone else's data at face value; they always need to re-run a few things 'just to be sure'. If they were running the Navy, we'd still be in boats on the surface throwing padded rocks at each other; gently, so we didn't get hurt."

Tam'yn and J'sharra both laughed at that one. Healers were very conservative about things, and tended to view new forms of treatment with cautious eyes as well as being generally disapproving of anything they considered dangerous.

Finally, a flyer pulled into the landing bay. The M'Kereos's hull doors were open but the safety force field had been tuned to block light, so the vessel had seemed to come through a black bubble into the landing area.

A door opened in the side of the flyer and a group of Guardians stepped out, one of them headed toward the spot where Tam'yn and his "cousin" were waiting. By the amount of braid on his uniform, he was someone important.

He proved the theory by approaching the two of them and rendering an impeccable salute. Tam'yn and J'sharra returned it smartly while Tan'yel made a half-hearted gesture that flopped against his chest.

The Guardian with the braid nodded curtly and said, "I am Planetary Guardian officer Arkenya an Trelissa, and I have the honor of being your guide and assistant while you are on this world, your Radiance and Third Officer Kerel'yn. I am prepared to conduct you to Guardian Hospital no.3 for your treatment."

He gestured, "The Commandant's Gig is at your disposal while you are here."

"Just as long as we don't look outside?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"Hardly that," the Guardian replied smoothly, "as the Empress's Viceroy, there are no secrets kept from you, and Guardian Kerel'yn is sworn to secrecy already."

He unwound a bit and added, "We also just used it to transport some of the new Guardian detail who will be stationed onboard this ship, and getting the files straightened out slowed things a bit. It is, however, now at your disposal and will be for the duration of your stay with us."

"Then let's be going, Guardian officer Trelissa," Tam'yn said in a relaxed tone, "and have this procedure done."

He was saluted again but had to wait while Tan'yel's bed was loaded into the flier first. J'sharra kissed him and departed; as new Ship's Third officer she had work to do. He watched her walk away and into the ship's transporter, and then sighed. He would miss her.

As they waited, he made an aside to the officer who was standing beside him; "My cousin thinks this is clone donation. I would prefer that he continues to think so."

The officer nodded, "As you say, your Radiance. I was wondering about that; transplants are usually between immediate family."

Tam'yn replied, "In a sense we are, genetically. I'm glad about that, since he and I are close; actually, it was this sudden sickness of his that caused me to realize how close we really were. I'm just happy to be able to help him out."

The officer cleared his throat; "About the charges against him...?"

"A ruse. Tan'yel doesn't realize it yet; A'sallah came up with it to flush out any more puppets on the ship," Tam'yn replied, "It's rough, but Alcys'ka's puppets pose a deadly threat to this mission." As the words tumbled out of him, he realized his time in his mother's Court had taught him how to dissemble, to twist the truth into something that served his overall plan of things. He was a bit surprised and a little ashamed.

Not a word was untrue, but together they presented a picture quite different from what had actually happened.

Then the Planetary Guardian officer said something that made his jockeying worth it.

"You may not need the ruse much longer, your Radiance," he said sincerely, "Tireno Alcys'ka departed T'Kiir'ah for this world last night. Her Rising Glory, the Empress, is going to proclaim a three-day time of reflection on his passing, ahh, into the light." Then he grinned savagely.

Tam'yn managed not to gape. He hadn't imagined the plan to remove Alcys'ka was so advanced. This indicated it had been in place for some time, waiting for sufficient evidence to put it in action.

According to A'sallah, his cousin Tan'yel had provided that evidence the same way he had; a voice like Alcys'ka's voice asking him who owned him. Dr. T'keron had provided the voice and Tan'yel had reacted exactly the way he had. That was damning evidence, since it had been recorded (what went on in Confinement was constantly recorded). Since there was no way Tan'yel could have known how he, Tam'yn, had responded; and since he'd responded instantly, without even time to think, Tireno Alcys'ka had been damned by his own arrogance.

Tam'yn smiled a little as he floated aboard the flyer for the trip to the hospital and grounded in place beside a window. Finally, the bug-catcher was out of its protective web. In this case, the web was of connections to important Houses, and more dangerous than any insect's trap.

He was thoughtful as the flier slipped out of the M'Kereos into the light of day, leaving the huge starship and the activities around it behind them. He also saw the thing he had suspected but had possessed no proof about; there were two stars in the sky, not one.

The perfect disguise. Double stars didn't have planets; over three hundred surveys had made the fact quite clear. Having a doubled star meant no planetary nebula and no planets. At the most extreme, only four double star systems had been found that even had rings of asteroids near the edge of their gravitational influence. There was nothing in them that could support life. Double stars ate planetary nebulas when they were young, and if a single star had attracted a stellar partner, the denser of the two would consume any planets or proto-planets in orbit around its lighter partner. Double stars were barren fires in empty space, lighting nothing within their grasp heavier than dust.

Except here. This pair of suns looked down on a green and living world existing against all the rules of system and planet formation. Nobody would look here, or think to look for planets orbiting this pair of suns. They just did not happen. Except here.

And that was all that mattered.

The Planetary Guardian officer caught him looking at the solar display and smiled; the Empress's Viceroy was impressed. Good. He, along with the entire governing staff and the free population were proud that their special world had attracted such Imperial attention, even if by accident.

On a world that was not allowed to have a name, that had no presence in the Empire or its councils and had to wait for off-world supplies to arrive at a colony world and then be transferred to this planet; any Imperial interest was a thing of importance.

The Planetary Third officer had been born here, raised here, schooled here and trained here. With the exception of a visit to a Guards installation on a Guardian Monitor space habitat to be sworn in, he had never been off the planet. Some might say he was provincial.

He was not. He was proud to be a member of the organization which kept the peace and assured order in a huge Empire stretched across eight hundred light years and administered justice to every planet within the Sunrise Empire.

For the first time, an Imperial Viceroy was on his homeworld; a living representative of the Empress and Empire he had vowed to serve. Perhaps this Viceroy was here for surgery, but nonetheless an Imperial Living Presence walked (figuratively) the soil of the world he privately called "Home" and breathed its sweet-scented air.

He would tell his children about this. The Empire their father served was a living presence on their world, Home, today.

The only thing greater would be the presence of the Empress herself; although her presence here would be a thing of tension and fear--this was an Imperial Sanctuary world. The Empress's presence here would mean she was in hiding and the Empire she had ruled would be falling into chaos. Her life would be at risk elsewhere, if she were here.

Thus, the presence of a Viceroy was something to celebrate; it was the greatest occasion for people to be happy; not afraid, not working the defenses around this world. All in all, this was the best that could be hoped for, and it had happened on his watch.

Tam'yn watched the scenery flash by. In many ways it looked like T'Kiir'ah, except that the vegetation was green rather than the normal blue. In the distance, odd trees rose above the vegetation as pointed spires, tall and majestic.

Then on the land flashing below them, squares of blue began to displace the green as they entered an area of cultivation. Rows of reddish Tala, the source of flour for bread, marched along while farther away yellowish plants grew in similar neat rows.

"Perhaps this planet has edible grains too," he thought to himself; "I know the leafy vegetables that grow here are quite edible. Perhaps that is what makes this a Sanctuary world; we can live here even if the rest of the Empire goes bust. In time we would regain the stars and begin to re-make things as they were..."

Then he asked himself that if the Empire did die, would his people want to re-create the system as it had been? He realized that he didn't know the answer to that question, and it bothered him. He felt that he should know, but inside himself there was no certainty of things anymore other than his love for J'sharra.

He was saved from further introspection by the slowing of the flyer as it entered what was obviously settled land. Soon they were flying over a middle-sized city built along a river with a towering structure at its center. He assumed the tower was the administration building, given where it sat within the city.

He was wrong, he realized, as the tower became their obvious destination.

That was confirmed when the flyer settled into a landing slot about a third of the way up. They were whisked from the flyer into the building in moments, and were soon in a room full of equipment. While the staff were polite and deferential, it was obvious that they were being readied for surgery. Tam'yn was whisked out of his chair and into a bed, losing his clothing at the same time. Only the Viceroy's bracelet stayed on his wrist.

That had Tan'yel looking around warily until finally his eyes fastened on Tam'yn, once they were alone with only a servant robot to assist them.

"All right, Tam'o;" he said in a no-nonsense voice, "what's happening here? I may not know much when it comes to Healing, but this is not preparation for a clone donation. What is it preparation for, then?"

Tam'yn looked steadily back and replied, "I'm donating, yes; but I'm donating for transplantation, not cloning. As father and son, we're genetically close enough to do that."

Tan'yel stared at his son for an eternity and then collapsed back into the bedding, his ears down. "How long have you known this?" he asked bleakly, as pain filled eyes sought Tam'yn again.

"Since the pre-cloning genetic tests," Tam'yn replied soberly, " a Healer told me in my cabin once he was sure. We were alone at the time, and the Healer in question erased the data, so nobody else would find out."

Looking around, Tan'yel asked confusedly, "And you're doing all this? Why? You should hate me for what I've done..."

At a gesture, Tam'yn had the robot move his bed moved nearer Tan'yel's so he could speak in a slightly lower tone of voice; "Because this is the right thing to do," he said, surprising himself with the force in his voice; "and I have a chance to do it rather than watch it being done."

Then he added, "Because I know that you did whatever you did for the Empire, not for yourself. You aren't that kind of K'iir."

Lowering his voice again, he continued, "I lost my birth-sister not long ago and you lost a daughter. I don't want you to follow her, not yet; not till you have played with your grandchildren up by Lake An'shal. I want to know why this happened, too; but only if you want to tell me."

Then, surprising even himself, he blurted out, "Because you are family, and J'esa and I need you!" There were tears in his voice, now.

Slowly, Tan'yel sat up in his bed and looked over at his son. Slowly, he smiled at the K'iir in the bed next to his. This was his son; the male half of the twins every T'Kiir'i female gave birth to. The child of the woman he still loved, even though she was Companioned with his best friend. He extended a hand and his son took it, both of them squeezing hard.

"You've grown up a lot in these last few days," Tan'yel husked, " J'sharra was right; you just needed the right people to help you be yourself. I will tell you now, though; about why we're related the way we are--I don't trust waiting for the 'right moment' in something like this, especially when surgery is involved.

"It's simple. Your father caught Lake Fever when he was young. Now, there's a treatment for the residual effects, but back before you were born, there wasn't. He was virtually sterile. I wasn't. We had both paid court to your mother when we were younger, and we were all good friends; having come from the same area.

"The Empress was pressing your mother to get pregnant. I think she had her eye on her as a replacement even then. When a cycle had passed and she still hadn't conceived, she and your father asked me to help them satisfy the Empress.

"I never touched your mother, although I still do love her very much. It was a 'donation' that got her pregnant and got her appointed to her position of 'Lady in Service' just two cycles after she had given birth to you and your sister L'yrel. Since then, your father has been treated, and Terel and Le'ahn are his, not mine."

"It's just that simple," Tan'yel said gently, although there was a lot of pain in his voice as memory wrapped around him.

"That's why you were always around," Tam'yn husked back, "you were watching your children grow up."

Tan'yel nodded; tears in his eyes, "And they both have done well. I can't believe that Alcys'ka got his hands on me, though; but it's obvious that he did. How he could have done that to me is a mystery."

Tam'yn shook his head, "He got to me, and I had guards around me all the time once I was old enough to leave the apartments. I don't think he got to L'yrel, though."

"No," Tan'yel agreed, "she was always with her mother, learning the craft of negotiation and deal-making. Alcys'ka wouldn't have had a chance with her, not the way your mother kept her eye on her. Karavele' would have seen the change in L'yrel instantly and Alcys'ka knew it."

Then he slumped back in his bedding and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then he said, "Your father and I took turns watching the family, too; since your mother was constantly dealing with Court and Empire matters. Your father--Tan'ero--was starting to see his design bureau grow and it took more and more of his time; so that left me to watch over the Imperial family as a Household Guardian..."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, T'am'o. It looks like the bastard got both of us. At least L'yrel was spared all that." The pain in his voice was more pronounced now, tinged with sorrow.

Tam'yn sat up in the bed. "Tireno Alcys'ka wouldn't have stood a chance with L'yrel," he stated, "considering how focused she was. I think mother was grooming her for Imperial Service herself; I know she was taking extra classes with special tutors. She told me she had won an Imperial Scholarship, and we both know what that means."

There was the ghost of a smile in Tan'yel's voice as he replied, "Yes. She was part of that tiny bit of one percent who might someday be chosen as Empress, just like her mother had been. Gods of star and space, why did she have to die in that Runner explosion? Why did the drive have to fail on that ship?" The last words were full of agony.

Tam'yn felt coldness in his stomach as he realized Tan'yel hadn't connected what had been said in the transcript with himself yet. He said a silent prayer that his "cousin" not connect the dots until after the surgery; Tinterro had as much as admitted to rigging the explosives in that ship too.

Further consideration was interrupted by the entry of four gowned Healer-2's. They weren't masked yet, but it was obvious that they were going to be involved with the surgery.

The tallest seemed to be in charge. She said, "Time for us to work and both of you to sleep. When you wake up, it will all be over. I'm told you will be returning to your vessel as soon as you are stable, which is a real pity since Home is at its most beautiful right now."

Her eyes scanned them as she said, "We are doing a transplantation of healthy tissue from the donor's lower heart to the recipient's lower heart and we're removing some of the scar tissue from the recipient heart in the process. You should both recover in about the same amount of time. The recipient will have to undergo some training to get their body used to a more normal blood flow. Sixty risings from now, you should both be healthy and recovered fully."

Then she grinned, "And all there will be to show of the surgery is a small scar the width of three fingers, since this is all being done by specially developed robotic devices which need a lot smaller incision to get in and do their work. I've assisted on two other operations with these machines, and I tell you they are the future of Healing and they were developed here on Home by one of our citizens."

"You seem rather excited," Tam'yn commented as the Healer fastened an inflatable cuff around his right upper arm for something. She nodded, "I'm in training to use these robotic devices as a surgeon's assistant. They are incredible!"

Tam'yn chuckled as he felt a hypo-spray press against his upper arm, and then asked, "Is Doctor T'keron the inventor?" For some reason, that was funny to him too.

Seeing the Healer-3 nod had him chuckling even more, in fact everything seemed funny as the lights went out.

In the other bed, Tan'yel was a bit less excited over the upcoming surgery. He had a lot to think about, now that T'am'o knew the truth about him. He was glad that the young K'iir--his son-- hadn't been angry over...then he too stopped thinking as the sedative took effect.

On the M'Kereos, J'sharra was going through Third's work records, as she had been doing ever since Tam'yn had been taken to the hospital, looking for possible leads to the possible other puppets on the ship when there was a knock on the door-framing as A'sallah stepped into the combination room and office and sat down unannounced. He looked worried, very worried about something.

At J'sharra's curious glance, he said, "It seems the charge against Third for the murder of Tinterro Kailas is going to be dropped; in fact it has to be dropped."

"Why?" she asked, surprised and not a little relieved at the news.

"Because Tinterro Kailas is alive and well and on Imperial Colony world Israka-4. He's all of four cycles old and his parents live on one of the communes out in the wilderness. Imperial Security took the prints from the corpse and matched them to one Mikero Althas, a known bomb-maker and Imperial criminal with a reward for his capture, living or dead," A'sallah said in a worried tone of voice; "but the ship's computers say the opposite. They say the deceased is in fact Tinterro Kailas."

"Drok" J'sharra muttered; then asked, "Do you know how badly the Ship's personnel computers are compromised?"

A'sallah shook his head. "We'd like permission from ship's Security to do a scan of the people on board the ship and compare the data with what the Imperial Security computers say. That will mean having to do a scan on every single person, both crew and scientists, without letting them know about it."

J'sharra countered, "Why not do a general scan of each compartment? Every Navy member has an I.D. number with their personal data. Compare the I.D. number with who it should be, and find the people that way?"

"Problem is, everything on Mikero Althas's implant chip said he was Tinterro Kailas," A'sallah replied, "the identity cover was complete, down to an I.D. pay number. You are the only Service that does that. We found out who the dead one was by physical means, not electronic ones. That means the electronic identifications are all suspect as of the present, and we know there are likely two more puppets onboard given what Kerel'yn said in the recording."

J'sharra said nothing for a moment as she thought about how the other unknowing puppets could be found out without tipping Security's hand. She asked, "What, precisely, were the tests that revealed Mikero Althas as who he was? He'd been dead over two days, so most biometric details would have been unusable due to the breakdown happening to his body in the Scout."

A'sallah looked surprised for a moment and then relieved as he replied; "Finger-prints for the most part. The forensics people were a little bothered when they saw that both chip implant sites had been recently disturbed and the skin force-grown to try to hide the fact. One implant change wouldn't be all that remarked on, but both sites got them checking other means of identification on the deceased. When they tried a finger-and-toe ridge scan, the scanner started beeping before they had done all the extremities. Althas was a high profile terrorist and assassin-for-hire and is a part of the constant update system we keep on that sort of lowlife."

He smiled, "It's the dream of every investigator to find a recent trace of some high-profile criminal, since it increases our chances of catching them. In this case the forensic examiners ran the test twice to be sure before they contacted Guardian Planetary Central. We sent an investigator to them immediately with a secondary physical scanner and she verified who the deceased was independently of the forensics laboratory."

"That took Kerel'yn off the hook for murder, since Althas was a capture-or-kill criminal, and he killed him without question," A'sallah continued, "but he said something about 'waking up' someone on the crew, and we don't know who it is."

J'sharra smiled; "Actually we do have an idea," she said happily, "it would have to be someone who could have been conditioned by Tireno Alcys'ka. Since he hasn't been out of the Imperial Capital in over twelve cycles for a long enough time to indoctrinate any puppets, we can pare down the suspects with a fair certainty of not letting a puppet get through our screens."

She spun in her chair and grasped a dataplate, then spun back and handed it to A'sallah with a little flourish, saying; "These are the other suspects that Tan'yel and I were developing in the murder investigation of the person we thought was Tinterro Kailas. They all joined the ship at the same time he did, and they were from the same location, Crew Assignment Station 4. All of them came from T'Kiir'ah to Station 4 less than a segment prior to their assignment to the M'Kereos. Some of them are low likelihood puppets, since they are not in any crafts that take them away from where they work, and those crafts are low security so they wouldn't be able to wander the ship at their leisure."

A'sallah was reading the dataplate with interest. "Cooks? Tailors? A musician? Three musicians" he said, disbelieving his eyes; "Those aren't Navy personnel?"

"They are Navy personnel, yes;" J'sharra explained, "but they aren't active Crewpersons. They are contracted civilians who are trained to Navy standards, but serve in a non ship-sensitive manner. They are a step above the scientists, who are passengers; but below actual Crewpersons in duty description. The Navy contracts with them for services since it's cheaper that way. They are trained in basic Navy protocols and responses, but their skills are not classed as 'Navy' skills. They are professionals, but not crew, and they don't have crew access to things on the 'ship' side."

She continued, "They have their areas on the ship, and they tend to stay there. The doors and hatches won't open for them if they lead to 'Navy-only' areas like engineering or life-support, and if they try to enter a Navy area with someone else they set off an alarm unless it's an approved visit."

Suddenly she sat straight up in surprise; "That was why Althas was re-chipped! He had to have a Navy-issue I.D. chip, not a civilian one!"

Now confused, A'sallah asked, "What's the difference between a Navy identity chip and the ones that most of the rest of us wear? I've wondered at that since I learned the Navy used different and unique identity chips on their personnel, like we Guardians do."

J'sharra explained, "Memory, for one. Our identity chips have to have space for roughly four times the data regular identity chips have, and they have to be able to operate farther away from the sensor unit than non-Navy ones do. Where general identity chips use one channel for data transmission, ours use two channels on different frequencies from non-Navy ones.

"It's about security and about safety; if you aren't qualified for what's on the other side of a door or port or hatch, it won't open for you. If there is a vacuum on one side of a door, you need to tell the door that you are vacuum-qualified and wearing a proper p-suit to be able to go through the doorway. Your personal I.D. chip says you are qualified, and the p-suit tells the door what kind of suit it is, and if the combination is correct, the door opens.

"That keeps people from getting injured by walking into places they aren't safe to be in. One whole computer group is detailed to monitor door openings and closings..."

She suddenly stopped, shocked, and stared at an equally shocked A'sallah. "We can check on people from there," A'sallah breathed, "since you Navy-types may have something going with this special chip you wear. We can track the them and see who they contacted and when. If Kerel'yn was talking to someone when he was supposedly sleeping, we have a lead we can follow."

Then he observed, "You know, Security officer J'sharra, when you smile like that you look like a rather hungry carnivore watching its prey."

J'sharra kept smiling, but there was no smile in her voice; "That's because I'm hungry for a capture so this ship can get on its way and find that planet of Robot-makers. I don't like being stuck on even the most wonderful planet when it means keeping my Empress waiting for something."

A'sallah's ears came to point as he studied the Security officer seated across from him. The exotic "K'Pyri Dancer" image in his mind did not square with the focused young K'iir seated across from him in the least. She acted and sounded like the well trained Security Officer she was, rather than the half-mystic religious person he'd originally thought her to be.

He briefly considered offering her a spot in the Guardians, then realized she wouldn't take it. She was obviously focused on this ship, its Viceroy, and her duties to both.

With new respect, he asked her how she would check on the suspect persons aboard the M'Kereos and got a surprise in her answer.

"The contracted people are wearing identity chips like everyone else," she explained, "but the second channel is shut down in their chips because they aren't Crew. I can tell the scanners to try activating both channels in their group of identification chips, and if one of them responds, we'll have our puppet. Contracted people shouldn't have any data in the second channel since they don't need it, not being Crew with Crew training and experience. If the second channel is active, it will be with the specialty the puppet is supposed to have as a Crewmember and not as a contractor; and it will give us an idea of what other sabotage our enemies may have ready to use on us."

She smiled again, "At least it's a start, and they won't know it's being done to them."

"How long will this take?" A'sallah asked, wondering whether it might take too long and they would be space-born before they found the other puppets.

"I can set the routine in a few marks," J'sharra replied, "and within a day we'll have data on every one who is contracted to this ship..."

"We can ask somewhere else, too, " she continued; "Tam'yn had problems sleeping, in fact we talked about them a couple of nights ago, and I recall Tan'yel had a prescription for sleeping pills because he had trouble resting."

"I wonder about that, " she mused, "if we could use that to track puppets too."

A'sallah re-thought his offer of a place in the Guardians and again abandoned it.

This Navy member was already taken. He did make a mental note to suggest recruitment from the K'Pyri out in the Empire and in training in the shrines. People saw the Dancer and never went past that, which was perfect cover for the Guardian service. Inwardly he smiled a little, although his face remained a schooled neutral.

"Possibly we could, although the Healers on board this vessel are a bit less than open with us as Guardians," he replied, "and I hate to have to ask the First officer for everything I need to do an investigation. That tends to compromise secrecy on some things and slows response down on others."

J'sharra nodded, "They tend to be protective, that's one of the things that makes them good Healers. I do have some access there, since several Healers come to me for

advice on physical rehabilitation and Healer J'nero and I have something of a good relationship because of Tam'yn. Let me talk to him."

She quickly keyed in the Healer's comms code and waited until he answered. He sounded relaxed until she outlined what she wanted from Healing, but then his voice changed.

"You are asking me to violate Healer-Patient confidence with that question, officer J'sharra. That's not something conducive to good relations with our patients. I would need a very good reason to let that information out to anyone, and especially Security," he replied in an unhappy tone of voice.

"I'm not asking you for everyone's medical records," J'sharra soothed, "just the records of people needing regular supplies of sleep assisting drugs or dream suppressing medication; especially among the contract personnel. We're looking for more 'puppets' among the crew, and Tam'yn took them when he wasn't exhausted enough to sleep."

The word "puppet" seemed to flick a switch in the Healer.

"You'll need to look for both sleep assists, somatic suppressants, and mild hallucinogens then," the Healer said thoughtfully. "I tested what Third was taking as supposed hearts medicine and I was appalled at what I found. Let me check the records and send them to...where?"

"Ship Security office," J'sharra replied, "I'm Third's designated replacement; approved by Ship's First Officer. A'sallah and I are trying to find the other puppets in the crew, and sleep disorders seem to be common among them. We won't do anything based on the records alone, since we have other means of testing them; but we need to find them before we leave this world and go planet-hunting again."

"I see," the Healer said thoughtfully. "I can send you the listings for all three in a few marks, since all I have to do is set up a search on the Healing and Counseling systems and direct the results to Ship's Security. The computers can do that while I eat; I had an early call this morning and breakfast was a long time ago. You should get the data in a few minutes, but please contact me before you arrest anyone since there may be a medical reason for their needs. I can tell you if they are needing the medications to help themselves to adapt to the ship's day-night cycles or not."

"Thank you," J'sharra replied, "we'll do just that once you're back from your meal. Thank you for helping this investigation."

"When I saw what was in a Healing medical container masquerading as medicine," the Healer growled, "it made me angry. I want these people helped, rather than used and discarded; and you are trying to make that happen. Thank you, Security!" there was a click as the connection was broken.

J'sharra stared at the comms unit for a moment. That reaction had been completely unexpected in its vehemence.

Slowly she nodded. "I think Security has a willing helper among the Healers in this," she said slowly, "and I also think we need to make sure that this Healer isn't a puppet protecting himself."

She immediately started entering commands in the Security console in front of her and kept it up for almost half a minute. Then she settled back in her chair.

"You suspect the Healer?" A'sallah asked J'sharra in surprise, "why?"

Her ears drooped as she looked over to the Guardian, "Since my teacher and cousin Tan'yel turned out to be a puppet, I'm getting suspicious of everyone who acts differently from what I expect from them. That's not good at all. I need to Dance and

find my balance again."

A'sallah gave her a hard look and advised, "Don't go dancing until after we have all the puppets identified. You know this crew and I need your insight, suspicious as it may be. I could miss things that you would see, so please hold off whatever you do until after we get this thing resolved."

Looking unhappy with the idea, J'sharra nodded in agreement. "It's just that we are taught that things like suspicion and distrust are foreign to the Light and need to be resolved before we can uplift ourselves, but I see your point and I agree," she said, then added, "I just hope we do this fast. I don't like being this way."

A'sallah nodded soberly, "Nobody normal does, but it's a useful tool in rooting out trouble and trouble makers. I'm not saying any of our puppets will make trouble, but we need to find them and get them treated before we are back in space."

Still looking saddened, J'sharra nodded again; then asked, "I wonder how Tam'yn is? It's been turns (hours) since he left the ship..."

Tireno Alcys'ka shook his head, trying to wake up. He'd been at Lord Taveralos's city villa for another planning session that had predictably turned into a drinking party, and now he was waking up from what must have been a profound state of drunkenness. It had all happened before, and each time the Lord had provided him with a comfortable bed where he could sleep off his alcohol in peace.

Even though he was holding his age steady by means of special, illegal, and expensive Re-Gen treatments, some things were getting harder on him simply because he was approaching sixty cycles of age although he looked barely forty.

Those Re-Gen treatments were illegal because the demand always outstripped the supply of the drug, but they worked. If some peasant somewhere had to wait for burn treatment or use some other means of recovery, that would teach them to be more careful in the future. He was creating a new world. He had a right to the good things coming from it, and extended youth was one of those things.

Slowly it began to penetrate his mind that there was something wrong. The bed was too narrow, more like a servant's cot. The sheeting wasn't woven fabric, either. His sleep robe felt like coated paper, servant's sleepwear.

His eyes slid open and he began to listen to his surroundings. The expected sounds of soft music and perhaps water from one of the Lord's fountains were missing.

In their place, there was a low rumbling and a faint sound of electronics; clicks, hums, faint beeps. There was also a faint, almost indiscernible vibration. The air smelled faintly stale, as if recirculated in a closed space.

His eyes confirmed what his other senses were telling him. He was on a ship that was under power and moving. He saw the ceiling with its vents and light panels and conduits above him, while a sweep of the walls showed more metal or metallic panels as well as screens and several things that looked like they were instruments of some sort.

He was on a ship and that ship was in space. That was all that made sense.

Why was he on a spaceship? What had happened? Where was he going on...supposedly Lord Taveralos's personal vessel ?

He sat up and as his eyes focused his jaw dropped, soon followed by his stomach. He was in a small cabin. It was set up for complete habitation; with san, simple bathing unit, a bed, a chair that swung out of the wall with a similar table and a vidplate set into the wall above both so it could serve as a desk.

There was no sign of a door, other than a recessed panel in one wall with a touch pad next to it. The touch pad was glowing a warning orange for some reason.

He was wearing an orange coverall, nothing more. His fine jewelry was gone, as was his timepiece and his personal comm unit. His finger claws and toe claws no longer wore decorative paint. Everything he had been wearing was gone. All he had left was his gold-tan fur, softened and trimmed by the same people who did his claw painting.

What had happened to him? Why had this happened to him? He had no memory other than one glass too many of vintage Pirka-Sweetberry liqueur.

And now this. It was as if... Suddenly, he felt a stab of fear. Had he been "disappeared" as some people said it; abducted by one of the other power groups in the city? What did they want of him? More importantly, who were they?

He began checking the cheap coverall which was his only garment and found something that made his blood run cold. It was a simple sunburst crossed by two war-staves; the symbol of the Imperial Guardians. They were the staves that protected the rising light and were the sworn Imperial Shield.

They were the one group in the Palace he had not managed to infiltrate and "convert" either to his or his patrons' purposes. They kept themselves apart, perhaps to stay "pure" in their duty to the Empress and the Sunrise Empire she ruled.

Now he felt fear. There were stories about how Guardians could make people "disappear" out of society when those people were a threat to the Sunrise Throne. Well, he was a threat, most assuredly. He was a part of progress, innovation, change. So were Lords Taveralos, Timeroyeska and High Lord Antero-Kessa, all great and high nobles who were determined that the insipid rule of randomly chosen females should end.

Each of their eldest wedded daughters were by tradition Ladies in Service to the Sunrise Throne, and each of those brainless females would do exactly what their fathers told them to do. He, Tireno Alcys'ka, had made sure of that. What would sound like a comment or a suggestion from their fathers would become Imperial Law.

But... those stupid females had played too many political and power games and the Empress had asked them to return to their families for a short while, away from the Court. That had effectively removed them from consideration for the Throne, since by the time they returned to Court they would be out of date and virtual outcasts in the game of Succession. While they were gone, the Empire would continue the political changes that they would not be a part of and catching up would be difficult under the best of conditions.

He looked around the room and his eyes lit on the vidplate. Shuffling over to the chair and pulling it out and then seating himself on it, he reached out and activated the vidplate.

At first, it stayed blank, then slowly an image resolved on it, one he recognized. Himself, as a younger and more vital K'iir with two dates under it. The first he recognized; it was his nameday. The second was--had to be-- a day or two in the past.

Somber music came from the small speakers below the image and then he heard a voice speak.

"Let us remember with respect the life of service to the Empire that Protocol Master Tireno Alcys'ka lived for forty-five cycles of Imperial Service. Her Rising Glory, Empress Karavele'ka, has declared the next two days to be a time of reflection and respect for this selfless Servant of the Throne and his heritage of service and care to this Empire and all its people. He will be remembered as..."

"He will be remembered as someone who played with fire and got burned," came a mocking voice from somewhere near him.

Turning in the chair, Alcys'ka saw a young Birran in Guardian gray standing in what had become the doorway and leaning against one side of the support. His dusky brown skin and red hair crest made him a classic of his race along with his pointed ears and slanted gray-irised eyes. Like most Birrahni, he was short and muscular, thanks to his planet's gravity.

"Don't try to leave your cabin," the Birrahni warned, "there's a force field across the actual portal, and I would love the chance to 'pacify' you if you got out."

He shook his head, "In a way, it's funny. We got a pickup order for you but instead of having to fake your death it seems your patron had plans for you that did not include you living any longer. We actually saved your stinking traitorous life when you were dumped into your flier and it was set to fly you to the middle of the Ar' shelan sea and circle until it ran out of hydrogen and crashed. I saw the settings myself when we took you out of your flier stinking drunk and then let the it go on and crash like it was supposed to."

Shaking his head, Alcys'ka asked, "What are you talking about? I was at Lord Taveralos town house and had a bit too much to drink. I wouldn't fly under those circumstances, I would stay in one of the guest rooms and leave the next day. I've done it

half a dozen times. His Lordship has always offered me the comforts of his house when I prove he can drink more than I can or ever could."

"Really?" the Birallan asked, then pressed a series of buttons on his wrist-comm. "Take a look at your 'magnanimous host's plans for you," he directed.

Almost against his will, Tireno Alcys'ka's eyes were drawn back to the vidplate. Four figures, three and one, were moving slowly toward what was plainly his personal flier. One of them was staggering and nearly fell several times. He looked closer; he was the drunk. He could see Lord Taveralos's gold fur in the figure who was standing slightly apart from the group of three. One of the people holding him apparently asked something, and Lord Taveralos gestured dismissively. The two dumped him into the pilot's chair and did something with the controls...setting them, he realized. Then they belted him in and closed the door.

The two nearly faceless servants scurried away from the flier as it rose into the air and headed out over the city. Lord Taveralos made a sort of salute, contempt in every movement, and then the three turned and walked out of the picture.

"It's a good thing we were watching you and were able to intercept your flier and use our override codes on it to catch you, otherwise you would have crashed into the Ar' shelan sea and that would be that," the Birran Guardian chuckled, "either way, your days on T'Kiir'ah are over."

"Although you don't deserve it, you are going to live out your life on something of a paradise world, or so I'm told," the Guardian went on, "by order of Her Rising Glory, you are to be exiled to an invisible planet, managed by the Imperial Guardian council. We will rendezvous with a runner that will load on another crew and then we will go back to T'Kiir'ah. I'm told your papers already gave away a number of the people you worked on, and if you are smart you'll tell your new companions everything you remember about your 'puppet works' there in the palace. We have the machinery you used, and our experts are going to be going over it to see how it works and if its effects can be reversed. I would advise you to be helpful there; they will determine what sort of exile you serve, not us. If it was up to me, you'd be kissing the stars right now and to the hells with your machine."

Then he grinned without humor; "Fortunately for you, it isn't up to me. Aren't you lucky?" He tried spitting on the cabin floor but the force field vaporized the spittle with a snap and a small puff of steam.

He stepped back and the door slid shut, sealing Tireno Alcys'ka in the cabin again.

Carefully sitting in the chair provided and carefully turning the vidplate off, Tireno Alcys'ka began to think; and as he thought, he felt the beginnings of fear. He thought harder, resisting the urge to curl into a ball and just wail. Somehow, he would get out of this. Somehow...

Further forward in the Guardian Runner, the Birallan Guardian reported to his superior.

"He's awake and aware. I spoke to him and let him know what almost happened to him. By the time this ship gets wherever it's going, he should either be cooperative or catatonic, and honestly I don't know which it will be."

Then he asked, "When do we meet up with our replacement crewmembers?"

His superior consulted a plate and replied, "Somewhere around Imperial Station 3, we'll be hailed. Their ship should look exactly like ours, so when we come back from a training run nobody will connect us with Alcys'ka's disappearance. Our logs will show we were in space when he was taken, covering us. All we have to do is watch out for Navy vessels till we make the switch, since some of the Command staff are on the traitor's list of people he 'modified'. I would not like to run across one of them until they are recalled and have whatever was done to them fixed. So, until we make contact, we stay low radiation and low profile. Once we make the exchange, we should make sure we are identified as being out here rather than anywhere near the planet. A refuel of water should do that, and the Runner we meet will most likely be low to begin with, given the probable distance it's covering."

The Birran nodded to his superior. They would do whatever was necessary to protect the Empress and Her Empire. It was that simple.

They were Imperial Guardians.

In his cabin, Tireno Alcys'ka replayed the images of his near murder. Three replays through, he had recognized the two people who were carrying him; supposedly they had been "visiting cross-kin" from other noble houses. In the recording, they were wearing House Taveralos colors and painfully he realized that he had been duped.

Their manners had been excellent, but as high servants they would have to be perfectly mannered for their Lord's guests. A change of clothing could turn them into "visitors" who would seem to be as noble as those born to nobility. As "Cross-Kin" from two Houses or Clans whose parents had been made Companions out of political expedience, they would be excused from the usual title and rank games since they would probably do as their parents had done; creating a political link that increased a House's or a Clan's power in the world and in the Parliament as well.

Slowly too, he realized the "drinking games" had been a way for Lord Taveralos to determine how much would get him drunk and insensible and as helpless as a newborn child; and how much would leave him just aware enough to reasonably attempt to pilot his flier.

Lord Taveralos had been planning his murder all along with these "games" as a cover for his plans. A drunken Tireno Alcys'ka climbs into his personal flier. Since it is his personal aircraft, a gift from the Empress's own hand, the "safety" systems in issue or leased vessels could be switched off . He'd done that the first time his flier had decided he was too drunk to safely fly and had stayed settled on Lord Valekorren's landing pad when he had tried to take off . He had been horribly embarrassed and had switched the system off the next morning after he sobered up.

So...

Drunk, he partially programs a flight path to his southern-city residence and passes out before completing it. The flier heads out of the city on the straightest path and eventually runs out of hydrogen over the Ar' shelan sea and crashes. The Ar' shelan sea was a small, very deep and often violent body of water. The city wrapped around a bay of that sea and the southern reaches of the city were a quick flight across that bay. The usual flight path was to fly out to sea and then turn inland again, thus avoiding the more heavily travelled and more limited direct routes. He had flown that flight-path dozens of times to avoid the slower congested over-bay traffic patterns.

Lord Taveralos' plan had been perfect.

He would seem to have had an accident and died as his flier crashed into the sea. Even his status as Protocol Master wouldn't change that, other than have the Empress do as she had done; use his passing to strengthen the Empire she ruled.

He grimaced, his last act would be used to support a system he detested with all his being. That would be Taveralos' problem; he would never have been so sloppy.

There was a click and a panel under the vidplate opened. A mechanical arm pushed out a meal tray and a bottle of water, then retracted as the panel closed.

He ate and thought of ways to escape from this trap. All he would need would be one slave. One mind he had taken control over would give him this vessel and the means to disappear into the Empire while his death notices caused panic and collapse. He had made sure of that when he programmed his slaves.

Well after the meal was over, he was still planning. There had to be someone on this ship or in the replacement crew he had 'trained'; he had trained a huge number of people in Imperial Service and all it would take to gain control of them would be to use his special phrase. Then they would be his and he would use them to gain control of the ship. If they died in the process, that would make the air and food last longer for him; therefore, they would die with the Guardians they overcame... or afterwards.

He would bide his time until he recognized someone from his "Manners" classes; probably Imperial Navy. Then he would act and seize the ship and flee. He would hide as the Empire went to hell around him. He had wealth enough to survive comfortably sited on several Hegemony planets which would be neutral in the wars to come. Each one of them knew him by a different name and chip number; his personal triumph over the Imperial identity system. There would be time afterwards for his revenge.

All he would need would be one slave, one programmed mind in an otherwise loyal body. He would wait. Half his career had been spent waiting for various someones to make a mistake that he could exploit for his own benefit.

He settled back in his chair and waited.

In the control room, the Guardian assigned to monitor the prisoner watched the image from the room and the data from the sensors in collar and cuffs and made an educated guess. Calling the vessel's First over he pointed at the readouts.

"He's planning something," the Guardian said, "hearts rate and skin conductivity show he isn't frightened now, although he was very briefly before he ate. Now the prisoner is as cool and calm as can be, and given his situation that can only mean one thing; he's got a plan to get out of this."

The First grinned without humor, more a baring of teeth then a smile and replied, "Yes, he probably does. Too bad that none of us has ever been anywhere near K'Arrah city. My guess, based on what I've been told about him, is that he expects to find one of his puppets and use them to gain his release. For the first time, being a Provincial Guardian seems a blessing rather than a curse; and from what I've heard, our replacements have never been on T'Kiir'ah in their lives."

"Poor pickings for the puppet-master then," the monitor-watcher said, "and apparently he kept his equipment in his apartments and never took it out because he didn't want to answer questions about it."

Ship's First nodded, "And like most aristocrats, he never considered palace servants to be a security risk if he considered them at all. They were invisible to him."

Monitor watcher chuckled, "So we managed to hide some detectors in his apartments, then? What an idiot."

The First shook his head, "Apparently his equipment was kept in a shielded room that he kept locked unless he was in that room and using it. All we could do was set up a camera and get pictures of his victims as they walked into the place. I heard they looked like they were sleepwalking, so he probably had a way of getting them under his hand elsewhere and then bringing them to his special room. Intelligence and Technology are working on them and the High Council should know what he was doing in detail pretty soon. "

"While we send him to a paradise planet," the monitor Guardian grumbled, "somehow that doesn't seem quite right, given what he's done. He should be mining out on some asteroid or something."

"Remember, even paradise planets have swamps and rock-piles," the First replied; "and apparently the prison is on the other side of the planet and well away from the base, probably where things are less pleasant. I would imagine that our prisoner will look back on his time with us as a happy time while he chops up trees to make a house."

Monitor-watcher snorted, "I'm from Antra-3 where we make houses out of trees. The only chopping involved is for firewood, and even for that we have energy tools. He's more likely to be doing something useful like mining or raising food crops, both of which are hard, hard work. That's one reason I joined the Guard; I hate farming. Even with power tools, it's exhausting. Chasing criminals is a great deal less effort."

"You're right there," First admitted; "I came from Tarek, one of the Dominion worlds. We make electronics for the most part, and my parents are both factory workers. They make good money after taxes and have a good life, but it all seemed boring to me back then. When my birth-sib was chosen for special classes, I got interested in Imperial Service and eventually wound up here on T'Kiir'ah. It's been an interesting trip."

The helm operator snorted. He was a Moka named Grot and had his species' natural ability to think movement in three dimensions at once. He came from the one colony world the Moka had found, and was one of the few Moka in the Imperial Guard.

Turning his bullet head toward the two T'Kiir'I, Grot said, "You two had it easy. My world is hard and even resting is hard work. When I was young, I saw a picture of a soldier. I liked it, but we Moka are too short for the Marines. Then I accepted the lesser career of the Guardians, where work is easy. I do not complain. I enjoy being paid to do very little. You should be glad to be here, we make the Empire a good place to live for good people and a place of sorrow for the criminals. Our work is important."

First was somewhat surprised by the outburst. Usually, this Moka was much more taciturn. Now, Grot was waxing eloquent for some reason. He asked why and was surprised by the answer.

"The prisoner is a very powerful person, with many powerful persons around him. We have control over him now. That makes us even more powerful. I cannot tell my people of this, so I tell my friends in the Guardians here on the ship. We are more powerful than the evil one, and we will stay more powerful. I almost want to go on to this strange planet so I can see him weak in front of many, but I know that is a one-way trip for my kind. I will stay here and I will be glad that the evil one goes to a place where he will be weak forever."

First was a bit surprised. This Moka, Grot, considered their team to be his friends. That was touching in a way, as Moka were slow to form friendships and up to now he had been reserved in his feelings. First decided that this was a good thing for their team, since Grot was their de facto pilot for everything. Quietly, he thanked Grot for his complement and returned to the job at hand; plotting their rendezvous with another deep-space Runner on his navigation sphere. Imperial Station 3 was just a bare index-dot on one edge of the sphere and they had a long way yet to go.

Over three hundred light years away, Tam'yn was waking up from his surgery. J'sharra wasn't there. Briefly he felt a sense of sadness but banished it; they would talk when he was more awake and more alert.

He let his eyes move around the room. It was darkened, probably so he could sleep. He tried sitting up and froze as pain stabbed him in the left side near his stomach. A questing hand found a thick pad of bandages on his abdomen and bare skin. He grimaced, more fur lost to medicine. Slowly, he elevated the head of his bed so he could see something other than the ceiling.

The chronometer on the wall opposite him indicated it was 18.26 local time, which meant nothing since he hadn't seen the local time when he had been being prepared for surgery.

Looking around the room, he saw he was alone. Well, that made sense, given that he was sleeping off the effects of surgery and anesthesia. He was very thirsty for some reason; perhaps he had been asleep for some time.

He pressed the call panel on the bed and waited for a response. It wasn't long in coming. A Healer-3 walked quietly into the room and asked how he was feeling and what he would like.

"Well, I'd like to know how long I was asleep, how my cousin is doing, and perhaps something to drink; my throat is very dry for some reason," Tam'yn replied, trying not to sound muzzy.

The Healer smiled and said, "The dry throat is common when you've been on pure oxygen; I'll get you some water. You were in surgery and recovering for seven turns. Your cousin is..." he paused, "is doing as well as we can expect." He quickly turned and left the room before Tam'yn could formulate another question.

When he came back with a carafe of water and a drinking cup, Tam'yn was waiting.

"What do you mean 'as well as you can expect'?" he asked deliberately calm voice. "It was expected that the lower heart surgery would correct the problem."

The Healer stood for a moment, seemingly thinking to himself, then said; "He had more damage than was realized. I am told the surgeons had to do replacements to both hearts. Currently he is alive but he is very, very weak. He will be recovering for a longer time than we expected, but he should make a full recovery and he should have many active cycles left."

Tam'yn's jaw dropped. Tan'yel had been sicker than he and J'sharra had thought.

"Did you harvest from my upper heart, too?" he asked with concern, quickly poking around his chest looking for a set of pads.

"No, the damage to the upper heart was in one of the valves," the Healer explained; "We were able to use a mechanical replacement there. At the present, Tan'yel Kerel'yn is resting up from the surgery and will be able to receive visitors within two days, perhaps less. The lower heart replacements are already working, and he is enjoying better circulation than he has had in over a standard decade. When healing is complete, he will be much healthier."

"I see," Tam'yn replied in a relieved tone, "So he will be healthier, then. Good; and thank you, Healer."

The Healer nodded, "My pleasure, your Radiance;" and sketched a little bow. "Will there be anything more?"

"Can I have a comms plate?" Tam'yn asked hopefully.

The Healer smiled and reached to the side of the bed and brought around a comm plate on an articulated arm that could also function as a vidplate. Tam'yn thanked him, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Supper will be served in roughly twenty marks," the Healer said as he left the room, "And while I apologize in advance for the selection, it was put together on orders from your Healer aboard the ship. There is a lot of calcium in the meal, though, so I guess it must be good for you."

Tam'yn had other thoughts, but kept silent. Food was food to him, and as long as it filled him adequately it was acceptable. At least there would be no suit rations with it.

He turned his attention to the comms plate mounted on a flex-arm and punched the code for a system operator, guessing that the M'Kereos would be a special code.

He was answered by an operator who sounded like T'oko. Briefly, he explained who he wanted to contact on the ship and ran into a wall.

"That vessel is a restricted contact," the voice said, "please state or enter your Guardian access code to be put through."

"I'm from the ship," Tam'yn replied, "I don't have a Guardian access code; I'm a crewperson there."

"If you have no access code, you cannot access the vessel," the voice said logically, "please obtain an access code and reattempt this call." The contact went dead.

He tried again, this time asking for a living operator and was told there were no living operators available. He was again directed to the Guardians for an access code. A third try using his Navy codes were similarly ineffective, and he was again directed to the Guardians for an access code. He began to grow annoyed with the machine between him and his ship...and J'sharra.

Muttering an oath, Tam'yn again re-attempted the call after unwrapping his Viceroy's bracelet. This time, when the voice asked for an access code, he pressed the bracelet against the reader portion of the comms panel. He waited as the computer verified what the chip in the bracelet had told it.

He was put through, finally. When he tried to call J'sharra, he learned she was in a conference with First and A'sallah. He unhappily left a message and the comms code for his bed's comms unit. He was beginning to dislike machinery and its black or white mentality.

When supper arrived, it was late and he was less than hungry but he ate. There was a bright side to the meal in that a bowl of fresh Toro sauce made what would otherwise be bland food taste a little better. A pot of Kala tea had also brightened the meal. While he couldn't accurately say what he had eaten and drunk, he did know it had tasted good, thanks to the Toro sauce; and there had been no suit-rations.

He realized then that he was still a bit muzzy as he surveyed the now empty dishes on his tray; some fragments of green, blue, and a bit of fish skin told him he had eaten fish and vegetables, all probably loaded with calcium. Even the dessert dish had bits of fruit-gel in it reminding him what he had eaten--and he hadn't noticed a single bite of it.

What he did notice was that his stomach was comfortably full and all the plates were clean. That was a welcome change from what he had been doing.

He tried calling the ship again, using his Viceroy's bracelet as authorization and this time he got through to A'sallah. The K'iir was smiling into the vidplate.

"How are things going on board the M'Kereos?" he asked, a bit off put by his inability to reach J'sharra but unwilling to say so.

"Better than we had hoped," A'sallah replied happily, "very much so. Third Officer Meren'kona set up a trap that netted three contract people with ship-side information in their identity chips and two of them had no idea how it got there. Since they are being cooperative, we are testing them outside of Confinement; but Dr. T'keron isn't done with them yet. The one who we aren't holding is a retired Navy crewperson who is back on board doing contract work to boost his retirement income. He checks out completely."

Then the smile got wider, "And your cousin is out of the woods on the murder charge. The person he killed in the Scout was not Tinterro Kailas. Tinterro Kailas is alive on a Colony world, his name was stolen. The deceased has been identified as one Mikero Althas, a wanted bomb-maker and terrorist-for-hire who had a catch or kill order out on him. Since Third officer Tan'yel did just that, he's off the grapple for murder permanently."

When he asked how Tan'yel was, Tam'yn told him what he had learned from the Healer. That brought a grimace that missed being a snarl only by the lack of sound.

"That bastard," A'sallah growled, "Tan'yel Kerel'yn had a bottle of what he thought was hearts medicine but was nothing of the kind. The pills were part cheap relaxant, part stimulant and part hallucinogen coated with a bitter outside; probably what made the other personality inside Kerel'yn activate. Little by little he was chipping pieces off his heart and had no knowledge he was doing it.

"When he gets here, Alcys'ka is going to have a lot to answer for."

"Damn right he is. I hope I get to question him about what he did to me, just so I can understand why I act the way I do," Tam'yn growled to himself; then in a louder voice he asked, "Ahh, where is J'sharra? I've been trying to reach her since I woke up and gotten nowhere. Is she that busy with the investigation?"

"Um, I'm not sure where she is right now," A'sallah replied, suddenly turning evasive, "She said something about checking the crew rosters. I'll try contacting her in-ship and see if I can find her. I take it you want to talk to her?"

Nodding, Tam'yn replied, "Yes, I would."

"Then talk to me," J'sharra said as she ghosted up to his bed while A'sallah grinned out of the vidplate before it went dark and Tam'yn jumped a little.

"How...did you get here?" he asked in surprise as he looked past the now blank vidplate and at his Companion.

"A quick flier," she replied, "and I swore to keep this world's secret; although I don't see what is so secret about it."

Confused, Tam'yn asked; "The sky..."

J'sharra shrugged, "Has stars in it and there is a moon rising, although it's on the wrong side of the horizon. It's night. All planets look similar at night and I don't know enough stellography to see anything special. It almost looks like a night sky at home."

Tam'yn sat in the bed with his jaw half open. Of course, at night the double star would not be visible. He had worried over nothing. As long as J'sharra didn't see the day sky, the planet's secret was safe.

And she was with him, at least for a while.

He explained about Tan'yel's extra surgery and what it meant. He tried, but he couldn't keep the anger out of his voice as he told her about the "Hearts Medicine" that was not medicine.

"...and he is going to be longer recovering because of what was done to him," he concluded, "I'm just glad he didn't die."

J'sharra had seated herself next to the bed and had been following Tam'yn's narration with growing apprehension. "Do you suppose he is going to be left here to recover?" she asked nervously; "I'm coping now, but there is no way I can manage being a Ship's Third officer without help. If he has to stay, I may have to ask one of the more experienced Security officers to take the Third Officer position in place of me."

"Let's see how long the ship's going to be here first," Tam'yn suggested, "we haven't even been here a tenday yet. The new fusion unit will take six to seven days to install and certify, and then there will be crew re-training. I'm going to have to..." he stopped talking for a minute and stared at nothing, his jaw slack with the shock of a sudden realization.

"I'm not an Engineer anymore," he said in a surprised voice, "everything that has happened to me hasn't yet made me realize that I'm not an Engineer anymore. Rintallan is the M'Kereos's First Engineer now." For several moments he sat in the bed, taking in the fact that he was no longer an active member of the M'Kereos' crew. He was now an Imperial Viceroy, no longer a crewmember and a part of the ship. Briefly he felt lost; the Navy had been everything in his life. Now it wasn't. Now, he represented the Empire and the Empress wherever he went. The thought was daunting.

J'sharra stood and rubbed his shoulders while reminding him that he was still a part of the expedition and now even more critical to that expedition's success than he had been as an engineer on an Imperial starship, but the reality of her words still awed him a bit.

"I guess so," Tam'yn replied as he tried to hold J'sharra and not make his side hurt, "but I've always seen myself as a Navy K'iir and up till now I have been. Now I'm not. I'm a--a passenger, with a fancy title. That will take some getting used to."

J'sharra turned a little to look at him and said, "You are the one who will handle the contact between the robot makers and the Empire, and that makes you a very important member of the crew whether you think you are or not. You will bring another world into our Empire, and that is as important and necessary as keeping the fusion system working properly. We all have our place within the Light, and we are happiest when we are there; fulfilling the Light's purpose in a dark world.

"When Tan'yel asked me to come with him to the Navy and work in Security, I was afraid I couldn't do it; but I trusted in the Light's purpose for me and not only did I discover I'm good at this work, it led me to a K'iir I had been in love with ever since I was a little girl."

She snuggled up to Tam'yn carefully, avoiding the pile of padding on his left side and continued, "We all are nervous when life offers us something new and unlike what we're used to, but having faith in ourselves makes doing this new thing less nervous and helps us to do the new thing better. Have faith in yourself, Tam'yn; and you'll find you can do this new thing better than you realize: I've already seen you do it.

"You were upset when the Guardians were about to arrest us by Tan'yel's cabin, but you didn't show it. You took command and made them respect you because you were a Viceroy. I've seen you do that a number of times now and while you may not notice it, it's let you accomplish things that the Engineer never could have. I think you were surprised and just did what your instincts told you to do, and those instincts were right. When you are like that you don't look like anything could stop you, and so nothing does. Trust yourself, beloved, and you'll do well and make the Empress proud of you."

Tam'yn was enjoying his proximity to J'sharra too much to explain that he had used some of the same tricks he had employed in his mother's Court to get himself out of difficult situations and let others do the explaining for him. He also remembered some recent conversations where he had twisted facts to make them do what he wanted them to do and get him what he wanted.

He wasn't particularly proud of that, although he knew he would do it more and more as his office of being a Viceroy made such twists necessary for the good of the Empire. He had promised L'yrel he would be the Empire's political representative to the new world they were seeking, and word games were a part of politics; at least at the Court. So--he would try to twist things as little as possible while providing the Empire with a new world in its retinue of planets, or perhaps a strong ally to back the Empire against its enemies. He wondered how well he would be able to manage it and realized he just didn't know at the present time; and there was something more important happening.

Right now, he was with J'sharra; and that was all that mattered.

She spent over a turn with him before she had to return to the ship. During that time they spoke of simple things, both avoiding the troubles on the M'Kereos and instead dreaming about the time after...when they would be living at Lake An'shal after the voyage was over. It was a dream and they both knew it, but sometimes dreams were more important than life in the present; and this was one of them. Dreams like that were hopes for the future, their future; together and back home.

When the Guardian knocked on the doorframe, J'sharra and Tam'yn kissed and parted; she was going back to the ship and he was going to sleep if he could.

He surprised himself by sleeping through the night, waking to a two-colored dawn in the frosted window and a Healer-trainee asking him how he was feeling.

"My side is still sore if I move, but otherwise I feel pretty decent," he replied after thinking a bit. Then he asked why how he felt was so important.

"I'm told you had some serious lower heart surgery," the trainee replied, "and the first few days are important in cases like that. Are you feeling tired or are you having trouble getting your breath?"

Tam'yn shook his head, "Not really, although it hurts if I take a really deep breath. That's the surgery site, isn't it?"

"Exactly," the trainee agreed, "your skin and muscles were stretched and then they were fastened back together with chemical staples. You should be sore there until the staples break down in a few days because staples don't stretch with your skin. You seem to be recovering excellently then," he said as he made a note on a dataplate.

"Your breakfast should be up pretty soon," he continued, "and then the surgeon will spend some time with you and oversee the change of your dressings. I'm told your cousin is awake now, although he's still drowsy from the medicines and will be until we release him. We want him to rest and let the sections bind in and grow with his lower heart for a few more days before he goes back to your ship."

"Do you know how he's doing otherwise?" Tam'yn asked, "as in recovering from the surgery itself? I expect he will be kept drowsy, but how is he healing from the surgery?" He was fumbling his words because he wasn't sure what he wanted to know outside of Tan'yel being better.

The trainee seemed to understand, and replied, "Your cousin is getting better arterial circulation already, thanks to the new valve in his upper heart. He is getting more blood to his lungs thanks to the sections stitched chemically to his lower heart, so overall he is doing better, but we want him to rest for a while so his body can get used to better circulation on its terms rather than by some schedule. If he tries too much too soon he could injure himself or even have a stroke; so he gets a very mild calmative with his other medicines. That should end in a tenday or so, once his Healers decide he has adjusted to the higher blood pressure. After that, it should just be simple healing on his part and eventually he will be discharged from Healing and return to his work on the ship."

"At least, that's the usual thing with the injured Guardians we get here," he added, "since most of them are retired and have some sort of work they do here on Home. All in all, it's about a segment after valve replacement surgery when most of them get back to whatever they are doing here."

"Most of them?" Tam'yn asked worriedly, "what about the rest?"

The Healer-trainee shrugged, "The rest are usually missing limbs or otherwise completely disabled and they don't have trades here; they are supported by the Service on pensions and don't have to work. They go back to whatever they were doing too, but it isn't as stressful as for the others and so we don't follow them up as closely."

Tam'yn sighed in relief and then said, "So when he returns to the M'Kereos he will continue to get the care he needs and won't have to stay here, then?"

The trainee nodded, "Probably so. Understand, he may decide to retire here since he will never be approved for active service after surgery like the one he just had. If he does return to the ship, it will be as an advisor or administrator; not an active investigator or anything like that. May I ask why, sir?"

Tam'yn smiled, "Because he has a place on T'Kiir'ah he wants to retire to; up by Lake An'shal. His birth cousin runs a family Pirka and Tala farm, and he keeps saying he wants to move there when he retires. I just didn't want him to be forced to stay here if he didn't want to, that's all."

The trainee grinned, "In that case, he will certainly be able to either take a ship from the colony world we're supplied from or even go with you as an advisor on your vessel. It's a pity though, since Home is very beautiful and we have a huge Guardian community here. Still, I guess he would prefer to be with his birth sib in a low stress job on fabled T'Kiir'ah."

"Fabled?" Tam'yn asked, "you mean you've never been there?"

"No, I haven't," the trainee admitted; "our world is more than enough for me. I was born here and I'll die here too; this world is complete and self sustaining, all we import are things we don't want to make here for whatever reason, and we're importing less each cycle." He smiled with pride and briefly, Tam'yn envied him.

He also realized just how many people must live here to provide the population base necessary for such independence. This was a good sign in a Sanctuary world.

Later, after the trainee had departed, Tam'yn turned on the bed's vidplate and accessed an Imperial News channel. He wished he hadn't.

The Conservatives in Parliament had failed to block the Liberal's "Modernization Bill" for the Empire; the one that put the choice of Empresses in Parliament's hands rather than keeping the traditional system of the Empress choosing her own successor from her Ladies in Service.

Now the bill would go to the Planetary Assembly, a council of the members of the Hegemony and the Dominion, for approval.

It was expected to pass. This was due less to the one section dealing with the Imperial Succession than to the half-dozen sections dealing with trade and lowering taxes on certain commodities.

"Sugar coating for the bitter pill," Tam'yn thought to himself as he watched and listened to the news reader.

There was more, but Tam'yn wasn't listening. How could the Conservatives have let the "Modernization Bill" pass when they controlled the majority in Parliament? To pass, nearly a dozen Conservatives would have had to vote for it, and that was highly unlikely.

Unless they had done so under a compulsion, he realized. He knew firsthand how strong Tireno Alcys'ka's compulsions could be. Could it have happened? He tagged the report and pulled up the details in it and began to read, trying to disprove his fears.

His efforts only upset him more. Lords Hashkaa and Sirem Atholka had voted for the bill and they had been foremost in opposing it in the last session of Parliament. Others in their faction had followed their votes with their own. Ashoro An'kara had made a speech about the need to modernize and then, since there were no other speakers on the subject, the vote had been called and the bill had passed.

Tam'yn's stomach fell into a cold place. An'kara was the mouthpiece for the three "Great Houses" who stood to gain the most if the change were implemented. Somehow, An'kara had given at least two Conservatives a command in that speech and had forced them to vote for something they normally would never support, he was sure of it. He was making more data requests when the screen suddenly went dark and inactive. Moments later, the words "Calm yourself, help is on the way" appeared on his screen and stayed there no matter what he did. Scowling, he brought up his Viceroy's bracelet and set it against the reader part of the dataplate. Then he started trying various commands.

Less than two marks later, a Counselor hurried into his room with a look of concern on his features. "What has you so upset, sir. You were triggering warnings in four of your bodily systems when the data service was interrupted to keep you from damaging yourself further. My name is Akaros Letesha and I am a Counselor for post surgical patients. Let me get your case-file and we can talk about what has you so upset."

Barely controlling his anger, Tam'yn snarled; "This is about the Empire. I want the service restored because I was doing some research on a matter of importance to the continuance of the Empire itself! Get me the access I need, now!" After giving the Counselor a glare, he went back to trying access codes.

Counselor Letesha was not impressed. He had dealt with many Guardians who were overstressed, and this sounded like another one to him. Shaking his head, he stepped into the hall to get the dataplate for this patient.

When he got back, he saw the patient had somehow managed to get around the system Counseling had installed in the Healing Center. That was bad news, those protections had been put in place to protect patients after various surgeries; especially hearts surgery, from too much stress damaging their newly repaired hearts.

Then he saw something on the patient's right wrist; a bracelet bearing the full Imperial arms set into a glowstone. While it was on the wrong wrist, the splint on the other arm made things clear to him.

He realized that this patient was the Viceroy that the others on his shift had been speaking about. Mentally, he did a complete about-face; as a Viceroy, this patient had both the right and a genuine need to access the news and information systems that knit the Empire together.

A glance down at the dataplate gave him the patient's name and other data. This was Tam'yn an Yere'kos, son of the Empress Karavele'ka an Yere'kos; an appointed Viceroy of the Sunrise Throne. He had been a tissue donor for a family member and was now recovering from that surgery. He was vouched for by Commander A'sallah of the Planetary Guardian Council and was to be provided with whatever he wanted or needed while he was here. This was the highest-level a personage that this planet had ever seen. This was the Empire in a person, just like the Empress.

Deferentially, he asked, "Your Radiance, is there something I may assist you with?" He half expected to be dismissed out of hand. Instead, the Viceroy beckoned him over to the bed he was in.

Tam'yn asked the counselor, "How much do you know about destructive compulsions in people? I'm talking about habits that become compulsions, that sort of thing," hoping for an answer that would give him an idea of how long it would have taken Tireno Alcys'ka to force someone like strong willed Sirem Atho'ka to vote in a particular way when given a specific command.

"In that, I would direct you to Dr. J'ina T'keron," the Counselor replied after thinking a moment, "she has taken her father's work and expanded on it to the point that it is claimed that she has created a self-aware mental structure in a computer. I do know there is an Imperial Permission granted to her family for that sort of research." He paused a moment, then added; "She developed the Dream-share system of protocols we use in the modification of self-destructive behaviors among our patients, so she would seem to have the knowledge to do something like that, not that we need self-aware machinery."

Tam'yn was stunned; Dr. T'keron had said nothing about his daughter and she had remained quiet. He had assumed that she was just his assistant, but then he remembered the Doctor himself saying that she had been the one who had created T'oko, not himself. For some reason, she had stayed silent about her abilities aboard the ship, and he wondered why she had.

He asked the Counselor what he knew about Dr. J'ina T'keron and learned that she had arrived on this planet in a support bed and had spent two years being pieced back together after she had been injured on another planet in an explosion of some sort.

"Her father helped us design and manufacture the prosthetics we used to replace her damaged limbs. They work off her mental commands rather than by spoken words or muscular contraction and relaxation," the Counselor added, "We all study her case as an example of how Counseling and Healing working together can achieve better recovery than either group alone. She followed her father's career at the Imperial University extension we have set up in our planetary capital and center of government. I am told she did very well there, getting a Doctorate in both Cybernetics and in Psychology. She is in every way an honor to her house and family, as is her father. She is possibly the finest cyberneticist this planet has ever produced."

"Given that I have spoken with T'oko, I would tend to agree," Tam'yn replied thoughtfully, "he sounds like a young K'iir, not a machine."

Then, glancing at the Counselor, he asked; "Did you know he calls her 'mother' and the elder Dr. T'keron, 'grandfather', Counselor ...ahhh... Letesha?"

The Counselor stood quietly for a moment thinking, then replied; "Well, it makes sense if she is trying to create an artificial personality in that machine. We T'Kiir'i are strongly family oriented, so such an artificial connection would be beneficial in allowing the machine to feel like a part of a family and part of a people."

Turning the tables, Counselor Letesha asked, "Since you have interacted with this 'T'oko', how T'Kiir'I- like is it? I would like to hear how well a machine can imitate a living person from someone who is a bit less provincial than we are."

Tam'yn chuckled; "I doubt you are any more 'provincial' than any other successful Imperial colony might be. T'oko is a sort of combination of things; he sounds like a nine or ten cycle old K'iir from an "old tradition" family most of the time, but put him in circuit with a Dream-Share machine and he turns into a Counselor-Specialist who can follow dreams and change them as they happen."

After thinking a bit, he added; "And he is a good float-chair mechanic. I was issued a float chair where every movement-axis was set to maximum and I had a hard time controlling it till he did some adjustment of the settings and turned the float-chair into something so easy to control that at times I forget I'm doing it.

"All in all, I would say he is a very nice young K'iir of perhaps ten cycles of age with a number of surprisingly well developed capabilities in one so young. Were he to apply for Imperial citizenship, I can't see a reason to refuse him; he meets all the criteria we have in place for citizenship within the Empire."

Then he turned the tables back on the Counselor by asking, "What do you know about Dr. J'ina T'keron? "

The Counselor stood and thought for a minute, then replied; "Other than what we've been speaking about, not a great deal. Much of her treatment was ruled confidential by the Planetary Council; and other than what is readily apparent, such as her cyber-prosthesis systems, I don't know. She tends to be a very private person, unlike her father.

He tapped his chin for a moment, thinking. "What I do know is that the right half of her body is scar-tissue and prosthetics. Apparently she was standing beside a flier when it exploded and was burned on the right side of her body. She wears a mask-prosthesis and her right hand and forearm are artificial."

"That squares with what I've seen," Tam'yn replied after thinking a moment; "I didn't even know she was active as a scientist since she kept such a low profile on the ship. If not for T'oko, I wouldn't have considered her as anyone other than her father's assistant; yet she has successfully created an artificial intelligence that is very like a living person."

He sighed, "I saw the evidence of her genius and ignored it. She is good at staying in the background and so not being noticed. I'll need to remember that in future and not under-estimate people again."

The Counselor chuckled, "I wish you luck in that; she is very good at escaping notice unless she wants to be noticed. I suspect that is a result of her childhood and injuries, but I really don't know that much about her case outside of what we studied."

Then he suggested, "If your Radiance wishes it, I can remove the restrictions on your vid-plate so you don't run into these problems again. We, that is the hospital, prefer our hearts patients not involve themselves in things that overly excite them, largely because they are here as a result of some sort of stress. We don't want our work un-done because someone dives back into the stressors that brought them here in the first place. Obviously, you are different."

"Well, I didn't have a hearts problem," Tam'yn admitted, "I was just a donor for someone who did have a problem. From what I've been told, my donation appears to be a success."

"Indeed," the Counselor agreed as he entered a code on his dataplate and watched the plate on the Viceroy's bed blink as it accepted the new instructions.

Turning to Tam'yn, he continued, "It's wonderful that you and your cousin were so compatible. Usually that is restricted to parent-child donations, but it appears that your cousin was close enough genetically to be included in your gift of life. According to what I read on his status, he seems to be doing well physically; and should recover completely."

"You can see his status on your plate?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, to which the Counselor nodded; "It's linked to his status readouts since you and he are family, and the family bond is very important to us. Thus, it is in Counseling's interest to present the best outlook that is also true to spare you extra stress; although as a donor your stress angle is less important than it might be otherwise."

"How is he doing?" Tam'yn asked, now quite interested.

"Well," Counselor Letesha replied happily; "quite well." Glancing down at the data plate he added, "He is awake and aware and, according to this, complaining. Since he had work done on both hearts, his entire abdomen was denuded of fur and he is not happy about it in the least. He is on a soft foods diet and he is complaining about that, too. He wants to speak to someone named 'J'sharra' and is annoyed that he cannot access the ship to speak with her."

"Of course, given the condition he was in when he arrived, we are restricting his contacts so he will not over-stress himself while he heals, since he is still 'brittle' in the sense that he is very weak and still in the first phase of recovery from surgery. Most things considered, he seems to be progressing quite nicely; even the complaints are a good sign since they mean he is regaining strength and energy as a result of the surgery."

Tam'yn chuckled; "He never could just sit; he had to be doing something, even when he was at the Palace and watching over..." He paused as the memory of his sister's death came back to him, bringing sorrow with it.

He continued by saying, "He liked to keep an eye on the Imperial Family at all hours," in a quiet voice that held his sense of loss in its tone.

To change the mood, he asked, "When can he have visitors? I would like to see him and I can probably bring the 'J'sharra' he wants to see so much with me. She and I are registered Companions; and she is also acting Ship's Third officer in his absence. I suspect she would like to see him as much as he wants to see her."

Counselor Letesha heard the change of tone and wondered at the why of it; although the Viceroy recovered nicely. He decided to check into possible causes of the sudden sense of grief he had felt for a moment as the Viceroy spoke.

As for visiting... "I will check with his Healer," he offered, "and see if he can have visitors. He may stop complaining in that case. When might you want to schedule a visit, your Radiance?"

"Tonight, with the 'J'sharra' he is asking about;" Tam'yn replied quickly, "the night sky isn't a security risk, and she is off duty then. I'll call her to make sure."

"Please do," Counselor Letesha suggested, "while I speak to his Healing staff members. I will let you know about visitations before midday meal."

Taking that opportunity to leave, the Counselor did so after making sure that the Viceroy wanted or needed nothing else to keep him happy. After bowing, Counselor Letesha departed the room and headed toward the main Healing post-surgical treatment area to speak to some of the Healers there. Then he would do some checking into the Viceroy's recent past to see what had caused the sudden sorrowed tones he had heard when the Viceroy spoke of his family. Grief issues were dangerous for anyone if left unresolved, let alone the Empress's personal representative.

Counselor Letesha was a bit of a snoop, a handy thing for anyone in Counseling. Where others might say knowledge was power, to him knowledge was healing, and he was in the profession of Healing the non-physical things that the physical Healers couldn't.

Ch. 6: Travels, both pleasant and otherwise

Two light minutes up-orbit from Imperial Station 3, two Imperial Guard runners were linked airlock to airlock. They were virtually identical, all the way down to the registry numbers on their hulls. One was low on water while the other was nearly full of water-fuel.

The somewhat scarred-up First of the low-water ship was conversing with the First of the high-water ship in that worthy's cabin, now bare of personal items.

"I can't believe we finally have him," the First of the low water ship said as he glanced at the bulkhead that separated the Traitor from the rest of the ship.

"We almost didn't," his opposite number replied; " his contact apparently decided he was no longer necessary to their cause and had set him up to die when his flier ran out of fuel over one of our oceans. We got lucky in that he hadn't changed the over-rides on his flier and we were able to take the machine over and force-land it at a planetary base where we extracted him and loaded him on board our own vessel."

"What happened to the flier then?"

"We towed it back to proper height and position and restarted it. It went its way and crashed two turns later, as planned. Any damage to the aircraft will be given to hitting the water, not a hard landing at a Guardian base, assuming it is found at all."

"So now we get the next part of the job. We switch ships and head back home, while you do the same. You might want to refuel first; we burned a lot of hydrogen getting here as fast as we did."

"I bet. Well, both ships are almost equally fast, so you should be home in a few days."

"Yeah. You know, it's funny; this is the closest any of my crew has been to the Imperial Center, T'Kiir'ah, and not a one of them has any interest in going any farther. We're two days away from the hearts of the Empire, and the only thing my people want is to go home again."

"You sound like you've been on T'Kiir'ah. Have you?"

"Born there. Lost my right eye and right arm there too. Put a Nobleman's son in prison for life. I have no real desire to return, for some odd reason."

"I'll bet. Shall we complete the exchange then? I've already pulled my nav-pack."

The scarred veteran nodded. As he reached for his own nav-pack, one of his crewpersons knocked on the doorframe, warning; "There is a Navy ship headed this way, and we'll be within detection range within five marks."

"Looks like we better get going then," the First from T'Kiir'ah said as his opposite number plugged his nav-pack into the receptacle on the First Officer's panel. The nav-pack was both log and database for a ship, and each Ship's First Officer had one issued to him or her alone. It was both key and direction-set for the vessel. After a moment, there was a click and then a hum as the computers uploaded their new instructions and crew roster.

The veteran waved as his opposite number closed the ship's airlock door. Twenty seconds later, there was a slight bump as the two ships separated. Then, quickly, both began moving away from each other under maneuvering power. Less than a minute later they were well apart and the opening space between them was growing greater every moment. Aboard the ship that needed water, the First and his crew watched through a porthole as the ship they had just quit seemed to stretch out into an infinitely thin strand and vanish. It was on its way back to whatever world it had come from.

Grot, the Moka, settled back down at the navigation panel and finished checking out his instruments. He made two entries and watched as the displays changed. Then he nodded in satisfaction and made ready to fully activate the helm controls and lay in the course his First had ordered. He shut down the maneuvering thrusters after zeroing the ship's momentum and reorienting the ship to its previous position in space.

"They have a long way to go," he said as he looked over at his crewmates, "and we need to refuel. We have barely twenty percent of water-fuel aboard. It is good the other ship had over ninety percent fuel; they will need it." After checking the voyage log he added, "We will say we have gone a long way and are coming back," as he set in a course for Imperial Station 3. Moments later the ship began moving along its programmed course to intercept with the station.

First chuckled, "Right you are, Grot. Act as tired and careful as you can; we will need to convince everyone we meet at the station and on the way back."

As the rest of the crew settled into their stations, Grot snorted; "On what we have, I could get us back to T'Kiir'ah and have water left over, but it would take too long. I have set a course for Station 3 so we can refuel and get back faster. I do not want my friends to be old and shaggy when we report in at our base for our next assignment."

As they passed the Navy Patrol Cruiser headed out on its usual routing while they were headed in to refuel, First sent the Cruiser a greeting and question about fuel and food stocks on Station 3. The Cruiser's First predictably chided them that they should always keep a good water reserve in their tanks. He also said there was plenty of food and vapor-distilled cometary water for them to load on since it was obvious they had been out for some time, given the external wear on their hull-shield plating.

Even the best diversion fields let the occasional micro-particle through to impact the hull-shields, although at much reduced velocity. Over time, those hull-shields would gain a "used" appearance and then be replaced with new protection while the old plates were repaired for further use. This ship looked very "used" when compared to the almost pristine Navy Cruiser .

First thanked him, and once the channel was closed, laughed.

Tam'yn and J'sharra were waiting in the hallway as the last Healer finished adjusting Tan'yel's bed so he could have visitors. Glancing down at his right wrist, Tam'yn wondered how much of this had been brought about by the Imperial seal there. He was a Viceroy. That meant the Healers at this hospital would go out of their way to please him.

He wondered if that included letting him see Tan'yel before it was really time to do so.

He didn't have a lot of time to puzzle over it. The last Healer stepped out of the room and with a gesture and a bow indicated his cousin was ready to see him now.

Carefully, he and J'sharra entered the room and went to Tan'yel's bedside, not knowing what to expect.

Tan'yel was angled up in his bed, halfway sitting and halfway laying down. He looked tired, but when he was greeted by his visitors were he smiled.

"Good to see you two," he said in a happy-if weak- sounding voice, "these idiots seem to think I'm made of cobwebs and dust, the way they treat me. All I get to eat is soft food and when I ask for my Pirka flask you'd think I'd suggested they were all illegitimate or something." He chuckled a little at his own humor.

J'sharra made a tentative smile and replied, "Well, they did have to do extra work on your upper heart and so I'm not surprised that they are being extra careful with you. You were a lot worse than we thought."

Tam'yn added, "At least now you can look forward to a more active life than you had before all this started. It sounds like you win on this one."

"So I have been told, more times than I can readily count," Tan'yel snorted, "and every time I remind them I was running Security for that ship and managing to do a very decent job of it even so."

He turned slightly toward Tam'yn and asked, "How is the installation going with the new reactor? Is Rintallan handling things all right, now that you're up on the bridge?"

"Uhh, yes, Rintallan is handling the installation well," Tam'yn replied, somewhat surprised by the question. In fact, he was rather surprised at the way Tan'yel was acting. Something was not right here, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Good!" Tan'yel said forcefully. "About time we got some dependable power going in Engineering, I think. Those Inverted Matter reactors are more trouble than they're worth. Fusion power gets us where we need to go and we don't risk blowing up if something goes wrong."

Tam'yn stared at his cousin and realized that his eyes were not tracking when he spoke. His ears were busy, but behind his slightly hooded eyelids, Tan'yel's eyes weren't moving in any direction at all. He just stared straight ahead while his ears followed sounds.

A glance at J'sharra confirmed that she was also aware of what was happening, or possibly that she was seeing something else that wasn't right.

They managed a stiff and nervous conversation for a few more minutes, then pleading fatigue, Tam'yn left his cousin's room with J'sharra in tow.

Once outside, he saw a Healer was waiting for him; Counselor Letesha at his side. "We need to speak," the Healer said quietly, "about what happened during the surgery on your cousin's upper heart. My office is nearby, your Radiance, if that would do."

Inside the Healer's office, Tam'yn and J'sharra sat and waited while the Healer set out some diagrams and sketches along with a small metallic object in a container of clear liquid. It was this container that the Healer picked up and handed to Tam'yn before beginning.

"This is what we found in your cousin's chest wall near his upper heart. When it showed up on the scans before we went in, we thought it was some sort of pacer or moderator for the heart itself," he explained, "when we had dissected it out, it was then we realized that it had no physical connection to Tan'yel Kerel'yn's heart at all. According to the technicians who have examined it, it is a sort of stunner; small and weak in effect, but quite capable of creating what would appear to be a heart attack in the upper heart leading to brain death, and it can be remotely triggered."

"How did he go blind?" Tam'yn asked bluntly, "and is it permanent?"

"We don't know," the Healer said worriedly, "there is nothing physically wrong with his eyes, his brain, or the nerves connecting them together. However, when we shine a bright light in his eyes, there is no reaction; his pupils simply do not contract. There is no question that he cannot see, but there is no reason for his blindness either."

Counselor Letesha spoke up; "There might be a reason for his blindness that is somewhat outside of physical medicine, if this blindness is something of the mind rather than the body. It is possible for the T'Kiir'I mind to make the physical body do some extreme things that would seem to be impossible under normal circumstances, and I believe this blindness is one of them."

Nervously, Tam'yn asked, "What sort of thing could cause this incapacity? Can he be treated for it? Can he see again?"

Counselor Letesha looked pained and replied, "Honestly, I don't know. This is one of the most profound cases of what we refer to as 'psychological blindness' that I have ever seen. With your permission, I would like to speak with your cousin and perhaps hear any stress-related words in his conversation. If this is fear or stress induced, I should be able to hear it and at least make a guess as to why this has happened. I would also like to try a Dream-Share session with him if I can't get anywhere with words alone.

If this is caused by something in the recent past, it will be present as an image in his mental world that can be dealt with under Dream-Share therapy. At the moment, nobody has the least idea as to why this happened after the surgery, when he was progressing so well, according to Healer K'tren here."

Healer K'tren nodded, "He was fine the first day after he was awake after surgery; then suddenly, yesterday, after watching the news his eyes stopped working. We're asking the service for the news program he was watching when his sight failed but so far they haven't been all that responsive. "

"They will be," Tam'yn said half-angrily, "after I talk with the parties involved. It's about time this piece of Imperial jewelry on my wrist was put to some good use that doesn't involve me first and foremost. My fa--Tan'yel is blind as a result of some story they sent out and his treatment depends on what it was that he saw. Until you know that, his treatment will be held up until he is strong enough for Dream-Share sessions, and that is totally unacceptable."

He was surprised at the anger and fear he was feeling for Tan'yel and his sight problem. Instead of mentally flailing, he focused on what was happening and came to a decision that surprised him with its simple good sense.

"Has anyone asked Tan'yel what he was watching when his sight failed?" he asked, and the look of shock on the face of the Counselor was answer enough. He swung his float-chair and was headed toward the door when the Healer called out, "Wait! If this is mentally caused blindness, pressuring the patient might make things worse."

Next to the Healer, the Counselor was nodding vigorously; "Remember, your Radiance, that this K'iir is just beginning his recovery from surgery and any shock, mental or physical, could cause him more injury. Let us find out what he was watching before you try to speak to him about whatever matters he is reacting to with this blindness. There will be stress-words in what he says when he speaks, and as a Counselor I can very probably hear them and identify them. That would at least give us an idea of what has happened to him."

That gave Tam'yn an idea he could act on. "I need to contact the ship," he said quickly, "is there a comms unit I can use that is available?"

He jumped slightly in the float chair when J'sharra tapped him on the shoulder and held out her ships' Comms unit to him. He let out a shuddering breath and thanked her, taking the communicator.

"Approximately what time did this happen," he asked the Healer; getting the reply of "Midday news. We get it only two turns late referent to T'Kiir'ah. It was after that time patient Kerel'yn manifested blindness, and at first he didn't seem to be aware of it."

With a grim smile, more a grimace, Tam'yn contacted the ship and asked to be put through to Guardian A'sallah. It was only a moment before he was speaking to the Guardian.

"What was on the yesterday noon local rebroadcast from T'Kiir'ah?" he asked bluntly; "Tan'yel's reacted to something in it negatively and I need to know what it was...or what it is."

A'sallah was surprised at the question, but a quick query of the ship's data logs for the noon transmission (which they had received too) showed that outside of some minor stories, the main story was the passing of Tireno Alcys'ka; with images from his life in the Court, serving three Empresses.

He keyed the dataset and address into his comms unit which sent it to the comms unit in Tam'yn hand.

He said, "It was a full measure history of the Traitor, Alcys'ka. There are all sorts of quotes and images of him; the Palace is mining his 'passing' for all the political ore they can get.

"Now, what happened to Third Officer Kerel'yn?" he asked worriedly.

Tan'yel stared at the comms unit for a moment, trying to find the proper words to say and finally gave up; "There was something in his chest, and when he watched the news he went blind. He...he..."

J'sharra took the comms unit and added, "He's blind for no reason at all, and there was some sort of stunner in his chest near his heart. Was this what all the news channels were carrying?" She was combining what she had heard on the ship with what she had seen here and getting an ugly picture as a result.

She went on, "When the surgeons worked on Tan'yel's upper heart, they found something that sounds like it ties in with the rest of the Traitor's actions. It is some sort of killing thing, I think, based on what the surgeon who found it said. Just a moment..."

She rounded on Healer K'tren and asked, "You think the thing you took out of Kerel'yn's chest was a sort of killing device?" At the surgeon's nod, she continued; "Have you informed the Guardians of this?"

That got a negative headshake from the surgeon. "I-We weren't sure that is what it was supposed to do; after all, we're Healers, not Guardians. We saved it, but outside of that we wanted to wait for the patient to identify it. After all, it was in his body and so he must know about it and why it was installed."

J'sharra sighed and said into the comms unit, " Guardian A'sallah, the surgeons have not contacted the local Guardians about it yet; they were waiting for Tan'yel to identify it. Can you contact someone?" she asked hopefully.

"Better yet, I'll come there myself," came the reply, "I'm not needed here at the moment and I'd like to get out for a while."

Tam'yn spoke up, "Can you bring one of the T'keron's to come with you, A'sallah? Tan'yel might be this way because of something Alcys'ka did to him, and I think they might recognize it."

The Guardian's voice came back out of the comms unit, "I think they are both off the ship. I'll check and if they are at their home I can have them contacted there."

Then, dry sounding over the comms speaker, he added; "Remember, the Traitor is on his way here. If we need to we can wait till he arrives and ask him straight away. If he isn't responsive, he can be persuaded to be so. We've done that before with other prisoners; the choice between a farm or a job at the mines has a way of loosening tongues quickly, especially after they realize they will be there for life. While we rotate guards there on a three segment system; the prisoners stay there until they are too old to work or are too crippled to work there, and then they get sent to one of the island farms."

"Where is this place?" Tam'yn asked with some concern. He didn't trust his old tutor not to have a way out.

"The main mine for titanite ore is twelve Ta-Ketra off the southern pole of this planet," A'sallah said grimly, "and the highest temperature ever recorded there is 25 marks below waterfreeze. Outside the protected tunnels and passages a prisoner would last less than a turn outside without special protection that isn't available there."

"Isn't available there?" Tam'yn repeated, "what do you mean?"

A'sallah's voice sounded metallic and harsh as he laughed over the communicator; " We keep the cold-gear necessary for survival in the guards barracks well away from the mine and its related enclosures. Inside the passages and residence areas at the mine itself the temperature is kept at a comfortable 'early-summer' level all year round. That way, going outside causes thermal shock on top of everything else. There are no connections between the mine and the guard barracks outside of one monorail track that also serves to transport out the semi-refined titanite ore. Even the most desperate prisoners are too smart to try sneaking out that way. They'd freeze to death before they got to the pick-up point."

"Is this...Legal?" Tam'yn asked nervously, to which A'sallah replied; "Yes. It is exactly within the laws for the humane treatment of prisoners. As long as they stay where they belong, there are no problems and they even have a measure of comfort."

Tam'yn relaxed, puzzled over why he had tensed up over the treatment of admittedly the scum of the Empire. He resolved to look into it later, if there was a later. Tireno Alcys'ka deserved worse for what he had done; but the Empire had laws even for such as he. He would never see his home again, and he would work hard for the rest of his days. That would do. It would have to do; the law permitted no more.

As a wave of fatigue washed over him, Tam'yn realized he had been pushing himself ever since he had realized that Tan'yel was blind. He slumped in his float-chair.

"I need to get back to my room and rest for a while," he told the people in the office. Looking up at J'sharra he asked, "Would you come back to my room with me so we can talk a little while before I pass out?"

She smiled and nodded, "Of course I will. I'll even tuck you in if you'd like me to," rubbing his cheek with hers. He rubbed back.

Returning his attention to the two others in the room, he cautioned; " Please keep Tan'yel comfortable. It is entirely possible that his blindness has been caused by un-natural means that we know nothing about. He was--conditioned, so to speak, by an enemy of the Empire completely without his knowledge. This might be a partial response to seeing the death notices about Tireno Alcys'ka; perhaps he was supposed to die or something. Please keep him comfortable and watch for any unusual sensitivities to words or word groups. When Guardian A'sallah gets here I want to be told and be awakened if I'm asleep. I want to talk to him about what might have been done to him based on some 'other information' that I have before he sees Tan'yel or speaks to him, please, this is important."

"Yes, your Radiance," the Healer and Counselor replied in what was nearly a single voice. Thanking them, Tam'yn turned the float-chair, and headed back to his room with J'sharra at his side.

"What do you think happened," J'sharra asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the surgery area.

"I wouldn't put it past Tireno Alcys'ka to have implanted some sort of command in his puppets as a hedge against his being murdered," Tam'yn replied nervously; "his mind worked that way. Tan'yel's blindness might be a part of that and..." his jaw dropped and he stared at J'sharra with suddenly frightened eyes. He could see she was following his reasoning too when she said; "We need to contact T'Kiir'ah. There could be chaos there if he did something like that; and he has had contact with a lot of people in the court. If they suddenly go mad, things could degenerate out of control overnight."

"How can we do that?" he groaned, all thoughts of resting banished. "This planet doesn't exist so far as the Empire is concerned. The M'Kereos doesn't have the power for a direct hyperwave connection with home, it takes a planet's resources to do that. The M'Kereos would have to be at superluminal velocity to create the energetic mass necessary for a contact, and the Admiralty knows we can't generate enough power for the speed and the hyperwave with the Inverted-matter reactor shut down!"

J'sharra continued beside him for a few moments, then asked; "Well, why not use a link through this planet's hyperwave system. Let the M'Kereos transmit to this planet's hyperwave system and then let that system contact T'Kiir'ah?"

Tam'yn shook his head and replied, "That would leave a trace that could be followed back here. Every hyperwave transmitter adds an identifier to the information it transmits, so not only would the M'Kereos' identity code be set into the message, this planet's transmitters would also add their identification to that communication. The result would be the same as using the planetary transmitters alone; this world would become known within the Empire, and we can't let that happen."

Curiously, J'sharra asked, "Then how does A'sallah contact home?" Seeing Tam'yn's look of surprise, she went on; "He told me he has a direct link with T'Kiir'ah for Guardian business; that's how he sent the information about your troubles and Tan'yel's reactions to the Guardian council. There has to be some sort of direct link for him to be able to do that."

"He can do that?" Tam'yn asked in a shocked voice, "How? That goes against everything I know about hyperwave transmission and reception. How could he manage something like that?"

Seeing his ears flopped and his eyes wide, J'sharra changed the subject quickly. Yes, he was both a Viceroy and her Chosen, but she was a Guardian while he was an Engineer. Let A'sallah deal with it. He would know what to say and what to keep back. Meanwhile, they had reached his room. Instead of getting into bed, he steered his float chair over to another chair where J'sharra seated herself, formulating a question.

"Why did you say Alcys'ka might have implanted something like blindness in the courtiers back home?" she asked curiously. She wanted his mind off communications.

Tam'yn shifted mental gears and replied, "Not just blindness, no. A'sallah said that Tireno Alcys'ka's puppets had been found before, but they had died somehow. If he was making puppets of Council members and courtiers, he would need an edge against being killed out of hand when his work was done. Causing chaos would be just the method he would choose to stay alive himself. He might even plan on it so he could disappear into the Empire.

"He probably let his employers know what would happen if he died by the obvious way, by using a code-word to make a low ranking puppet die somehow. He would see that as his insurance and shield. Imagine what would happen if a Council member went blind while flying from their office to the Imperial Council chambers. Imagine what would happen if a lot of Council members either went blind or had something else happen to them in Council. For all I know, there might be 'kill commands' that trigger if he dies; and remember, traditional Council dress includes weaponry like swords or war-staves. Supposedly, this shows that the Council is made up of free people with a right to weaponry. While they might be just costume weapons, even a costume weapon can do a lot of damage if nobody is expecting anything."

"You're worried about your family, aren't you?" J'sharra asked gently, and Tam'yn nodded fearfully.

"Remember, I have a brother and sister who are five cycles younger than I am," he replied, "and the last I heard of them wasn't good. My parents were considering sending them back to the family farming estate for a while to 'calm them down' as father put it. Alcys'ka has had complete access to them since they were small..."

He went silent, staring into space. Then he shuddered.

"Gods of star and space," he groaned, "they could be Alcys'ka's best weapons!"

Lake An'shal region, T'Kiir'ah:

Terel glared at the computer terminal screen. Everything on this farm was ancient, including the computers. Mother and Father had sent him and sister Le'ahn here, away from the capital, because of some of his idiotic gambling debts. Gambling debts indeed, Mother was the Empress; she could give him a chit for every pay-bit he owed and not make a scratch on the Imperial Household discretionary accounts. She had done so in the past, after Father had lectured him about the difference between gambling and being fleeced by professional gamblers.

He'd even been taught to recognize a lot of the cheats by one of the Imperial Palace Guardians who apparently dealt with such problems among the courtiers.

Big deal. He had caught several cheats and made those losers pay up. That had moved him up into the higher strata, with Old House offspring and higher stakes. He had been on a streak! So he had lost more than he had with him, Mother could pay it off easily...and he knew how to get it all back. He'd finally seen the cheat and knew he could do it better than the gambler who had used it on him.

All he needed was a stake from Mother's accounts. He'd asked! He'd shown her how he could triple his and her money in a matter of hours!

Instead, he and his sister were sent back "home", to a place he had never been before. He had lived in the palace all of his life. Now he was here, and HERE didn't have a lot to commend it.

Even the computers were ancient, two or three cycles old at the newest. They had no outside links, other than for agricultural items and supply orders and one low level slow general communications channel for mail and messages off the Estate.

He couldn't even reach one of the local Gaming sites on the single general communications channel; every time he tried, the machine would sit for three or four seconds before the screen would say, "Connection requested is incompatible with system" and then lock up, requiring a restart.

Terel wondered; was it really incompatible or was that just a system-guard response? At the present, he had no way of knowing. He sighed.

He went back to programming the auto-planter for field 8-north. When he was done there, he would move to field 7-north and do it all over again. Since they were of differing size, each had to be set up manually. Since the equipment didn't seem have modern location-management software, each difference had to be entered manually and then checked for accuracy against a computer generated image-grid of the field.

Then he had an idea. He could connect to a news channel and then go to a gambling site from there via one of their commercial messages. Then he'd see if the system was really "incompatible" or if his aunt had been told to keep him away from the commercial gaming sites.

Across the room, Le'ahn muttered a profanity as she reset the guidance system on a robotic berry-picker for one of the oddly shaped southern fields. Just because Terel had messed up, why did she have to pay for it too? She had missed the spring Showings at all the important fashion houses; so perhaps it was just as well she was here since otherwise she might be stuck with a lesser designer's creations for the season.

Worse, she had lost her access to An'kale; dear sweet handsome An'kale, who could make her body fur into silk with golden highlights. Her most current treatment was starting to wear off; the tips of her outermost coat were going dull and her body fur was starting to get stiffer and less supple. While there were do-it-yourself treatments, they didn't work nearly as well... And her aunt felt they were silly fripperies and wouldn't order any.

All too soon, she would look like a common farm-girl and not the silk-furred noble daughter of the Empress of the Sunrise Empire.

All because her brother tried to beat a professional gambler... Briefly, her claws flashed out and then back in as she calmed herself. Anger, it was said, coarsened one's fur; so she would not be angry.

He would still pay, though... and she knew how; exactly how. She appeared focused in on her programming of a harvester for the soon-to-be-harvested Pirka berries, but she was watching her sibling.

Hmmm... he was up to something, given the way he was focused in on the screen and the way his fingers were moving. She could see a sliver of the image panel in front of him and that was not a tala field-grid laid out on its surface. There were moving images on the screen. It looked like a news channel. Why was he doing that? Why was he staring at the screen so intently?

Suddenly he stiffened and brought his hands to his face. Then he screamed, a sound of sheer agony and terror. A mad spasm ripped through his body and he fell out of his chair onto the floor and lay there, unmoving but for his ribcage as he breathed raggedly and in short gasps.

Curious and a bit apprehensive, Le'ahn got up and carefully approached her brother's now silent form. From here, he looked like he was sleeping. A careful hand against his throat felt a pulse that was racing like a sudden storm.

She glanced at the screen. The old fool's face was on it and there was something being printed below it in formal script, but she couldn't see what due to the angle she was at in relation to the picture. Curious now, she began to stand so she could get a better look.

She was about to step around her brother's body to get a better look when her aunt ran into the room and slapped the screen around so Le'ahn couldn't see it as it pivoted on its stand and away from her.

Kneeling beside Terel, she looked up at Le'ahn and asked sharply, "What happened here?" while she checked for a pulse at Terel's wrist. There was an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

Le'ahn was shocked. Aunt Karalan'ka was never afraid. She was supremely confident, just as the Empress's older sister would naturally be. Le'ahn scrabbled for an answer.

"He was fussing with the keys and I think he was trying to do something. He did access a news channel, I saw that before this happened to him;" she said as she pointed to her brother on the floor.

She continued; "He kept fiddling with something and then he looked at the screen. Then he screamed and put his hands to his face and fell off the chair. Then you came in..."

"Did you see what was on the screen?" her aunt asked sharply, an edge to her voice. Le'ahn shook her head in negation. Now fear began to grow.

"All I saw was the old fool who gave us our so-called manners," she said nervously; " and there was something under his picture but you moved the screen away before I could read what it was."

Her aunt sagged a little, then stood and switched off Terel's computer terminal, then moving to Le'ahn's she repeated the process. Turning to Le'ahn, she said; "Stay here and mind your brother. Healer Kaarlo will be here in a couple of minutes, and I want you to tell him exactly what you told me. I do not want you to go anywhere near a computer terminal until after I talk to your mother, understand me?"

Now, feeling a little bit afraid, Le'ahn replied, "But what about the field setup? I was only half-way done with it."

Her aunt flicked an ear; "Later perhaps, or we can use last year's pattern; the vines haven't exactly moved anywhere. What is important now is that you stay away from any data device until after you've been tested and we know it's safe for you to use it. Obviously, it wasn't safe for your brother."

Now Le'ahn was afraid. Her claws flicked out a fraction of an inch in reflex, but just what the danger was confused her. Why were computers possibly dangerous now?

"What do you mean?" she asked her aunt in a slightly panicky voice, "What isn't safe? What happened to my brother?" Fear began to take her in an icy grip.

"Aunt" Karalan'ka replied in a voice dripping with suppressed rage, "A traitor named Tireno Alcys'ka happened to him, and probably to you too. That's what happened to him. Stay here and watch your brother until the Healer arrives. I will be in the hallway talking to your mother. She needs to know how badly he injured you two." Her own claws were more than half way extended before she calmed herself and began to move out of the room.

As she stepped out of the room, she repeated, "Stay away from the terminals until the Healer or I say otherwise, understand?" She took one of the estate comm-units out of a pocket and called for Healer Kaarlo, who was one of the senior Healers on the farming estate. He was also trained in Counseling--most countryside Healers were-- and was the best chance for her nephew's recovery.

Now shivering, Le'ahn nodded mutely. She had never been this afraid before, and she still didn't know what it was she was afraid of. All she knew was that she was afraid for her brother and by extension, herself.

Slowly she knelt down and picked up her brother's limp form and began hugging him close and rubbing her cheek-fur against his unresponsive face. She felt tears start to run down her cheeks, and for once the mess they would make of her facial fur was unimportant. Her brother, the person who had grown beside her in their mother's womb, had been hurt. She had been hurt with that injury too. She would protect him to the death. None of this was modern; this was ancient. This was the K'iir sibling bond. There was nothing stronger in the T'Kiir'I mind or spirit.

She would protect him to the death, just as he would were their situations reversed. They were T'Kiir'I .

In the hallway outside the workroom where all this was playing out, Karalan'ka an Yere'kos was pressing the keys on a second communicator, this one a military model that had arrived with her younger sister's children. Her claws were making things difficult because they would not stay sheathed so she punched the wrong code a couple of times, and that angered her further. Hissing, she forced her digits to cooperate long enough to make the proper entry into the communicator with her knuckles.

She got through to the Palace in a few eternal marks. Her contact turned out to be a Guardian, one from the outregions by his accent.

"--ay'h, ma'am; the Empress will be answer'in ye in a momen' or two. Things here be on the chaotic side, an' the Palace is callin' in Guardians from all over. Ye hae th' chilruns, right? They be okay? She'll want to know..."

Bitterly, Karalan'ka replied, "No, the boy isn't. The monster got to him; when he saw the death notices he collapsed. I have our best Healer dealing with it, but this may be beyond anything he knows about."

"There's a mot o' that here, too;" the Guardian replied, "Peoples' goin' blind or passin' out all over the City n' Her Rising Glory havin' to deal with all of the things that the court-folk should be handling. Guardians are all over the City tryin' to keep order, along with the City Watch. Odd, the ones bein' affected with this are... wait, here's herself."

"What's happened, Kara?" the Empress's voice asked over the comms unit, "Are the children alright?" There was a hint of exhaustion in her tone.

"Le'ahn is alright, but she didn't see the news post about Alcys'ka," Karalan'ka replied to her sister, "But somehow Terel managed to get past the security system and accessed a news channel and saw the death notice for the traitor. Kavie, you have to get the planetary broadcasters to stop this business with Tireno Alcys'ka's death. That was what Terel saw that sent him over the edge, I'm certain of it. The news has to start covering other events, other places, or this is only going to get worse."

Karavele'ka an Yere'kos, Empress of the Sunrise Empire, groaned into the communicator, "I can't. The broadcasters who are playing this to the full are either owned or are run by the Three Houses, and if I make any move to shut them down they'll call for me to retire because I can't manage a little emergency here in the Capitol. They will play down the fact that this is planet-wide and has even infected the Admiralty. With the new laws of succession being considered by the Planetary Assembly, I dare not appear weak or they'll vote for it rather than against it. I've even had to call in Guardians from the provinces to keep order here; it seems that Tireno Alcys'ka has infected not only my Court, he has corrupted the general peacekeeper oversight council. How he managed to do that is a mystery, but he did. My Guardians say he had a machine that could condition your mind to an insane degree in one or two sessions, they're still working on it and trying to understand how it worked. So far they haven't had much luck in that matter."

Karalan'ka groaned into the communicator, then asked, "What's happening with the ones who are affected? The boy is unconscious now and is being tended by his sister. Do you have any idea when he will wake up from this? I can close down the outside contacts with the exception of personal communications, but what am I going to need to do to provide for Terel when he wakes?"

"Support him for the most part," Karavele'ka replied; "But the others woke up blind with no apparent reason for their blindness. Gods of Star and Space, what has that monster done to this Empire? If I do nothing, the Three Houses will say I'm incompetent. If I act, they will say I'm exploiting this for my personal gain...and I still don't know how the Planetary Assembly is going to vote on the Improvements bill. Add in the way things are going downward and I may need to declare martial law just to keep the planet operating."

"What's happening up there?" Karalan'ka asked, now worried for both the government and her sister; " the monster couldn't have done this to everyone, could he?"

"He didn't have to," the Empress replied bitterly, "most of his 'trainees' seem all right. Its only the ones in sensitive areas who were sabotaged, and their various reactions have brought the Government to a standstill. The Palace may actually start running short of things because the people who would see to supplies are either catatonic or blind or acting insane with grief. Some of the things the Guardians are overseeing now were being handled by simple minor administrators who collapsed and the suppliers who got curious about a sudden lack of orders from the various departments they serviced. The managers who should be handling all this are either blind, paralyzed by grief, or catatonic. They..."

There was a sudden silence from the communicator.

Then her sister's voice sighed; "The Planetary Assembly just sent me their vote on the 'Improvements' bill. They voted it down, 24 no's to 4 yes's. There is a note on the bottom of this..."

"Old Kloss from Moka writes, 'Our Empress is our Empire. All the Parliament does is argue about things, and we do not need an arguing Empire. We choose to continue despite the reductions in tariffs offered. They make little difference in the end of things."

In the Palace of the Sunrise, a T'Kiir'I woman felt tears start to form with the realization of the amount of trust the Planetary Assembly had shown in her abilities and in the structure of their Imperial Government. Even her own Parliament had felt less trust in her capability, and that was something she would use later for the Empire's benefit.

"Karalan'ka," she said into the communicator when her voice was again steady, "I'm sending the best Counselor I can spare to help you deal with my children. Some Palace Guardians will be with him; these Guardians are gaining some ideas of how Alcys'ka's devices work, and will have the best chance of reversing the effects. Their password will be our great-grandmother's middle name; you remember that one, don't you?"

Hearing her elder sister's chuckle over the communicator, she relaxed a little and bid her goodbye. She had an Empire to keep running, exhausted or not.

Lord Taveralos glared at the two others at his table. Things were not going as they had intended. Not in the least way, not in any way were they going as they were intended to go. Even the wine had a sour taste to his palate.

"We should have anticipated Alcys'ka would have some sort of protection in place," High Lord Antero-Kessa growled, "and not simply dispatched the K'iir when we were ready to act. I had anticipated something; he was no fool, but this smacks of Treason to us and our Cause."

Lord Timeroyeska laughed, sharp and high; "And of course we aren't contemplating Treason or anything like it ourselves; we're just going to help the Empire modernize a little."

Then he turned to Lord Taveralos and snapped, "You were supposed to wait for us to agree it was time to get rid of the old sorcerer, not decide to end him on your own. What were you thinking when you got him drunk and then let him fly? Why didn't you let him sleep it off like you've done dozens of times before?"

Lord Taveralos stood and bared his claws, snarling, "How many times must I be the hotelier to a no-family old commoner? Do you think I enjoyed watching him puke his guts up on my Ardassan carpets? Do you think I drew pleasure from his making advances at every female in sight when he was drunk? What is this House, a common tavern? I became exhausted of playing the affable friend to a no-family no-Clan person who wasn't fit to sweep the floors in this House!" He all but spit out the word person in his anger, and it was true that his servants were for the most part the children of other servants in service to his House and had been for generations. It made keeping secrets much easier among the Clan and House conscious Old Families.

He was standing claws ready and about to press his upset further when the High Lord dragged his own claws over the table, scratching the surface deeply as he said sharply, "Enough. We shall not fight among ourselves over this; what is done is done and the tool is at the bottom of the sea, where we intended it to be. We pick our path carefully and continue with our plans. That is what we do."

Lord Taveralos stared at the four deep scratches in the bronzewood table. The fact they were there meant that High Lord Antero-Kessa had hardened his claws somehow; hard enough to scratch a nearly glass-hard surface varnish and engrave the metal-hard wood underneath, and plainly sharp enough to disembowel with a single sweep.

He swallowed and retracted his own claws. He was a capable duelist, in that he was still alive and but lightly scarred; but this spoke to the old ways of things which obviously the High Lord still followed and he did not.

He remained standing for a moment. "Perhaps I acted out of time," he said and then sat back down. That was a small admission, but it would have to do. He would say no more.

"Yes you did," High Lord Antero-Kessa said bluntly, "but if we think instead of brawling like peasant children, we can turn even this to our advantage. The Empress is still politically weak with all the difficulties that have popped up, and we can make a point of this publically. We can suggest that she cannot even manage such a small loss to her administration without having things fall apart. Never mind that we inadvertently brought that fall about, the commons need not know that."

Glancing around, he commented, "I don't suppose any of your eligible daughters are unaffected by this, are they? My Yertersa is blind, and her idiot Companion and their brats are confused and nearly helpless. I've sent them all away to the country so they won't be underfoot."

Lord Taveralos shook his head, "No, Netello is similarly blinded and her Companion is staying drunk. I sent the children to my summer retreat by the sea with orders that they not be permitted to access the news channels or outside contact. I don't want to learn what, if anything, Alcys'ka did to them. Their parents are--ahhh, confined for their own safety at my hunting lodge."

Lord Timeroyeska suggested, "We might stop the repeat broadcasts of his life story and let things settle down a bit. Karelia watched perhaps five marks of the broadcast and not only went blind, she's grieving like she lost her whole family and House; never mind that her Companion and her children are constantly at her side. I have my indoctrination experts going over the thing frame-by-frame looking for trigger phrases or objects, and so far they haven't found anything. He had nothing to do with the assembly of this so-called 'Tribute', so it is unlikely that he put anything there to begin with, but I felt it wise to be sure."

High Lord Antero-Kessa grew thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Yes. Stop the broadcasts. They aren't doing any good anymore, and we can use the time gained to show how our current Empress is not handling the situation." He chuckled at his own wit.

"Well, the Guardians have his machines now, of a certainty," Lord Taveralos grumbled, "while they cannot be traced to us, neither can we get any idea as to what it was that he actually did when he was supposedly making obedient adults and children. I have to wonder what else he was putting into the minds of the people who supposedly would follow our lead and force the Empire to grow instead of stagnate as it has been doing for the past century. That lack of knowledge has me somewhat worried."

"Well, we shall just have to find out, won't we?" High Lord Antero-Kessa replied evenly. "We have our freedom to act while the Imperial Government is nearly paralyzed; and we can act to bend things to our way of thinking now for later when the emergency is over. Too bad the Empress cannot say the same thing," he added with a malicious grin, "too bad indeed."

On a nameless world:

Tam'yn sat in his float-chair as Guardian A'sallah explained how the world he was on could have access to hyperwave and still remain unknown. It was so simple he was embarrassed that he hadn't figured it out himself.

They didn't use hyperwave. They used a subspace conduit to the colony world that was their physical contact with the Empire, and that world used their hyperwave system to reach into the Empire and eventually the Guardian's Council on T'Kiir'ah. That colony world had a first-class hyperwave system, courtesy of the Imperial Guardians Council.

Subspace transmission was like hyperwave, in that it was nearly instantaneous in its transmission between any two points; but unlike hyperwave it lost power over distance in the conduit or channel it traveled between those two points. Hyperwave was omni-directional but subspace data needed to be aimed if any great distance was to be covered, and there had to be a companion-tuned receiver to receive it. Where hyperwave used relatively little power, the subspace communications installation in this system had its own set of fusion reactors which were powerful enough to power a freighter. For safety, this planet's subspace installation was on the planetary satellite that orbited this world, and ordinary laser was used to contact the subspace transmission/reception station. Twenty light-cycles away, an automated repeater system boosted the subspace signal onward to the colony world. It was serviced twice a cycle and refueled at the same time.

All this made for a delay of roughly a turn and a half, and final planetary routing by optical fiber added another twenty or thirty marks; but it meant that reasonable communications were possible between this world and the Imperial Home, T'Kiir'ah, with no one the wiser.

"I feel like an idiot," Tam'yn confessed, "now that you've explained it to me it makes perfect sense. It's just that since the Navy doesn't use sub-space communications, it never occurred to me that they might be used in a case like this."

A'sallah grinned, "Figuring out our system got the Koretan who perfected it an Imperial Planetary Pardon and a transfer from a penal colony maintenance shop to a business in the capitol where she designs planetary comms units. She is quite happy with the arrangement."

"What was she here for?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"Eavesdropping--Spying on the Moka government for Koret," A'sallah replied, "they wanted her dead but accepted perpetual exile at hard labor instead. She spent the first few segments in the mine, then was moved into a maintenance facility for the mining equipment. Eventually she was promoted to the electronics maintenance section of the farming facilities for good behavior.

"Then she wrote a monograph about how this world could have near -instantaneous communications with the rest of the Empire in response to a contest the prison management set up. They were so impressed they sent it to the Planetary Government. The rest is history."

"Before that, how did you communicate?" J'sharra asked curiously.

A'sallah grimaced, "Slowly. Hyperwave to the colony world, then either runner or freighter to here and then back again. Messages might take a tenday turning around; not good when speed was necessary, but it got us focused on being independent so in the long run it was an annoying but good thing. I'm just glad the new method happened, that's all."

Tam'yn nodded, "If things fall apart, the principles of our Empire will live on here, safe from the chaos that would come if the Imperial government collapsed. This world is invisible, yes; but it is the refuge of the concepts that made our race into a star-spanning empire instead of a planet of constantly warring kingdoms."

Then his eyes widened as he realized something important. "T'Kiir'ah is one heart of our Empire and this is the other. Both are necessary for it to live."

A'sallah bowed in his chair; "Thank you, your Radiance. We tend to think so, but it is comforting that our Empress's representative agrees with us."

Then he frowned, "But it means we have to stay hidden, and a lot of us hope for eventual recognition and having our world named. Our children who leave here for specific education in other parts of the Empire have to train themselves not to refer to us other than as part of our contact colony world."

Tam'yn grinned, "If we find these Robot-makers, this world might not need to be invisible any more. It could become the bridge world between the Empire and the robot makers."

"Ahh, what about the prison?" A'sallah asked curiously.

Tam'yn's ears drooped. "Sorry, I'd forgotten about that. Maybe something can be worked out in the future," he added with a bit of embarrassment.

"Let the future see to itself," J'sharra said gently. "Let's just be glad this world is here, and that Tan'yel has been treated."

A'sallah nodded, "Yes indeed, and I need to tell Guardian Kerel'yn that he is no longer accused of murder; in fact, he's due for a reward of some sort for catching a wanted criminal."

Tam'yn stared for a second; then asked, "Huh? Tinterro was a criminal? How?"

J'sharra explained, "He wasn't Tinterro. Tinterro Kailas is a young person on a colony world. The person Tan'yel killed was named Mikero Althas, a wanted terrorist-for-hire with a kill-or-capture order out on him. Somehow, he managed to get hold of a set of I.D. chips and create a new identity for himself as a Navy engineering crewperson. Tan'yel isn't in trouble for killing him.'

"What?" Tam'yn sputtered, "That's supposed to be impossible. The chips are tightly controlled and only get issued to Navy personnel after they finish training. Navy Security makes certain..." his jaw dropped.

A'sallah nodded, "It seems that Navy Security has been compromised in this case; since someone managed to reprogram a set of implant chips from some other person, probably deceased. We have found two other people who are similarly chipped among the contract people."

J'sharra took up the narrative; "There are three people with contractor-type Navy chips; one is a retired Navy crewman who is boosting his retirement by contracting with the Navy. The other two are supposedly musicians, only their chips also say they are engineering crewpersons specializing in power generation.

"They have no idea and seem to know nothing about this second set of data on their I.D. chips. I believe them, and so does A'sallah. We're running a physical scan to make sure of their identities; apparently their finger ridges and retinas aren't altered and those can tell us who they really are. They have not seen the news about the Traitor's 'death' and so they haven't gone blind, if that was what was supposed to happen."

"Because they are being cooperative, we're asking Dr. T'keron to work with them and see if he can figure out what the Traitor did to them."

She chuckled, "It seems they want to know too. They are sure they are who they say they are, but we don't know for certain and won't until their scans come back from T'Kiir'ah, and that's taking time."

That got a question forming in Tam'yn's mind. Everybody looked relaxed, but he knew looks could be deceiving when it was deemed necessary.

"What's happening at home?" he asked curiously. A glance at A'sallah then had him asking, "How bad is it? Really?" A'sallah's face had suddenly gone "professional neutral" in response to his question, and there was only one sensible explanation for the sudden shift.

J'sharra glanced at A'sallah and started to say, "Not a great deal, there isn't a huge lot of trouble..." when she was interrupted by the Guardian, who said; "It isn't as bad as it could be, but the last information we got from T'Kiir'ah was that a number of people suffered the same thing your cousin did when they saw something in the memorial to Alcys'ka; they went blind. Apparently he hit on being able to blind people somehow and used it as a way of protecting himself; only he forgot to tell his sponsors about what he'd done. Perhaps he didn't have time before they tried to kill him. Things are holding well and both Guardians and the Palace general staff are keeping the government working, but when that Traitor gets here, he is going to tell us how to undo it."

J'sharra glared at A'sallah, but Tam'yn nodded in agreement; "Tireno Alcys'ka took from the Palace and the Empire for over 45 cycles, he can give something back. I want to know what needs to be done to remedy this situation, and I do not necessarily want to know how you get that information. I am not my mother the Empress, and if I give you an illegal order; then she will discipline me, not you. You will do what you need to do to find out on my authority as Viceroy, and not by the Imperial Charter; understand?" His voice had risen as he spoke and he almost shouted the last word at the Guardian. His cold stare reminded A'sallah of what the original root word for his people, K'iir, meant: it meant Hunter, Predator. Slowly he nodded; this Viceroy knew when to use his authority, and as a Guardian he could obey this direct Imperial order even if it potentially violated the Charter.

It was very possible that Alcys'ka would wish he had never been born when the Guardians were through with him, and they had Dr T'keron and his creation T'oko on their side too. He knew that Dr. T'keron had a history of episodes of anger when his erstwhile assistant's name came up; T'oko had told him about them several times. Jin'a T'keron grew angry too when Alcys'ka's name was mentioned, she thought he had been the one behind the bombing that had claimed her mother and brother and had mutilated her so horribly.

Yes, Tireno Alcys'ka was going to regret deeply everything he had done since he had been born once he arrived here in ( he glanced at his wrist-chron) under a day and a half. He debated telling the Viceroy the anticipated arrival time for the Traitor and decided not to. He'd tell Tam'yn's Companion and let her decide whether or not to say anything. She had plainly been unhappy with his description of what was going on at the Imperial center, but the Viceroy needed to know the basics--at the very least.

On a fast Runner speeding toward a nameless planet, there was trouble brewing. The new First was one of Tireno Alcys'ka's earliest "conversions". The problem was, he seemed to know it. He had checked his "passenger" only once, by video, and it wasn't until later that Alcys'ka recognized him.

Artificial eyes and arms tended to change the overall appearance of a person, it seemed. He'd lost his chance to use his control command then, and his puppet hadn't contacted him since.

Every turn in his room meant he was a turning nearer the strange destination the ship was speeding toward, and every turning meant his chances of escape were growing slimmer and slimmer.

What to do? How to get the one person he had finally recognized from twenty-two cycles in the past to be available for him to use his control phrase, when outside of a once-a-day physical check when the door was open, he was left alone or had only electronic contact with the people on this ship.

Demanding to talk to the First of the ship hadn't worked. The response had been a cold "no" from the speaker under the blank view plate.

The room was exactly large enough to keep a T'Kiir'I prisoner from going insane as a result of being closed in. There was just enough stimulus to keep the mind stable, and just enough in the way of amenities to allow a prisoner to stay clean and neat. Every day, there was a "new" packaged shipsuit on the tray under the video plate; fresh and clean. He already knew why; he had found the sensors in one of his old ones. The batteries were good ( he decided) for perhaps a day and a half, so this way every day he put on a fresh and fully charged set of sensors built into his clothing. Failing to put the old suit in the waste slot by the San meant no breakfast until he complied. He realized he was being watched, recorded, monitored, checked on, looked at every beat of every mark of every turn of every day and there was no way to avoid it.

It wasn't even a right-handed complement; the shipsuits were standard space-wear, fitted to a standard sizing. His was just a bit loose; every one of them was loose in the same places and the same way every single day.

He realized that in a way this was a method of getting him used to prison. He would probably wear the same sort of garment once the ship landed...wherever it did. And he was still unable to figure a way out since the First wouldn't talk to him.

Then he had an idea; desperate perhaps, but at least it was an idea. He would try to commit suicide. That should bring the ship's First officer, if for no other reason than his being responsible for delivering Alcys'ka to wherever it was they were headed.

After two turnings, he realized he was probably not the first prisoner who had tried death as a means of escape. There was literally nothing that could be used to attempt to kill himself.

He couldn't even try to drown himself in the cleansing unit; it was sonic, using high frequency driven water drops to cleanse fur and skin rather than a normal bathing pool. He wasn't desperate enough to try drowning in the San.

He couldn't open anything either; what looked like normal fasteners were locked somehow and were non-responsive to his attempts to pick them open.

He couldn't even try hanging himself. There were what had to be release seams in his clothing that would tear open if enough tension was applied to them. He could tear a leg off the shipsuit, yes. If he tried to use it as a noose, while he could tie it around his neck, putting not even half his weight on it caused the fabric to tear, making its use as a hangman's noose impossible. It simply would not take his weight.

The same thing applied to the blanket-sheet on his sleeping pad; it was made of the same material and tore at roughly half his body weight.

That had brought a visit from one of the crew, unfortunately not someone he had conditioned. He was warned that continued destruction of Guardian-issue items would be considered a crime in itself, and he would be further charged with that when they landed.

"Since you seem bent on saving us trouble by hanging yourself," his Guardian visitor had said, "I would be happy to assist you with this," he held up a coil of wire and pouted; "but First said I couldn't. There are people where we're going who have some questions for you to answer, and I would suggest you do so. Really, it would be in your best interests to answer those questions as honestly as you can, if you remember what 'honestly' means." The access panel closed as the crewman stared at him.

That sleep period, he had huddled under a now too-narrow blanket-sheet trying to sleep. He wasn't sure, but it felt like the air in his cabin was colder.

It was; by one degree centigrade. His imagination was providing the rest.

The next day, in addition to his shipsuit, there was a new blanket-sheet in the packet that slid out of the wall. For that kindness, he was grateful; having shivered all night.

He didn't realize it, but he was being conditioned, and had been for most of the trip. The means were not as sophisticated as the ones he had used, but like his own methods, he had no realization of what was being done to him.

In the remaining day and a half, the conditioning would be carefully stepped up; so that when he was delivered he would be in the proper frame of mind...for meeting an old adversary named J'ina T'keron.

Lake An'shal, 'an Yere'kos Plantation and Farm

Le'ahn settled onto the sleeping pad that her brother had been laid on, and continued to hold him close. She was past being angry at him, she would have wept for joy if he simply said something.

He didn't. He continued to sleep, but his hearts were no longer racing like they had been; Healer Kaarlo had given him an injection to calm them down. He had also done a thorough examination of his patient while both Le'ahn and Aunt Karalan'ka waited nervously outside the bedroom.

His findings had not been encouraging.

"I cannot find a reason for any of this," he had said once he had finished his examination, "I injected him with a counter-adrenalic medication to slow down his hearts before he took an injury from the sky-high blood pressure. He is unconscious and he shouldn't be, it's as if he refuses to wake up no matter what stimulus I apply. He'll have a bruised right ear-tip because I used a heavy surgical clamp on it to see if he would respond to pain. He didn't; and his brain-trace did not change in the least. It is as if he has shut out all external stimuli and is completely turned inward to get away from something he cannot deal with in an aware state."

"Is there anything we can do?" Aunt Karalan'ka asked worriedly, and the Healer shook his head.

"He will swallow if liquid is placed in his mouth, so I would suggest he be given at least a glassful of water every turning to prevent dehydration, and broth, too, if he won't eat," the Healer said thoughtfully; "Who knows, he may wake up to pee if his bladder is full enough but I doubt it."

"What will happen to him if...?" Le'ahn couldn't finish the question.

"If he doesn't wake up?" the Healer replied, "eventually, he will pass into the Light. Our bodies don't do well in states of profound lassitude such as he displays; if he doesn't waken in, say, a tenday; he may well die."

Le'ahn didn't answer. She all but ran into her brother's bedroom and held him close; as if by doing so she could somehow protect him. She wasn't thinking as she did this, instinct ruled her actions as it had countless other generations.

Karalan'ka stared into the doorway for a moment, then turned and thanked the Healer. There were tears in her eyes too; her birth sibling Dalian had died of Sora fever and she still remembered doing exactly what her niece was doing now...and she also remembered the awful evening when Dalian's tormented body had at last relaxed against hers and his spirit had risen into the Light. They had been twelve Cycles old at the time, adults; although she hadn't felt like an adult when it had happened. She had simply felt incredibly alone and still did at times.

The Healer put his hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, "This isn't the sickness that took your brother Dalian, Kara; it seems to be an artificial thing that is affecting members of the Palace almost exclusively. Have you spoken with their mother, our Empress?"

Karalan'ka nodded slightly before replying, "She is sending some specialists here to try treating Terel. One is a specialist Counselor and there will also be several Guardians; why them though, I don't know."

"I do," the Healer said sadly, "they are Her children. As such, since this strange sickness struck one of them, they will need around the clock protection. No reflection on you, Karalan'ka; but with the boy down those two have become an easy target for the enemies of the Empire. Even out here, there are people who favor change, any change; because it might be enriching for them. Now the children are at risk and She has to watch over them since they are Reflections and part of the Imperial Family."

Karalan'ka nodded sadly. It was true. Even the pastoral lands around Lake An'shal had their quota of malcontents and she had a plantation to run. She couldn't watch the children constantly and get the harvest in, too. If it came to a choice, she would instantly sacrifice the farm to protect her sister's children; but she knew all too clearly that she wouldn't get that choice to make if there were trouble.

The Healer spent a few more minutes with her and then went on his way; promising to check Terel again at sunset. The gentle words still caused her to tense; sunset was when Dalian had followed the light out of the world, and 'sunset' was a polite term for going into the light as one's mortal life ended.

Watching the Healer walk down the lane to settlement, Karalan'ka felt the pain of losing her own brother again even more keenly. Her cheekfur was wet now, with tears of old loss and reawakening grief. Her throat was tight with anticipation.

No. Somehow, Terel would live. Le'ahn might be a spoiled brat, but that sort of loss wasn't right for anyone, for any reason, ever. She turned and went back into the house; to the inner solarium-temple, to pray. She hadn't really asked the Light for anything in a very long time, not since her brother...

Not since he had left her alone and gone onward into the Light he had come from.

Some unknown time later, one of the house servants tapped her on the shoulder and announced, "Ma'am, there's some people here; from the Palace, so they say. Say you're expecting them...?" There was a hinted question that Karalan'ka understood.

She got up, wincing at the stiffness in her knees and nodded a bit shakily.

"Yes, my sister said she was sending them. I'll go speak to them."

Reaching the door, she saw a Guardian flyer sitting on the landing pad and a group of people standing on the porch, waiting for her. She smiled and went over to them, asking; "How may I be of assistance to you?"

One, a short T'Kiir in blue, replied; "We're here to see a Miss K'ranav'la, I believe?" He looked somewhat puzzled at the name. It was very old in its styling.

Karalan'ka chuckled, "That was our great-grandmother's middle name. Kavie must have sent you, she gave me that key as a password. Come in."

"Kavie?" one of the Guardians asked, "who's that?"

"My little sister. You call her, 'Her Rising Glory the Empress'. Karavele'ka an Yere'kos may be the Empress, but she's my little sister."

"You're the right person," the Guardian chuckled, "that's almost word-for-word what Hersel-- ahh, the Empress said you would say. We're here to see if we can help."

Earlier, inside Terel's bedroom, Le'ahn was feeling relieved and strangely joyful. Terel was waking up, a little bit at a time. Her brother was waking up! Finally, after hours, he was stirring and beginning to mutter and mumble.

Finally, he said something she recognized. He asked where he was. Turning his head, he sniffed her forearm and asked, "Le'ahn? Is that you?"

"Yes, silly, it's me," she replied, "You had us scared. What happened?" Her curiosity was now in full gear.

"I saw...at least, I think I saw Master Tireno's death notice," he replied in a somewhat shaky voice; "Then something happened, I don't know, it was awful. I felt like I was on fire all over. Then everything went away."

"Well, according to Aunt Karalan'ka, the old J'ba'at is dead. You managed to snag a news report," Le'ahn explained, "and because you spazzed out neither of us can use the computer system until she says so." Le'ahn was beginning to remember why she had been angry at her brother when something he said made her forget everything--again.

"Where are we?" Terel asked curiously, "Why aren't there any lights?"

"We're in your bedroom," she replied; then, "What do you mean 'lights'? The windows are open and while it may be a little dim in here..."

She paused. "Are you saying you can't see anything?" she asked nervously.

"It's dark all around," Terel replied as he turned his head, ears twitching. He put a hand to his right ear, "This hurts. Did it get damaged or something?"

The unnatural calm in his voice began to frighten her again.

"I think the Healer said he pinched your ear there to see if you would wake up," Le'ahn explained, "but you didn't. You just woke up a few marks ago."

Then she asked again, "Are you saying you can't see anything?" She waved her hand in front of his eyes, almost brushing his muzzle with her fingertips in her panic.

His hands went places that would have had him slapped at any other time as he struggled upright. She stood and held him close again. His eyes stared blankly ahead, into the room, blank and unmoving.

First, his head began to shake, then his shoulders; then finally he sobbed, "Le', I can't see. It's all dark and I can't see." Then he sobbed, "Le', I can't see!"

She pulled him around and held him close, trying to comfort but only feeling the same fear that was eating her brother alive. Soon she too was sobbing, still holding her brother as he held onto her as if for dear life.

It was this tableau that Counselor Brennis observed from the doorway as he, Karalan'ka, and the Guardians walked down the passage into to the area where the residence rooms were located, looking for the Empress's children.

He stopped and then held out an arm to stop the others. Carefully, quietly, he entered Terel's room and spoke to the two young people wrapped tightly together in a low voice; asking, "Le'ahn, can you speak to me? Terel, can you speak to me?" He needed to be careful to avoid potential attack by the uninjured sibling.

Terel turned his head toward the sound of the Counselor's voice and asked, "Counselor Brennis? Is that you?" His cheeks were matted with tear streaks.

Le'ahn turned her head and asked sharply, "What is this and who are you?" Her tear matted facial fur gave testimony to her own pain, but her briskness spoke of a heightened protective instinct, reinforced by partly extended claws.

"Counselor Brennis helped me with my--ahh, gambling problems a while ago. Dad made me go," Terel explained to his sister; "You didn't know about it, or you weren't supposed to know about it."

The Counselor minced no words. "Terel, you've been on the receiving end of something that a number of people in the Palace have experienced. Tireno Alcys'ka systematically implanted things in his victim's minds; one of which was blindness upon hearing of his, Alcys'ka's, death. There are over four hundred cases in the Palace alone. Apparently, he got to you too, since you're blind for no physical or biological reason."

"Gods..." Terel moaned, "that many? How?" Le'ahn was listening and beginning to feel a new version of fear. She had also had lessons with Tireno Alcys'ka.

"May I sit?" the Counselor asked. When Terel nodded, he sat on the floor so he was below the two on the sleep pad, granting them authority and a measure of security.

"He had a room," Counselor Brennis explained, "one that was locked. He had the only key. Inside, there were--ahh, machines that we are still trying to figure out; we being Counseling and the Palace Guardians. Apparently, he could literally program a living mind the way we can program a computer. He was working for...someone. We aren't sure who, exactly, that someone is, but there was a lot of money spent on those devices. That means there should be records in some specialist's shop for what was done, we just need to find them. We are decoding his notes, though, and with more success. We are also trying to reverse the effects of his devices and in that we had an accidental bit of good luck." He paused, waiting to see what the effect of his words would be.

After waiting several seconds, Le'ahn asked, "What sort of good luck? As you said, my brother is blind. Now I'm afraid of what he may have done to me. I can't protect my brother if..." She stopped, mouth open, her voice catching. She hadn't intended to say that!

The Counselor smiled, "Le'ahn, your reactions and instincts are completely normal. Terel is your birth-sib, and you are both instinctively very protective of each other."

Then he continued his explanation; "There was something in the notes which we have deciphered that may show hope for both of you. It seems that being hit by a stun-beam at a specific energy level can either scramble or even erase some of his conditioning, and over time the rest will dissipate because it is now just bits and pieces rather than a real program. The way a stun beam works is that it scrambles neural impulses, and these programs are apparently rather fragile sets of neural impulses that are tied to a strong memory or strong interest to keep them effective over time.

"A few of the blinded courtiers necessitated the Guardians using their stunners on them by reason of their potentially destructive activities, and when they woke up they could see again. It would appear that Alcys'ka couldn't change that weakness in his 'system'."

"Stun beam," Le'ahn said, making it sound like something that proper people didn't discuss. "How strong a stun beam? Where is it pointed? What does it do?" There was a hint of rising panic in her voice.

The Counselor tried to ease her nervousness by saying, "It can be uncomfortable, yes; but we can sedate both of you so your discomfort will be minimized. You will be muzzy for some time after the beam is applied, but there are medications for stun-reaction. We can test you after the treatment and see if there are residual effects by means of the Dream-Share device."

Terel spoke up, saying; "Use it on me. I'm blind and every time I think about Master Alcys'ka, this terrible sense of loss and pain comes over me." He reached out a tentative hand to touch his sister and added, "Only when Le'ahn is with me do I feel any hope at all. I feel like she's some heroic warrior-woman out of legend."

Le'ahn turned a surprised face to look at her brother for a moment, then said, "Okay, let's get this over with so I can get back to the Palace and a normal life there."

"You aren't going back there for some time yet," her aunt stated, "since we have no idea what other nasty surprises may be waiting for you and your brother. You also need to finish the picking guidance program for the Pirka and Sweetberry vines; and the Kerra bushes are coming into season within half a segment.

Seeing her niece's response, she added, "This is your mother's order, so chin up and serve your House and the Empire."

Le'ahn's lower lip was out and her ears were down in a massive pout. Glancing over at her brother, whose gambling (she thought) had brought all this about, she asked, "Can I do the stun thing so Terel isn't blind anymore?"

She was shocked when Terel said, "Yeah. Let her do it. I was stupid and she wound up paying for it too. That was wrong. She didn't do anything bad." There was a weary sound in his voice that tore at her hearts.

"Oh, Terel..." she sighed as she held him close again and felt the sting of new tears. He was her birth-sib and she did love him a great deal even if he was a pain sometimes.

Karalan'ka put a hand to her lips as another wave of loneliness swept through her. "Pardon me a moment," she said to the Guardians around her and to the Counselor as she almost fled to her own room to try to manage her suddenly re-awakened grief.

A single Guardian followed her after getting a nod from his superior. The Empress's orders were explicit and unambiguous; protect her sister and her children at Lake An'shal until the current emergency was over.

That would mean a second flier parked a discrete distance away from Yere'kon house for "just in case", and more Guardians, once the Household personnel needs were determined and called in to the local Militia station.

In the bedroom, Terel was nervous. He had never been stunned, although he had seen it being done a few times when there had been trouble. He didn't want to be stunned, but if he could see again, afterwards... That was worth it.

He jumped a little as he felt something press against his skin through his fur, and Counselor Brennis' voice said, "This is just a little calmative and anti-spasmodic. It will make the stun field a bit less ahhh--shocking. Then you will get an injection of counter-stun medication so you don't have sore muscles and can't move very much."

"Oh," Terel replied nervously before asking, "Are you sure this will fix my eyes?"

"Yes, are you sure?" Le'ahn echoed her brother nervously.

"We've used this on seven of the victims at the Palace, four of them specifically to try to cure the blindness," the Counselor explained, "and all seven regained some measure of eyesight. There hasn't been enough time for much more evaluation, but it seems likely that their eyesight will continue to improve over time."

Terel was led to a chair and seated in it. Half a second later, (or so it seemed) he was being picked up from the flooring . He felt strange, disconnected, and the light was wrong.

The light. He could see again! Things were blurry and unclear, but he could see again. When Le'ahn hurried up to him, he could see her and wept as he reached out to her. Le'ahn joined him in tears as he looked around as if for the first time in his life. He could see!

Le'ahn was next. After an injection and as she sat in the chair, a Guardian carefully set his stunner and then deliberately shot her with it. Terel had to force himself not to attack the Guardian shooting his sister as she jerked up and then fell bonelessly out of the chair. Counselor Brennis put an injector against her arm and pressed it against her skin. There was a hiss, and then a shaky Terel was helping his sister up and they wound up leaning on each other for some minutes. While they were doing this, Aunt Karavalan'ka came back into the room and gave them an odd smile. Her eyes were bright and her cheekfur a little darker for some reason.

"Is this it?" Terel asked, to which Counselor Brennis shrugged, saying; "That depends. There have been occasional relapses, but for the most part one stunner shot

seems to do the trick. I'll be keeping an eye on you two for some time before I return to the Court. Once I'm sure that you won't relapse, I can go help treat other victims of that monster Alcys'ka." There was a distinct note of anger in his voice.

"How did he do all this?" Terel asked nervously, "did he like drug us or something like that? I really don't remember ever going to his rooms, all my lessons were in the Imperial apartments. How did he manage to do this to us?"

Karalan'ka suggested they remove to another room so housekeeping could clean up Terel's room. She wanted out of this room with its unpleasant associations and memory provoking images. At her gesture, they walked a short distance to a sitting room with the Counselor while the Guardians disappeared to their own tasks, leaving one of their number with the group as protection. One of the house workers brought refreshments for them as they settled into the room.

The Counselor nodded his thanks as he sat and tried to explain what Counseling and the Guards had tentatively figured out.

"Alcys'ka probably did drug you two the first times he worked on you. We found several interesting substances including some strong hypnotics in his special room. Once he had you in that room, he could implant a command-and-response set of actions that would have you doing his bidding whenever he used the specific trigger phrase on you. We do have pictures of you both walking beside him looking like you were sleep-walking because we managed to get a camera where it could see the door into his apartments. You two were among many of the young and not so young who came to his door on a regular basis. The lessons you thought you were having in the Imperial Apartments were probably dream sequences that Alcys'ka created in your minds to fulfill your expectations of having lessons. The odd thing is that you did gain proper Court manners while you were there, probably to hide what he was actually doing to you."

"But what else did he do to us in that room of his?" Le'ahn asked worriedly.

The Counselor looked a bit unhappy as he replied, "Honestly, we don't know; we simply do not know what the equipment in that special room was used for. There are what looks like 'Dream-Share' headpieces attached to sophisticated computer systems, but we don't know what they did or how they did it. Sadly, we don't even know how to turn the system on, other than a basic powering-up. Activating systems in it are still a mystery to us, although several Guardian computer experts are trying out general commands to see what happens. We're afraid the machines may be booby-trapped and don't want to risk their destruction before we know what it is that is in them."

"What happened to us there?" Terel asked carefully, "I mean, what do you think happened there?"

"Well," Counselor Brennis replied, "my own opinion, based on what has happened in the Capitol and on what I know of how the mind operates, is that some sort of behavior was forced on your brain in a manner that it could not resist and of which it was not consciously aware. Originally, the whole system that Tireno Alcys'ka is using was developed by someone else for the Navy; at least that's what my Guardian contacts say. Apparently, the original developer was unable to make the system work and abandoned it. Tireno Alcys'ka somehow gained access to the equipment, the notes, records, and development data and turned it into what it is today. What it was originally intended for, I have no idea; but I cannot conceive of anything good arising out of such misguided efforts."

As he spoke, Terel and Le'ahn huddled together; frightened children in a gathering storm they knew nothing about. Both were afraid of the same thing--had the stunner hit "cured" them or were their old "Court Manners lessons" still active and only in hiding at the moment.

On board an Imperial Guards Runner, Tireno Alcys'ka stared at the video plate in his cabin-cell. The Runner had the power enough to pick up long range hyperwave broadcasts and what he was watching chilled him to the bone.

The Government was limping along. The reactions to his so-called "death" had crippled it exactly as his backers had intended, only somehow the "Modernization" measure had failed to pass the Planetary Assembly.

Yes, it had sailed through the Parliament. Even though he had been betrayed by his backers, his control words had brought about exactly what they had desired. Even some of the most conservative members of Parliament had voted for it after his trained agent had used the proper commands in the proper order. He had never expected the Planetary Assembly to turn down the sweet-fruit offered to it in the form of lowered tariffs and eased cargo inspections.

Yet they had, and by a large margin. Idly, he wondered who had led the "anti"- votes. He really didn't know. Birrah? Possibly. Koret? Perhaps. They were both scrupulous under their own laws, for them there would have been no change. Certainly not Moka, they were all smugglers at heart and would have voted for the "Modernization" measure on the basis of the relaxed cargo inspections alone.

The government was plainly in shambles; so why hadn't his former employers acted? He didn't really care, since they had rewarded his efforts with treachery and attempted murder, but the lack of activity had him puzzled. It wasn't like them to let a chance like this sail by; they certainly hadn't in the past.

Normal programming had resumed, although the semi-collapse of the Imperial system had still news readers asking strange questions and forming stranger theories. The strangest one was that so many people in the administration were mourning his death that the government itself was effectively "in mourning". He was on his way to becoming an Imperial Paragon of Service, according to one fool on his screen.

That got him laughing. Mourning, indeed; the puppets couldn't help themselves! Then he realized that one possible reason for the lack of action among the Noble houses was that none of their qualified daughters was capable of assuming the throne! He had made sure of that. They had been heavily conditioned regarding his death as "safety system" to keep his employers from getting too many ideas about his usefulness to them once the "Modernization" bill had become law.

He just wished he hadn't been too busy of recent to demonstrate his " safety system" for his three major clients, but they had kept him busy with modifications and new enslavements. If he had the time, he would still be on T'Kiir'ah and not on a ship headed for who knew where.

Still, the way things had worked out was funny. He started laughing. Three hours later he was still laughing. He couldn't stop laughing.

Oddly, that got him what he wanted; the Ship's First and the ship's Healer-3 Corpsman held him down and injected him with a sedative and calmative.

He still didn't get to use his special phrase before he passed out.

Tam'yn was stuck. He needed to send a message to T'Kiir'ah. That was no problem. He needed to send it to the Palace. Again, no problem. He needed to send the message to the Empress herself without anyone else reading it, and it needed to go directly to her comms set in the Imperial Apartments...and that was a big problem.

His personal identifier would get the message to her comms set, but anyone could read it. He needed an "eyes only" coding that would only unlock the message for his mother the Empress, or his father, in his Palace office.

She needed to know what had happened on the M'Kereos, of Tan'yel's surgery, of his and J'sharra's Companionship, and who "Tinterro" actually had been. He was also very frightened over what must have happened to his younger brother and sister. Terel was always looking for an "angle" to play and Le'ahn was addicted to the latest in high fashion and vain to a fault; at least according to his father. His mother had been more discrete about things in her letters outside of sounding unhappy over some of Terel's gambling exploits and Le'ahn's couture and clothing expenses.

Terel. Le'ahn. Gods of star and space, what had happened to them? Fear and ignorance suggested awful things to him, things he prayed hadn't happened.

"Tam?" J'sharra's voice slipped into his awareness, "Tam' what's the problem? You're looking awful." Her arms wrapped around him as she looked into his hooded eyes with concern.

"Home," was his croaked one-word reply.

A'sallah nodded in agreement, "In your place, I would be nervous too. Can we Guardians help? Our contact isn't as quick as a direct hyperwave connection would be, but within half a turn the message could be at the Guardian Council offices in the Palace. From there it would just depend on who you were asking to contact. I imagine things there, on T'Kiir'ah, are somewhat less than optimum, but the message should get through reasonably fast."

"Half a turn?" Tam'yn asked, now confused; "but I thought you said it was a two-turn delay on communications from home--err, T'Kiir'ah."

A'sallah chuckled, "Yes, from there to here it slows down, for distribution. From here to the contact Colony world, it might take three-quarters of a turning; that depending on the position of our moon. There is one spot in its orbit that has this world between it and its relay contact; and even sub-space transmissions have problems going through a planetary mass close to their point of origin."

"There is still a problem in getting it to the Imperial Family without anyone reading it outside of my parents," Tam'yn explained, "I don't have a current privacy key for just the Imperial Family, and I need to warn my parents about a few things; things we've found out here."

"And you don't want just anybody reading that sort of thing," A'sallah replied; "I can see your problem. The best I can offer is a direct contact to the Imperial Guardians Council, but if things are really busy back there it would take a while to reach the Empress and there would be several somebodies reading it."

J'sharra was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, then said; "I know Tan'yel used a special communications code he used that went out with the regular Navy communications download. Let me see if I can find it."

"What makes you think it went to the Palace?" Tam'yn asked curiously; "There are half a dozen possible addresses where it could have gone, and my parents are only one possibility."

"Well..." J'sharra's ears pinked a little, "call it intuition, but he would chuckle a little when he read some of the replies, and I don't think ordinary Security things would make him do that. He also told me that the Empress herself had asked him to take this one last trip before he retired..." By now, the insides of her ears were decidedly reddish rather than simply pink.

Tam'yn sat staring for a moment before replying, "And he as much as admitted the same thing to me, when we were being readied for surgery."

He frowned a bit. "Mother was keeping an eye on me," he grumbled, "and he was the perfect person to do it. He deserved better, a lot better than this," he said in a decidedly bitter tone. Yet it was done, and in a way his biological father had benefitted from it greatly. That moderated things a bit in his mind.

Looking over at J'sharra, he smiled a bit and asked, "Would you see if you can find that code for me? There is one bit of news I would like to send myself. Our Companionship should make her feel a bit better about me and my life."

Then his ears drooped, "I just wish L'yrel could have seen us Declare. She was always saying I needed something in my life that wasn't fusion powered and Navy issue."

As his eyes grew sad, he added; "She was right, so very right ..." He pinched the bridge of his muzzle and wiped his eye-corners with the back of his hand, feeling anew the pain of her passing into the Light.

J'sharra moved to settle against him. She understood his pain in a way he couldn't yet; as a priestess, she was trained in grief counseling. She knew that he thought his bond with his birth-sib had been severed when she had gone into the Light as her Runner exploded. She also knew such bonds were un-severable on many levels; the Light was everywhere and where the Light was, life and love existed too.

Now, though, she shared his pain with him, bringing comfort however she could.

A'sallah respected his Viceroy's pain; his own birth-sib had almost died of an upper heart attack and had to take medicine every day of her life as a result.

That was when his wrist communicator beeped. Asking pardon, he stepped out into the hallway to answer it. After giving his special identifier, he waited for a response while holding it next to his ear for privacy.

"We just got a comms message from the special Runner," said a voice from Planetary Traffic Control, "and the passenger may have experienced some sort of psychological trauma."

That would be bad. "What makes them think so?" he asked cautiously.

"The passenger started laughing for no apparent reason. He laughed for nearly three turnings before they sedated him. They increased speed and are less than a day out, so they are asking permission to keep him unconscious until he can be off-loaded for Counseling," the voice continued, "and because you're the main investigator on this end you have been contacted for approval."

A'sallah frowned for a moment, then replied; "Yes; keep him out. Have him offloaded at Counseling's prisoner input processing. He cannot be allowed to vanish into insanity; we need to question him and we need reasonably believable answers. For all we know, this could be deliberate on his part as a way to prevent us from obtaining information on his actions at Court. That cannot be allowed."

"Is that 'special passenger' who I think it is?" J'sharra's voice asked from behind him. A'sallah turned; "You heard?" he asked. This was not good.

She nodded. "Tam'yn is going to sleep, or he's going to try to sleep and I need to get back to the M'Kereos soon. I was going to ask you for transport."

He sighed, then replied, "I think you'd better ask your First for a short leave of absence to work here, for us. It seems the Traitor had some sort of mental breakdown and had to be sedated. The runner is boosting its speed to get here ahead of schedule. We need to keep the Viceroy from learning about this until we can be sure this is not a trick to get Alcys'ka access to someone he's conditioned, and your Companion is one of those 'someones'."

"The Runner he is on is less than a day out, so he's going to be taken to a special Counseling area at prisoner in-processing for evaluation. We simply cannot lose what is in his mind and memory to insanity, if this is what it is."

Glancing at the closed door to the Viceroy's room, he gestured down the hallway to a visitor sitting area and headed there himself.

J'sharra followed him and seated herself across from him with expectation in her eyes.

A'sallah fumbled and coughed a moment, then explained; "On T'Kiir'ah, the investigators can't even get into the general directories of his mental conditioning system. They are afraid that if they do one thing wrong, they'll lose everything. He has some hand-written notes that they are having better luck with, but the actual machinery he used to try to bring down the Empire is locked up tight and our experts can't get in."

J'sharra's eyes narrowed a moment, then she asked, "What can you do here? I've been only sketchily briefed on Alcys'ka's possible crimes, and that was by Tan'yel on the M'Kereos on the way here. Tam'yn might know more, given what happened to him at Alcys'ka's hands, than Tan'yel does."

A'sallah smiled a little; "We have a version of the Dream-Share system that may be able to salvage some of the Traitor's memories provided his mind hasn't collapsed or he's gone totally out of orbit. It's barely legal, but if the K'iir is still sane enough it can be used to at least get his computer access codes; and we need those access codes badly. At the moment, the only way we have of countering the destructive programming he used is to use a Stunner on the victim, and in some cases that just isn't possible."

"Like Tan'yel," J'sharra observed sadly, "a stun shot would probably kill him."

"No probably about it," A'sallah agreed grimly, "The necessary power level would definitely be lethal to him now and for quite some time to come. I cannot believe that the Traitor wouldn't leave himself a way to reverse the effects on certain people, simply because they would be useful to him for what they know or had access to. At the moment, though, we can't get to whatever means he planned because we can't access his compulsion implant system."

J'sharra sighed, "Then I stay here, since I may be able to help Tam'yn and Tan'yel. I just wish I could have found the key Tan'yel used on his communications. Tam' needs to talk to his family.

A'sallah thought for a minute, then said, "Okay, I'll authorize you for a trip back to the M'Kereos and a return here. It's early evening, so you have ten turnings to get back here without being sworn to secrecy about this planet. I'll arrange for a second bed in the Viceroy's room for you to sleep in. Once you have the code, though, I want you back here immediately. The pilot that flies you to the ship will wait for you and bring you back."

He stood, adding; "I'll also set up a secure connection for the Viceroy to use, but remember I want you back here before that Runner lands. I do not want either of our 'guests' to find out the Traitor is here, and you're the best way of accomplishing that. Keep Tam'yn busy with his message for his family, and Tan'yel needs to be debriefed about how he went blind by someone he trusts. He'll talk to you. He may remember something about how or when it happened to him. He may give us a clue that a hysterical court hanger-on won't remember. He may also be able to tell me who else he thinks the Traitor may have corrupted at the Court, and that information is absolutely vital."

J'sharra stood, replying, "I'll be back as soon as I get Tan'yel's codebook...and tell First that I'll be away for a day or two. I know who can cover for me and I'll speak to him too. I'll be back as soon as possible."

A'sallah raised a hand, saying, "Don't go charging off until your transport is here. You head for landing deck three and your transport should be there in a few marks. Look for a flier numbered 433, that's what brought me here and the pilot should be waiting for me on landing deck six, which is Security's private landing area. He'll fly over and pick you up and then take you to your ship."

J'sharra thanked him and then after looking in on Tam'yn hurried off to the landing deck. As soon as she was gone, A'sallah activated his communicator and called the pilot of his flier.

"Did you get them?" he asked.

"Yes, although the elder is complaining about having to rush around at all hours."

"Can't be avoided. How soon can you land them on deck six?"

"We're almost there now. They'll be landed in maybe a mark."

"Good. I'll go get them. Once they're off, you take the flyer around to deck three and pick up a Ship's Security Officer named J'sharra. Take her to the M'Kereos and wait there for her, she shouldn't take too long. Bring her back before we have to swear her in, too."

"Should I pick up your cleaning too? Landing...now."

"Very funny. This case may just have gone very sour, and I need an opinion on it from an expert."

"They're out. I'm heading for deck three. Good luck."

"Thanks, we may need it," A'sallah replied as he jogged to the Security landing deck on the far side of the hospital. Things were starting to spiral out of hand and he needed to be able to stop it before it was too late.

He met the passengers his pilot had picked up as they walked into the main hospital corridor. He was barely puffing from his run.

Antra T'keron looked disgruntled, sitting in his float-chair. Beside him, his daughter J'ina's posture spoke of curiosity. T'oko, as usual, simply waited.

The Doctor spoke; "Your message was less clear than usual, Guardian. I was pulled out of recording a class at the University and my daughter was called away from her work in our laboratory. We were going to go home and sleep, but now we're here. Why, Guardian; why?"

Guardian A'sallah replied, "Tan'yel an Yere'kon has gone blind after hearing of Alcys'ka's so-called death. He's here at this hospital recovering from hearts surgery. So is the Viceroy. He donated for transplant. He knows and isn't affected."

"And it appears the Traitor may have gone mad on the voyage here. He will be discharged at the Counseling prison intake where we may need to use that special Dream-share system you came up with--provided it's safe to do so."

J'ina glanced at her father. "Do you want to interview 'an Yer'kon or shall I, father?" she asked in her mechanical voice.

"We'll do it together," he replied, "since he is blind and won't be able to see who we are. He knows us by voice, so we speak to him together. You remember the cue words we have?"

J'ina nodded, "Yes, I do; and T'oko also has them filed away. We at least have that much to work with."

She turned to A'sallah and asked, "Deryn, do you know how well recovered the Security officer is?"

He shook his head, "Not really, other than he's fragile and probably trying not to let his condition get out of control. I haven't spoken with his Healer, if that's what you're asking."

"Do you want me to access his records?" T'oko asked from beside his "Grandfather's" float chair. The robot looked over to A'sallah, waiting for an answer.

"It would help," Antra T'keron commented, "since we have no idea what his condition may be and I doubt that the Healers will tell us."

"Truth, that;" A'sallah grumbled, "I don't want to have to get a Council order on this, it will take too long."

"Consider it done," the robot said as it rolled down the passageway to a wall mounted data panel and "plugged" into it by way of an infra-red link. Several moments passed before it replied, "Tan'yel an Yere'kos is stable but weak. He is recovering but Counseling has him flagged because he is demonstrating hysterical blindness. There was an object removed from his chest that is cataloged as an artifact rather than with his personal effects, how odd. The most recent report on him has him recovering, stable, and under Counseling watch. He is on soft foods and has normal bowel and urine output. The main comments are on his weakness due to his hearts condition and his blindness; I see nothing that indicates he cannot answer some questions. When we are there, I will monitor his life-signs so he is not exposed to risk from our questions."

"Is that sufficient?" the robot asked, looking up at A'sallah.

A'sallah grinned, "Excellent, T'oko, as usual. Thank you."

"I want the Traitor's Dream-share," T'oko said sharply. "If he is in fact insane, I can probably still find the passwords far better than a biological mind could without loss to itself. Additionally, with me there would be no risk of being drawn into the other's insanity."

"How did you learn that?" A'sallah asked in surprise.

"My hearing is much sharper than a biological being's hearing," T'oko replied, "and I listened to your conversation with the pilot."

"T'oko, you shouldn't eavesdrop," J'ina cautioned the robot, "it is rude, and here it could be harmful."

"He hurt many people, mother," the robot replied, "and if I can help undo that hurt, isn't it proper that I do so? I have followed the news from T'Kiir'ah, and the Empire is hurt by what he did. That is wrong, very wrong. Our Empire protects its people and he tried to harm it, thereby harming all the people the Empire protects."

The passion in the robot's voice was quite evident, surprising them all.

"T'oko, you've grown," Dr. T'keron said with some evident pride; "Good! Where did you learn this particular thing?"

"From the Viceroy Tam'yn an' Yere'kos," the robot replied, "His feelings of pain and sorrow were profound and I have been studying them so I may grow more like you and mother and other people around me.

"He also has a profound drive, almost a need, to protect those near him and to stop the things he sees as threatening to those people around him. It is almost as if he has felt awful pain and is determined that no one else should be forced to endure it. If I were to put his feelings into a few words, those words would be protect, assist, make better, and to do what is necessary to reach those ends. That is very odd in itself," the robot concluded.

"Why odd?" A'sallah asked, wondering if T'oko had mis-read Tam'yn in his treatment of Alcys'ka's compulsions.

"There is a sense of age to them," T'oko replied; "like Grandfather's feelings which I sampled when I was much younger and still learning very simple things from living minds. I would venture that his experiences have aged him mentally, far more than his chronological age would indicate."

"That can happen," J'ina commented, "but we need to consider his relative, Tan'yel. We know little about him other than the fact that he has been affected by Alcys'ka's device. I wonder to what degree he is affected outside of the blindness; and I also wonder why the Traitor used blindness to such a great degree in his victims."

She started to pace back and forth, "Why blindness? Why not something else, such as anger or grief? What did he see that we are missing?"

Her artificial voice was of necessity without feeling or emotion, but her movements gave evidence of her concern.

A'sallah replied, "There have been a large number of people in the Palace who have been affected the same way. We are a visually-oriented people, and sudden blindness can cause a sense of terror all out of proportion to reality. That would paralyze people, which in turn would shut down the Imperial Government. Given the intent to seize the Throne by certain parties, having a government in disarray would give them the pretext of coming to the Empire's aid and displacing an apparently incompetent Empress in the process."

"Why this hasn't happened is a mystery," he added, "one we hope to answer when he gets here and can be interrogated."

"None of which deals with Guardian an' Yere'kos," the elder T'keron grumbled. "Let's get this over and see if we can help him or not," he said as he set his float-chair in motion, forcing the others to follow him.

Tan'yel an' Yere'kos lay in his Healing bed and wondered what had happened to him. He was fairly sure that Tam'yn and J'sharra had seen his problem but neither of them had mentioned it. Good.

He remembered going blind. He had been watching some news from home, the death notice of Tireno Alcys'ka. Then things had started going dark, almost as if the lights in the room were being turned down. Then all had gone black...and stayed that way.

Why?

He had eaten a snack a little while ago; something sweet in a cup that he had eaten with a spoon, preserves of some sort. He had managed his meal by carefully placing the spoon in the cup and moving it partially around the cup's edge to capture whatever it was and then convey it to his mouth.

He'd kept his fingers clean. That was important, somehow. He had to keep his fingers clean.

Why? Why was that so important? His fingers had to be scrupulously clean for some reason he couldn't remember.

He stared into the darkness and tried to figure out what was so important about keeping his fingers clean.

"Because I use them too," came a voice out of the darkness, "and I hate being dirty."

"Who are you?" Tan'yel asked the strange voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know, goody-two-shoes?" the voice sneered, "that is one thing you will never learn. The Master put me inside you to do what the Master wanted done and now it's all worthless because he's dead."

"Who are you talking about?" Tan'yel asked silently. It seemed he didn't need to talk for this other to hear him.

"The Master," the voice repeated, "the one who let me live in you and all the others. In a way, the Master and I are the same since I was made out of his mind; only he has a body all the time and I only have one when you take your medicine so I can get out. That isn't right, but at least I get out sometimes while you think you're asleep."

"When I think I'm asleep?" Tan'yel asked the odd phantom that was sharing his darkness with him as an unpleasant thought began to grow. He had never learned about what those pills did, the ones that the Healer had given him. He hadn't been curious, either, about the amount he had been given. That was very unusual for him.

His introspection was cut short by the sound of people entering the room. There was a muted hum from something and a soft slithering sound near it. Two different sets of feet accompanied the other odd sounds. He was amazed at how his hearing had improved since his sight had failed, even though his people could echo-locate successfully when background noise wasn't too high, he had rarely been in such quiet surroundings as this hospital room.

"Ahh, hello?" he said questioningly, trying to "look" where the sounds were coming from.

"Hello yourself, Guardian," A'sallah's voice came back. "I've brought friends. Friends who might help you with your sight problem."

Tan'yel paused to collect himself, then said, "I'd rather have an advocate with me, if you don't mind...unless you've decided not to charge me with murder." That was much on his mind and had been ever since that day in First's ready-room on the M'Kereos.

He could hear the smile in A'sallah's voice as the Guardian replied, "That wasn't Tinterro, there in the Scout. It was Mikero Althas, a wanted criminal, that you prevented from harming the ship or its crews any further. There was a shoot order out on him, you shot him; end of story."

Tan'yel's reply was understandable, it being, "What?" He wasn't sure he had heard right. "What about Tinterro Kailas, then? Who--or where was he?"

A'sallah replied, "Tinterro Kailas is a healthy youngster of 4 Imperial Cycles age, out on a Colony world and part of a commune dedicated to the 'old ways' of simple farming and little or no modern equipment. I did a bit of research on the place and I can see how his identity could be stolen; they have gone back to using hydrogen-burning internal combustion for motive power and solar collection for electricity. The modern age exists only in the Imperial areas of the colonial Capitol and the medical facilities there, since the Empire has to have certain modern amenities to function.

"No question as to which Tinterro Kailas the child is, either; his birth implant was apparently scanned two cycles ago by some "Health Inspector" that the colonial government knew nothing about. We're checking every name and identity implant in the commune for names and identity numbers that may also be in use. The commune elders are understandably upset about the whole thing and are cooperating with us far more than they were at first when we asked about the child on account of the name match."

"How did you learn who Tinterro--ahh, Mikero Althas was, then?" Now, Tan'yel's curiosity was engaged and he wanted to know. Everything. Now.

He heard a chuckle, then A'sallah explained; "We still use biometry here for identification training since not all the Hegemony worlds use implants. One of the planet-side trainee investigators was doing a standard training finger-ridge scan when his scanner went off with all sorts of warnings. He checked every digit and even managed to get an iris-read on the corpse's right eye, and every single one said the deceased was Mikero Althas, wanted for murder, bomb-making, sedition, treason...and those are some of the lesser crimes he is alleged to have done. He was seriously bad news, and thanks to you he is now bad history and no more than that."

"Then we have trouble," Tan'yel groaned, "since he was vouched for by Navy Security. The whole ship..."

"Is being checked out by your Security second," A'sallah said happily, "and she has found three people already, two of which are probably puppets who haven't been awakened. They're cooperating and the rest of the crew and the scientists are being screened covertly. If any of them are not who they should be, we'll know before you ship out again."

"Before I ship out..." Tan'yel was surprised, "but I'm blind! I can't run a Security system blind."

Behind a theatrical cough, Antra T'keron murmured, "My daughter, grandson, and I may be of help there," watching the invalid's ears twitch his way. Good. His hearing was not affected.

"Doctor T'keron?" Tan'yel asked half disbelievingly, "how do you think you can help? I'm not my cousin, suffering from nightmares and illusions and I haven't tried to tear my hand off."

Then reality dawned. "You think Alcys'ka is responsible for this? he asked, half dreading the answer. He had spoken of it with Tam'yn, but having theory made fact stung more than a little.

That predictably made his vital signs change which brought in a Healer-3 investigating that change. The auto-med that was monitoring him indicated he was stressed, which worried her. Entering the room, what she saw made her less than happy and more worried than before.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked sharply as she opened the door and saw three people and a machine of some sort in the room with the patient Counseling wanted watched carefully.

One, the tall one in Guardian gray, showed her a high-ranking Guardian identification card and said, "We are here at the behest of the Viceroy to assist this Guardian in regaining his sight. I'm glad you showed up; it saved me having to look you up and wasting time that way."

She stepped back with an "Oh?" and a look of confusion on her face. "I wasn't told about this and the patient isn't supposed to be stressed at all per Counseling's orders," tumbled out of her mouth as a smiling A'sallah gently but inexorably moved closer to her and then into her space.

When she was about to back out of the room and call for help, A'sallah explained; "This is Dr Antra T'keron and his daughter, Dr. J'ina T'keron, both here at the Council's request to try assisting this Guardian back to health, or at least to sight."

That got another "Oh?" out of the Healer-3 and raised a snicker from the bed. Tan'yel might be blind, but he knew what A'sallah was doing by the sounds the Healer-3 was making. Gentle and seemingly undetectable persuasion was one of the many tools taught to Guardians, although it took an artist to get it totally right. A'sallah sounded like an artist. That made Tan'yel quite happy.

"Wh--what do you need?" the Healer-3 asked, seeking a way out of the situation by means of fulfilling the Guardian's needs for the patient.

"I need to have a visitor's bed delivered to the Viceroy's room so his Companion has a place to sleep when she's tired," the Guardian explained in a friendly voice; "not to worry, the Viceroy will be expecting it...and her."

Turning to the two T'keron's, A'sallah asked, "And what will you be needing for your treatment of the patient?"

"For the moment, nothing," the elder T'keron said after thinking a bit; "there is sufficient seating and my daughter can use the table as a desk if we need one." Glancing at T'oko, he asked; "Grandson, do you need anything?"

T'oko replied, "One geriatric meal pack and one perioral meal pack; I did not pick up either when the Guardians called me. I would also like a patch to patient an' Yere'kos' bio-sensors. I have the connection, I simply need the access code. Other than that, we seem to be well provided for."

Watching the Healer trainee's jaw drop, A'sallah steered her out of the room and into the hall as he explained, "T'oko is a vital part of their team and if you check on their certifications, you'll see he is included with them."

"But--but that's a machine! " the Healer trainee sputtered wide eyed and shocked. "They're illegal, aren't they?" she added as she looked up at the Guardian questioningly.

"The Viceroy sees T'oko as a person," A'sallah said quietly, "and if T'oko asked, the Viceroy would probably confer Citizenship on him. If he sees T'oko as a person, we should too, shouldn't we?"

"I guess..." the Healer trainee was now thoroughly cowed and quite willing to let the Guardian call the shots; exactly as A'sallah had intended. Much of Guardian training consisted of causing things like this to happen when needed; breaking heads was only for times when persuasion wouldn't or couldn't be used.

"I'll get the access code for the... for T'oko," the Healer trainee said quickly, "and I'll have housekeeping set up the visitor's bed in the Viceroy's room." She looked up at A'sallah for validation while he smiled and nodded, sending her off to her tasks. She would be all right, his Guardian ranking gave him the right to order her around if necessary, so if he chose to conscript instead; all the better for everyone.

Returning to Tan'yel's room, he told T'oko that he would soon have his access, for which the robot thanked him before turning back to the two Doctors T'keron as they conversed with Tan'yel an' Yere'kos. What sounded like conversation was in fact a careful probe of the damage Tireno Alcys'ka had done.

Standing by the entry, A'sallah did not like what he was hearing. The question-and-answer session sounded like there were two personalities in the Guardian's body; one being Tan'yel, the other being the unknown entity who had killed two other of Alcys'ka's victims. Oddly, this sounded different; less a single purpose suicidal entity than a sort of active personality of some kind.

The door opened beside him and the Healer-3 glanced in and upon seeing A'sallah, handed him a note. On it was written; "The bedding will be there within the turning (hour) ," followed by a series of numbers and characters on a second line. The last line asked him if he was off duty this evening.

The last line made him smile and look across the room towards J'ina T'keron, who was now busy transcribing and recording the words of the entity in Tan'yel. He was busy tonight, and would be as long as she was busy tonight. The auto-med at the head of the Healing bed was also giving her information on Tan'yel's hearts rate and blood oxygen. While the machine was basic, combining what she was getting from the recordings and the word stress was telling her a lot.

He handed the note to T'oko, who scanned the number-character mix and said a soft beep followed by, "I have access to Tan'yel's biometry now, Grandfather."

The elder T'keron nodded absently; "Good. Now we can tell what this fellow is really meaning when we ask him questions." He floated back from the bed and faced A'sallah with a worried look on his features. "There is no doubt about it in my mind; this is a totally different sort of dæmon, completely unlike the other dæmons Alcys'ka had implanted in those other two victims," he said in a voice only slightly above a whisper.

"Dæmon?" A'sallah whispered back, now puzzled; "what are you talking about? Dæmons are legends, superstitions. What do you mean?"

Dr. T'keron gestured at the door and moved toward it while his daughter continued to keep the entity in Tan'yel active along with Tan'yel himself. T'oko contributed too, keeping Tan'yel's mind busy; too busy for mischief.

Once in the hall, Dr. T'keron spun to face A'sallah and explained; "In the legends of our people there are stories of sorcerers who could set a 'servant' of sorts in the mind of another, controlling that other. These 'servants' were called dæmons because it was believed they were evil spirits bound to the sorcerer by magic.

"Given the similarity of things, I felt the term appropriate to the situation. Alcys'ka may not be an evil sorcerer, but he is certainly someone who has set a sort of 'servant' in the minds of others, forcing them to do his bidding. That 'bidding' has been to die in the two cases I have investigated, unfortunately; but with Tan'yel an' Yere'kos we seem to have moved up the ladder a rung or two, since this dæmon is plainly a manager or puppet-master type rather than simply being a discardable tool."

A'sallah stood silent for almost a minute, trying to mentally digest what he had heard. Alcys'ka had created a hierarchy of puppets? Why? More importantly, how?

Seeing the Guardian's confusion, Dr. T'keron explained, "I believe we are very fortunate here, since I doubt that the Traitor made many of these managers; they possess an independent and adaptable mind that must have represented a threat to him he could not ignore. If we learn how to manage this dæmon, I believe we can control the others without harm to the people who are hosting them."

He smiled then. "And we will be able to ask their creator about them when he arrives, won't we?"

A'sallah nodded; "That we will, that we will; mad or not." Suddenly he stiffened, then said, "I need to speak to the Viceroy before we deal with Alcys'ka."

Seeing the confusion in Dr. T'keron's eyes, he explained, "I will need to have T'oko granted citizenship status before he interrogates Alcys'ka. Otherwise, the computers won't process the dream-share with only T'oko in the loop; there will have to be a living Counselor there too, and if the Traitor is in fact insane, the Counselor risks his or her own sanity when they're in that deep a contact with Alcys'ka's mind."

"I will take that risk," a mechanical voice said from beside them. Turning, A'sallah saw J'ina T'keron standing at the door to Tan'yel's room. Her prosthetic face was expressionless, but in her one living eye a grim determination burned.

"He knows who caused Mother's and Joren's death that awful day on T'Kiir'ah. Even if I risk insanity, I want to know who it was that tore our family into bloody tatters. I want that name." There was plain evidence of her rage and pain in the mechanical voice that was her only way to communicate verbally. Her left hand was contracted into a mesh of claws and the tendons stood out on her left wrist.

"I am a certified Counselor. I can be in the loop with my child T'oko. Together we can obtain the keys that will lock down this monster he has created in the minds of innocent T'Kiir'I."

For once, A'sallah stood helpless. Then, gathering himself he said, "J'ina--you don't have to do this! T'oko can do it while you monitor, you don't need..." there was a different kind of pain in the Guardian's voice.

J'ina raised her left hand, palm open and shaking, claws still extended; "No, Deryn. I have to do this. There is something inside me... I have to know, even at the risk to my own sanity. T'oko can retrieve the data while I ask that monster who did that awful thing to us, to Mother...to Joren, my birth sib. I have to know."

Antra T'keron stared at the scene, his jaw dropped, shocked beyond belief. He had thought J'ina had been healed of that trauma. He couldn't believe he had been wrong; but here she was, just as angry as she had been that day she had finally learned to use all her prosthetics and had taken her first steps in two cycles. She had been angry then...and she was just as angry now, some twenty-three cycles later. She was all that was left to him of his family-- NO!

The two K'iir were distracted from their own problems when Antra T'keron's chair-monitor started beeping a warning as its occupant slumped forward.

T'oko squealed out of Tan'yel's room on his tracks as his own monitors told him his Grandfather had suffered another upper heart-storm. J'ina and A'sallah had just begun to turn toward the float-chair when T'oko sped past them and reached the chair and its slumping occupant beats ahead of the two K'iir.

He immediately activated the hearts-beat moderator and controlled it as it brought the elder K'iir's upper heart back into synchrony with his lower heart. Simultaneously, he triggered an emergency call to the Healers on this floor, providing an up to the second flow of hearts trace and blood pressure information.

In his room, Tan'yel heard the alerts but couldn't do anything about them. As he tried to get up, the auto med hookup that had been monitoring his health told T'oko of sudden dangerous strain, so T'oko sent him to sleep with an injection of sedative.

Half a turn later, A'sallah knocked on the Viceroy's door. When Tam'yn told him to enter, it was Tam'yn's turn to be shocked. The Guardian looked injured; bleak- eyed and a slight stagger to his walk had Tam'yn's attention focused on him totally.

"What happened?" he asked, and then listened as A'sallah told him of the Traitor, of his cousin Tan'yel, and of Antra T'keron's upper heart storm that had nearly taken his life when he had learned his daughter wanted to risk her sanity in a Dream-share with Tireno Alcys'ka when he arrived.

"Can't T'oko do that?" Tam'yn asked, "He pretty much has me on the way to recovery after only two sessions with him in the loop. Even the ship Counselors refer to him as "Counselor T'oko", and he is not likely to be as affected by any mental problems because he thinks faster than we do."

The last words were approaching a questioning level when A'sallah explained, "This system is less Dream-share than Mind-share, as in being able to enter a sedated mind and harvest the information contained in it. Dr. T'keron developed it as an extension of his original training system, to allow contact with people who couldn't talk or communicate normally. He also saw it as a language teaching system, and it does work well that way.

"The problem is that the Council directed Dr. T'keron to put a safety net in place. It requires a person, a citizen, to be in the loop as a protection against its being used to harm others. Any harm done to the target in the system is shared by the other people in the system loop."

"I guess I can see that," Tam'yn said, "but what is the problem? You look awful, A'sallah; what happened?"

"J'ina intends to be the interrogator. She wants to find out who ordered her family killed. She is...not exactly dispassionate about it, either. She is the worst possible choice for the interrogator, but she is the only person who can operate the machine with the degree of finesse necessary to get those passwords out of Alcys'ka's mind. It won't recognize T'oko, and normally it is used to retrieve information that has legitimately been forgotten by a prisoner here; like the names of conspirators or where a specific meeting happened ten or twelve cycles back. The prisoner doesn't remember consciously, but there is a findable memory in their mind and that's what the machine is normally used for. If they've been sent here, we want to be sure their gangs are shut down for good, and that machine is the best way to do it."

He shook his head, "Dr. T'keron never intended it to be used this way, to extract data from an active and hostile mind; even a sedated one. The risks are too high. Alcys'ka could potentially take over her mind if he is playing a game, and if the Traitor is indeed insane, that adds another layer of risk to the operation. J'ina knows this but is determined to do it anyhow, to risk insanity so she can learn who destroyed her family twenty-three cycles ago on T'Kiir'ah. She doesn't care if it costs her mind in this quest of hers, she just wants to know." A'sallah shivered as he remembered J'ina's impassioned and angry outbursts even while her father was being treated for a heart-storm and then admitted to the Cardiac center at the hospital for further treatment.

Ch. 7: A First!

Tam'yn's mouth curled down in anger. "If T'oko were a citizen, could he take the risks instead of her? If so, then I may be able to do something about that. Get me some legal tablets, please," he asked as he began to fuss with his right arm.

When A'sallah returned with the requested tablets, Tam'yn was wearing his Viceroy's bracelet and his family ring.

Accepting the tablets, he next sent A'sallah to get T'oko and J'ina. When they arrived, he was in his float-chair with a drape over his lap and with three legal tablets on his bed-table. He winced a bit when he moved, but he did not quite look like a patient under treatment.

He called to T'oko to stand in front of him. As the robot rolled up to his chair, he picked up a tablet he had loaded off the planetary database. A second one was on his table hooked into the table's data link.

When the robot was at his chair, he said, "T'oko, I have some questions for you. Please answer them yes or no truthfully, do you understand."

"I do," the robot replied, "although why you are questioning me I do not understand."

"You will," Tam'yn said gently, "you will."

Then, reading from the tablet in his hand he asked; "T'oko, what is your full and complete name as an individual?"

"My specific and personal designation is T'oko, child of J'ina T'keron; also referred to as T'oko T'keron," the robot replied.

"T'oko, do you wish to become a citizen of the Empire of the Sunrise with all the responsibilities and duties that come with that citizenship?"

"I do." The metal and plastic head was now pointed directly at Tam'yn and both "ears" were tipped toward him, ready to catch each word.

"T'oko, are you willing to bear full and honest allegiance to the Empire of the Sunrise, without reservation, and with all your mind and body and will?"

"I am."

"T'oko, are you a citizen of any other Rule, Principality, Federation, Empire, Group, Hegemony, or any other organized State?"

"No, I am not."

Tam'yn let out his breath a little. That saved him several lines of questions.

"T'oko, are you being rewarded for promising your allegiance to the Empire of the Sunrise? I mean rewarded any way, shape, or form--other than the rewards incumbent on becoming a Citizen of the Empire of the Sunrise? Think about it before answering."

T'oko spent almost thirty beats considering that question, then answered, "No, I am not."

Tam'yn smiled. Good; T'oko understood the question.

"T'oko T'keron, will you bear full allegiance to the Laws of the Empire of the Sunrise, and to the Words of the Empress and the Acts of the Parliament; and do so for the remainder of your life; swearing upon whatever deity you believe in, or upon your personal honor to do so to the best of your capacity and capability?"

"I will." There was an odd, anticipatory note in the robot's synthesized voice.

"Then as Imperial Viceroy and living spiritual presence of Her Rising Glory, Empress Karavele'ka an Yere'kos of the Sunrise Empire, I declare that on this date and at this time T'oko T'keron became a willing Citizen of the Empire of the Sunrise and so attest with my bracer of Vice-royalty and family seal. Let it be so recorded and so recognized that wherever the Sunrise Empire stands T'oko T'keron is a Citizen of that Empire." Tam'yn felt an odd tightness in his chest as he spoke and a strange excitement swirled through his mind as he completed the first formal Naturalization of a Cybernetic person into the Empire of which he was a now very important part, standing in for his Empress.

He set his bracelet against the reader on the table first and waited until a soft chirp told him the chip in it had been read, verified, and recorded. Then he put his Clan and House ring into the reader area and waited for it to register and be recorded.

With a faint click, the tablet popped loose from the table, now bearing the Imperial Seal and the an' Yere'kon device on its face and containing T'oko's citizenship documentation and his all important Citizen Identification Number.

T'oko was now a full citizen of the Sunrise Empire.

That same T'oko took the tablet from Tam'yn's hand and stared at it for almost a full mark, as if afraid it would disappear.

In a near whisper, he said, "I am real. Now, I am real. Now, I am a person." With a squealing of his treads, he scurried over to J'ina T'keron and held the tablet out to her.

She took it and stared at it, then knelt and hugged the robot. One of her eyes was suspiciously bright. She stood and walked to Tam'yn's bed.

She said, "Thank you, your Radiance. My child has had one of his dreams fulfilled today."

Then, "Why did you do it? I still intend to find the person who ordered the death of my family."

Tam'yn nodded, "I don't plan on stopping you; as a T'Kiir'I you have that right. Now, though, T'oko can handle the main reading while you look for what you need, and I promise you that if that person should still be alive, they will be held to answer for their actions against your family and against Our Empire."

"Our Empire?"

"This Empire that is made up of people, of individuals who promise things to other individuals and have the protection of law to bring those promises into reality. When I read the Citizens' Oath to T'oko, I realized again that this Empire is made up of all of us, and when someone murders a person, any person...they strike against the Empire they are supposed to be upholding. In simple words, they have broken their word to their fellows and it is right to punish or sanction them as a proof to others that their own words are not to be broken or to be given lightly when they have no intention of living up to them..."

Tam'yn shook his head, "It gets more complicated the more I think about it, but basically it means we all have to try to be the people we should be if our Empire is to survive and prosper. I get the feeling that An'kor the Conqueror set it up that way deliberately, so the generations that followed his would have to be at their best so they could enjoy the blessings of what he and his War Band had fought so hard and bled so much to bring about. He went against T'Kiir'I physical nature to build a world where we didn't have to fight over things and where keeping the peace was its own reward..." He ran out of words as he tried to explain what he felt.

His ears pinked, "Like I said, it gets...complicated." Now he felt embarrassed.

J'ina said nothing at first, then she knelt in a formal, court bow, then stood again. "Thank-you, your Radiance," she said , "I had almost forgotten that part." Her whole demeanor was one of profound respect and almost reverence.

"Part?" Tam'yn asked, now even more puzzled.

"An'kor's meditations," J'ina replied, "He wrote something extremely similar to that after he had retired and given his Empire over to his Companion, our first Empress. You must have studied them a great deal at the palace."

Now hopelessly confused, Tam'yn agreed with her so she wouldn't ask more questions, "Yeah, I did tend to hide in books when I didn't want to do something or other. Looks like some of it rubbed off." His ears were now quite pink.

J'ina bowed again and then returned to T'oko. Tam'yn wished J'sharra was there.

J'sharra was finishing the last of her work on board the M'Kereos after speaking to Security officer K'vellan about filling in and to First about Security officer K'vellan. K'vellan was the younger brother of the ship's Second Officer K'trellan and was more than happy to have a chance to show off to his older brother on board their shared vessel. Second officer K'trellan had thanked J'sharra for letting his younger brother get some work experience to advance his career; apparently their family was old-line Navy.

First had okayed her spending a few days with Tam'yn because the Imperial Guardians were effectively handling security for the ship and she was briefly redundant. He was also happy to hear that Tan'yel would be returning to the M'Kereos as Security Advisor with J'sharra as active Ship's Security officer.

"That way, you get excellent final training on Ship's security, the Ship gets two top-notch Security officers even if one is just 'advising', and Tan'yel can handle the interface between the Guardians and the Ship," he said as he relaxed in his ready-room. "A'sallah is a good officer, but he is somewhat out of his environment here on the M'Kereos. I admit we need the extra trained people, but some of those Imperial Guardians are worse than second-tenday inductees when it comes to ship-side safety. Growing up in an atmosphere does that to you, I guess."

"In an atmosphere...?" J'sharra asked, not sure of what her First was referring to.

He grinned, "I grew up on Imperial Station 242. Father was a station engineer and Mother was a traffic controller. There were 66 of us children on that station and almost all of us went into some off-planet profession when we grew up. We learned early on that when a door didn't want to open there was a good reason for it; something our new Guardian contingent hasn't quite mastered yet."

He went on to explain that one of the younger Imperial Guardians had almost successfully opened a hatch to one of the biological processing tanks in the garden and that the ship's Agronomist had taken serious pains to explain why it was a very, very bad idea to do so.

"That's part of the uhh...waste processing system, isn't it?" J'sharra asked and First nodded; "Exactly. Opening that hatch would have given the whole vessel a--shall we say, a different odor for quite some time. It's bad enough when we're in dock and the stuff is pumped out for full processing into plant nutrients, but when we're a closed system like now it would get into everything. We'd eventually stop noticing it, but it would be in our fur and clothing whenever we went on leave; and believe me, people around you would notice it quite easily."

Then he added, "Ground-side is doing a complete drain-and-refill of our waste-processing systems before we leave, but for now they're concentrating on getting that new fusion unit installed."

Then with a grin, he added; "Your Companion has made some major points of respect with the Guardian Engineers here. Rintallan showed them the access ports in the bottom of the engineering space that let big things like the new fusion reactor just be lifted in through the hangar instead of having to breach the hull like we used to have to do. That alone is saving us four days of dock time so we can get on our way faster than had been anticipated. That's something everyone on the ship can be proud of, especially Engineering."

He settled back into his chair, concluding, "The new Guardians are being loaded into the ship's access control system so things like that won't happen again; at least I hope they don't happen again. Once the upload is complete, they won't be able to get into trouble like that because the doors will recognize them and assign them an access listing. Waste processing won't be on it, I can assure you."

J'sharra asked, "Do you know where Tan'yel's codebook is? I checked but his old office but it's virtually empty and I don't know where all his things have been taken."

"Codebook?" First asked curiously, "While I know he had some sort of code system, I don't have any idea where it might..." He paused, his mouth open for a second. "Belay that, I'll wager the Guardians have it down in their part of the ship. A'sallah said they went through all of Third's belongings when they arrested him. If they are anything like Navy security, that means all his personal property is down in Guardian territory under lock and key. I'd suggest you ask there."

Feeling a little nervous, she rode the transporter down to the decks given over to the Guardians aboard the M'Kereos and sought out the commanding officer. Helpful Guardians directed her to an office which was occupied by a serious looking Birallan seated at one of two desks in the room. He looked up at her knock.

"How can I help you?' he asked as his gray eyes measured, assessed, and catalogued her in his mind. Like most Birallans, he had a fiery red crest of hair and hard gray eyes; a racial trait.

"I'm looking for Tan'yel an' Yere'kos' personal code book," J'sharra replied; a bit shaken by the Birallan's hard visual assessment. "It would be in with his things, I believe."

The Birallan grinned, "I don't think so," he replied, reaching into his desk and removing a small book with Security and Guardian seals all over it. Continuing to grin, he explained, "Commander A'sallah called a while ago and asked me to find a specific hand-book among officer an' Yere'kos possessions. This is the only thing that fit the bill when I went through the officer's things. The rest of the contents of that drawer are in a container I have already sent to the ship's hangar area for loading in your flyer."

He held the book out, "I felt it would be wiser to give you the book myself, based on what Commander A'sallah said to me," he said as he partly stood to extend the book toward her.

Taking it, J'sharra examined it carefully. It was old. She couldn't remember seeing it among Tan'yel's things, but he did keep odds and ends in his lower left desk drawer.

Flipping the cover open, she saw that there were data-chips on the inner side of the cover, mounted in little glued in pockets. The top left one bore the Imperial Arms and showed more wear than the other chips on the page. A small note under the chip in question simply said, "K's private code" in neat lettering. This was what she had been sent for.

Thanking the Guardian, she hurried to the Transporter and rode it to the lower hangar level where her transportation waited. A stack of things she had sent to the hangar for transport to the hospital was piled next to the T'Kiir'I who had been her pilot here. When she asked where flier 433 was, he glumly pointed to a nearby repair bay.

He explained, "I was wondering why I kept feeling a slight surge in the impulse unit, so when we landed here and you took off into the ship, I asked one of the hangar mechanics to take a look at it."

His face grew unhappy. "I found out all right. The supply valve to the fuel cell that powers the flier was leaking hydrogen, and the changing mixture in the fuel cell itself was causing the surging I felt. In flight, no problem, since our motion through the atmosphere would keep displacing the leaking hydrogen gas before a dangerous amount could accumulate in the power compartment. When we sat in one place long enough, though..." he left the statement unfinished. J'sharra was no stranger to the explosive effects of hydrogen gas, air, and a stray spark.

"So it's being repaired here?" she asked; "Will that make me late for my return to the hospital?"

"I hope not," the pilot said, "that's why I've taken the liberty of sending for another atmosphere flyer to take you back to the hospital. They should be here within another few marks, less than a turning. He'll take you while I wait for my craft to be repaired."

Could the M'Kereos even make those repairs? J'sharra wondered; fuel cells were for atmosphere-only craft, and the M'Kereos was intended for deep space, including all of her carried vessels. The only things not fusion powered used A'kerna power cells, named after their inventor. On the M'Kereos, things like Tam'yn's float chair and similar devices used those power cells to store energy. Fuel cells were atmosphere technology, not space technology. Still, it looked like the flier would be repaired on time, so she sat on a padded bench, relaxed and watched the work going on around her.

It seemed only a minute later that the pilot was gently shaking her awake.

"Flyer is here," the pilot said with a grin, " and I'll be fixed up in another turning, this flyer brought the parts that were needed."

He looked around and added, "I swear, I've never seen a flight crew move faster or more surely on a piece of equipment they hadn't seen before. We loaded your things into the replacement flyer, and your pilot will return you to landing pad three, right where we picked you up. You should be there in a third of a turning or less, so enjoy the flight."

J'sharra thanked him and hurried to the flyer hovering near the forward hatchway. Climbing in, she strapped herself into the seat behind the pilot and leaned back. There was a bump, and then the flier was out the hatchway and into the night. To one side of the flyer, there was a faint glow in the sky warning of approaching dawn.

The pilot asked, "By the way, where am I supposed to deliver you? Dispatch wasn't all that clear."

"Landing pad three at the Healing center," she replied. Moments later, the flyer swerved violently to avoid another aircraft headed in the direction of the M'Kereos and the pilot muttered something unkind about the other pilot's capability and ancestry. Her new pilot then apologized for the aerobatics but explained, "With your vessel parked where it is, a lot of fighter pilots have their noses out of joint. That area was one of our favorite practice areas because it was so far from civilization. The main group who use it are also the fancy-aerobatics types who can thrash a flyer in less time than you would think possible."

"Oh my," J'sharra chuckled, "why do they do it then?"

The pilot responded, "They have the dangerous combination; they're young, very well-trained, and think they're immortal. At least this way, unless that field is in use the way it is now, they have a large surface-area to practice in and they stay out of our way. They'll watch the starship and over time come up with some new maneuvers using it as the center of their piloting strategy. He shook his head, "What a bunch of idiots."

"What is it that they do?" J'sharra asked, intrigued in spite of herself.

"Very high-atmosphere/low space or exosphere planetary defense," her pilot replied; "if this world were to be attacked, the exosphere would be the place where we would need to hold our attackers. Higher, our heavy fleet would deal with them. Lower and our pulse laser or pulse disruptor defense arrays would make life short and miserable for our attackers.

"In the exosphere though, they would be too high for the disruptor/laser defenses and too low for our heavy fleet to be able to reach them...so, we have a series of fighter groups specifically dedicated to a 35 ta-Ketra thick layer of the outer planetary atmosphere."

He grinned in the dim light, "And we're the only world who has them. If we're found out, we may well need them and if not they're still a layer of relief over our heads."

"That's amazing," J'sharra said in a surprised tone of voice, "who thought of it? I can see why you need it, especially here." Then she asked, "What sort of deep space ships do you use? The M'Kereos was chosen for its size, capacity, and speed to be an exploration vessel. Which hulls did you choose for your defense?

The pilot laughed, "We didn't. We had to make our own; that's the price of being an invisible planet. The colony world that is our contact with the Empire would look a little odd ordering a small fleet of updated war-craft, so we had to go it alone."

He continued; "We chose a design based on a raider vessel we had impounded. We added extra impulse capability and power generation systems. Since the original designer was one of our, ahhh, Colonists; he was quite happy to assist in ship design instead of mining for Titanite. As soon as he saw what planetary defense was trying to do, he scrapped everything and went with a brand new design for a super fast in-system raid and run vessel. It is way over-weaponed for its size, and outside of four life-system areas, the whole crew works in P-suits, returning to a life-supported area to eat and rest. The result is a ship that is hard to detect and carries a really big punch for its size. There is only one problem with the design," he added.

"What would that be?" J'sharra asked, now quite interested.

"In-atmosphere movement is restricted to speeds lower than this flyer," the pilot chuckled, "those ships are made for space, not atmosphere. They're intended to be able to reach their stations after the planet detects an incoming fleet, say half a day out, from a ground launch. That means very fast in space, but their lack of streamlining keeps them dead slow in an atmosphere."

Then he added, "And by the way, we're here. Platform three of the main hospital is our destination and we're landing...now." There was a soft bump.

J'sharra looked around and recognized the landing pad. With the pilot's help she managed to get the items she had brought with her loaded onto a transport unit in the soft pre-dawn light. She hurried back to the flier for Tan'yel's book and as she ran back to the doors she noticed she was casting shadows; two of them. One was sharp edged and the other was faint and what she saw meant nothing to her at the moment.

Deliberately not looking at the source of the odd shadows, she ran through the doors and stopped to catch her breath. The pilot seemed unaffected and so she said nothing about the odd light and shadow display she had seen. She thanked him and watched as he walked toward the doors to the landing pad, turning to look down the hallway as he stepped through them and into the dawn outside.

She waited to catch her breath and then headed for Tam'yn's room, wondering a little about the odd double shadows she had cast. The little float cart made carrying her things a lot easier for her and would be a place to keep them while she stayed with Tam'yn.

She wouldn't ask him about the shadows though; he had enough to do already and she really did want to see him. Maybe there would be room in his bed for the two of them...

Pilot 2144 to control, I've delivered the passenger to the hospital at landing stage three. We unloaded and she went inside, time 06.13. Requesting half-a-turning for my meal break; I've been at this since just after midnight.

_ Traffic Control to Pilot 2144, we copy delivery of passenger to Guardian hospital three, landing stage three. There is a question on this passenger from one of the Seniors; did she see the suns-rise, repeating, did she see the suns-rise?_

_ Well, they were rising but I doubt it. She was too busy loading things onto a skipper and making sure she had a book of some sort. Treror was just up and she had just gone inside when Challa cleared the horizon and her back was to the suns-rise anyway. She didn't look back. Don't tell me she isn't sworn..._

_ We have no idea, 2144; we're just passing a question on from one of the Senior Planetary Guardians. We'll tell him what you said. You are approved for a meal break but keep your comms unit with you; we may have another rush transport assignment coming up from the same place that you went to pick up your last passenger._

_ (groan) What now? I've been rushing since I signed on._

_ Looks like supply might have sent you out there with the wrong valve, so you may need to go get another valve and take it out to the non-penal isolation area. We'll let you know._

_ Thanks so very much, Control. Transport pilot 2144 out but monitoring._

_ _ Pilot 2144 muttered a curse as he took off and headed toward the local flyer landing area. Like most of these landing spots they were ringed by businesses that catered to airborn commerce and the people who flew for a living. There was an all-hours restaurant there that served not only good food, but had pretty servers who wore barely enough to stay legal. It was quite popular among the pilots in the city, although not many of them would admit to eating there.

Pilot 2144 was finishing his cup of N'aan and enjoying the last of his toast when his comms unit buzzed. Turning it on, he expected to hear Control sending him another parts call even though he was still off duty. He received a surprise instead.

"Pilot 2144, this is Senior Guardian officer A'sallah at the hospital where you just delivered one Ship's Security officer, J'sharra Meren'kona," came a stranger's voice out of his comms unit; "Traffic control is unclear as to whether Guardian Meren'kona was inside the building before the sunrise or outside on the landing pad. Could you clear this up for me?"

The simple fact that he had been contacted warned pilot 2144 that the description of his passenger's actions was considered in need of investigation by someone very high up on the governing ladder.

Somewhat nervously, he replied; " Treror was just clear of the horizon when she finished loading a skipper with the things she had brought from the ship in the quarantine area. She grabbed a book and then hurried to the doors to the hospital that I was holding open for her. Challa was just clear of the horizon when I stepped out of the doors and let them slide shut."

He paused a moment, then added, "At no time did she actually look at the sunrise, she was too busy loading up and then running to the doors so she could get in. If you are asking 'did she see the double sunrise' I would have to say no. She was too focused on getting inside."

He waited as the silence on the communicator grew. Then the Guardian's voice asked, "Do you think there was enough light to make shadows? Could she have seen a doubled shadow?"

The pilot sat for several moments then before saying, "Honestly, I don't think so. You're saying she isn't sworn? How in the seven hells did that happen?"

The Guardian's voice crackled out of his comms unit, "Because she is the chosen Companion of Her Rising Glory's Viceroy, who is here in this hospital recovering after donating sections of his heart to his paternal cousin, a Palace Guardian. His donation means his cousin will live longer and have a better life as a result."

Then A'sallah's voice softened, "I just didn't want to put his Companion through the swearing and registry process after he'd done such a noble deed on behalf of one of our Palace brothers. He chose grafting rather than cloning because it would mean a better life for his cousin even though it put him through extra discomfort to do so.

"She didn't see enough to require being sworn because she was inside the building and couldn't see the suns rising, and that is what I will report to my superiors."

"Yes, sir;" Pilot 2144 replied, "she was inside before there was enough light to see anything." Now he understood what the Senior Guardian had been hinting at.

"Good, 2144, I'm glad we agree on this matter," the Senior Guardian's voice floated out of the comms unit; "and if you haven't finished your meal, ask Keshena to bring you a cup of A'sallah's special blend and put it on my tab. I think you'll like it; or at least the way it's served." The communicator shut off with a click.

Pilot 2144 was mildly surprised by the suggestion, but then pressed the call button on his table. One did not ignore such gifts if one were wise in the way things worked on this world.

At the Hospital, A'sallah muttered a brief prayer to the Warrior's god that he had done the right thing. He was fairly certain that the young woman had seen something that she should not have seen, but he was also aware that if she had noticed it, the Viceroy would handle any difficult explanations that might need to be made. Having to "swear and register" her could be the source of unending problems in the future if he had to do so.

Tan'yel was being interviewed again, only this time it was by a Counselor attached to the hospital. His name was Letesha and Tan'yel thought he was boring beyond belief.

He had asked what Tan'yel had been watching when his eyes stopped working. Tan'yel had replied that he had seen the death notice posted on his view screen and his eyes had stopped working shortly after that.

"How did you feel about Tireno Alcys'ka?" Counselor Letesha asked.

Fifteen minutes later, when Tan'yel stopped talking, the Counselor asked; "Do you feel like this regarding any others in your work circle?"

Tan'yel snorted; "Not really. Tireno Alcys'ka was sort of a special case, and he was never, ever in my 'work circle'. "

"Oh? How so, Guardian Tan'yel?"

"None of the other people I associated with were actively trying to undermine the Throne or the Imperial methods by which the Empress would choose her Ladies in Service and eventually her replacement. None of the others I associated with were actively involved in Treason against the Sunrise Throne," Tan'yel had replied carefully. He was tired and his patience was running out--fast.

"I...see," Counselor Letesha said carefully; then he asked, "who else is involved in this treason against our Empress?"

"That is secure information," Tan'yel growled, "and if you want to know anything more on that subject, please direct your questions to Guardian A'sallah."

"And what is your relationship with Guardian A'sallah, Guardian Tan'yel?" Counselor Letesha was beginning to put together a diagnosis; one that was all too common among Guardians in high-pressure areas of service.

"A'sallah and I go a long way back," Tan'yel replied, "he was one of the Academy graduates who apprenticed to me for his final year before becoming a fully vested Imperial Guardian. He's a good K'iir and a superb peace-officer. He's one of the best trainees I ever taught."

Counselor Letesha noted the tones of pride and accomplishment in his patient's voice. He would need to speak with Guardian A'sallah to confirm his theory about Guardian Tan'yel's problems.

"Well, that's all for today, Guardian Tan'yel," he said in his trained 'relaxing' voice, "I would like to schedule a Dream-share treatment with you for tomorrow, if you don't mind."

"Two Dream-shares in one day?" Tan'yel mused, "that ought to be interesting."

"What do you mean, two in one day?" Counselor Letesha asked with surprise; "Has someone else indicated they were interested in your treatment? Who were they and why wasn't I informed of it?"

"Calm down, calm down;" Tan'yel said gently, "This is being scheduled by A'sallah and Drs. T'keron as part of a security matter. Check with him about it, and for all I know you might be included in the link so you can get your work done at the same time they are working on me. For all I know, you were going to be included in this but they haven't had time to contact you yet."

Then, using his injury to end the conversation, he added; "As for me, I'm tired now. I'm going to take a nap till lunch time. Go call Guardian A'sallah and tell him I have no problems with your being included in the Dream-share; after all, you're trying to get me well too."

He then got himself comfortable and pretended to go to sleep as he listened to the Counselor leave the room...in something of a huff, if his hearing was any good. So what.

This Counselor was too damned snoopy for his liking.

The door to Tam'yn's room opened and J'sharra backed in, pulling a skipper loaded with the tools of her trade into the room and out of the hall. Then she turned.

Tam'yn was waking up and as he saw her he began to smile. Moments later, they were embraced as best they could with his bandaging and padding on his right side and the arm splint on his left. It was difficult, but they managed.

When they had separated, J'sharra smiled and returned to the skipper to retrieve a book; a very special book, the one with the Empress's own special access code in it. She handed it to Tam'yn with a flourish; saying, "One code book, or more properly, one code chip."

Eyebrows raised, Tam'yn opened the book to the first page but found nothing in the way of a chip. Only words met his eyes. He looked up at J'sharra in surprise.

"Inside the cover," she explained; and he flipped back two fly-leaves to the inside of the front cover and the neat rows of chips in their little pockets there. One of them said, "K's private code" while the rest simply had number sets under them. They looked like dates, although why Tan'yel would date code chips eluded him for a moment. In the Navy, old code chips were physically destroyed, since electronic erasures were not always dependable.

He shrugged with his right shoulder; perhaps the Guardians did things differently.

J'sharra handed him a combination reader and keypad that had come from Tan'yel's office. There was a slot for a chip, a fold out screen, a holo lens, a slot for printed pages and a keyboard for entering data. Tam'yn scratched his head, this was an old model, given the reader/scanner function in it. Most of these devices had done away with the scan function since it effectively duplicated what the keyboard could do, but Tam'yn had an idea. His cousin was a master at K'Kiir'sa, the written version of the T'Kiir'I language that was the basis of the Imperial tongue; the common language of the Empire and the Court. Writing in that language would be a further layer of security, since most people read and wrote the far simpler Imperial language and not K'Kirr'sa.

He smiled as he explained his reasoning to J'sharra, who nodded in agreement; "Tan'yel was forever writing things down rather than using a recorder," she commented thoughtfully, "and although I thought at the time he was just being old-fashioned, now I can see the sense in what he did."

Tam'yn nodded, "I tend to write things myself, although I cheat and use a stylus and pad rather than a brush and paper. I guess it's just the farmer in me coming out."

J'sharra giggled, "You were just being practical. Imagine trying to keep a writing brush in your pocket along with a pad of paper. You'd be a mess in no time and the paper would be wasted and ink stained."

Tam'yn had to agree. The stylus wrote on the surface of the data pad, and any mistakes were easily erased with a swipe of the "erase" end of the stylus. However, as a child of the Empress, he had been schooled in proper K'Kiir'sa and had developed what he considered a decent hand style.

After asking J'sharra for some paper from Tan'yel's supply and a loaded hand-brush, he tried his hand at some simple forms and sound styles. Then he tried a poem he remembered from his schooling which was noteworthy only in that it used every form and every sound at least once.

It was when J'sharra giggled that he looked up, puzzled at what was so funny.

"Your tongue," she said pointing, which made him realize he had stuck his tongue out as he concentrated on the words. He pulled it back into his mouth.

"May I see what you've written?" she asked; and blushing, he handed the paper to her. She was quiet for some time, then looked up from the sheet of paper and said with great respect, "This is beautiful. I didn't know you could write so beautifully."

Predictably, his ears pinked up as he blushed at the complement. Since she was still looking at him with expectation in her eyes, he explained, "We all had our schooling in the Palace. There were a group of rooms set up for the children of the courtiers, the Ladies in Service, the children of the Palace staff--in fact, just about anyone who worked in the Palace and had children could send them there and get their schooling for free. We had the best teachers for everything and we were expected to learn...and we did. One of the major parts of our liberal arts education was K'Kiir'sa, and how to use it to its best effect and clarity. We even did word-pictures like the old wall scrolls show."

His blush deepened; "We also had a big library to use for reference, and I remember reading things written by K'iir who were hundreds of cycles dead, but thanks to the K'Kiir'sa it was like they were there, speaking to me face to face. I found a hand-written copy of another hand-written copy of An'kor's "Meditations" and spent a lot of time with it. It almost seemed as if I could finish a sentence that An'kor started before I read all of it. I also read some of the journals of An'kor's "Brotherhood" of warriors who formed the basis of our modern nobility. I even read the memoirs of Jilathe', the first Empress. She wrote of how it was back then, the troubles she had even though An'kor had publically proclaimed her as his successor. In some ways, things haven't changed that much..." Those last words held hints of anger over the lust for power and greed that was so obvious back home, at least to him.

J'sharra was impressed. "I had no idea you were such a scholar," she said with surprise; to which Tam'yn grinned slyly and replied, "If I kept my nose in a book and kept making notes, the History instructor didn't assign me extra studies. That way when everyone else was drudging away with dry 'official' histories, I could read things like "The Adventures of Zoh'ro" without attracting attention to myself."

J'sharra started laughing but finally managed to gasp out, "Tam, that was so devious! That was brilliant!" Her praise made Tam'yn's ears even redder.

Finally she sat on something to catch her breath and looked at her Companion with new eyes, happier eyes. His Light was still burning bright, even though he carefully hid it. That would make her task so much easier and she loved him all the more for it.

Looking at what she was sitting on, she discovered it was a bed; a sleeping pad on a platform. Glancing at Tam'yn got her an explanation; A'sallah had sent it over to the room when he had requested she stay with Tam'yn for a few days. A quick check over told her it was too small for both of them, as was his Healing bed. Drat. At least they could share the same room together.

As Tam'yn took another sheet from the pile she had provided him and began to practice his writing again, she got busy unloading the things she had brought from the ship. At least their uniforms and other clothing could share the same closet, even if they had to sleep apart.

Curious, J'sharra took one of the numbered chips from the book on Tam'yn's lap and slid it into the slot on the reader to see what it contained. Her gasp pulled Tam'yn's attention away from his calligraphy and over to the screen of the reader.

There was a picture there of two T'Kiir'I children playing on a grassy lawn in front of an older-styled plantation farm house. Tam'yn's breath caught in his throat as he recognized the girl. It was L'yrel, his birth sib. The scene changed, now they were dressed for the table at the Light's Rebirth feast. He realized the young male beside L'yrel was himself. They were childhood pictures taken by a cousin--Cousin Tan'yel. He had taken those pictures of two children he could never acknowledge. His two children. Children he could only watch over as their mother and official father moved from their country plantation to the strange and frightening Imperial Palace as their mother had been chosen as a "Lady in Service" by the then-Empress Karanthalde' O'reta.

Another picture showed L'yrel in her Imperial Scholar robes after she had been chosen for the "Special Training" that might one day make her a Lady in Service to the Empire or even bring her to sit on the Sunrise Throne itself as Empress.

It wasn't until J'sharra took him in her arms that he realized he had been silently sobbing over the loss of his birth sibling. Tradition prescribed four segments as the time for mourning the loss of a birth sibling, and he hadn't even had one segment yet, or even had a chance to fully accept his sister's passage into the Light. He fell into an agony of missing her, missing her presence in his life even though he might be light cycles away on some ship; somehow, she had always been there. Now, she wasn't.

He would have traded places with L'yrel in an instant, going into the Light himself if it meant she hadn't had to die. She was so much better than he was...she had faced life straight on while he had run away, first into Court games and then into alcohol and finally into the Navy. He had fled his own family, his Clan, House, and Name just because he had been taunted by some of the power hungry females at the Court after L'lanya's death. Every time he had been challenged by something that went deep, his answer had been to run as far and as fast as he could. Morally, he had been a coward.

No more. He hadn't been able to protect his birth-sib because he had run away. No more. He had fled into the Navy under a false name borrowed from a common, huge Clan that had no House, just an association of ordinary commoners living their lives in relative obscurity under a huge, undistinguished Clan grouping. No more. In the image, L'yrel's eyes met his and granted absolution. He would stand. He would die. He would be torn to shreds on a thousand spears or chopped into a hundred pieces by war-staves; but he would not run. He would not let this happen to another because of his cowardice.

J'sharra must have felt something, because she turned his face to hers and her jaw dropped in profound shock and utter disbelief as she drew back from what she was seeing. This face was not Tam'yn's face, not now. It was the face of a warrior, hard bitten, worn and determined. The tear streaks had made what looked like a scar line under his right eye that ran to the corner of his mouth. His right ear-tip was missing where it poked out of white-streaked raven black hair and his left ear had a bisecting line of scarring where it had nearly been split in battle when he had lost his helm. On the left side of his muzzle, another scar showed a tooth-point where a sword-cut had nearly killed him. His eyes were set deep and a dark smoky hazel color, not his normal gold-green shade. This specter was not Tam'yn.

She had seen this face a thousand times before, on statues, on coins, even on a painting or two.

It was the face of An'kor. An'kor, who had lost his House and family to intrigue and had gone to war to conquer the greatest cities of T'Kiir'ah and end forever the battles and intrigues that were second nature to the T'Kiir'I. An'kor's Empire had ended all of that, and in its place he had first governed as Emperor and had then made his wife his Empress as he had grown old. By intention, he had waged war and brought peace.

He had gone into the Light almost 1200 cycles ago, after seeing his Empire grow by means of trade and economy into the greatest single government the warlike T'Kiir'I had ever seen. He had seen the warlike T'Kiir'I slowly learn peace and then come to embrace it with law and custom to support it. On the day he had breathed his last, his wife, now his Empress, ruled over what was literally a world-girdling Empire that had not gone to war in fifteen winters, and now had too much invested in peace to depart from it. He had won his war by ending all other wars on T'Kiir'ah.

Then Tam'yn sneezed and the vision was gone, leaving in its place a grieving man being supported by the loving woman who was his Companion. She held him close, fear starting in her belly; fear caused by what she dreaded was a sign of what was to come.

Destruction. Endings on a massive scale. Their Empire at risk of obliteration.

And her Companion would be the lynch-pin around which it all spun if indeed An'kor was returned from the Light. She held him close and silently prayed that she had seen wrong even as she knew she hadn't.

War was coming.

1. Dawning:

To Her Rising Glory and Light of the Worlds,

Empress of the Sunrise Empire Karavele'ka an' Yere'kos,

From a child of her body and son, Her Viceroy

Tam'yn an' Yere'kos;

Greetings,

Mother, I really don't know where to begin, so I shall try to begin at the point where I was invested as your Viceroy on learning of the certainty of the Passing of my birth-sibling L'yrel an' Yere'kos into the Light. The stories are true. I felt agony when I heard the words. She was so much more valuable than I am to the Empire that she loved and served until she was called into the Light. However imperfectly, I will try my best to serve in her place. I still grieve when I hear her name, knowing she is no more with us.

I apologize for embarrassing our family by having a fit wherein I nearly tore my hand off when I realized I was wearing the bracer of Viceroyalty. In my defense, I can only say that I was in part under the control of a vile Traitor to the Empire, who had overtaken my mind and was largely responsible for my actions. I apologize for embarrassing our family in this manner and promise to do better in the future. I grieve for the loss of my sister and will try to do all that I may to uphold the trust you have placed in me as her replacement.

Enough. Formal was never my strongest style and you need to know now rather than wade through page after page of Court-polished fancy language.

Tireno Alcys'ka got to both myself and to Tan'yel. I am healing from Alcys'ka's

meddling, but Tan'yel is blind. He went blind watching the death notices and I've heard that a number of court members have done so too. We are both currently being treated for this problem and it looks as if in my case the cure is working. I am praying for "cousin" Tan'yel, that his hearts are healed of the thing that made him go blind and he is being treated by the best Counselors available to us here on the M'Kereos.

I hope that my younger siblings Terel and Le'ahn are spared the terrible things that Tireno Alcys'ka did to others in the Capitol city and within your Administration, and if by some miracle his spirit were to appear before me I would not let it go until I either had assurance that they had not been harmed or had found a way to negate that harm. It is too bad that he is now in another place and answering to other judges for what his body has done in life, for if his soul were to come before me I would not show it any mercy for the evil it has done. He must have had support in his treason, and it is my hope that these traitors are found out before they can harm the Empire further.

I have a Companion now. Her name is J'sharra Meren'kona, a Priestess of Pyri's path and you knew her as J'esa Merenkon. She is L'lanya's younger sister and when her sister died she was granted entry into the K'Pyri'ah at Lake An'shal and later earned her confirmation of Priestess of Movement in the Light or Moving Prayer. We love each other very much and she comforts me in my grief over L'yrel, my sister. Our Companionship was witnessed by and registered by the First Officer of the M'Kereos and several members of the crew, including my cousin, Third Officer Tan'yel an' Yere'kos, prior to his blindness. This was appropriate, since she is his Second aboard this vessel and is an excellent Security officer.

Third Officer Tan'yel apprehended a known murderer and killer for hire named Mikero Althas who was aboard the M'Kereos under the stolen name of Tinterro Kailas, who is actually a child on one of the colony planets settled by the followers of the "Simplistic" philosophy. Apparently a false "health inspector" used a scanner to steal this child's identity. I have been informed that the information has been sent to the Guardian Council, so I assume they have much more information than an Engineer-turned-Viceroy has access to on board an exploratory vessel.

We have been able to exchange our flawed Inverted Matter reactor for a Guardians "Special" Fusion reactor at a Guardians Maintenance Station near the rim of Imperial space, so we will soon be able to continue our explorations to expand the Empire and find new worlds where we may either plant the Imperial Standard and open a new world for colonizing or locate a world where we will find friends we have not yet met. We continue to seek to expand our great Empire, as the Charter of the Exploration Service and your own specific order directs us to do. If there are habitable worlds out here, we will find them and expand your Empire to an ever greater compass.

Our prayers are for our Empire, our Family, and House; may the Gods of Star and Space bless you and keep you safe and may your reign be ever joyful and prosperous.

Your son and Viceroy, and his Companion;

Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, Viceroy of the Sunrise Throne

May the light guide your path and brighten your way, Priestess of K'Pyri

J'sharra na Meren'kona an' Yere'kos

"Wow," J'sharra said as she signed the letter before her, "When I said you had beautiful handwriting, I had no idea how well you could compose a letter to someone."

Tam'yn chuckled, "That comes from two things, schooling and fear. I'm scared silly that Mother will decide things are entirely too exciting out here and call me home to explain in person. That means I needed to ooze a sense of "I'm doing fine and so is everybody else here" or face a command that as Viceroy I can't exactly refuse."

He slumped in the bed; "I just hope she can read between the lines well enough to get the information I need her to see."

J'sharra smiled as she sat on the edge of his Healing bed; "I could tell what you were saying and who you were referring her to, but if I hadn't been through most of what

you refer to I doubt I would know anything other than what you wrote."

Then curiosity tickled her and she asked, "Why did you begin the letter one way, then switch part way through it? Is that some sort of sign to your mother?"

Tam'yn nodded with a sly smile and suggested, "Hold the letter the way you would if you were reading it and tell me what you see when you reach the first fold."

Doing so, J'sharra replied, "The formal part. You changed your style farther down..." She paused a moment, then said, "I see. Anyone looking over her shoulder would see the formal part with all the titles!"

Tam'yn nodded, "Exactly. Mother showed me how to do this many win--cycles ago. She used it to keep tips handy on people she was interviewing for this or that office. It worked very well and kept them thinking she had spent the day studying them, thus they started out amazed and she kept them that way. Notice that I started the letter on a note of apology and kept the submissive and apologetic tone all the way through that section. Anyone reading that will think that I haven't changed at all, that I am still the sniveling weakling I was in the Palace.''

Then An'kor's face was back as T'am'yn said, "They will be wrong. Because I ran, I put a huge load on L'yrel's shoulders and forced her to do things that I should have been doing beside her, as birth-sibs are supposed to do. My hands are stained with her blood as much as her killer's hands were, only I'm still alive and I can change. For the Empire I love as much as I love you, J'sharra, I have to change. I have no choice."

Then, misery in his voice, he added, "I'm sorry, J'sharra; I really am. I love you so much, but our people and our Empire..."

Again she held him close and whispered, "Then we will do this thing together, you and I. We will leave a strong Empire to our children and their children and all the children that come after them. We have each other to draw from, and we will be each other's strength as Companions on life's road. We will find that world out there and bring proof that we still have frontiers to explore, that our Empire is still vital and growing. We will do this, beloved, because the Light has shown our path to us, and we will walk it--together."

One turning later, A'sallah read the letter Tam'yn wanted to send once he had the Guardian's permission to do so.

"You know, you don't have to ask me about this," A'sallah reminded him, "as Viceroy you have the right to send anything you want to."

He smiled, "I do thank you for asking me to confer with you on this, though; and I assure you that there is nothing here that I or any of the Council members would have any objection to."

Then he asked, "How do you plan to send it? Will you use the M'Kereos's hyperwave transmitters or will you send it through our system to our Colony world?"

"I had thought to use your system," Tam'yn said, "Since the Colony world would be the natural place to receive it and boost it along the links to T'Kiir'ah. By the time it gets there, it will have gone through a dozen links and only the first identifier would be of use to anyone, at least I think that's how it works."

"If they can even read it," A'sallah reminded him, "remember, each booster transmitter adds its own identifier, yes, but they are added in a string of numbers that will make finding the original source difficult at best."

Surprised, Tam'yn replied, "I didn't know that. It will make back tracing difficult then, won't it?"

"Difficult enough that even we don't use it anymore," A'sallah grumbled, "too easy to mis-identify a routing number. We used to, but the Imperial communication system has grown so large so fast that even we can't effectively backtrack a piece of hyper-wave communication--not that we, here on this planet, want that to happen. By the Imperial comm-net not changing the identification protocols with the increase in the hyperwave stations, it helped us stay invisible."

"Then I can transmit this and it will go out?" T'am'yn asked cautiously, receiving a nod from A'sallah.

Turning Tan'yel's reader-scanner on after connecting it to the data port on his bed table, Tam'yn waited until it established contact with the planetary network. He slipped the special chip into the slot in the machine and waited as it connected first with the workings of the device it was inside of and then with the larger communications net.

When the indicator on the machine glowed blue, he realized he had been holding his breath, while a gasp from J'sharra indicated she had been similarly nervous and waiting.

The words "Address verified. Ready to transmit" appeared on the screen and Tam'yn slid the top of the first page into the machine. When it slid out under the screen, he slipped the second page into the reader and finally the third.

Then he pressed the "Action" key and watched as the screen went through several changes of the characters appearing on it and finally the words, "Message sent. Send another message or retrieve code chip?" appeared on the screen. He pressed the screen's surface over the word "retrieve" and the chip popped out of its slot in the side of the device, where T'am'yn took it and slipped it back into its little pocket on the book cover.

"I wonder what this book is?" he commented as he flipped it shut so he could see the cover. Under several Security and Guardian seals he could see the characters for "__ourn__ Tan'_____'erek__". He set the book down. "It's Tan'yel's Journal, I think," he said with a note of hesitation in his voice. "When he gets better, I want to give this back to him."

"Agreed," A'sallah said, "that's his story. We'll just keep it safe until he is fit to write in it and read it again."

"Speaking of reading, "J'sharra asked, "how is Third...I mean Tan'yel, doing?"

"J'ina and T'oko are working with him," A'sallah replied, "regrettably, the elder Doctor T'keron had a hearts storm and has been admitted here for treatment. Fortunately, he donated some of his upper and lower heart cells some few cycles back, so the damaged tissue is being regrown while he rests."

"What happened?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, "he seemed in good health the last time I saw him."

"Stress," A'sallah replied somewhat evasively, "He is almost a hundred cycles of age, you know."

"I didn't," Tam'yn admitted with some embarrassment, "is he going to be alright? Is there anything that can be done...?"

A'sallah shook his head, "T'oko monitors the old fellow constantly by means of the same sensors the chair and the Healing bed uses to keep track of the good Doctor's health. Additionally, he is monitoring your cousin while J'ina tries to tease some information out of him in regards to his blindness. Next to the Doctor, she is the greatest expert on Alcys'ka's mental perversion of a living mind, and T'oko can catch things so slight none of us would even notice them."

Tam'yn stared at the floor, feeling at a loss regarding what had happened to Dr. T'keron here in the hospital and getting the feeling that he wasn't getting the whole story,

that something was being left out. He didn't know what it was, but A'sallah's story sounded incomplete.

There were other things to deal with, he decided. One was looking in on his cousin, while another was waiting for word on Tireno Alcys'ka and his arrival on this world.

The second one could be dealt with now, he decided, and then he would see about talking to his cousin again. "When do you expect Alcys'ka to arrive here?" he asked and immediately saw A'sallah's face go into the "schooled neutral" that he and his cousin Tan'yel had used when they wanted to get around a difficult subject. He stared hard at A'sallah; he wanted that answer.

That was the one question that Guardian A'sallah had been dreading, but as he tried to compose a non-answer, the Viceroy's stare struck him almost like a physical blow. He actually blinked and backed away from that icy stare for a moment before he answered, "In roughly four turnings, the ship is in-system now and decelerating for landing at the island we use as an intake processing area." Then he swallowed. This was definitely not the confused dilettante at the Court that training officer Tan'yel an' Yere'kos had set him to watching, nor was it the Navy T'Kiir'I he had seen on the M'Kereos who had tried to tear his own hand off. This was someone new and very potent. How many "people" were in the mind of the Imperial Viceroy, and did any of them pose a threat to his home, planet, and Empire?

He caught the flashed hand-sign from Security Officer J'sharra and blinked a reply. This situation was starting to become dangerous for all of them.

Then the Viceroy slumped in his bed and said, "After you get done with processing him, I want to talk with him. He may think he still controls me and so he may say things to me that would be useful to you, and I have no doubt he can tell me about Tan'yel's blindness and how to reverse it. It may mean I risk myself a bit, but if he can be tricked into giving away some of his control words, it's worth it."

"Sir!" A'sallah gaped, "That's too dangerous! You still don't know all of what he did to you, what he may have planted in you..."

"I think I know the risks as well as you do, Guardian A'sallah," Tam'yn replied in a tired voice, "but this isn't about me. It's about the danger and the injury he did to the Empire he swore to serve; and in that matter I can probably get him to reveal several control words when he uses them on me. At that point, I will not be Her Rising Glory's Viceroy, I'll just be Tam'yn, the weakling he conditioned to obey. I can be treated later, but the Empire needs those keywords now, and I can probably get them."

"But, your Radiance," A'sallah began, only to be stopped in his tracks by Tam'yn tiredly saying, "Please don't make me turn this into an order, A'sallah. I imagine you have your methods of interrogation. I can offer him bait to get him to talk, almost certainly. I may not need to try this if you are successful, but I do know the option has to be there to end or at least control the damage done to our Empire. We cannot let him cause this Empire to fail or fall into civil war if there is any way we can stop it."

"Yes, your Radiance," A'sallah said as he saluted. Who was this? he wondered, _ and where is the Naval officer, or for that matter, the Courtier?_ Just how many "Tam'yn's" were there inside the head of the T'Kiir'I in that healing bed?

Terel read another printed obituary about Tireno Alcys'ka and was becoming heartily bored with the whole thing. At his side, Le'ahn read another version of the death record of the person who was becoming something of a paragon among the average T'Kiir'I citizenry in contravention of the truth about him.

Counselor Brennis and Healer Kaarlo watched them both, monitoring their reactions to what they were reading by means of some standard medical sensors attached to their underclothing and to one finger on their right hand. So far, they were reacting the way any young person would to a dull and uninteresting bit of printed matter. That was good.

They were reading from data plates, and each obituary was modified slightly with potential stress or command words tucked into the overall make up of the story they were reading.

Terel started snickering and passed his plate to his sister, indicating one line. Soon she was snickering too, and the Counselor's instruments showed a sudden change in their physical signatures.

"What's so funny?" Healer Kaarlo asked the two, and Le'ahn handed him Terel's plate. The Healer read the indicated lines and chuckled himself.

"This is one of your computer generated obituaries, I take it?" he asked a rather surprised Counselor Brennis.

"Parts of it are, yes," the Counselor replied cautiously, "but what seems so funny?"

Healer Kaarlo handed the plate to him, indicating one passage which read,

"Tireno Alcys'ka's passionate services to the Ladies in Service to the Empire will be missed."

"Oh no," the Counselor groaned, "the program is starting to overload potential stress words in these obituaries. I'll have to change some parameters once I figure out what words were triggering this."

"Ahh, there are two uses of the word 'passion' in the statement," Terel commented, "might that be it? And how many of these things are real? So far we've read over a hundred of them. Are there that many publishers of information?"

"Not on the planet, no;" the Counselor admitted, "but we're trying to find the causes of what is an epidemic of failures throughout the Imperial Bureaucracy without a great deal of success. We cannot find the word groups that trigger the hysteria no matter what we try, and we've tried a lot."

Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos had been watching silently for some time as her niece and nephew had read and re-read the death notices for a monster. Now she spoke; "Have you tried the presentation that the news-criers used, or have you just been using lines of words?" "How do you mean?" Counselor Brennis asked, "and are you implying it isn't word-based? What else could it be? The News transmitters used all sorts of formats on the notices, so what could it be but the words?"

Le'ahn commented, "I didn't see the actual notice because the screen was at an angle to me and they were using that really fancy formal script, the stuff that is so hard to read unless you have some time to break the words down and sound them out. Could that be it?"

The Counselor stared for a minute, then replied, "The script that most of the News networks used was Imperial Formal, the sort of script used on official proclamations and announcements."

He started pressing keys on the table-mounted computer that controlled the wording on the two plates the two youngsters used.

"I'm going to try some words, plain simple words mixed in with words that are thought to be stress-inducers that neither of you reacted to. I want to know what, if anything, you feel when you read these words. I'll have the readouts from the sensors on your bodies to work with too.

Moments later, words appeared on the two young T'Kiir'I's vid plates.

Death, Passing, the Light, Remembrance, respect,

remember, service, all manner of funereal words in varied types of Formal scripting. Some of the words were set up for languages that had different phonemes than occurred in the T'Kiir'I language while others were purely phonetic in form.

"Stop!" Terel gasped, " I just felt something awful! Like when I went blind. One of those words--they triggered it."

"Gods," the Counselor groaned, "he used our own customs against us. He knew that when the Palace announced something important, they would use a specific type of scripting to say it. His name wasn't the key and neither was the scripting. Either one was innocuous when used apart, but when used together, they would trigger hysterical blindness. Such evil!"

"Terel?" Le'ahn asked quietly, "Terel, could you come here. Please?" There was something odd in her voice and her brother was at her side instantly and was staring into her eyes in horror. They weren't tracking. She was shaking a little. His arm around her, he held her close and whispered, "We'll get this fixed, Le'. We'll get it fixed, I promise."

Counselor Brennis was beside them in the next moment as Terel glared at him and growled, "I thought you said stunning would fix this. She was stunned, now she's blind. What happened?"

"I don't know," the Counselor replied, "unless--" he paused to think, "unless the programming would have to be active for the stun to work. We've never had someone who had been a victim but not been affected in some way."

"You mean she has to be stunned again?" Terel's voice was rising as fear began to twist inside him, "Won't that be dangerous? What if the stunning doesn't work this time?" He was frightened for his sister and as he spoke his ears started folding back and his lips began to skin away from his teeth. He was getting ready to fight.

"Terel!" his aunt Karalan'ka snapped, "Calm down! You're frightening your sister, and right now she needs you to be calm and be there for her." The T'Kiir'I woman paced back and forth for a moment, then turned and asked, "Le'ahn, what word did you read just before your sight stopped?"

Le'ahn thought for a moment, then said, "I think it was 'respect', or maybe 'remember', since I was feeling tired and blinked my eyes only they didn't open again."

The Counselor was going through the list of words the computer had printed out on both video plates and asked, "Did you read the word 'service' before your eyes stopped working? This is important; how many words did you read until the desire to blink overcame you?"

"I--I don't know," Le'ahn replied, "there several other words, but I didn't get very far before I blinked, why?"

"At the moment, not a lot," the Counselor grumbled, "other than there was only one word after the supposed trigger word. The word was 'service' and several other victims had negative associations with that word."

He rubbed his chin, "I suspect that this blindness had a different aim; one much more sinister. Suppose the Empress had died in office without appointing a replacement against her unanticipated demise. What words would be used to describe such a person? With the Empress dead and having no clear replacement and the government in chaos, it would fall to the Parliament to act as regent until the they could determine who the deceased Empress would have chosen and installed her on the Sunrise Throne. The Empress's family would figure prominently in that choice, since they would have the best knowledge of who she favored and who she did not."

"And suppose that certain Great Houses had control over the Parliament and whoever the Parliament chose?" Karalan'ka asked the group, "Suppose whoever was chosen was under control of certain Houses, or worse; one of the Heads of the Great Houses decided to take the throne himself? Who could stop him? The military are sworn to the Throne, not who sits on it. The Empire would disintegrate in less than a cycle, simply because our Dominion and Hegemony worlds expect a female on the throne, and a lot of them have histories of what happened when one of their own people seized power for whatever reason and they would see this as exactly the same thing."

Le'ahn whispered a name; "Biralla" and the room grew silent. Biralla had lost an eighth of its population when a madman had seized power and tried to purge the planet of people who had been "corrupted" by the "devils from the stars". Biralla was still healing from that bloodbath and would be for many cycles more.

Karalan'ka sighed, "Yes, Biralla. We could be facing the same thing if certain people have their way. With us, it wouldn't be that simple, not if certain Houses have their way. It would be the end of An'kor's Empire."

"What about the family?" Terel asked in a voice barely above a whisper; "what about mother and father? What...?" the single word held a world of fear in it.

From the doorway, a voice said, "The less you know, the better. Just keep in mind that every member of the Imperial Palace Guards is sworn to protect their Empress, her Consort, and Her Family. It won't necessarily be easy or pleasant, but you will all be as safe as we can keep you."

The voice had an owner. He was tall for a T'Kiir'I and dark brown furred with only hints of lighter color on muzzle and ears. His hair was graying and bound back to keep his forehead clear. One arm was a prosthesis from the shoulder down. He stepped into the room and nodded at Karalan'ka. She stared for a moment, then said, "I thought you had retired. What are you doing here--and in that uniform?"

"Kara, Kara; a Guardian never really retires," the new person said, "they just get fewer and longer assignments. I was sent here at my own request by Herself, your sister. She seems to think we can work together more effectively. Can we?"

Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos nodded as she hurried over to the stranger and hugged him. "It's been too long, Artol. I'm glad to see you."

Her embrace was returned and then the Guardian stepped over to Terel and Le'ahn and knelt. "I'm Artol an' Merenkon, and your aunt and I have some history together. I have something for you that should help with--is it Le'ahn's sight problems?"

"You do?" Le'ahn asked and reached out trying to find the source of the voice in her dark world. A hand connected with plasteel and then slid over to Guardian fabric. "What sort of thing do you have? Terel was blind then he was stunned and got his sight back and I was stunned and it didn't work and the Counselor found some words made me go blind and even Terel says they affect him but he didn't go blind again and..." she ran out of breath.

Guardian Artol chuckled and said, "We're fixing that in the Capitol as fast as we can. I'll whisper a phrase to you and you should see again, no stun needed."

Counselor Brennis stared at the Guardian for a moment, then said, "You cracked his codes? You're in his systems?"

The Guardian nodded and then whispered, "Serve your master and see again, slave," into Le'ahn's ear and a moment later she gasped, "I can see. Its blurry but I can see again. Do you mean those words were all that were needed?"

The Guardian nodded and stood. "Tireno Alcys'ka may have been a genius when it came to corrupting the mind, but he was like a small child when it came to computer security. Once we realized that there was literally no one he dared to speak to regarding the protection of his machines, we started looking for security chips in his library and did we ever find them! He must have bought every new book on system security that came out, and then used the example codes in his own machines.

"That's why we were having such trouble getting into his systems; we were expecting complex passwords and there weren't any. We should have all his files accessible within another day and then we can start undoing the damage he's done to the Government."

"Why did he use that phrase, though?" Le'ahn asked, curious about the sort of release phrase that had been used on her as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Well," Guardian Artol replied, "his wasn't the most stable mind, that's a given. He seemed to have fantasies of himself as some sort of 'Master over all' and used his system to create it. He saw anyone he had conditioned as one of his slaves, and tailored all his release commands around that concept.

"You're blind and he tells you to see as his slave, that is very likely to activate other conditioning in some people. It almost seems as if the blindness was a way for him to keep certain people in one place until he could get to them. In others, the blindness was simply to cripple the government so his patrons could topple it and install their own replacement Emperor or Empress while he disappeared into the disintegrating Empire.

"Mind, this is all still theory, but we have the copious notes he made and he seemed to be aware that once he delivered the Empire that he would be a liability to its new masters, hence his scheme to disappear."

"And the people who paid him to do all this get away," Terel grumbled; "It just isn't fair or right."

Guardian Artol laughed, "Not really. It seems he kept a set of books for his 'payments' and we have names, dates, and amounts. We even have notes about what some of his 'customers' wanted done to their own daughters, all Ladies in Service to the Empire; along with their Companions and even their near-adult children in some cases.

"We'll deal with that Treason once we get the government up and running again."

A turn later, in the Solarium, Guardian Artol and Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos were discussing things the children didn't need to hear--yet.

"Were you putting on a show for Kivie's children or did things really fall into place that easily?" Karalan'ka bluntly asked the Guardian.

"To a great degree, yes. We don't have actual proof of treasonable intent on the part of most of Alcys'ka's supporters, and by some insane oversight he had a Permission to conduct tests on some sort of a 'Doctor T'keron's Educational system' for training palace staff. The crazy part of it is that some of the Palace staff he trained that way are excellent in their positions with no evidence of any harmful intent at all on the part of Tireno Alcys'ka. They can deal with any, and I mean any situation within their level of service competently and excellently. They were some of the first people he worked his wiles on, though, so I suspect that part was deliberate as a sort of camouflage for his real intentions and his sponsors' plans."

"You mean he was doing this with my sis--the Empress's knowledge?"

"The Permission itself was granted by the previous Empress, Her Rising Glory Karanthalde,' and when she chose our current Empress the Permission simply continued. It takes an Imperial Order for a Permission to be revoked while the original owner is still alive."

"What about the Trait--the people who were supporting Alcys'ka? What about them? Artol, my sister's children were crippled by the things those monsters financed, you say the Traitor kept books; do you really mean there is no criminal evidence in them? You just said as much with the children. Are you saying there is nothing the Imperial Guardians can do to stop this?

"Kara, it's complicated, much more complicated than I'm free to discuss. My orders, and by the way, the orders for all the Guardians here are to get you, Her children, and certain others out of here if we get a certain set of daily orders from the Capitol or we get a certain coded message. There are three flyers here, and all are orbit capable although they don't look it. They have special autopilot systems that we cannot access other than to activate them. They can pilot themselves to wherever it is they are programmed to go with no input from us, so if needs be we could theoretically stay behind and delay any hostile forces while you and the children got away."

Karalan'ka stared at the Guardian for almost a mark before asking,

"Is it that bad? How can it be that bad? How can it have become that bad?"

He sighed, "Because certain Houses have spent decades preparing for this. There are several Troupes of Alar Mercenaries 'renting' land owned by one of the High Houses for what they call 'practice maneuvers' and since the Empire uses Alar Merc's as shock troops there hasn't been any upset over it and the Alars are being very polite about the whole thing when they 'accidentally' inconvenience someone and they never cause trouble when some of them go on leave. They act like tourists, visiting 'places of interest' and probably gathering intelligence about them, although we can't prove that yet. The High House is being well paid, we checked on that, and the deal looks perfectly legal.

"If it wasn't that this particular High House was very actively involved with the Modernization Acts, and had recently started trumpeting its House Master as being a direct descendent of An'kor the Conqueror, things might not be as tight as they are. Add in that one of the Cadet Houses attached to this High House was responsible for two days of 'Tributes' to Alcys'ka that just happened to cripple the Government, and things are very, very nervous making."

"Is he related?" Karalan'ka asked nervously, "and by which set of twins?"

Artol grinned, "Jilathe's first children, the ones whose lives were saved when An'kor fed and sheltered their mother. Yes, the two of them married and she gave him two sets of children of his own, but the fellow who is shouting about his descent from the great Conqueror is related only by maternity, not blood. He's actually more closely related to my family than the Conqueror's family. That is one bit of history he keeps well hidden, believe me. We checked."

Then his features became more serious as he said, "Actually, the an' Yere'kos Clan is bloodline descended from his first children with Jilathe', and Tereakos House is bloodline descended from his second set of children. You, your wards and in fact all of our Empress's offspring have more blood claim to the Conqueror than any of the Great Houses do. This is the first time is six generations that we have so much of An'kor's line alive and living in the world. If I were superstitious, I'd say it was an omen. Fortunately, I'm not."

"An omen?" Karalan'ka asked, then said, "Six generations--the Otai rebellion. Our House contributed, yes, but how do you mean omen?"

Artol explained, "The Imperial Commander who not only suppressed the rebellion but negotiated a lasting peace with the rebels and his whole staff were all direct linear descendants of An'kor and Jilathe'. Every single one of them had our first Emperor and Empress as direct ancestors, just as you and our current Empress's children do.

"Then there's the promise inscribed at An'kor and Jilathe's tomb: 'What we have made, we will protect'. Most people take it as the legal structures and Charter of our Government set in place by An'kor and Jilathe' during their lives, but some see a deeper meaning to it, hence the superstitious angle."

"Needless to say," he added, "we Guardians have slightly muddled the official records for the safety of the Empress and Her offspring. Go back more than six generations and you hit a wall of 'Records Missing' on the Empress's line, and on her Consort's line too. Back then, when we kept records either on photographic or magnetic media, it was not uncommon to lose whole files when there was a fire or someone accidentally tossed something in the trash. Once this trouble is over, the 'Lost Records' will be 'found' and all will be as it should be."

Now curious, Karalan'ka asked, "Is there anyone else in our immediate family who is more related than Kivie's children, since we all seem to be An'kor's descendents?"

Artol nodded with a chuckle, "Actually yes; there is one person who has direct lineage to both sets of An'kor and Jilathe's offspring, and he's a Guardian to boot. You even know him; he's your third cousin, Tan'yel na' Kerel'yn an' Yere'kos, and he's the first cousin of the Empress's Consort. Since he's a Guardian, we didn't muddle his lineage, we just sealed it like we do with every Imperial Guardian. We're the offspring of the Empire, not any given family. That assures that even the most common, houseless citizen has the same chances of advancement as some high noble if they make it into the Guardians. We don't care who your family is, we care about who you are. So far, it's worked for nearly twenty generations and we expect it should work for another twenty."

"Kara, what's the trouble?"

"Nothing, Artol, nothing really. I was just...surprised, that's all."

On a planet unknown to everyone but its own inhabitants, Tam'yn and J'sharra were napping together. A'sallah had shown Tam'yn how to lower his healing bed to the same level as J'sharra's sleeping platform and had also suggested they rest a while.

It would be six turnings before Alcys'ka could be interviewed. After calling, he had also informed them that Tan'yel was sleeping while J'ina T'keron and T'oko T'keron went over his responses to certain known control words harvested from others who Alcys'ka had corrupted mentally.

Tam'yn was happy just to be close to J'sharra. Being with her made his surgery site ache less and his arm less of an annoyance to him.

He was dreaming of the two of them at Lake An'shal; the harvest had come in and they were celebrating the abundance their land had bestowed on them. J'sharra was laughing as she caught their two children who were headed toward the feast table before the priest had officially opened the festivities. It was a tradition among the young that something was lost when the priest blessed the feast table, and although nobody quite knew what it was, everybody tried to get a taste for later comparison.

Looking at his wife and their children, he felt a pang of loss; he'd never known this sort of happiness at their children's age, only hard work. His parents were dead and he had survived only because he had been working at a relative's house, helping an old K'iir kinsman repair gates and fences on a tiny rocky patch of land that grew stones and precious little else. The marauders had bypassed the poverty stricken place as not worth their while as they rode away from their contracted murder of two minor nobles who happened to own land somebody else wanted.

That would never happen again. He had endured seven winters of back breaking work and twelve winters of war to bring fairness and honesty to cities where the robbers themselves had to hire guards against theft, and the law was openly for sale.

Idly, he flipped out a claw and looked at it. These simple growths on the ends of one's fingers had caused so much trouble for his people. He inspected it closely, the dark scarring where he'd heat-hardened his claws was fading; physical proof that he no longer had to wage war to keep those who were entrusted with power, honest.

Jilathe' had shown him the ways to do things without resorting to claw and blade, and for that he loved her from the deepest depths of his soul. Their own children would not have the hard-scrabble life he had known and neither would these, her first children, ones he had adopted when he had learned their father had died on K'Arrah's wall defending his city from a massive, all-conquering "enemy" army.

His army. He could never be all that the father of these children had been, but he would try. For all he knew, one of his Thunders had battered a section of the wall and buried these children's father under the rubble--before he had even seen the two younglings that his wife--now his widow--had given him. Yet she had persevered, through want, starvation, grief; feeding her infants on the last of her milk. She'd drunk ditch water so she wouldn't dry up... His throat ached with grief for what she had endured as a price for his dream of a world of law, his Empire.

"An'kor beloved," the sweetest voice in the world whispered in his ear, "you're doing it again. You're blaming yourself for something you had to do to bring peace." Jilathe' settled herself beside him and their two children cuddled close, not understanding why father wept at odd times when others were celebrating.

Tam'yn sneezed and woke up, glad that Jilathe' still slept. No, not Jilathe', this was J'sharra. He looked up at the ceiling wondering if he was going insane or perhaps was being haunted by something out of Alcys'ka's conditioning.

He'd had another dream about An'kor, again with himself as the fabled Conqueror. Wiping his cheeks on the pillow, he lay and wondered about it for some time before J'sharra woke up.

She saw the wet marks in his face and guessed what had happened while they had napped. A spirit out of the past was touching him, and for a reason. She knew that unless he started breaking down mentally she would have to wait for him to ask her, tell her, in some way confide to her what she had already realized.

An'kor was returning to the world, to save the thing that had both tormented him and been his greatest triumph, his Empire; based on law and reason rather than scheming and revenge. He had conquered T'Kiir'ah's centers of commerce and wealth and from those points of power had coerced other nations into an un-breakable brotherhood of trade and equality under law. His Empire had raised an entire planet into the Light.

She had read Great Pyri's commentaries on An'kor. He had called the Conqueror a "Light-Driven and Heaven-Battered bringer of hope to a world sunk in plots and murder," and had used him as an example of how goodness was not always bright-shining; indeed, goodness could be a dark-brooding eyed bloody handed terror as it sought out evil and battered it on evil's own terms so that the Light's victory would be unquestioned and total.

"Sometimes," Great Pyri wrote, "a soul will love goodness so fully as to suffer all sorrows and losses and spend its mortal existence with pain so that one ray of light, one bright hope of the Light might make its way into darkness and thus begin to dispel it. The Great Conqueror was one such, and we should remember him not as one whose conquest included mighty cities; but as one whose conquest was of an entire corrupt world where cities were the boils where the corruption was deepest, and there he drove his blade deeply so the sickness might be drained out and healing could commence.

"That is the An'kor I knew, and that is the only An'kor I knew."

For now, though, she had to let him suffer even as An'kor had suffered. It was the only way he could come to understand what he--what they were becoming.

"I have to ask Alcys'ka about these nightmares," Tam'yn muttered to try accounting for the tear marks which J'sharra must have seen. "I thought I was healing, but some of these dreams are so far beyond strange; they're almost frightening."

"What sort of dreams," J'sharra asked, hoping for an opening she could use to explain to her beloved what was happening to the both of them.

The communicator chose that instant to buzz and Tam'yn answered it. Turning to J'sharra, he said, "Tan'yel's awake, and he's asking for us." J'sharra went over to Tam'yn's float chair so he wouldn't see her expression of annoyance. They had been so close!

Tam'yn buzzed for a Healer to assist him into the float chair after he had dressed in a fresh and neat shipsuit that J'sharra had brought along with some of her own things. He had three sets of semi-dress Navy black with black leggings now as did she. Once "neatened up" the two of them headed along the hospital corridors toward Tan'yel's room in the "greater assistance" area of the hospital.

As they neared Tan'yel's room, they were intercepted by T'oko, who asked them to come with him to a room nearby. Once there, they saw that Dr. T'keron and both his daughter J'ina and A'sallah the Guardian were apparently waiting for them. They did not look happy.

Dr. T'keron was propped up in bed, and the look on his face was not encouraging. Glancing at J'ina, he nodded to her and she spoke.

"There is a very strong secondary personality in Tan'yel an' Yere'kos, stronger than any we have ever seen," her mechanical voice explained, "and while it is discrete from the Tan'yel personality, it is connected to his mental structure in such a way we are concerned that he may never be free of it. The only chance of releasing it will be by means of T'oko's ability to interrupt the control functions at their weakest points; the emotional tie-in points where this artificial personality is linked to his own mind.

"Do either you know of any deep things that Alcys'ka may have used the way he used them on Tam'yn? Things that he would not discuss openly, but might speak of with close friends or associates are what Alcys'ka would use, any hidden tragedy or secret would be an anchor point he would both find and exploit as Tam'yn well knows."

Tam'yn glanced at J'sharra and saw her nod. One secret that Tan'yel was willing to take to his grave rather than reveal... had to be revealed.

"I can think of one thing that I know has tormented him for a very long time," Tam'yn said quietly. "Because my father of record had been ill with Lake Fever as a child, and the treatments for his sterility were not yet available, and because the Empress was pressing my mother to get pregnant..." He paused a moment, gathering his strength and desperately gripping his own self-control, "Tan'yel an' Yere'kos na' Kerel'yn is the father of both L'yrel an' Yere'kos and myself. My father was asked by my mother's Companion to help him assist the Empress's desires for my mother to become pregnant, and he did. He spent his entire life as a Guardian watching the children he loved but could never acknowledge growing up while he had to stay in the background."

By now his eyes were starting to leak, "Please," he asked, his voice nearly breaking, "Please help my father get rid of this thing that rides him like some monster. Let him at least be free of that load in his life, what there is left of it."

A'sallah nodded; "One night when he was in agony because his son's future Companion had drowned and his son was blaming himself, he sought me out and--he had to tell someone, someone he could trust, just to get it out of his belly. I was going to be rotated back to the "Colonial" service in a segment, so he felt he could talk to me. I have kept that secret ever since, because my friend and teacher asked me to."

"That would be a strong anchor point," Dr. T'keron wheezed, "and something that the Traitor would exploit in an instant." He sank back into his bedding and asked, "J'ina, could you try that on the dæmon? It will weaken it at the very least."

"Yes father, I will," the artificial voice said, "And given the pressure the dæmon is exerting on him I have no doubt that such a thing would weaken the construct's strength a great deal."

"Pressure?" Tam'yn asked, "What kind of pressure? What's happening to him?"

This time it was T'oko who responded. "The construct is attempting to take control of Tan'yel an' Yere'kos' consciousness when the medications allow it to do so. He is on a steady diet of somatic suppressants which work to suppress the construct and inhibit its control over his body. There is a problem in that a healthy mind needs to dream, to grow in new directions and these drugs prevent that from happening. Eventually there can be harm due to a lack of dreams as the mind loses its ability to discern what is dream and what is real. Eventually, there will be psychosis that is virtually untreatable.

"Thus," the robot concluded, "Tan'yel an' Yere'kos needs to dream, and needs to be able to dream without the risk of becoming trapped in the construct's control."

"The we need to break this thing's control over my father and free him. If nothing else, we will have its creator here and available to tell us how to either destroy or shut this dæmon off permanently," Tam'yn growled; feeling rage at the thought of what had been done to Tan'yel an' Yere'kos by the worst enemy the Empire had known in over a thousand cycles. He was fighting an internal battle over the urge to commandeer a shuttle and simply beat the information out of Tireno Alcys'ka when the ship arrived.

His family had been hurt and Tan'yel was only the most recent manifestation of that hurt. That hurt, he thought, could perhaps be treated without breaking Alcys'ka's bones if there were other options, but he had to learn what those options were.

Finally looking up, he asked, "So what can we do?"

J'sharra spoke; "He wants to see us. Perhaps we can start there."

T'oko added, "I will be in medical linkage with him as you converse, that will allow me to monitor his responses. If the Dæmon attempts to manifest, I can track it to its link-point and try to either completely or partially sever its connection. Either way, it will be far weaker and it is unlikely that the primary personality will be affected in a negative manner."

"You mean Tan'yel won't be hurt?" J'sharra asked hopefully.

"Yes," the robot replied, "removing the attach-points for the secondary personality is less potentially harmful than the other methods mother and I have been considering.

"Which were?" Tam'yn asked in a worried tone.

"Use of specific codewords we already know to send it to 'sleep' and attack it from there," the robot explained, "undercutting its existence while it was powerless to resist. The problem is that such a creation has a tie in with the actual person's mind, usually to a degree that allows it to recruit from the living mind to prolong its own existence. The result has been damage to both the actual mind and the dæmon-mind, with the overall result of mental disease in the subject mind and an incomplete removal of the dæmon mind structure."

"Uhh, how many people have you dealt with?" Tam'yn asked nervously, to which the robot replied, "A total of six identified puppets, all of whom were of the lowest rank we have so far found. They were mirror puppets, similar to your father and to the person identified as Tinterro Kailas, where both personalities were active at different times, usually when the base person thought they were asleep. What is interesting is that Mikero Althas was the actual base identity in one with Tinterro Kailas as the puppet identity and active most of the time, while Tan'yel an' Yere'kos' was the exact opposite wherein his actual identity was the most active persona and the puppet was active only

as a control agent for Althas and any others in the crew. This is important."

"How?" Tam'yn asked, trying not to appear as confused as he felt.

T'oko glanced over at J'ina T'keron and asked, "Mother, can you explain this? I am unsure of the proper non-medical terminology to use here."

J'ina nodded and said, "The personality in Tan'yel an' Yere'kos is different in that it seems designed to only be active for short periods of time to make decisions the other puppets cannot make on their own. As such, it is both stronger and weaker than the puppet personalities it is made to control. It is stronger in that it can recruit more of its bodily thought processes for its activities, but weaker in that it cannot remain 'awake' for extended periods of time. It seems to be designed as a coordinator and assignment-provider for the lower puppets, not as a long-term functional person on its own. That is the weakness we intend to exploit once we can disconnect it from the mental stress point that is its anchor in Tan'yel's mind.

"Your response to just two sessions with T'oko present in your mind as a support and a source of counter-stress concepts gives my father and I a great deal of hope for Tan'yel an' Yere'kos' eventual overcoming of the personality implant in his mind."

Her impersonal voice still held a sense of hope that Tam'yn seized on tightly.

"When can we do this, " he asked, and was told, "Possibly today, depending on his reaction to your release of the secret of his fatherhood to others. For now though, just visit him and see how he is doing outside of therapy."

Five marks later, Tam'yn and J'sharra accompanied by T'oko, entered Tan'yel's room. Tan'yel was awake and listening to a local broadcast of what sounded like sports of some sort. His ears flicked toward the door and the sound of the broadcast faded to a whisper.

Ch. 8: Promises

"Tam'yn?" the K'iir in the bed asked, and Tam'yn replied, "Yes, me. J'sharra has some good news for you about the ship you might find interesting." By now Tam'yn had floated to Tan'yel's bed and gently reached out to take the K'iir's hand. Tan'yel squeezed and asked, "So where's J'esa? I think she's in here with you, or at least someone is. You hum, she steps."

J'sharra reached into the bed and took Tan'yel's hand too, sharing it with Tam'yn.

"Has A'sallah told you about Tinterro and how you aren't in any trouble over it now?" she asked, to which Tan'yel replied; "Yeah, as in he was actually a wanted killer? Doesn't speak well of my Security checks, does it?" He sounded unhappy.

"Your checks were correct," J'sharra said in a calming voice, "the ship's computers still identify him as Tinterro Kailas even though he isn't. It was a trainee investigator who did some finger-ridge readings and managed an iris-scan here on-planet who broke the case wide open. It seems that the wanted criminal Mikero Althas gained access to a doctored identity chip that had the stolen name of a Colonial child on it. We're using the planetary computers in link-up with our ship computers to identify the rest of the crew members a few at a time. It seems that his identification was part of the system when he boarded the M'Kereos, and so the ship's computers continued the ruse."

Then she added, "There are two other people; contractors, who have secondary data on their I.D. chips that is at odds with what they supposedly are on board to do. Both have access codes to the engine spaces that work and they have no idea as to why it's there. Since they are being cooperative, they are being tested rather than confined. Dr. T'keron thinks they have un-awakened puppet personalities and that they were intended to make sure the M'Kereos did not return from its voyage. We think that as long as they don't get the activation word, their other personalities will remain dormant and can be removed with what Dr. T'keron and T'oko are finding in their files."

"That's news to me," Tam'yn and Tan'yel both said simultaneously and then both laughed. Tan'yel chuckled, "Tam, you're going to have to be on your toes now, your Companion will be keeping an eye on you and as you can see, she doesn't miss much."

Then Tan'yel leaned back in the bed. "That's a relief," he said; "I knew I was innocent, although I never had a clue that I would wind up being innocent this way. Yes, I killed him, but he was a danger to the ship and had a price on his head. Talk about strange...

"Maybe that's why I have this thing in my head," he said thoughtfully, "the T'kerons call it a 'Dæmon' and it talks to me sometimes. Maybe I'm not going crazy here in the dark. Maybe there really is someone else in my head, thanks to Alcys'ka's machine. That's what it claims anyhow."

"What do you mean, fa--cousin?" Tam'yn asked worriedly, "You mean that it talks to you--like I'm talking to you now?"

"Yeah, just like now," Tan'yel replied tiredly, missing Tam'yn's slip; "sometimes I wish it would just shut up but it won't."

Then he added, "I think it has my eyes, since it talks about things that are visual a whole damn lot. I keep the audio up so I don't have to listen to it all the time. It's going on now, about how you and J'esa aren't alone, that the robot is in here listening to us and I have to be careful about what I say."

He snorted, "Like I care."

Reaching out, he found and took Tam'yn's hand and asked, "Please, Tam, don't leave me here. I can be blind on the ship as well as I can be blind here; and eventually I want to go home. I want to go back to Lake An'shal and dig in so far nobody will ever find me."

By then, his hand was shaking and his blind eyes were tearing as he nearly whispered, "Tam'yn, I'm tired. I just want to go home before I die. Can you do that for me? Please?"

Bringing Tan'yel's hand up to his own wet cheeks, Tam'yn whispered, "Yes, father. I'll bring you home. If I have to, I'll commandeer a ship from this world to take you back home. You've done enough, endured enough, suffered enough. J'sharra and I will manage things; you just concentrate on getting better."

Tan'yel's fingers caressed his son's cheek, then he lowered his hand to his bed. "Thank-you, Tam. You make me proud of you and your lady Companion. At least I've done one thing right." He sighed and relaxed against the pillows.

Then his eyes closed and he went to sleep, exhausted by his emotions and his fear and relieved by his son's promise. He could rest now.

Tam'yn sat by his father's bed with J'sharra at his side. He would keep that promise, no matter what. His father would be at home when he went into the Light, not on some strange hidden world if he had any say in the matter.

T'oko rolled up to the bed and visually examined the T'Kiir'I resting in it after having checked the data input from him. Then he spoke, "The patient's readings are better now. His stress levels are dropping, and with them I suspect the Dæmon's grip on his mind is easing too."

Looking over at Tam'yn, T'oko asked, "Would you consent to Dream-share with your father if I were in the link? I suspect that your mind could show his mind how to overcome his problems since you have overcome many of yours with only two treatments. Mother and Grandfather are right, once the living mind sees how to heal itself of injuries, it commences to do so. It is entirely possible that this could be a viable treatment for others with the same or similar problems."

"Like the two people on the M'Kereos," J'sharra said thoughtfully, "since we don't have any sort of treatment for them and can't let them out of their cabins without escort, this could be a very good way to deal with the Traitor's attempts to subvert our mission."

"These are the people his Radiance spoke of to his father?" T'oko asked, and got a vigorous nod from J'sharra.

"We need also to remember that Tireno Alcys'ka will be ready to interview in a turn and a half," T'oko reminded her; "and his Radiance expressed a wish to personally interrogate him."

He spun on his tracks to face Tam'yn and asked, "Do you still wish this, your Radiance?"

Tam'yn nodded, "Very much, T'oko." Then he smiled and suggested, "You don't need to use my title all the time, you know. My friends call me 'Tam'. Try it."

T'oko sat there for nearly a mark before saying, "Thank you, 'Tam.' You are my first friend. It is a strange feeling to have a friend, and I think I like it."

J'sharra smiled and said, "And you can call me J'esa if I can be your friend too, T'oko."

The robot sat for over a mark this time, unresponsive and unmoving. Then he looked squarely at J'sharra and said, "Thank you, J'esa. I am most fortunate, for now I have two friends. I will endeavor to be a proper friend in return."

"How long do you think Tan--my father will be asleep?" Tam'yn asked the robot.

"Four or probably five turns at the very least, very probably more." T'oko stated after checking the current readings on the T'Kiir'I in the bed beside him. "He was dangerously tired due to his having to fight the Dæmon almost constantly. His stress levels are dropping and my suspicions are that he has weakened the Dæmon's grip on his mind in some manner, thus allowing more relaxation and better sleep."

Tam'yn stared down at his sleeping father, Tan'yel. "It wasn't my acknowledging his paternity that helped him, it was my promise not to leave him here," he said thoughtfully, "all he really wanted was to go home. He will, too. Once he is well enough, he'll be transferred to the M'Kereos for rehabilitation. Being in familiar surroundings, even if it's a starship, will help him too."

He turned to J'sharra and asked, "Would you mind Tan'yel keeping his old cabin once he's back on the ship? I know it's also next door to the Security office, but he knows the space and it will be less stressful for him than learning a new cabin space even if they're all nearly identical."

J'sharra shook her head, "Not in the least. I can have the Security specific things moved into my old cabin, which is next to his on the other side of the Security offoce.. There really isn't a lot to move, either, since the actual equipment consists of mostly terminals and scanners which can work anywhere on the ship there is power and optical data connections. The only place I won't move my office is into our cabin. That's our space, not Security's space." She nuzzled her jaw against his ear and added in a whisper, "And I don't want to be interrupted when we're together unless it's a real emergency. I want our time to be ours."

Further whisperings were put on hold by a buzz from the door, indicating someone was asking to enter.

T'oko said, "Open," and the door slid back to reveal Guardian A'sallah. "I hate to interrupt you," he said quietly, "but something has come up and we need to talk."

Nodding, Tam'yn activated his lift chair and after taking another look at Tan'yel asleep in the bed, followed J'sharra and T'oko out of the room and into the hall. They continued to an unused office that had been set up as a Guardians' office complete with two Planetary Guardians at consoles and several chairs around what was plainly a conference table.

A'sallah gestured to the table and went over to one of the Planetary officers and was given several sheets of paper. He waited while J'sharra seated herself and Tam'yn, with T'oko's assistance, moved a chair out of the way so he could sit beside her. T'oko took a place next to him and they all looked at A'sallah expectantly.

A'sallah was plainly nervous and finally asked, "T'oko, could you get your mother to come here for this business? We need her input on this."

T'oko swiveled his head to look at A'sallah and replied, "Mother is busy now with Grandfather, but I have linked to her personal comm unit and she will be here virtually, if that will do. Otherwise, she will be busy for at least a quarter-turning, helping Grandfather with personal matters."

A'sallah nodded, "That will work." He held up a sheet of paper and said, "Behold, the Traitor's basic command-tree printed out neatly in standard Imperial. It seems that he didn't trust anyone to set up a security system in his mind-control machines, so he bought what he thought were the best and newest security systems and used them instead of something of his own."

Then he grinned, "Once the Palace Guardians realized what he'd done, they just contacted the makers of the secure-ware and got the Administrator's entry code, the one that isn't part of the package that is sold to the public, but is included so the makers can get in and if necessary unscramble the mess a customer has made of their security system.

"He kept notes, Gods of Space and Star, did he keep notes. We have release commands for various levels of 'slaves' as he called his victims, and better; we have some of the names of the people who supported him."

T'oko interrupted him, apparently acting as a comms set for his mother, J'ina T'keron--at least it was her voice rather than his; "Deryn, are you sure this isn't a trick on Alcys'ka's part? These codes could act to release the Dæmon and destroy the mind of the legitimate owner of the body. He would do just that if he thought his security could be breached."

A'sallah replied, "Yes, J'ina, we're sure. We're certain. This was tried on volunteers who had been puppetized to the degree of being blinded by his death notices. It was done under Dream-share protocol with an expert in the loop. She could identify the puppet-influence keeping the victim blind as separate from the rest of the mental structure of the victim's psyche. When the release word, or phrase, was used; the puppet-influence dissipated and the victim could see again. A day later, under Dream-share again, these same people were tested and came up clear of any sort of interference. The Empress's children were treated this way and although they haven't been dream-shared yet, they are acting the same way the rest of his freed-up victims are acting, as in normally."

Tam'yn gasped, "Terel and Le'ahn were his victims too? What did he do to them?" Fear gripped his hearts with icy hands.

A'sallah replied, "Basic blindness in the girl and pain-shock with blindness for the boy. We think he wanted them immobilized the same way the rest of his victims were immobilized. It seems that he could force blindness either on command or in situation on someone in a matter of a few hours with his devices, and he only had a short time with the children before his 'death'. He may have intended more, but he didn't get the chance."

"But they were born in the palace," Tam'yn said nervously, "he would have had access to them longer than he had access to me..."

This time T'oko spoke with the elder Dr. T'keron's voice, weak but authoritative;

"Below a certain physical age, the mind and brain are too plastic to accept a set of artificial data," the disembodied voice explained, "I tried my system on some impaired children as a last attempt to save it. Two were deaf, one was blind. I attempted to use it to teach Contact-Imperial to them and not one of them retained the instructions for over two days. They said they could literally feel their instruction fading away. They went from literate in Contact-Imperial to illiterate again in less than two days, although they did learn it eventually the normal way. Your brother and sister were just too young for the system until recently and then he conveniently 'died' before he could do more than immobilize them."

"But why would he want to immobilize them?" Tam'yn asked and got an answer from A'sallah that he wasn't prepared for; "They would be immobilized to slow your mother's escape, and being blind would also be easier to kill. The people Alcys'ka was working for aren't interested in half measures, they want the Throne the old way; with no legal claimants or offspring of the current Empress to dispute their rise to power. We suspect that is why these people spent so much on sabotaging the M'Kereos' mission; they wanted you dead and were willing to kill a ship-full of people to do it."

"Buh-buh-but I can't take the throne, that's for a f-f-female who has given b-birth; I c-can't because I'm m-male," Tam'yn stuttered nervously.

"That is tradition but not Imperial Law," A'sallah reminded him, " and there have been three Empresses who were childless and the histories say they did a very good job. Furthermore, only five Imperial reigns back, the reigning Empress died suddenly and the Regency committee of the Parliament used the testimony of her offspring and Companion to help determine whom she would have chosen as her replacement.

"As long as you are alive and the Empress has not chosen a replacement and retired, you have the legal right to declare who your mother would have chosen as her replacement; and the Enemy knows that."

"Tam'yn?" J'sharra asked after he had been sitting silent and unmoving for nearly a mark, "Tam'yn, are you all right? Say something."

Then it happened. He spoke, only he wasn't Tam'yn.

"These people who would end our Empire have only ensured their own ending," the stranger in Tam'yn's float chair said in tones of ice and deadly anger.

A'sallah and J'sharra both stared at the apparition sitting where Tam'yn had been sitting only moments before. In Tam'yn's chair sat a much older K'iir, dark hazel-eyed and scarred from battle with long white-streaked flowing hair braided behind his ears. He was wearing antique clothing of heavy cloth and leather armor, and in his left hand a long double bladed war-staff was held upright. At his waist, a gold-chased warrior's cup was clipped to his belt. His right hand, resting on his knee, held the Sunrise Crown. At his left hip the hilt of a sword poked over the arm of the float-chair and a dagger was settled in his left legging, its grip on the outside of his leg.

An'kor the Conqueror had appeared before them and spoken the words they had heard. Then he was Tam'yn again, looking surprised as he caught the stares from both his Companion and Guardian A'sallah.

"What?" he asked them both, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. "What just happened? You both look like you've seen a ghost or something."

They couldn't answer for some time, and when they did, he didn't believe them.

Finally, he simply muttered, "Drok. There isn't enough happening now, so a historical character has to make an appearance. Wonderful, just wonderful."

He slumped in his float chair and glared around the room for a few moments before asking, "Okay, back to modern matters. What do your release words say about the blindness that's affecting my father?"

A'sallah looked chagrined and said, "Well, there seem to be two kinds of control phrases for what he refers to as 'Overseers', one phrase activates the personality and one phrase sends it into deep slumber, I suspect so it won't manifest at the wrong time. The problem is that the phrase which releases the blindness is also the phrase that activates the secondary personality. So far, there doesn't seem to be anything to simply release the blindness; but we still haven't pumped his files dry."

Tam'yn looked at the walls for a second, then pointed out, "Pretty soon we'll be able to ask the maker directly. That brings me another question, when do we leave for wherever it is that Alcys'ka is being kept?"

A'sallah grimaced, "Uhh, your Radiance, its daylight out, and your Companion isn't sworn to keep this planet's secrets."

J'sharra looked confused for a moment, then asked, "Is this related to my being scanned and recorded on the M'Kereos shortly after we landed here? They said something about a planetary security measure but I was worried about Tam'yn at the time and wasn't really paying that much attention."

A'sallah sat for several seconds with his mouth hanging open, then got up and went to one of the Planetary officers and asked a question. After a moment of data inquiry, the Planetary officer nodded and A'sallah looked relieved.

Returning to the table, he focused his attention on J'sharra and said, "You have been scanned and your information is on file. You need to understand that if you breathe a word about this planet or its existence or anything about it, you'll wind up here; not at one of the cities but at one of the prison farms. Not even your Companion can change that, since it's an Imperial order created by Her Rising Glory the Empress Relana'kora over a century ago who also signed the original Planetary Charter, of which that order is a part. You cannot hide, you cannot get away; your implant guarantees that. This is an Imperial Sanctuary world so secret it doesn't even have a name."

Then he blushed, "Sorry to lay it on so thick, but I have to warn you of just how seriously secret this place is. If the enemies of the Empress succeed, she may well have to come here for protection. If we are found out, the Empress and over forty million other people will die when the enemy shows up and obliterates this world's biosphere from orbit. We exist because we're impossible and we would like to stay that way."

J'sharra's jaw dropped in shock when she heard the risk to this planet, but she couldn't figure out what was so special about it. Her confusion was obvious.

A'sallah explained it to her; "There are two stars in the sky. Two Suns. Double stars don't make planets, they eat the planetary nebula before planets form. Double stars are routinely ignored by everyone since they have nothing of value or interest orbiting them. Even our robotic survey craft ignore double stars outside of scanning for potential instability and the risk of a nova. These stars look to be at least a million cycles away from that."

Then he grinned, "This planet is impossible, and impossibility is a very good way of hiding in plain sight. That's one of the big secrets."

Now it was Tam'yn's turn to look shocked. "You say that's one big secret, so is there another?" he asked nervously.

A'sallah said nothing for a moment, just steepling his fingers as if trying to find the words he wanted to say. Finally he gave up and said, "This world did not form here. When the first explorers found this place they ran all the usual tests to try to see why this world formed here contrary to planetary formation physics. Their results knocked them flat; this world did not form in this system. It formed around a type- D normal star about nine hundred million cycles ago. There are elements present in this planet that are not present in the stellar dust cloud around this set of stars. Current theory is that this planet was moved here from someplace else, and that is so far beyond our capabilities as to be almost magical. Then there is the question of why? We don't know the answer, and while there are guesses as to the why, the guesses are as strange as the planet itself."

He sighed, "In a way, that's an even bigger mystery than how a planet could form in a binary-star system. We've decided not to ask too many questions, we're just glad the place is here and we leave it at that."

As an Engineer, Tam'yn had a far better idea of what would be involved in moving a world across space from one system to another than A'sallah did, and he was utterly stunned at the thought of what it would take in the way of energy and the systems that would manage and control that energy. Whoever or whatever had done this had access to energies, to powers--almost beyond comprehension. Then a question formed in his mind.

"Have you found any artifacts related to this planet's transportation from its origin solar system to where it is now?" he asked, "and what about the moon? Is it local or was it brought here too?"

A'sallah rocked back in his seat for a moment and then admitted, "I don't know. I can ask if you would like to know, but personally all I know is that it rises and sets like any other moon I've ever seen."

Tam'yn rubbed his chin and then brought up, "All this started when I asked about transport to the Traitor's place of imprisonment. I would still like to know when we need to leave."

A'sallah looked over to T'oko and asked, "T'oko, when can your mother leave? We might as well all go for the first interrogation, and I have a ship assigned to me for the day."

Moments later, T'oko replied, "She says she is ready now, please tell her when she needs to be ready to depart."

Tam'yn grinned, "And I have the Commandant's gig for my personal use, so there won't be any shortage of transportation there and back."

"That should be handy," A'sallah chuckled as he keyed in his personal communicator and waited for a connection. When it did connect, he spoke for a moment, then said, "Landing pad 3 in ten marks. Planetary flyer 433 is ready to take us all to one of the islands we use for basic intake processing. The Traitor seems to have overcome his laughing fit and is being uncooperative exactly as expected." To Tam'yn he added, "Seeing you there should shake him up a little bit, and that will be a help to all of us."

J'sharra suggested, "Perhaps if Tam'yn were dressed in his formal Court-wear it would serve to unsettle Alcys'ka. I know he has the full set, it's in our closet on the M'Kereos, but he hasn't time to go there and change."

Tam'yn glowered at his Companion and said, "When you have the matching Court-wear for the official Companion to an Imperial Viceroy, we'll talk about it. Court-wear is for the most part miserably uncomfortable and hasn't changed in style for almost two centuries. Even mother grumbles about her Imperial Robes of State, and she can have them tailored however she likes. It's just something about fifteen Tira of gold and other precious metal that makes even the fanciest Court-gear a pain in the neck...not to mention other places."

"Fifteen Tira of gold?" J'sharra asked in amazement, "your mother wears that much gold? Why?"

Tam'yn shrugged, "Tradition. Some Empress a couple of hundred win--cycles ago decided she liked a particular gold and platinum chain and made it part of the Imperial Regalia. Then another one liked a particular metal trim for her ear-tips and so on and so on. Mother says the current set of Imperial Regalia is nearly two centuries old and has the accumulations of twelve Empresses as part of its trim and furbelows. She let L'yrel try on her outer robes and L'yrel said it was like wearing an anti-radiation suit without the grav compensator; and those were just the outer robes, not the decorated stuff underneath."

Then he sighed, "I just wish L'yrel was still here. I'm a much better engineer than I am a diplomat, but that is what the Empire needs and I swore to serve the Empire. So far, I think I can honestly say that I have."

"Unlike certain people," A'sallah growled, getting up from his chair, "The flier should be either at the landing pad or nearly there. Let's go." Turning to T'oko, he suggested, "T'oko, you might want to go collect your mother. We're getting ready to leave."

"Yes, A'sallah, I will go get her. This is landing slot three we are going to?"

"Yes. It's one that Security can keep clear if we need to, and we need this one clear since it is the closest landing area to this part of the hospital." He opened the door for the group, exiting the room last.

"Then we will meet you there." The robot said as he rolled off down the hallway.

Tam'yn was curious. "Why is that room set up as a Planetary Guardian office space? It seems sort of strange."

A'sallah grinned a little, "Well, we have an Imperial Viceroy here in the hospital, and we Guardians want to be sure he's safe and secure."

Tam'yn was shocked, "You mean that because I'm here, you set up that office?"

A'sallah nodded. "You need to have access to information and we are experts at getting and providing information. As a Viceroy, you need the most up-to date information about whatever it may that be you need and our job is to provide that information as fast as is possible. There are similar rooms all over the hospital for similar situations, only with Guardian High Command on the receiving end most of the time."

Tam'yn was quiet as they made their way to the doors leading to landing pad 3. Every time he thought he had a grip on his new status, something like this happened. There was that strange occurrence where, according to A'sallah and J'sharra, he had turned into An'kor the Conqueror. He remembered nothing of that and was quite happy to be ignorant. His own life was quiet complicated enough; he didn't need someone else's to deal with too.

They had barely arrived when a rakish-looking transport flier settled its skids on the landing pad. The number 433 was marked on its side as well as on high-set its wings. Rather than the usual Imperial arms, it wore a pair of intersecting red circles against a gray disk. The side door slid open and a ramp extended as the pilot stepped out, saluting A'sallah and then quickly repeating the salute to Tam'yn and J'sharra.

J'sharra smiled and asked, "So you finally got the right valves?"

The pilot nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Now she flies like the T'Nera she's named for."

Tam'yn saw on that near the nose of the flier, a fanciful image of a raptor of some sort was plunging after something. He smiled. While the Navy discouraged personalization of spacecraft, it still happened and this wasn't the Navy. He knew the custom encouraged pride in pilot's specific flier. For a hidden world, pride was taken when and where it could be.

From behind, he heard the sound of T'oko's treads and the clicking of someone's shoes. He turned and saw T'oko and J'ina approaching, T'oko with a pack of some sort and J'ina with something in a shoulder bag that swayed slightly as she walked.

They boarded the flier in no particular order other than Tam'yn's float chair had a specific place for it to ground itself. He happily noted that he had a window to look out of, not that he expected to see anything spectacular outside of a world that was in the process of growth and change as the planetary population increased.

A'sallah had gone forward to sit beside the pilot. He put on a headset and began speaking to someone, probably arranging their flight permissions to the island, wherever that was.

A moment later, the door slid shut and a click announced that it was locked. The flier lifted on its gravs and slowly swung to point its nose out over the city. It lifted a little more and then with a muted howl it was off, speeding over the city and down the river that cut the city in two.

They were constantly climbing so that when they turned all that was visible were small patches of green and blue that in time became all green and rumpled terrain as they cruised over the land at near sonic speeds.

The suns were high enough to light the whole compass of the world he could see, and Tam'yn enjoyed watching it speed by as they headed north-west--then he corrected himself for the wrong-way suns; they were going south-east. In the far distance of where they were going, something winked and glistened like water.

It was. As they drew closer to what was obviously a coastline, Tam'yn saw parallel streaks of monorail tracks with dark lines of roadway heading toward the water. Then they were over a long, narrow city built on a wide bay and then leaving it behind as they flew out over what had to be an ocean.

J'sharra was similarly entranced as she watched out the window beside him. She hadn't spoken a word, but her whole demeanor was one of fascination and wonder. Tam'yn grinned to himself. He was no different in that respect; this world was a wonder to the eyes and senses, secret or not.

As they flew over the ocean, islands appeared and vanished, some with the appearance of cultivation because of the blue cast to the land, while others were rocky spires with little horizontal land to be seen. It appeared that this world had a lot of islands, something that tickled his memory but nothing he could get hold of. Once, in the distance, a classically cone-shaped volcano rose out of the sea with wisps of steam coming from its peak. It made sense that this world would be active with two suns pulling on it, and there were probably more volcanoes rising out of the relatively light load of oceanic water that they were flying over.

After his wrist-chron showed that they had been airborn for nearly forty marks, he sensed a slight change in the flier and realized that they were slowly descending. The ocean gave no real sense of how high one was, but the slight forward tilt of the aircraft said they were going down toward the water in a very shallow descent.

Then suddenly they had company in the form of two M'Rella fighters, one on either side; each maintaining station on the atmosphere craft and each making sure that said aircraft did not depart its proper heading. They were dull black darts that stretched half again the length of the craft they were in and looked lethal simply flying beside them with no visible weaponry.

"What are those things, Tam?" J'sharra asked after staring at the long, lethal air-and-space fighting craft, "they seemed to just appear on either side of our flier out of nothing. They look deadly, whatever they are."

Tam'yn nodded, "Oh, they're deadly enough. They're M'Rella air- and space- superiority fighting craft. They are just big enough to have a deflection cloaking system and enough power to use it and still be effective fighters. My guess is that they are part of the prison's Security forces checking on us."

"Quite right," A'sallah's voice came back to them, "We're in secure airspace now and every flier or freight-carrier gets the same treatment. They would have met our prisoner's spacecraft as soon as it transmitted its data and identity and escorted it all the way to the ground. Given some of the prisoners we have, we need that sort of security."

"What would have happened if that ship hadn't sent out its identity?" J'sharra asked, now intrigued.

"If a ship of any sort enters our controlled space, we watch them," A'sallah explained. "We shield our emissions so there is no readable n in this system that shouldn't be here unless you are literally orbiting the planet, and even then the weather emits more electromagnetic energy than we do. We emit almost no visible light into the sky. You would have to be within very close visual range to see this planet unless it transited the suns from your viewpoint.

"If it turns out there is somebody looking for us and they are un-lucky enough to find us, they and their ship just disappear; and we gain some new colonists. At least, that's the plan, since we've never had that happen to us outside of the first explorers who landed here, and they were an Imperial Survey team headed farther out of the Empire."

Then he added, "And the only reason that they found this place was because their drive system had been giving them trouble and finally failed. They found this planet when it transited the smaller sun and made it here on their maneuvering system and landed using their grav system. They stayed here almost half a cycle working on their drive; and when they left, they left a transponder here so this world could be found again. When they got back home and reported to the Empress, she and the Guardians both had the same idea of a Sanctuary. Since even the Survey team would need to use the transponder to relocate the planet, sending the first colonists here with a specially modified ship to act as a navigation hub helped keep things secret...and we're here."

Both Tam'yn and J'sharra had been listening to the Guardian and not been paying attention to the window, which they immediately started to do. First, the two fighters swooped away from them, then their flier banked, and looking forward they could see a large, barren-looking island with a series of structures on one end of it. The other end of the island looked cultivated, although quite far away from the landing area. There were six starship landing pads in a ring around a large circular building, with other buildings set some distance away from the central structure. At one of the landing pads, an un-remarkable Runner sat on its landing legs with several pipes and hoses hooked up to it. A covered passage-tube connected it with the circular structure.

In the greater distance, they could see what looked like cultivated fields, although there didn't seem to be a lot of cultivation near the spaceport and no activity in the fields at all.

As they settled in on gravs and the ground grew clearer, Tam'yn realized there was nothing either green or blue visible on the landing field. No plants; odd. Even more odd was the fact the flier floated on gravs up to and then inside the round building. Large doors closed behind them and T'Kiir'ah normal light filled the area as the flier settled on its landing legs.

Wherever they were, they had arrived.

The door slid open with a puff of hot air and to Tam'yn's chagrin a dozen perfectly turned-out Guardians came to Academy-perfect attention. In front of them stood another perfectly turned-out Guardian Officer who saluted as soon as he saw the bracer on Tam'yn's wrist.

Tam'yn returned the salute with all the Navy precision he had and hoped the Guardians weren't too disappointed at his less-than-perfect appearance.

Apparently A'sallah was also surprised, given the glare he bestowed on the officer who rolled his eyes and tried to look innocent. He failed at the attempt.

Then his eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly as J'sharra slinked over to Tam'yn and also returned the salute, somehow making the gesture more than a little erotic.

Only Tam'yn was close enough to see his Companion was holding her composure with both hands and trying not to burst out laughing.

It was only after J'ina T'keron and T'oko stepped out of the flier that the situation finally resolved itself, with the landing officer admitting that this was the smallest number of Guardians he could manage to get the Military Guardian prison management to agree to.

"Military Guardians?" Tam'yn asked Administrator Pin'tero as they were settling into that person's office at the processing center. Isn't that a repetition?"

"Yes, Military Guardians," the administrator replied, "the smallest of the Guardian groups, but some of the toughest. They do intelligence-gathering on worlds that are not yet members of our Imperial system, worlds that may not even be space-traveling yet. They get their 'Military' term from the fact they share training and equipment with the Marines, and even fill in for them in some cases. We use them here to keep them busy in a mostly peaceful Empire, and to help keep new prisoners under control. The fact that going outside this structure can be lethal doesn't deter someone who has just been brought here and thinks they can break out."

"Lethal?" J'sharra asked, "how is going outside lethal? I saw some plants in the distance and someone has to tend them, so how can it be lethal to be outside."

Glancing at a readout on the wall to the right of his desk, the administrator said, "Right now, it's sixty-two units (degrees C) outside, and it's still morning. We are almost on the planetary Equator and it gets really hot outside. The plants can take the heat with enough water, and being an island on a big lake, we have more than enough water for them. They are tended and cared for at night, when the temperature drops to a more comfortable thirty units. It just isn't possible to make it from here to the farms without lethal heat-stroke, and the farm residences are situated under the ground as protection from the heat.

"We're actually just trying to keep the prisoners alive until they understand that they are no longer controlling gangs or plundering computers; they are here for the rest of their lives. Most of them are more than a little psychotic, so we have Military-trained Counselors here too. Believe me, they keep all the Military groupings in excellent shape."

Then he admitted, "They're also bored. Having an Imperial Viceroy here is something those twelve Guardians will boast about for the rest of their lives."

Tam'yn tried not to gape, but then realized just how true the statement was. On this planet, he was "the biggest thing" that had happened in a very long time. He sighed and tried to sit up a bit straighter in his float chair. The Empire shouldn't slouch in their seat.

"You're here to interview the new prisoner?" the administrator asked, and Tam'yn nodded, agreeing; "I imagine several people want to talk to him, and I'm taking advantage of rank to be one of the first to do so. He's injured a lot of people back home, and he has answers on how to reduce the damage done to them. The Empire needs those answers, and it needs them fast."

Then he asked, "Who has questioned him so far?"

"Two of our best interrogators, and so far he hasn't said a word. We've tried every trick we have that doesn't include either drugging or using the special 'Dream-share' devices we have here," administrator Pin'tero replied, "He seems to think that if he says nothing, we won't be able to do anything other than continuing the war of words and silence."

Tam'yn sat scowling for a moment, then said, "I want to see him. I want to be in the same room and see him face to face, so he thinks he may be able to control me with his command words."

"Is that wise, your Radiance?" A'sallah asked nervously. "There could be control words that haven't been used yet with you. We can't be sure that you have beaten what he did to you..."

"I'll risk it," Tam'yn said sharply; "I need to know if he has any remaining control over me if I am to be able to be Her Rising Glory's Viceroy honestly and not be afraid of hearing the wrong word at the wrong time." He stared at the floor angrily, ears flushing with shame. He had to know, period; and now was the best time to find out.

Sighing but realizing that the Viceroy was right, A'sallah nodded in agreement. "We truly cannot risk your having any un-resolved command sequences," he said unhappily, "but I still wish there were another way to deal with it."

Tam'yn looked up and then nodded, "So do I, but there isn't and that's that. I have to know, and he needs to start talking. There is no third way."

J'sharra got up and stepped over to Tam'yn. "If you go, I want to go with you," she said in a quiet voice, "I'll have an advantage in that I know you and I will know if he is having an effect on you probably before you will yourself. "

Tam'yn looked up at her with the unhappy realization she was right and she would be able to recognize Alcys'ka's establishing control over him and be able to stop it. He wouldn't even notice what was happening until it was too late. Ears down, he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you probably will," he agreed unhappily, "but I still don't like the idea of risking your safety if he finds a word that T'oko hasn't deactivated yet."

"I trust you, Tam'yn," J'sharra said bluntly, "I trust you completely. He isn't going to have any control over you because you have overcome that control." His hand sought hers and found it. Comfort flowed from her hand to his as he raised his head and mentally began to ready himself for the confrontation.

J'ina spoke up, "I wish to be the first to interview Alcys'ka," she said in her mechanical voice. "With T'oko I can determine his mental state and prepare him for interrogation by Viceroy an' Yere'kos; after all, it is my systems that are used to gain information from recalcitrant prisoners. He is no different from the last person I dealt with, and is in many ways weaker, not being involved in actual criminal pursuits."

Tam'yn was somewhat surprised at this, but not concerned. If Dr. T'keron wanted to question Alcys'ka she certainly had the right under Imperial Law.

Something in A'sallah's eyes caught his attention. He looked as closely as he could without seeming to and felt a measure of surprise. A'sallah was afraid...but of what?

J'ina also saw the look in A'sallah's eyes and said, "Deryn, this is something I have to do. My father thought I was angry and had a hearts-storm as a result. I am not angry, not anymore; but I am curious. I want to know who ordered my family's death and Tireno Alcys'ka almost certainly has the answer. T'oko will be with me so I am at no risk from the prisoner, and T'oko's memory is now admissible in court, so the person or persons responsible can be charged with their crime if they still live."

A'sallah looked uncomfortable for a moment, then replied, "Yes, we have used T'oko's recordings locally, here on the planet; but I really don't know how his information would work elsewhere. He isn't a citizen and he is a machine and a good defense representative could make a lot out of those two facts. If..."

T'oko interrupted A'sallah, saying, "But Guardian A'sallah, I am a citizen. Viceroy Tam'yn gave me the oath, which I took, and I now have a Citizen's identity code identifying me as a citizen of the Sunrise Empire. I have even incorporated that code in my base identity data as a non-erasable entry. I am a citizen and have the rights and responsibilities of a citizen, one of which is to bear witness to that which I have seen or experienced in any court of Imperial Law as determined by His High Justice Lord Atrives na' Korlon in the case of Shejeros versus Calis'ka wherein he found..."

"Alright, alright," A'sallah remonstrated, "I'm convinced. I don't need the case law that supports it."

Then he grew thoughtful. "It won't hurt to play dumb, though. Our intelligence on Alcys'ka indicates he has a massive ego and considers virtually everyone to be his inferior mentally. We also know he talks to machines, his computers have all manner of submissive responses programmed into them for vocal use. If you play the 'robot assistant' to your mother and she were to leave the room for a time, he would almost certainly complain about what is happening and if you listened and played dumb, he might well say something of use to us."

Looking squarely at the robot, he asked, "Do you think you can do that?"

T'oko responded in a monotone, "I be-lieve I may be a-ble to do that" sounding exactly like a common vocal response empowered mechanical servant.

A'sallah gave him a hard stare. "You're better at this than I expected you to be. Can you be your mother's 'assistant' machine when she interviews Alcys'ka?"

"Yes, I can," T'oko replied, "and mother can treat me as an assist mech if that is her choice."

"If it's necessary, then yes;" J'ina said after thinking for a moment, "but it is my hope that he will let the names slip unconsciously. T'oko can watch for his physical responses to my cue words, in this case names of the people who would have an interest in seeing us dead. He will respond, of that I am certain."

"Yes," A'sallah agreed, "it's the how he responds that I'm worried about. He may view you as weak and no great threat. He may not even acknowledge your existence. I read the digest of the crew report on him from his journey here, and he is either in complete denial or he knows something that we don't.

"That's what worries me," Tam'yn said with obvious concern, "given what the announcement of his 'death' did to the government. My gut instinct is that this is just the first layer of his protections we're seeing."

Then, curious, he asked, "How was he picked up? Was he taken from his residence or kidnapped on his way somewhere? How did he wind up in captivity?"

"You weren't told?" A'sallah asked in surprise, "he was apparently dumped, dead drunk, into his personal flyer and it was programmed to fly out over the ocean and circle till it ran out of hydrogen and crashed. Since the pick-up order was out, his flyer was intercepted and force-landed at a Guardians' facility. He was taken out and the flyer was towed back to altitude and allowed to continue on its one-way flight where it crashed. He was still unconscious when he was loaded onto a special runner and flown here with a crew change on the way to keep this place's location secret."

Then A'sallah asked, "Why? Outside of the apparent fact that his employers were finished with him, nothing on T'Kiir'ah has changed. The Planetary Guardians are making sure that the Empress and her family are safe, and apparently they have the names of some of the people involved with his near murder and none of them have acted."

Tam'yn was nearly sick with worry. "Don't you see?" he asked, "if the plotters were done with him it must mean they are ready to act against the Throne. They must be ready to try to usurp the throne if they decided to kill him so openly."

"I know," A'sallah replied, "but so far nothing has happened. In fact, according to the reports we received, the Government is starting to function again. We're using his release words and people are getting their sight back. We tested them in Dream-share and they are all normal, just with some residual confusion over their blindness."

"Why?" Tam'yn groaned, "why did they do this and then do nothing? It makes no sense."

This time A'sallah had an answer. "There was a side note to the general release commands," he said, "and it involved some of the 'Ladies in Service' who just happened to be the offspring of the same people who are after the throne," he said around a grin with no humor in it; "certain of the High Houses' female offspring were given the release words and nothing happened. Three of these high houses just happened to be the ones who were on the 'most likely' list for violent usurpation of the throne, only now their daughters are still blind and either grieving or confused as to what their fathers' want of them. We think this was Alcys'ka's defense system for himself, he has the release code or he knows there is none; either way the three houses who stood to profit the most from this so- called tragedy are incapable of putting one of their daughters on the throne now."

Tam'yn scowled, "So he even poisoned the minds of three women simply because they came from his supporting Houses. They have children and Companions who are frightened by this or are part of things themselves. I actually find myself pitying them. Their families used them and they have to pay for it themselves."

"In that case, the sooner I am able to tease some command words out of Tireno Alcys'ka, the sooner these women can be helped," J'ina T'keron said thoughtfully; "So I should be interviewing him as soon as possible."

She turned to partially face the prison administrator and asked, "When can he be taken to an interrogation room? I will need one of the rooms I normally use, I think."

Glancing at the same data panel on the wall that had shown the temperature outside, Administrator Pin'tero replied, "We are approaching the mid-day meal. He will probably be hungry now, if you're going to be interrogating him the same way you did with that pirate the last time you were here."

J'ina nodded, "Yes, I would prefer that. He will probably be hungry and want the interview over so he can eat, and that will make him careless."

She decided, "As soon as you can have him in the interrogation room I would like to begin questioning him."

"Interrogation cell 6 is ready and we can have him there in five marks. Will you need more time to prepare?" administrator Pin'tero asked as J'ina took out a recorder from her shoulder bag.

"I don't think so," she replied; then asked Tam'yn, "Do you want to watch this? There may be useful information for you in what he says, and there are limits on the amount of time a prisoner can be interrogated in any given day."

Tam'yn nodded, "Yes. Every bit of information I can get will be useful, even if its just how he sets up his command structure. Remember, I was under that thing and I may hear words that I can use on myself or have used on me by J'sharra."

A'sallah warned, "Don't plan on J'sharra helping much with command words. One thing that was plain even on T'Kiir'ah is that he despises females. He would never consent to using a female as other than a low level puppet, and according to what we know of him, I doubt a female voice would do anything other than activate some previously hidden program in your mind.

"Drok," Tam'yn growled, "then will you do it, A'sallah? If he lets go a command that might free my father of his blindness, I can use the word; but for me I had thought of having J'sharra be the release voice. You think it won't work?"

"I don't," A'sallah replied, "and I will be honored to take her place in word use, should there be any words to use."

"And I would prefer to be in Dream-share when you do it," T'oko added to the conversation, "since I still need to learn the various structures that Alcys'ka used in his control methods. What I have now is in no way representative of the many systems of forced obedience he developed, and I must find as many as I can, otherwise there will be people I cannot reach who are part of his puppet system."

A'sallah's eyebrows rose at the robot's outburst, but otherwise he said nothing. Apparently Citizenship had caused T'oko to grow in new ways. That was the amazing part of T'oko's intelligence; the sudden growth spurts of mentality that had no equivalent in biological life.

"Ahh, there is a viewing chamber next to the interrogation cell," administrator Pin'tero advised the group, and I would suggest you go there before the prisoner is brought to the interrogation area. He won't see you, but he might hear you as you position yourselves in the room. You will be behind the interrogator, in this case J'ina T'keron, and you will have a complete view of the prisoner. His responses will be recorded and amplified, and each of you will have an earpiece that will help you listen to his words and sounds. There will be a holographic record made of the interrogation too, for legal purposes.

"We better get in place then," Tam'yn replied, "and I want J'sharra next to me." He looked over at his companion. "Do you have your stunner?" he asked bluntly. She nodded. "Good. Use it on me if I start to respond to him, please," he directed, seeing the pain and agreement in her eyes.

A'sallah and the rest stared at him.

He pointed to his left arm, in the brace with the wrappings around his wrist. "I almost ripped my hand off when I had Viceroyalty conferred on me. That could have been my response to too much too soon, or it could have been an implanted command activating to keep me powerless. I still don't know which it was."

He lowered his head, "That's why my Companion may stun me in there. I still don't know which it was, and I can't risk something else happening. That's our duty to the Empire, period. Understand?"

He looked around to see the nodding heads. Even T'oko was nodding. They understood his explanation. Good.

"Let's get going," he said, and the group filed out of the office and into a corridor.

Several corridors later, each one slanting down slightly, they entered what was plainly the prison section of the building. Tough-looking Guardians stood like hunters, watching intersections from inside shielded kiosks. Twice J'sharra's stunner had drawn notice and twice the administrator's whispered words had relaxed that notice.

Finally they came to a door in the wall that administrator Pin'tero opened by inserting a card into the lock and retrieving it. They entered a small room with what looked like a glass wall on one side. It was a combination hologram and force field; from the other side it looked like a wall with a door on one side of it near a corner. There was a second force field across the room, dividing it in two parts; one with a mirror pattern door in a solid wall and the other with a chair and small desk for the interrogator.

There was no place for the prisoner to sit.

Lighting was controllable. Now, it was general and soft. It could be a shaft of light on the prisoner. It could be a shaft of light on the interrogator. The entire room was designed for one purpose; the extraction of information without physical trauma. Wear down the prisoner with questions and exhaust them to the point where they told the truth just to rest...that was legal, under the Convention. Physically harming or physically torturing a prisoner; that was prohibited and that prohibition was adhered to in this place. Every interrogation was watched by the Guardian Council's compliance division.

Imperial Law would be adhered to in this place, of all places.

J'ina opened the door and entered the room with T'oko at her side. Behind her the door closed. She took a seat at the desk and pressed a button.

Less than a mark later, a T'Kiir'I in a prison coverall was escorted into the room and brought to the center of the room, opposite the desk. The escort, other prisoners by their look, stepped back and stood by the wall.

J'ina pressed another button and two seats rose out of the floor for the escorts to sit on. They did.

The K'iir in front of the desk stared out into space, not deigning to acknowledge the person or the desk in front of him.

Tam'yn muted a growl from deep in his throat as he recognized the T'Kiir'I in the prison wear. It was Tireno Alcys'ka, the monster out of his nightmares. His claws slipped out of their sheaths as he gripped the arm of his float chair tightly with his right hand. J'sharra put her hand on his shoulder to calm and for comfort. He looked up at her and then lowered his head, trying to calm the desire to kill, the Anak'a'K'iir, that was racing through his body.

J'ina spoke to Alcys'ka; "My name is J'ina na Merika an' T'keron. You worked with my father many years ago. You were in the pay of several of the High Houses in the capitol. You have used his system to your own ends to undercut the Empire. Now, that is unimportant to me.

"My family was ripped in two by a bomb in our flier. I lost my mother and birth sibling Jerro. I believe you know who ordered that assassination, and I want the name of the person who ordered it. Tell me and you may leave and eat your midday meal. Refuse me and you will stand here until dinner, or later. Those are your choices. They are your only choices. Tell me who destroyed my family."

Tireno Alcys'ka's eyes moved down to look at the person seated at the desk. He had been interrogated before, now they were using a woman? A female? His lips curled into a sneer. The girl had died, that much he knew. This was a fake. Why else but to see if he had a weakness for possibly injured females. He didn't.

He lowered his face enough to sneer in the eyes of the female. She was a fraud; all females were frauds at heart.

Then J'ina reached up and took off her hair, revealing the scar tissue on her skull. Her right ear came next, placed neatly on the table next to her wig. Then with a sharp convulsive jerk, she pulled off her face; revealing the hole that was all that remained of her nostrils and the warped lump of flesh with a feeding tube port in it that was all that remained of her mouth.

One eye, her left, stared at him angrily while the right simply stared--it was a prosthesis. Neither eye had full eyelids. There was a plastic ridge over the left eye.

Her hand sought her throat and the coverage there.

Tireno Alcys'ka backed away from the thing at the desk, his eyes wide. It wasn't possible that the daughter could have survived, but he was beginning to change his mind on that. This thing, this mockery of a T'Kiir'I, could be that daughter. Horribly mutilated, literally a skull on a stick, that awful head and eyes tracked his movements. His arms were seized by the two trustees who had brought him here and he was forced to bend forward and face the thing which had stood and taken off its throat, revealing plasteel supports that replaced the muscle no longer there to hold the head up.

"Who ordered my family's murder?" the thing asked again. It began to unfasten the false fur covering its shoulder.

"Techyota" he shouted, "Lieutenant Arto'ka Techyota' set up the killing to make sure the line of evidence didn't involve him or his patrons. He claimed he got everyone, that even Antra died in the explosion and all the evidence supported that conclusion."

The thing turned to face the support mech that had accompanied it into the room. "Is he telling the truth, T'oko?" it asked.

"Yes, mother," the mech replied, "the sensors in his clothing and the ones focused on him all indicate he has spoken the truth, and that he is terrified of you for some reason."

The thing turned back to Tireno Alcys'ka. "Thank you," it said, "you have eased my mind a great deal. Just so that you know, my father lived and so did I, although word was put out we had died. In a way, even my birth-sib lives on," it brought up its hand and pointed to its left eye, "this is his eye. It was nearly all that was left of him, but it gave his blinded sister a chance to see with one normal eye instead of two artificial ones."

Then it addressed the two trustees, who were carefully not looking at it; "Take him away to his cell and be sure he is fed. He has answered my questions and I would not want him to miss a meal on that account."

He was whisked away from the thing, gratefully this time. His cell would be a haven now. That thing wouldn't be able to get into it. He had no appetite for some reason.

Back in the interrogation cell, J'ina sat patiently while T'oko replaced her prostheses and set everything back to how it should be.

In the viewing chamber, A'sallah was holding his self control with both hands. That J'ina would do that horrified him. She was always so nervous about her appearance, and he always made sure she presented well.

Tam'yn was thoughtful. He had heard that name before, and recently, too. Glancing at A'sallah, he asked, "Does the name 'Techyota' mean anything to you? I almost remember it from something recent--or I think I do. Do you have any reference for the name?"

A'sallah snapped his head around to Tam'yn ready to growl, but then calmed because the name was familiar to him, too. He thought back and suddenly stiffened.

"Yes, your Radiance," he said, "I do remember that name. It was the name of the Admiral who had ordered the M'Kereos to a scrap-yard on the pretense of a refit for your inverted matter reactor. That was when you gave the ship and its mission over to the Guardian Service for completion of the refit and support for the ship's mission."

Now it was Tam'yn's turn to force calm on himself. "If it is the same person, then they are going to regret being born. Once I get the necessary information, if it is the same person, they are headed here; Navy protocols be damned."

"You mean to set a pick-up order?" A'sallah asked in amazement.

"Exactly," Tam'yn replied half angrily, "remember that I can act in loco Imperatrix if necessary; literally as the Empress herself. If this person has overseen one murder, how many others has he managed from behind the Navy's protection? If he is in some house's pockets that deeply, he's a threat to the Empire, and the Navy is sworn to uphold the Empire."

"Gods of star and space," A'sallah muttered, "I see what you mean. If he is an assassin hiding behind the Navy's reputation, then this would be the place for him. We are set up to take the Services' bad koorta's here so their reputations stay clean. One more here is just one less potential embarrassment for the Service in question."

J'ina entered the room and said, "I apologize for what I did to make him speak, but I had to know who it is that has the responsibility for my family's destruction. Now I do. T'oko assured me that Alcys'ka was speaking the truth."

She turned to Tam'yn and J'sharra. To Tam'yn she asked, "Is there a way that we can find out if the killer still lives?"

Tam'yn replied, "I believe he does, although he is an Admiral now unless it's a kinsman with the same family name. We will find out, and if it is the same person I will act in loco for my mother the Empress and sign the pick-up order myself. He is Navy if it's the same person, and the Navy will not have such people in its ranks."

"Thank you, your Radiance," J'ina said quietly, then turned and walked over to A'sallah. "Hold me, Deryn, please?" she asked and the Guardian did as requested.

Tam'yn looked up at J'sharra and took her hand. He knew love when he saw it, first in himself and now in others. J'sharra smiled back, but there was a hint of worry behind her smile. He was assuming more and more power. She hoped he would keep it curbed, because she had a message chip with her that relieved him of his authority.

The Empress had first entrusted Tan'yel and then Tan'yel had entrusted her with the chip. Tam'yn was many things, but he was a male; and part of this appointment was to see how well a male could handle Imperial Power, according to Tan'yel.

So far, Tam' had managed things well. This could be a rush to judgment if he acted precipitously and that would be trouble. She would pray later that he keep moderation in his spirit as he acted as Viceroy.

They had luncheon with Administrator Pin'tero in that worthy's offices after Tam'yn had sent a question to the M'Kereos regarding the Navy personnel listings. The meal was pleasant enough, with fresh salad from the local farms and for once there was no extra calcium in the food. All went well until J'sharra produced a packet of suit-rations.

Tam'yn pouted while A'sallah snickered and J'sharra made sure he ate every bit of the food. When J'ina asked about it, J'sharra explained that "he's underweight and needs to build himself up a bit and the suit rations are the best way to do that."

J'ina made a small hand gesture and replied, "I had wondered, since he was so sharp featured. Adding some weight will smooth his features out so he is like Deryn, handsome and full featured."

Both Tam'yn and Deryn A'sallah glanced at each other and shrugged. Females openly discussed the males they were with, just as males discussed their female friends. It was part of being T'Kiir'I. Shortly after their meal, a Guardian brought Tam'yn a dataplate. He read it and began to scowl.

"It looks like the Admiral isn't the person we are looking for," he said as he read the information there, "apparently the Clan Techyota is one of those Navy clans and every eligible member spends time in the Service. The Admiral's name is Keran'ka Techyota. Arto'ka Techyota died in an explosion nine cycles ago when a hydrogen line leaked gas into the atmosphere of a Runner he was piloting and a spark set it off. Given the class of the Runner he was flying, I can even guess where the explosion happened.

"Keran'ka Techyota has been a stylus-pusher and a supplies manager all his career, it looks like. He's been in the Navy longer than his cousin Arto'ka was alive. He made Admiral on longevity in service and with the recommendations of a couple of High Families."

He made a face and then grumbled, "So it looks like the one who set up the murder died in an explosion. How appropriate. The investigation into the loss of the ship found that he had been negligent in maintenance of the vessel in several instances and had even been formally warned about it twice. Most of his body and that of his weapons-aimer's were found in the debris. He was just a sloppy First officer, that's all."

Seeing a look of confusion on J'sharra's face, he explained, "Small Runners and most Fighters use automated power systems. They are like land vehicles in that respect, just add fuel and supplies and go. There is supposedly an inspection and maintenance program he had to follow, but he didn't. He got two official warnings. Third time he blew up. It's too bad he took another Navy member with him when his ship exploded, but that gives you an idea of the size of that Runner; two people were its total crew. In a way, they are like the flier that brought us here today, only they are longer duration and Space capable."

Turning to A'sallah, he asked, "Is there any way that Admiral Techyota can be investigated by non-Navy security officers? I'd like to know about his order regarding the M'Kereos and why he generated it. It gets perilously close to defiance of the Empress in the way it is worded and I would like to know why he did what he did. Treason might not be limited to one line of the Techyota clan, given the actions of both the Admiral and a certain dead lieutenant. This might be another lead into the plot against the Throne."

A'sallah nodded, "I'll check and do a full workup on the Lieutenant. The Admiral already has an investigation going on him, based on his order to the M'Kereos. I agree, there might be more to this than one cranky supply officer."

Tam'yn finished his Kala tea and took a deep breath. Looking over at the prison administrator, he said, "I believe it is time for me to have a chat with Alcys'ka now. I would like the same setup with one change, move the chair so J'sharra has a place to sit. I'll be in my chair behind the desk."

Then, meekly, he asked; "Are there any special buttons or things I should know about? I've never done this before in real life, just a couple of times at the Academy as part of my Officer training."

"I'll show you the tricks that are part of the desk," Administrator Pin'tero chuckled, "although there really aren't that many. Mostly, we use disorientation and fear as our means of interrogation when we aren't using the specially modified Dream-share device on non-conversant prisoners."

Then he paused, "Perhaps you might let your Companion sit squarely behind the desk, since there are foot controls you might not be able to reach from that float chair."

Tam'yn grew thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I think you're right. J'sharra is behind the desk and I sit slightly to the front of the desk and to one side. That way she can see me and stun me if it looks like Alcys'ka is taking control of me."

Looking at J'sharra, he added, "That also puts me out of immediate reach of you if he slips in a command and does get control of me. This chair doesn't move as fast as I can on foot, and you are just plain quick. That way I present no risk to you."

That got him a hug from J'sharra, which predictably made his ears blush.

Then it was time to face Alcys'ka.

While the interrogation room was being made ready and they waited in the viewing room, Tam'yn spent time in one of the simpler meditations J'sharra had taught him, one that was supposed to be calming to the mind. He needed it. While he was presenting a properly ordered and restrained persona to those around him, inside he was close to gibbering with fear over meeting the source of so much of his pain, Tireno Alcys'ka. He repeatedly sought the Light within him, warm and bright and strong enough to overcome any danger, any darkness. He repeatedly didn't find it. Instead he found fear; fear for J'sharra above all else. Suppose he was turned and she didn't see it? Suppose he somehow got hold of the stunner she had scabbarded at her waist? Suppose, suppose, suppose...

:Calm yourself, warrior: came a voice from somewhere. He looked around and didn't see anyone who might have spoken. His eyes jumped from thing to thing in the room that they were in looking for the source of the words he had heard. He found nothing. Was there a hidden speaker somewhere?

:Take control of your breath: the voice commanded, :control that, and you will control your fear to a large measure: He concentrated on his breathing, slowing the nervous pants to normal-feeling breaths. He focused on his breathing and he felt a large part of the fear start to slip away. He spent more focus on his breathing the way he had seen J'sharra do prior to a Dance. More tension dripped away from him. He didn't want to run away any more. He wasn't nauseous any more. He was nervous and frightened, given, but he wasn't in the grip of that paralyzing fear he had felt.

Then it was time to go in through the doorway, into the interrogation room. He positioned himself beside the desk while J'sharra seated herself behind it in the same chair that J'ina had occupied. Administrator Pin'tero showed her the buttons (out of sight of the person being interrogated) that controlled the lighting and the foot controls that controlled things like the floor-concealed chairs and the emergency full power shielding that could enclose the desk area in an impenetrable force field should somehow the person being questioned manage to get past the security field that bisected the room into prison side and administration side.

Still concentrating on controlling his breath, he looked at J'sharra and nodded. She pressed the button that told the trustees on the other side of the wall to bring in the prisoner.

Alcys'ka was brought in, at first resisting and then letting them bring him to the same spot when he saw who was waiting for him. There was an odd look in his eyes, a mixture of relief and something else.

When he stood in front of the desk this time, he was defiant and arrogant again. Why not? He had just been presented with his ticket out of this place. He locked eyes with the boy and then spoke his activation command.

"Boy, obey your master and drop this barrier."

Tam'yn struggled in his chair, trying to resist the command, but it was like he was fighting with himself, a stronger self, and he was losing. He slowly stood, shaking, and J'sharra pulled her stunner partway out of its holster, praying that she didn't have to use it.

Then, An'kor stepped through the barrier like it wasn't there and back-handed Tireno Alcys'ka so hard he flew across the room and hit the back wall. He continued to the prostrate Alcys'ka, ignoring the cowering trustees and lifted the K'iir off the floor one handed. Since he still wore the splint on his left arm, he couldn't do anything else. His teeth were bared and his ears were backed and his dark eyes were smoldering with anger.

Bringing Tireno Alcys'ka eye to eye with him, he grated, "Traitor, I would suggest you speak all you know to these people here. If I am awakened here again, it will be to kill you, understand?" He dropped Alcys'ka to the floor and knelt beside him.

"To help you remember my warning, wear the mark of an oath-breaker on your face for all to see," he said as he drew a fire hardened and stone sharpened clawtip from Alcys'ka's nose to his eyebrows, bringing blood immediately to the skin and fur of the one-time "Master of Protocols" at the Imperial Court.

"What we have made, we will protect," he said as he stood, turned, and strode back through the barrier again and seated himself in Tam'yn's chair-

and turned back into Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, now slumped in his float chair unconscious.

In the viewing room, A'sallah finally managed to move and ran through the door and into the interrogation space. He didn't believe what he had just seen. Behind him J'ina and T'oko hurried and Administrator Pin'tero was last.

They all converged on J'sharra, Tam'yn and the desk area as the warning sirens blared telling of a barrier piercing. More Guardians flooded into the interrogation room from both sides of the barrier until A'sallah's shouted commands restored order to the chaos that they had caused themselves.

In minutes, Tireno Alcys'ka had been taken to the prison infirmary and Tam'yn was hurried to the Guardians' infirmary. J'sharra was at his side every pace of the way.

Moving his head wasn't enough to stop the pounding. He opened his eyes briefly and squinted at the light and saw J'sharra's worried face above and beside him. He sighed and went to sleep again.

Then he was sitting up in a bed, with J'sharra still in attendance beside him. He groaned and she leaned over the bed rail and hugged him.

"My head," he groaned, "it feels like somebody used it to stamp metal or maybe as an anvil. What happened?"

J'sharra was strangely silent, almost fearful. Then he heard someone on the other side of his bedding and slowly turned his head to see a Healer-blue clad person with an injector. Turning his head hurt, and the blue the Healer wore was painful to his eyes.

"We suspected from the scans of your brain that you might have a headache," the Healer replied, "and you should have a headache, given the swelling see in them, but until you regained consciousness, we didn't want to medicate you with anything."

"What?" he asked stupidly, then, "Do you have something for my headache? I really would like something for my head because it feels like it is going to explode." Even hearing his own voice hurt. He felt like his head was in a vise that was slowly closing.

The Healer pressed an injector against his arm and said, "Patience now. This will take a few seconds to get going, but your head should be better once it starts working."

The Healer was right. Slowly at first, then faster and faster the pain left his head and he felt more and more comfortable.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, "I really thought my head was going to split or something. I have never had a headache like that, ever. What was wrong with me? I remember Tireno Alcys'ka saying something to me and then I was on a litter of some sort and then I was here. What happened?" He tried not to sound confused and failed miserably in the attempt.

The Healer rolled his eyes and replied, "That depends on who you ask. What all the stories agree on is that you somehow managed to walk through a security barrier twice. Past that, it gets...ahh, strange.

He gestured towards J'sharra and said, "That young lady was with you at the time. Ask her. I'm still listening to the other people involved who..." he paused and reached out to take Tam'yn's right hand and gently press a claw partway out of its sheath.

He shook his head, "No way that thing is hard or sharp enough to cut the prisoner. Why am I not surprised at that? When you feel a bit better, you're free to go; until then, rest here."

Smiling, he left them in the room together.

Tam'yn looked over at J'sharra and she wouldn't meet his eyes, not at first. Then finally she met his eyes and said, "A miracle happened. As you feared, Alcys'ka had a control phrase that worked on you. You fought it but it was winning, I think. Then you changed; changed into the K'iir who created this Empire. He walked through the barrier like it wasn't there and struck Tireno Alcys'ka so hard he hit the back wall of the room we were in. Then he said something to him and cut him from nose to eyebrows with one clawtip. Then he came back and sat in your chair and he was you again. That is what happened, Tam'yn; An'kor--the An'kor who made our Empire--came back through the Light to protect what he and Jilathe' had made.

"That's what happened, Tam'yn."

Tam'yn stared at J'sharra as though she were speaking gibberish, or he was hearing gibberish. His mind couldn't accept what she said. An'kor the Conqueror was twelve hundred winters dead. His tomb was directly below the Throne room in the Imperial Palace. He, Tam'yn, had been there many times, usually hiding out from someone who wanted something from him because he was the Empress' child.

Then he recalled the words cut into the stone above the urn that held the mingled ashes of An'kor and Jilathe: "What we have made, we will protect." His jaw dropped.

He stared at Jilathe'--no, J'sharra!

"What is happening to me?" he groaned, "Am I going mad? I'm not An'kor but people say he somehow appears where I am. This is...it's insane!"

J'sharra shook her head. "No, Tam'yn, it isn't," she said gently, "He is manifesting to protect his and Jilathe's creation; our Empire. Your father, Tan'yel, is a direct descendent from both of An'kor's children. That makes you his descendent too."

"And the an' Yere'kos line is also descended from him, according to Mother," Tam'yn said in a near whisper.

"Gods of star and space..." he groaned and brought his free hand to his head as though his headache was back again. It wasn't, but he would have welcomed it; headaches were normal, every-day things. This was outside his experience in every direction. It was an impossibility that wasn't staying properly impossible.

He rolled his eyes toward J'sharra and almost begged, "Don't tell me you're descended from him too."

She smiled, "No, Tam', I'm not. The Merenkon line is reckoned from Jilathe's first children, the children of Tarvo an' Meronkono, Jilathe's husband and the father of her first children, the ones who according to legend gained the attention of the Conqueror after the city had fallen."

Tam'yn stared at her. "So you're Jilathe's descendent then and I'm An'kor's descendent," he said in a somewhat detached tone of voice. He leaned back in the bed and muttered, " I'm going out of orbit, that has to be the answer. I am just going plain crazy. Ancestors. Spirits. Oaths. I want to just curl up and sleep until things make some sort of sense again." He stared out into the space beyond the foot of his bed, as if there was an answer out there--maybe on one of the notices attached to the wall on the far side of the room.

"They make sense now if you are willing to trust in the Light and the purpose for which you put on flesh and came to this world," J'sharra said with some asperity, "Tam'yn, there is a reason for all of this, and if you just try trusting things, you may actually manage to see it. Every time something happens to you, you try to either explain it away as an illusion or delusion or just ignore it."

Tam'yn replied angrily, "J'sharra, I'm an Engineer! A Ship's Engineer! I don't know how to be a Viceroy; I'm managing to bluff my way through this but you're asking me to accept miracles and magic and all sorts of things that are 'way out of my orbit. I don't know if I can!" By now he was shaking, his nerves were like wires stretched to the breaking point. All he wanted was to be back in the Engineering hull of the M'Kereos figuring out crew work rotations and that didn't look like it was going to happen.

J'sharra didn't back down, "Remember L'yrel? She made that glowstone light so you wouldn't be afraid of it. She loved you enough to endure her death so you wouldn't be afraid of the Imperial Seal. Is that more than you can deal with?"

Tam'yn's eyes dropped to the bracelet on his wrist. It was warm and so it glowed. Not so long ago, it had glowed when it was cold; when it should have been dark. He remembered her words, her willingness to wait to pass into the light so he wouldn't be afraid of a chunk of rock in a piece of Imperial Jewelry. He stroked the stone and felt the love that his sister had left there for him when he had asked her to go on and be complete in the unending Light that was her soul's destination.

He pressed the glowstone against his chest and began to weep, to grieve, to admit to and exorcise the soul pain he still felt when he thought of his now lost birth sibling. J'sharra comforted him and he began to heal; not a lot, but it was real healing rather than the bravado he'd been putting up since her death.

When they left the infirmary, he looked tired. He was. J'sharra was at his side, also plainly worn and tired. They were together, though. They had a Guardian as a guide and were headed to the administrator's office to see how things were going.

He had finally accepted that some things couldn't be explained without simple faith as a part of the explanation. It was the only thing that made sense to him.

In the Administrator's office, Administrator Pin'tero and Guardian A'sallah were waiting for the two of them. J'ina and T'oko were back in the interrogation room taking down a sudden rush of information from Tireno Alcys'ka. He seemed to want to tell every single thing he had done...to someone, anyone, and the sooner the better.

As he floated into the office, both the Administrator and A'sallah stood out of respect. A'sallah was worried by the way that both of them looked, but all things considered they were probably doing as well as could be expected.

Tam'yn asked about Tireno Alcys'ka and learned that the K'iir was literally turning himself inside out explaining things and giving information. He would have a scar despite the immediate treatment to his face, and Healing had no explanation for it. The skin should have repaired itself invisibly after being stitched and treated with dilute Re-gen solution. Instead, it had scarred.

"He's going to have that mark the rest of his life," A'sallah said with some relish, "and there is no way he can hide it. It looks like the old 'Oath-breaker's mark' from early in the Empire. Every time he looks in the mirror, he's going to see the mark that--ahhh, someone put there."

"Are there any records, any vids of the event?" Tam'yn asked half nervously; "I would like to see what happened there since I don't remember it myself."

A'sallah raised his eyebrows; "I would think that you of all people would remember what happened, but yes; there are records of what happened." Then, looking Tam'yn squarely in the eyes, A'sallah asked, "Are you sure you want to see what happened?"

Tam'yn swallowed once and nodded, not trusting his voice. J'sharra wove her hands in quiet prayer as A'sallah got a dataplate and handed it to Tam'yn.

With a hand that shook only a little, he pressed the activate spot on the left lower corner and watched the images as they unfolded, almost forgetting to breathe.

Faintly, Alcys'ka's voice could be heard commanding him to drop the barrier and he watched himself struggle against the deeply implanted obedience structure. Then he turned and glared at Alcys'ka and walked through the barrier which flickered around him as he passed through it without harm. He watched himself backhand Tireno Alcys'ka hard enough to knock the much heavier T'Kiir'I across the room to impact against the back wall. Both of the trustees who had brought Alcys'ka to the room were cowering against the wall and staring at him in absolute terror as he picked Alcys'ka up one-handed and held him higher than needed for him to make eye contact. Odd. Then he said something and Alcys'ka looked terrified.

Then he dropped the Traitor on the floor and knelt to face him and drew his right index claw along the K'iir's face from nose to eyebrows. Blood started flowing.

Then he stood and walked back to his float-chair, again passing through the barrier, which again flickered, and then seated himself. Then he collapsed.

Tam'yn looked at A'sallah and mutely sought answers to what he had seen. How had he walked through a security field? How had he lifted a much heavier Alcys'ka one handed?

He realized what the Healer had referred to when he had checked his clawtip. Somehow, that clawtip had cut the skin deep enough to leave a scar.

Curious, he slipped his right clawtip out of its sheath in his finger and checked it against the palm of his left hand, still in the brace. It was rounded, as he had filed it to be. You didn't want sharp claws in Engineering, not if you were wearing gloves to protect your hands.

So how could a rounded, smoothed clawtip cut skin so deeply? He shivered involuntarily, feeling a cold draft from somewhere else. It was impossible, but it had happened.

He realized J'sharra was right. Only faith could offer an answer that made sense, and it only made sense if you had the faith to believe that one of your ancestors was willing to cross over to the mortal "Sunset World" and protect something that he and his wife had made; an Empire based on reason and law, where there was fairness and protection for all regardless of rank.

Turning to J'sharra, who had been standing beside him all this time, he asked, "In the interrogation room, what did you see?"

She replied, "The K'iir I love acting to protect the greatest thing our race has ever made, our Empire."

Tam'yn never did figure out who had answered him that day, J'sharra or her ancestress Jilathe'. Maybe it had been both of them.

He took a deep breath and then thanked A'sallah for the dataplate.

Lake An'shal:

Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos was sitting with an old friend, Artol an' Merenkon, watching the sun set over the lake. It was warm and relaxing and the two T'Kiir'I were renewing an old friendship, seated on a fallen tree watching the sunlight dividing itself into ripples on the lake's surface. The air was soft and full of the scents of summertime's gentle slide into fall, the air still full of growth and harvests nearing their time.

The croakers were out, making the sounds that gave them their name. Light- drifter seeds were floating on the soft breeze; their light attracting flyers who would hopefully eat them and start them on the way to making a new plant when they had passed through their digestive tract. There was an occasional splash as a fish would leap after a low floating light drifter seed and usually miss.

Karalan'ka leaned against Artol's left side, the side that wasn't a plasteel prosthesis arm and hand. Artol was leaning into her a little, offering support.

"Honestly, Artol, how they can call you back after all you've been through surprises me, and worries me too. I thought you were out of active service and just teaching, not doing bodyguard work."

"Well, Kara, since I was teaching personal security work, it was natural. The Academy was getting stuffy and I wanted some fresh air that wasn't full of city smells and city sounds. When they asked for people who knew this area to do special security work for the Imperial Household, I volunteered."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Should it be?"

"No, it shouldn't ."

"How are the children doing? My agents have to stay low profile so too much interest in Her children isn't in the best interests of anyone."

Karalan'ka sighed, "Ever since their exposure to Alcys'ka's mental conditioning, they have been almost afraid to access anything in the outside world. Just yesterday Terel put off going online to talk to his mother--his Mother, mind you, for so long that She called me to ask what I had done with him. I had to stand over him and make him key in her code because he had to use the standard Commnet system to reach the Palace, and that frightened him."

"Oh dear," Artol chuckled, "his not using the Commnet is like seeing the sun rise in the east--it makes me want to check which planet I'm on."

"It gets worse," Karalan'ka continued with a chuckle of her own, "Le'ahn no longer wants to go back to the city in any way shape or form. She wants to stay here in the country, working here at the plantation. She is afraid that if she sees the wrong thing or the wrong set of words, she'll go blind again. Apparently, your release phrase did nothing for the fear she felt when she couldn't see."

Artol sighed, "I was afraid of that. That phrase is supposed to break the tie between the blindness and the person involved, but there is nothing to show for it. I'll have a Dream-share set brought in and have both children tested so we can all be sure that the Traitor's control over them is broken."

Karalan'ka stared at him for a moment, then asked, "You can order a Dream-share system brought around just like that? I thought they were only available in Counseling centers or Healing centers; now you say you can have one just 'brought in' to test Kivie's children?"

Artol smiled. "The actual device is relatively small these days, a box and two sets of headgear," he explained, "the rest is background so the patient is comfortable and the 'sharing counselor' has someplace to sit. You're thinking the treatment suite while I'm referring to the device and a Guardian-contracted Counselor trained in its use. Actually, it's probably a good idea, just so we're sure that Alcys'ka's meddling is gone. The Empress will be relieved and so will the kids. I'll call it in for tomorrow; tell them both that we're going to make sure there aren't any nasty leftover mental commands in them and they'll probably both be back to normal in no time."

Karalan'ka chuckled, "That would probably be the only thing that would get them to agree to a Dream-share session; they are at that age and are afraid that any adult knowledge of their ideas or desires would result in their being grounded for life. They don't seem to understand that we were their age once and probably had the same wishes and ideas ready to go once we were out from under adult supervision."

Artol laughed this time, "I was certain that father would lock me in the cellar if he found out what I wanted to do with one of the old general use flyers. Then he gave me one and told me to see what I could do with it. I thought he had read my mind, and then when he gave me access to a parts sheet I was certain of it. Still, I didn't let an opportunity like that go to waste and built what I was sure was the future in flyers."

"I remember it," Karalan'ka said with a smile, then asked, "Did you ever get it out of the lake or is it still at the bottom?"

Artol gave her a sour look; "Father had it fished out and docked my allotment to pay for the recovery. At least we were able to use the parts I ordered for it on other flyers. I was so certain it would be faster than anything else around here..."

"And it was," Karalan'ka soothed, "much faster." Then she giggled, "Too bad your reflexes weren't as fast as that flier was at full power. I still remember that flight. I thought that square corners were impossible in a flight path, but somehow you managed."

Then she leaned against him a bit more and added, "I'm glad you survived, and I'm glad you're here now. Perhaps, after all this blows over, you might consider retiring to take up farming?"

"I might," Artol replied, "I just might, with you to help me on the hard parts. It's been a long time since I programmed a harrow."

"Gods!" Karalan'ka gasped, sitting straight up, "I left the children setting up the harvest to keep them busy, but if they load in their programs I'll lose the real harvest programs I've been using for ten cycles." She stood and turned to the Guardian, "Artol, I'm sorry, but I need to make sure the children don't load in what they have been doing. Will you come back to the house with me?"

Laughing, the Guardian stood and took her arm. "My pleasure, Kara. You can show me how to set the things up while you correct the children's work, okay?"

The two of them walked back to Yere'kos house a bit more quickly than the norm, but still they walked rather than ran.

Far away from T'Kiir'ah:

Tam'yn nervously clutched the data plate with the commands provided by Tireno Alcys'ka as he waited for J'sharra to finish dressing.

Tan'yel had been sleeping when they arrived, so the two of them had bathed and taken out new clothes to wear. For some reason, both of them had wanted to separate themselves from their time in the prison intake area, so clothes were changed and bodies were cleansed to get the sense of "prison" away from them. Tam'yn's surgical site had been difficult to clean up, but the dressings were waterproof enough to keep him from worrying about getting them wet while he and J'sharra washed each other's backs.

Tam'yn had taken out another of his Navy black semi-dress uniforms, but J'sharra had cautioned him about wearing it too often since he was no longer Navy. He was now a Viceroy, and should dress as such, in her opinion.

Tam'yn kept his opinions to himself for the most part. He loathed court-wear, and the full Viceroy kit was nearly as ornate as his mother's Court Robes. He thought he could come up with something that would keep J'sharra happy without having to wear heavy, ornate robes and leggings and shirtwaist and pantaloons...at least until she had similar things for herself and they could share the discomfort of High Court wear.

He would speak to A'sallah about having court robes for J'sharra made up on- planet later in the day after seeing Tan'yel and using the words to give him back his sight.

Now, he and J'sharra were going to go and hopefully release his father from his blindness once she had finished dressing...what was taking her so long? He tapped on the screen that provided a dressing space in the hospital room and asked her how much more time she would need to dress.

"Almost done," she said through the screen, "I wanted to look nice for Tan'yel when he gets his sight back."

Moments later, she stepped around the screen and Tam'yn forgot to breathe.

She was wearing her Navy Security uniform--the Full Dress version. The grey and black somehow complemented her russet fur and deep red hair. The uniform fit her perfectly. Even the stunner at her waist somehow added to her beauty.

Tam'yn felt very underdressed. He came close to pouting, but he decided not to; this glorious person was his Companion and she was dressing for his father; not to embarrass him. Next to her, though, he did look more than a little plain.

He sighed, "J'esa, you are so smart and so beautiful and I am so lucky to be your Companion," and had the pleasure of seeing her ears pink up slightly.

"I'm ready to go, " she hinted. He took the hint and the two of them departed his room for Tan'yel's, in the "high care" area of the hospital.

He had checked the charge in his float-chair and then put it on "fast charge" while they had bathed and dressed. Now it showed an 85% charge, which should be adequate for their travels in the hospital. He was surprised at how efficient the chair was, given that it used a grav to lift it, four impulse units to move, and a tractor device to lock it in place in transporters and fliers and such. It also had a built in comms unit, rain shield, and lighting for reading and night guidance. He was impressed with how well it managed the power demands put on it.

They rounded a corner and saw that Tan'yel's door was open and there were people in the room. They recognized A'sallah, and T'oko's voice was coming from somewhere in the room too.

As they entered, Tan'yel looked at them and called out, "Hello Tam and J'esa! Guess what? Apparently the big bad Tireno Alcys'ka decided to cooperate and gave A'sallah the release words. I can see again and that damned voice in my head hasn't said a word in nearly a turning."

Seeing the surprise on Tam'yn's face, T'oko explained, "A'sallah and I had what were supposedly the release words, just as you have. I was concerned that officer Tan'yel might not respond to them since according to Tireno Alcys'ka some of the management personalities had enough internal access to resist the commands. When he awakened and A'sallah spoke the words, I was able to read his responses to the words, adjust them, and make certain he was honestly responding to them. Since he is important to my friend Tam'yn, I wanted to make a pleasant surprise for him. Was I successful?"

Tam'yn smiled and replied, "Yes, T'oko; this is a pleasant surprise. Turning to Tan'yel, he said, "Father, I'm glad that you're better and can see. It will mean that when you are released from this hospital, you can continue as J'sharra's advisor on the M'Kereos." As he had spoken, he had watched J'sharra start to smile when she realized that her teacher would be there to continue her lessons.

Tan'yel frowned, "Why do I get the feeling that this is a 'keep him busy' assignment? I know I'm no longer capable of passing the Guardian physical examination, but if this is a 'busy work' assignment, then say so."

A'sallah grinned, "Oh, you'll be busy all right. I have twenty top notch Guardians who don't know one thing about shipboard work. I had a damn good teacher on that subject named Tan'yel an' Yere'kos, and now he can show twenty of my best students how to keep a ship secure and safe for its crew."

Tan'yel swept his eyes back and forth between Tam'yn, J'sharra, and A'sallah. Then he muttered, "You're all trying to keep me active, aren't you? Well, it is going to work, that I promise you. Between J'esa and A'sallah's people, I'm going to be too damn busy to think of retiring." By then he was grinning with pleasure.

"And once we find this planet we're looking for," Tam'yn added, "when we return to T'Kiir'ah I promise you that you'll get to spoil your grandchildren," he turned to J'sharra, "If my Companion doesn't mind."

J'sharra grinned, "No, I won't mind, Tam'yn, not at all as long as they get to spend time with their other grandparents at Merenkon house."

Tan'yel asked, "Tam, why are you wearing that same black uniform you wore on the M'Kereos? J'esa is dressed up, why aren't you?" There was an odd sparkle in his eye.

Tam'yn grumbled, "Have you seen the kind of rig-out that Viceroys have to wear? Even the lightest set of clothes would have me dressing for nearly a turning."

"You mean you don't like looking like a clothing store having a distress sale?" Tan'yel asked with mock seriousness; "Your mother manages to look well in a pile of fancy cloth, surely you can do the same?" He was starting to grin again.

"I'll get my Dress Uniform sent over from the ship," Tam'yn replied patiently, "at least that way I'll match J'sharra for neatness." By now he was grinning too.

"By the time you manage to have your uniform sent over from the ship, we'll have been transferred back and you'll forget and leave it here," Tan'yel accused. "Don't forget, I watched you grow up and you were imitating me even then," he chuckled.

Then he sobered, "I'm proud of you Tam'yn, I truly am. We may have to play at being cousins for the rest of the universe, but between us you make me proud to be your father. I couldn't ask for a better son than the person you are growing into being. I just wish that L'yrel could be here to make it complete, but she's gone into the Light. It's just the three of us now."

A shadow passed over his face for a moment, "We need to stick closer together, the three of us. I get the feeling we're going to need to be hanging onto each other's tails before this thing is over; I don't know why I feel this, but I do feel it and quite strongly." He looked over to J'sharra and asked, "You're the priestess here, what do you feel?"

J'sharra looked around the room, at T'oko and A'sallah, at Tan'yel and Tam'yn and said, "Ever since I saw the face of An'kor our first Emperor on Tam'yn, I was afraid something was wrong, very wrong; and that something was going to happen as a response to it. I still feel it waiting out in the shadows of what may happen and I still feel fear. Yet there is hope, too; Alcys'ka was beaten by An'kor who returned to this world to protect what he and Jilathe' made, so I don't despair the way I might have done. I feel hope."

Tam'yn was sitting and staring at J'sharra as she spoke. He was surprised at the way things had gone, but until his Companion began to speak he had simply gone along and enjoyed it. Now, he was beginning to worry.

"What did you see, there at the island?" he asked again, only this time he was asking A'sallah, "And I know what your data plate shows. What did you see?"

The Guardian replied calmly, "I saw the founder of our Empire get out of your chair and deal with a Traitor to everything we hold dear. I saw something impossible, but I still admit that I saw it."

Then he reached into a pouch and took out a dataplate, punching in instructions before he handed it to Tam'yn.

"Look at this," he said, "and this time tell me what you see. I slowed things down on it to make the frame-by-frame accessible for me as a slide-show; now you tell me what you see."

Tam'yn activated it and watched a frame by frame image of himself step toward the barrier in the interrogation cell. Then as he stepped into the barrier, at the point where he should have been shocked senseless, he vanished and a different and older figure appeared, outlined in the energies of the barrier itself.

The figure was taller than he was, and was dressed in ancient style war kilt-and-armor, with a long cloak falling from its shoulders. His left arm was in something that looked like the splint he was wearing. The face, in semi-profile, wasn't his. There was a scar running from its right eye to the corner of its mouth, and the tip of its ear was missing. It looked determined, and he knew who it was immediately. He'd hidden out near the statue of this person down in the tomb under the throne room.

The figure outlined in the barrier's energy was that of the greatest T'Kiir'I warrior who had ever lived. It was the figure of An'kor the Conqueror, dead almost 1200 cycles.

It took two steps and then he was back, having passed out of the energy of the barrier shield.

Half a dozen pushes with his fingertips sped up the images to the point where he was crossing back across the barrier. He then slowed the record back to the frame-by frame presentation A'sallah had set into it and watched as An'kor reappeared in the barrier's energies, this time face-on. Six frames again showed someone who couldn't possibly have been there outlined in the energies of the barrier as he crossed it heading back to his chair. Then the seventh frame almost made him drop the dataplate. It showed An'kor starting to turn and sit in the float chair...

And beside J'sharra stood another beauty dressed in the same ancient type of clothing that An'kor was wearing. Jilathe' was standing beside and seemingly speaking to J'sharra in that image, since J'sharra's stunner was starting to point down toward the floor and her right ear was twitched and her head was slightly turned toward the female figure beside her. She was listening to Jilathe!

Then An'kor sat and became Tam'yn again and the figure beside J'sharra seemed to flow into her. Two frames later, it was just the two of them in the cell.

Tam'yn stopped the playback and stared. This was not possible yet it had happened, and he had seen nothing of it. He had briefly been An'kor and had no memory of it, or he had hosted An'kor or something. He still had no memory of the event.

Carefully, he handed the dataplate back to A'sallah. His hand was shaking. He had seen the impossible and the only rational explanation was the one J'sharra had already put forth.

Faith. Belief buttressed by action. Somehow it would save the Empire, but at that moment he had no idea as to how. He was confounded, confused, frightened out of his orbit and he had not the faintest idea of what to do.

He slumped in his chair, jaw slack. What was going to happen, and how were they going to deal with it?

J'sharra was now looking at A'sallah's dataplate and nodding right up to the endpoint, when she stared for a long moment at one of the images, slack-jawed. She touched herself as if to make sure she was truly there. Tam'yn could guess which image it was. He was not the only ghost-haunted person in the room.

The plate was passed to Tan'yel who oddly seemed less affected than either J'sharra or Tam'yn as he watched the images there. Handing it back to A'sallah, he commented, "It's been six generations, but he's still there. I wonder if he ever gets a chance to really rest, or if the Empire he created has made him its servant."

Despite raised eyebrows around the room, he did not choose to elaborate on his statement.

"Six generations," J'sharra asked, "what do six generations have to do with it?"

"The Otai rebellion? " Tam'yn half asked in response. "That's the only thing I can think of that happened six generations ago, and that's just what the family histories say. It happened around two hundred cycles ago as I remember. What I learned in school at the Palace was minimal about the subject, we were learning about the Empresses and the things they did and the discoveries the Navy made in space. I don't think the Otai rebellion got more than the usual cursory treatment of 'this happened and that happened as a result and these people were involved' and then the teacher went to the discovery of the Moka homeworld and our first contacts there. I think the teacher was more interested in the growth of the Empire than a philosophical disagreement on T'Kiir'ah that didn't really do a great deal regarding how the Empire got larger."

J'sharra nodded in agreement. "After you said the name, I remembered it from Temple school. It was taught as part of the acceptance of the Otai beliefs into the general belief system, but not what happened in the conflict outside of the miracle that relatively few people were injured and fewer died in the campaign, although many people still died in the conflict. Then I got the standardized history of the Empire and our contact with Moka for the grading-tests we had to take."

Tam'yn nodded, "We were in the Palace, being taught by the best teachers in the city, and we had to take the tests too. Mother said it was something to do with making sure every T'Kiir'I child got the same basic education no matter where they were or how they were taught. Whether it was in the Palace or out on some remote colony planet, every young person took the same dull tests and answered the same boring questions to prove they had learned what they were supposed to learn that cycle and so they could advance."

J'sharra frowned at Tam'yn and explained sharply, "Before those tests, it wasn't uncommon for some children to arrive at the Temple school illiterate or unable to do any but the simplest math. People were taught what their 'class' was supposed to know and little else. The tests and the standardized education system raised the general level of knowledge throughout the Empire just by making sure people could read and write as well as being able to do basic math so they didn't get cheated by merchants. The Empress Callina'ka put that in place, and we have celebrated the day she signed the Education Order at Pyri's temples ever since. She was truly a being of the Light for breaking the darkness of ignorance and we celebrate her actions and hold her as an Illuminated Being who brought the Light to every child of the Empire with her efforts in education."

Tam'yn raised his right hand as if to ward off a blow, saying, "Honest, J'esa, I didn't know! All I knew was that we had to take a boring, long, detailed test every cycle to advance in school. I didn't know about the rest."

J'sharra replied, "I'm sorry, Tam'yn, but it's something important that people don't even pay attention to. We were space-traveling culture who still didn't bother educating our own people. It took an enlightened Empress to make that right, and people still don't see how important it was. All they see are the tests and don't even bother to ask why those things all came about."

"And our enemies are playing on that sort of ignorance," Tan'yel commented, "They are taking advantage of the public's not caring about the past, only about their own personal present and what they can get out of it."

"Taken at face value, our Empress hasn't done much these past few years, and the public has an appetite for the new, the different, the shiny things. When the shine wears off, they want more. We were supposed to be that 'more' only some of our own Navy members are deliberately trying to bury us so nobody sees us or knows anything about us," he said with a sound of growing anger in his voice.

"Are you suggesting that the Traitors are playing on the public's ennui?" A'sallah asked with surprise, "do you think that people are that shallow on T'Kiir'ah?"

Tan'yel snorted, "When I was running security scans of the crew when we were putting the ship's company together, I noticed that all the volunteers were at least twenty five and were averaging twenty-eight cycles of age. There were no young people, no 'new to the Navy' people. You would think that the chance to explore and expand the Empire and maybe find new people out there in the stars would attract newly trained Navy personnel. Wrong. The only volunteer trainees we were getting were for advanced positions, not the break-in level. The new people we got were all assigned to us; they didn't volunteer."

He continued, half complaining and half accusing, "I checked the placement counselors, the people who would be the ones to steer new crewpersons to us as a career posting and guess what? They were actively discouraging interested young people from signing on. One of the ploys they used was 'this Exploration Service is just experimental, and it's likely that any training you get there won't transfer over to any real postings later in your career in the Navy. Are you sure you want to waste two cycles'?"

Then, anger plain in his voice, he added, "I have that little speech on a chip, ready to use when we get back. I didn't have time to file before we left and I figured that with other Exploration ships coming on duty that jerk's words would come back to haunt him anyway, but now I don't know. I haven't heard of any new Exploration hulls being crewed since we left Navy Station 38, and that was a while ago."

A'sallah grew thoughtful and offered to check. He also offered to pass the chip with the Career officer's words to the proper parties.

T'oko, silent until now, spoke up. "There have not been any more new Exploration Crews set up to train for the last three segments due to Navy budget constraints, according to the Navy's own news service. The difficulties encountered by the M'Kereos have caused two Commissions to be formed to investigate the causes of those difficulties." He paused then added, "I cannot seem to find any specifics about the difficulties aboard the M'Kereos other than the most general of references, and none those are over half a segment old. This sounds unusual."

Tan'yel asked, "Who is setting up these Commissions? There should be a name of an officer they will report their findings to once they find something."

T'oko stood silent for half a mark before saying, "It is an Admiral. His name is Keran'ka an' Techyota, and he is Third fleet's General Accountant and the loss control officer for the Second, Third, and Fourth fleets."

Tan'yel barked a laugh that had no humor in it. "Looks like you've been out maneuvered, Tam'yn. You gave the M'Kereos to Security, but he closed the tap for more ships and crews for a couple of cycles. At least he's been flushed out of hiding by this."

"What do you mean," Tam'yn asked, shocked at what he'd heard.

J'sharra grew pensive, "I'll check on who has used the comms system in the past double tenday. My bet is that it will be one of those two contractors with the extra data on their identity chips."

"What are you talking about?" Tam'yn asked, now completely at a loss.

"The Admiral should have learned about your move when the M'Kereos didn't show up at the scrap facility," Tan'yel explained, "and at what we should have had for power, that would be nearly a segment of travel time. Unless the First Officer sent him a comm about what you did, he wouldn't be expecting us till then. Add in that he shut the supply off before we reported any trouble, he must have known something ahead of time and waited for us to send in the report of damage to the inverted matter reactor. His own efficiency did him in there because it takes time to put a Commission together, and there hasn't been enough time for him to have done so legitimately."

Now Tam'yn saw what Tan'yel was referring to. Admiral Techyota had anticipated trouble--"Like the scratched paint you told me about," he said to Tan'yel, who nodded at him.

"Precisely," he replied, "just like the scratched paint." Then he grew thoughtful, "Why, though? Why is our going out in this part of space such a big deal? What aren't we supposed to find out here? Who or what is hiding in this sector of space? According to the general reports, its mostly just dust and gas; a wasteland. It's supposedly like the Ashali dead space around Ashali Prime. The only way we found that world was because we picked up some odd sixty-cycle-old transmissions coming out of a dust nebula and followed them back to their source."

Tam'yn nodded, saying; "I've seen pictures of the space around their world. The dust cloud obscures everything so they see only seven or eight stars and their moon. They thought the whole universe was like that... I wonder if that's what we'll find 'out there' when we resume our mission, or maybe something else? That's where the robot came from." It was after he had spoken that he realized the existence of the robot they had found was supposed to be secret. Oh well, they were on a Guardian world so it shouldn't be a problem.

"Slavers," A'sallah suggested after a moment. "I mentioned when we first met on the M'Kereos that we could passively track their superluminal wake as they went past the system we're located in."

"The strange thing is that the tracks are always out and not back," he added, "so either they are amassing a number of ships out there in the wasteland or they are taking a different path back into the Empire. Either is possible, but both leave the question of 'why' open and un-answered. "

"Are there any potentially habitable planets around here?" Tam'yn asked, "in perhaps a ten light cycle distance from this system?"

"No, and the wakes aren't all pointed in the same direction relative to this world or this system," A'sallah replied, "they just go past here and out into the nothingness, the empty space that is beyond us. We've done optical scans and there is nothing out there we can see from here or the moon."

"Not exactly," T'oko commented, "there are three general wake directions that have been tracked, and since we must do so covertly, we lose their wake shortly after we acquire it due to distance. A ship in that area could probably track their wake much more effectively and still stay passive and invisible to them."

A'sallah looked surprised for a moment, then asked, "You're accessing the data net from in here, right?"

T'oko tilted his head in imitation of a nod; "I can monitor both Grandfather and Tan'yel and also connect with the general comms net. The scan information you were mentioning was published in the most recent issue of the Planetary News network, and the data on the ships in question was available as notes on vessel tracks from the monitoring station on the moon. No one has put them together because of the time between sightings. People either forget or have other things to do, especially since that station also monitors vessels within the solar system by means of relay stations spotted in the outer debris field to warn of incoming vessels."

A'sallah looked surprised for a moment and then asked, "You mean the people involved were too busy to properly investigate it?"

T'oko nodded again; "Yes, that precisely. Traces of wakes are usually entered as 'notes' in the reports, which is what they are."

"Along with balky San's and leaking faucets," A'sallah grumbled, "we need to change the report forms."

"One part of them at least," T'oko affirmed, then turning to Tam'yn said, "Your father is strong enough to handle a Dream-share session, sir. Would 'after supper' be acceptable to you?"

Surprised, Tam'yn said, "If it's alright with Tan'yel, yes."

He turned to the bed and asked, "Father, would that be alright with you?"

Tan'yel nodded, "If it means I can be certain that damned voice in my head will stay silent, absolutely. It may be gone, in fact it's supposed to be gone, but I want to be sure; although how doing a Dream-share will accomplish this is something of a mystery."

T'oko explained, "Tam'yn is the first puppet who was able to shake off some of his conditioning on his own. The second time he and I Dream-shared, the number of command sequences in his mind had dropped by more than sixty-two percent. His mind, having learned how to throw off the death sequence command patterns, began eliminating others on its own. I am of the opinion that he will be able to impart that ability to you in the Dream-share sequences the two of you share."

Then he added, "I would also like to see how much more his mind has removed since our last Dream-share session."

"What about the takeover that Alcys'ka did in the prison?" Tam'yn asked nervously, " He just said something and I was fighting myself and losing until..." his jaws worked a moment before adding, "something else happened."

"Since I did not sense that command set in your mind, I suspect it was buried very deeply, T'oko replied, "There are only a few places such a command structure could be buried, and I will check those parts of your mind for other commands. I suspect the obedience command is no longer functional."

"I hope so," Tam'yn said fervently, "I surely do hope so."

T'Kiir'ah, House Taveralos

Lord Taveralos glared at the Imperial Palace Guardian standing across the desk from him. He too stood, a convention of respect for who these people represented. Two more stood by the door into this chamber, his office, effectively sealing it. They were staring out into space, but he knew they were memorizing every word they heard and watching every movement he made.

"For the third time, I have no idea of what you are asking me," he said in a voice tinged with anger, "All I know about Tireno Alcys'ka is that he was the Palace teacher of proper manners and social protocols for young people'. He gave my own daughter her manners. He gave her Companion his manners. In time he would have given her children their manners. He was very good at that, and I recognize and honor him for it."

He sat, a calculated insult; "Your suggestion that I paid him for anything is ludicrous. He had an income from Her Rising Glory as compensation for his work in making both little people and noble offspring aware of proper Court procedures and proprieties. Why would I pay him anything? For what purpose would I give him so much as one Commerce bit, let alone the 5,000 Imperials you refer to?"

Although he was putting up an angry front, inside he was very frightened. The old fraud had kept books, and his name was in them. What else might be in those records?

"I quite agree with you," the Guardian said with a slow smile, "Payment without a ready purpose would make no sense. It might hint at things...illegal." The smile deepened.

"There was a notation next to the payment amount," the Guardian added softly; "it said, and I quote; 'Strengthen Conditioning of his brat and her idiot boy to include obedience on command-word when written in text form'." Now the Guardian was grinning; "We even have the command words."

"I don't know what you are referring to," Lord Taveralos snapped, knowing the trap was sprung. Now he needed to be the Lord and dismiss these Imperial Palace Nuisances from his presence. Then he would use the few marks gained to leave the city for his hunting lodge, his fortified hunting lodge where the presence of his daughter and her Companion would act as further protection from outright attack.

He sat, an insult. "I have given you quite enough of my time," he growled, "perhaps too much. You presume to forget your place, guardsman. Leave. If you have any admissible evidence, get an investigation warrant. Now depart my House and pray that I do not demand you be removed for your insolence. I am a Lord of the Empire, a descendent of An'kor's War-band brothers. You do not threaten or coerce me into anything, any more than you could coerce one of my ancestors."

The Guardian smiled even wider, almost a grimace. He carefully placed a dataplate and a folded sheet of paper on Lord Taveralos' desk.

Slowly, Lord Taveralos picked up the paper, his hand was shaking now. He unfolded it while the Guardian spoke;

"We've been out to your hunting lodge by Lake Etros and spoken to your daughter and her Companion. We used the release words that Tireno Alcys'ka planted in their minds to release them from the effects of his death notice. They are both recovering, and their children are back in their care. Predictably, they remembered nothing. The four of them have been moved to a safe and secure residence where they can recover from the effects of the Traitor Alcys'ka's actions. They are all being very cooperative."

Lord Taveralos was staring at the paper, only marginally listening to the Imperial Guardian. On it, in the Empress' own hand, in classic K'Kirr'sa characters were the words, "I own you." The form was superior-to-inferior and the style was one of commandment, written over the Imperial Watermark as a final warning. This had come from the desk of Her Rising Glory, the Empress herself.

His eyes looked up and found the Guardian's eyes. The Guardian spoke softly; "Do everything you are told to do, in the way you are told to do it, and to the best of your capability. Do so, and She will allow you to plead 'Accidental Corruption' in the trials that follow. You will lose some lands and some wealth, you will be publically contrite, and your House will revert to your daughter and her Companion while you retire to your lodge by the sea to contemplate how you went astray--for the rest of your life. You will not leave the peninsula where it is located unless summoned by the Throne or evacuated by storm danger. You will have only your family as visitors, as suits a penitent and thoughtful K'iir. Beyond your personal vote, you will not engage in any politics.

"Otherwise, I have the legal right to execute a known Traitor to the Sunrise Throne here and now, as you well know." His hand was resting on the holstered weapon at his waist. Lord Taveralos realized it was a disruptor and not a stunner; he could literally vanish with one shot. Looking up at the Guardian, he swallowed and nodded his silent agreement.

The Guardian smiled a crooked smile, "Just think. She went against our Guardian Council's advice that you be killed simply because she thinks you are the weakest of the would-be usurpers of Her Empire. Your best interest is to prove her right."

Lord Taveralos swallowed again and nodded vigorously in agreement. She was right, she owned him now--but at least he would live. That was what counted.

The Guardian pointed to the dataplate. "You will receive instructions and send information by means of this plate. It is special. Check it daily and do not lose it."

As he turned to his comrades by the door, he commented, "We were here investigating the death of Tireno Alcys'ka; looking for the place where he entered his flyer. You knew nothing and we were convinced of your ignorance. There are several teams of Palace Guardians working through this area of the City, since it was near here that his flyer's responder was first detected in flight. That is what you will tell anyone who asks you about our visit; and do try to be believable, for your own sake."

Then he and his two companions left the room and headed toward the entryway. As a measure of politeness, they would use the side entry rather than the front one. In the instance of possible listening systems, they had all carried small special devices that would confound any speech recorded while they were there. Explaining that to the other conspirators would be Lord Taveralos' first test. If he survived, they would have an ear in the midst of the conspirators. If he died, he had already committed several death-penalty offences against the Throne with his daughter and her Companion.

Either way, he would be of use to the Empire and the Sunrise throne while he lived, and no stain on the Empire if he did not live.

As they climbed into their flier to return to the Palace, the commanding Guardian smiled. The Empress had out-thought the Guardian Council and had been right.

First Empress Jilathe' had been proven right again and would continue to be right--as long as T'Kiir'I were T'Kiir'I.

That thought was still comforting 1170 cycles after her Passing into the Light.

Back in House Taveralos, the resident Lord was having a drink to settle his nerves. He had hidden the communiqué from the Empress in his personal papers, and the data plate was stacked in his desk with all the others. Then as he ran out of things to do to hide his exposure, he had begun to grow nervous. He had already tossed down three glasses of Birallan "Fine and Ancient" Brandy, now he was savoring the fourth. He had been frightened at first, but now he was beginning to get an idea of what he would have to do to cloak his inadvertent discovery. When his co-conspirators asked, he would use the same words the Guardian had used. Alcys'ka had been loaded into his flier drunk. At some point, someone had bumped the responder switch, turning it on--or better; Alcys'ka had flopped in his stupor and accidentally activated the responder while his flier was climbing to cruise altitude. Or perhaps it had never been switched off; deactivating responders in the City was illegal since traffic control used those responders to direct traffic in the proper flight zones. They deactivated automatically below the height of 200 ketra , since that was considered to be building height and responder signals were easily lost...

That was it! The flier had climbed past 200 ketra and the responder had automatically switched on! The flier was already well away from House Taveralos, so the Guardian investigation would be a normal thing--the Palace looking for the last place its "Protocol Master" had been, and his well crafted deflection had sent them off elsewhere none the wiser.

That would work, he decided. His eyes strayed to the table where his glass and brandy bottle sat. It had four deep scratches in its surface, a reminder that some T'Kiir'I still kept the old ways. That varnish was nearly as hard as glass, and the wood under it nearly as hard as the bronze it was named for; yet a High Lord had scratched through both with one stroke of his finger claws...

Lord Taveralos' stomach tightened involuntarily as he thought of what such claws could do to living flesh. He was a duelist. He used modern hardeners on his hand and foot claws. He couldn't have done such damage to that table without breaking at least one claw. His breath came a little faster; Gods of old times and new, his explanation had to work. It absolutely had to.

The fourth glass of brandy joined the other three in his stomach in a matter of moments. He poured himself a fifth.

He was on his way to becoming very, very drunk.

High Lord Antero-Kessa was seated comfortably while a specialist applied a very special polyamide coating to his left index claw. His right hand and left thumb had already been treated. Later, after everything had dried and penetrated, he would stick his claws into hot sand and harden them. The sand wasn't as hot as it would have been in the old days; then the sand would be hot enough to harden the claw with heat alone and one would bear the pain until they were hard enough to be sharpened with file and stone and used as weapons. Nowadays, plastic did the strengthening and hardening while the hot sand did the curing to complete the process. This way was much, much better, in his opinion.

Having claws as hard as metal might have been necessary when the weapons themselves were of sharpened metal, but now things were different and much less painful.

He chuckled to himself, he had anticipated Taveralos' actions and had covertly directed one of his spies in Taveralos' House to apply some varnish remover to the table; not enough to leave a mark, but enough so that his claws could penetrate the now softened surface and reach the wood underneath. The rest had been practice and modern chemistry and following the grain in the wood exactly. Even with all that, he had almost broken a claw-tip in the wood.

The look on Taveralos' face had been worth it, though. He had actually looked like he might piss himself when he saw the marks in the wood. He was an idiot. Useful, but an idiot nonetheless. He still dueled! He risked his life whenever he felt he had been offered offense by someone he had to notice personally, rather than have his household guards deal with them. What a total fool! He was tolerated only because his mineral assets were useful to the revolution as a source of metals that were free of troublesome questions about their use by the Imperial Minerals and Metals board.

He was a vain, useful, arrogant idiot; and might live as long as a day or even two days after the Throne had been taken, provided he didn't die heroically in the usurpation itself. That was always a possibility, thanks to the mercenary troops who were "renting" some of his lands for "practice". All he had to do was...

His thoughts were interrupted by a servant with a comm plate. The servant knew he was not to be disturbed at these times unless it was important, therefore whoever was comming him had to be important or have important information. A glance at the face on the plate told him which it was. The same spy who had softened the varnish at House Taveralos was seeking him outside of the usual time for contact. This might mean trouble; this spy was more than average careful about doing what he was ordered to do and when he was ordered to do it. The puppet-maker had been extra careful with him.

"Leave me," Lord Antero-Kessa said and watched as both servants scurried away. He smiled at their backs and then turned his attention to the comm-plate. He activated it with his right middle finger so as not to leave resin on the plate's control surface.

"What has the idiot done now?" he asked the plate, and a moment later heard, "We had three Palace Guardians come talk to him, and now he's drinking like there is no tomorrow," the faint voice replied to his question.

"Do you have any idea of what they were talking about?"

"The Puppet-master, I think. They were asking if he'd been here and we were all denying it. Then they went in and spoke to him, and when they left he started drinking."

"Wait till he passes out and then go through his things. Check his desk. See if he has turned his back on the Salvation of the Empire. If he has, let me know in one turn."

He ended the contact and pressed the button on his chair that would summon his servants again. The spy would report in a turning, and his claws needed to be finished. It was unlikely that there would be trouble; Taveralos wasn't smart enough to get into any trouble that could be traced past him, and the spies in House Taveralos would warn if somehow he had managed to implicate the rest of the group of...Saviors.

A quarter-turning later, a servant entered the room the Lord used for an office. He had a sweeper and polish-cloth with him. The Lord himself, Tavv'yn an' Taveralos, was stretched out on a lounge, his tail flopped at an angle and an empty glass dropped on the floor beside him. He stank of good brandy. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady and light, as was usual when he was dead drunk and asleep.

That mattered not. Lord Taveralos had a schedule and his servants kept to it. The only reason for not cleaning this room would be if there were visitors in it or the Lord had given orders to change the schedule. Otherwise, the schedule was adhered to without exception, although disturbing the Lord would not be a good thing; not at all.

The servant started silently cleaning the room using the sweeper on the carpet to pick up any dirt that might be there and on the floor to pick up dust, all silently. The polish-cloth was plied over the tables and the desk all quite thoroughly. At the desk, the servant was extra thorough, wiping down each part of the desk surface and the drawers. He also slipped each drawer open and checked for disturbance of the contents. He saw nothing as he carefully wiped down the decorations on both desk and drawer surfaces.

Reaching into a pocket, he got out a wax stick and opened each drawer fully, wiping the wax along the runners so they would slide smoothly. He slid the drawers open and shut a few times to spread the wax along the runners and their guides. This also allowed him to check behind the drawers for hidden compartments or documents fastened to the inside of the desk. Again he found nothing.

"Wha-re' you do-ing?" a drunken voice asked from beside him. He froze for a moment, the Lord was awake and he hadn't heard him move. Fortunately though, he had an explanation.

He turned to Lord Taveralos and bowed from his kneeling position. "Maintenance, sir," he replied, "every week I put a little Tola wax on the drawer glides. Makes them slide smoothly and easily, Milord."

"Lemme see that," Lord Taveralos said, pointing unsteadily at the wax stick.

Taking the extended wax stick he slid a fingertip over it. "Slippery," he said after rubbing his fingertips together and then considering things for a moment. He presented the wax stick back to the perplexed servant, his hand weaving a bit until the servant took it while looking properly perplexed while he smiled.

"Like me," he declared, pointing unsteadily at himself, "Told the Palace Fancy Boys the Puppet-maker hadn't been here. Took some time, but they believed me. Suggested they try the 'special' house two streets over. That twisted their tails but good. Now I'm celebrating."

He leaned over, nearly falling and having to grab the desk to keep his balance. "Y'r Lord is smarter than the Palace Fancy Boys," he declared, "an' smarter than a lot of people. Take the day off. Have someone else do your work. Go celebrate, 'cause your Lord is smarter than the Palace Fancy Boys." By now, the servant was thoroughly wrapped in brandy fumes and just wanted to leave. He took his chance.

"Thank-you, Milord, I will," he said, gathering up his tools and beating a retreat out of the room.

He would report what Lord Taveralos had said, word for word. In his own opinion, the K'iir was simply an alcoholic; but he wasn't permitted an opinion without a specific order. The report would go through to whoever it went to--his comm plate stayed dark when he called the number he had been given, and the voice was altered. At any rate, his criminal indiscretion of ten cycles ago would stay hidden a while longer.

Lord Taveralos pushed the drawer back into his desk. That had been close. Those drinking games paid off; he could stay just mentally clear enough to function while smelling and looking dead drunk. Briefly, he wondered who this spy worked for. No matter; whoever it was would get his doctored version of what had happened here.

And he would stay alive a while longer.

High Lord Antero-Kessa listened to the report from his spy in House Taveralos with some reservations. While Tavv'yn an' Taveralos had a distinct fondness for alcohol, such a celebration seemed odd, unless it wasn't a celebration at all.

A series of one fingered taps on his comm-plate connected him with the spy watching over Taveralos's daughter and her Companion. The call didn't go through. A second attempt brought a similar response; the comm-plate being contacted was not responding.

Odd, that; he thought, the agent should respond. He would call back after his claws were hardened. It was just possible that his agent might have been on the San when he had called.

Twenty marks later, when he called the comm-plate again, his agent answered. Yes, everything was as it had been. Lord Taveralos' daughter and her Companion were still the same, she was blind and he was drunk. Why hadn't he answered the previous call? He'd been on the San. When the High Lord started laughing and hung up he was surprised.

"Why would that bastard think being on the San was funny?" Imperial Guardian and special agent Falos'ka asked his superior at the secure facility where the Taveralos family was being sequestered.

"Who knows," replied Imperial Palace Guardian Tereakos. "Let him laugh. When he is hauled before the Empress for his crimes, he isn't likely to be laughing for some time afterwards-- if ever again. "

Lake An'shal, the next day;

Le'ahn and Terel were working on something new and something boring. Aunt Karalan'ka had taken them off the harvest and given them the payroll to do. While that was a profound degree of trust, it was also a profoundly boring task. Thus, when Aunt Kara's Guardian friend had offered them "something interesting" they had jumped at the chance.

Now they both wished they hadn't. They were slated for Dream-share to prove to all involved that Alcys'ka's mental meddling was over and done. They were waiting on a bench outside the room being set up for the Dream-share machine.

Suddenly, doing payrolls seemed to be a whole lot more interesting. Terel was afraid that if Mother learned about his gambling scam of six segments ago, he would wind up in jail or whatever there was for Imperial children who broke the laws. Le'ahn was worried that her fantasies about sweet An'kale, who turned her fur into silk, would be exposed and she would be a laughingstock. An'kale wasn't interested in girls in any way, shape, or form; but she had very detailed fantasies about changing his mind...

Terel glanced at his sister and muttered, "We're doomed. We're gonna get found out. I thought that if I just avoided the news, I wouldn't have anything to worry about. Mom decided she wanted to be sure we were out of that old bastard's reach, and I'm going to go to jail or something on account of it."

Le'ahn leaned against him, "No you won't. I'll talk to mother and she'll forgive you. I'll tell her you were under the old K'iir's compulsion to do... What was it you did do?" Now she was curious.

"I suckered some of the servants into investing in the Grand Prize J'Korah races, only I changed the odds a little. If they lost nobody would know. If they won, I made the difference between the odds I quoted and the real odds. I stood to make a decent amount if they won," he explained.

Then, sourly, he added; "Every one of them lost. We were all out the Commercials we'd put in."

"You were playing the long odds, weren't you?" she semi-accused, "You know there is a reason those odds are long, don't you?"

"Yeah," he replied, only to have the rest of his words lost as Guardian Artol appeared before them and said, "Time, kids. Who wants to go first?"

When it became obvious that each youngster was happy to let the other one be the first to prove they were out of Alcys'ka's grasp, Guardian Artol an' Merenkon chose Le'ahn.

Despite her protests, he gently but firmly conducted her into the room where the Dream-share machine had been set up. It wasn't very impressive appearing to Le'ahn.

There was a chair for the Counselor, a box on a table, and a daybed. Two headsets and the cables connecting them were settled on the box. A plump K'iir she didn't know was standing, waiting for her. He smiled and sketched a bow. Behind him, a Guardian with the blue triangle of a field medic bowed too.

"Hello," he said, "I'm Counselor Kalana, a contracted Dream-share specialist. I've been retained by the Crown to help the Government recover from a treasonous strike against it by one Tireno Alcys'ka; formerly the Master of Protocol for the Crown. I take it you are one of Alcys'ka's victims?"

Le'ahn nodded dumbly. This wasn't what she expected at all.

The Counselor nodded back, "Then let's get this done, shall we? This will take perhaps a quarter turning and you will need a turn afterwards to recover from the medicines you get for the dream-share session.

"We'll be looking for things in your mind that don't belong, and by now I've learned to sense them wherever they are. When we're done, you can be certain you are free of the worst of his mental assaults and getting over the rest. Once your mind learns how to break the chains of the mental commands, it will do so on its own, naturally."

Then he smiled and said, "You can thank your brother Tam'yn for that. He is the first person who was diagnosed completely as a victim of Tireno Alcys'ka and he is also the first person who started breaking the command structure mentally on his own after he learned how to do it in Dream-share on the ship M'Kereos. If he can do it on a starship, it can probably be done anywhere."

As she was led to the daybed, Le'ahn was wrapped in surprise. She hadn't seen much of her older brother since he was in the Imperial Navy. Still, if he could break the bonds of whatever Tireno Alcys'ka had put in his head with a spaceman's busy schedule, so could she. This was beginning to look less daunting--and less embarrassing.

The "helmet" was settled onto her head and she watched the Counselor take a seat and place a second contact "helmet" on his own head. The Guardian medic injected him with something and then stepped over to her and pressed a different injector against her forearm. There was a brief feeling of coldness on her skin and then a hiss. Then nothing.

She was in a room with the Counselor, only he was older and dressed in old-style clothing. She wasn't on a daybed, she was in a chair. Mother was there, and the Counselor was Father, not a Counselor at all. There was a brief bit of confusion, but then things made sense.

They were at Lake An'shal, at one of the new farms that Father had ordered be created for the people displaced by Red Gorge Dam. It had been built to stop the periodic flooding of the farmlands below the gorge and to provide water during the hot summer months so more crops could be grown for market without the risk of losing them if the river dried up.

Lake An'shal wasn't affected by that, being too far upstream of the dam. The people who were losing farmland had been invited to move their whole Houses up here, to what was virgin land and ready for the plow with only a little preparation. Father's cousin, Taren an' Yere'kos, had invited them up as a way to escape the Capitol's heat in high summer. Taren had even built a separate house for them and a barrack for Father's guards. Taren an' Yere'kos had won the right to a House in battle and was proving to be a superb Lord and House-holder.

Father stepped over to her knelt and looked into her eyes and smiled. "You don't need to worry, Le'ahn, not any more. The Traitor's works are purged from your mind and you are whole."

Then he smiled again and faded away.

Le'ahn woke up confused, and it appeared the Counselor was similarly confused. Looking over at her from his chair, he asked, "What happened to you? I followed you into a dream and then suddenly you were gone. I couldn't find you. Then we were waking up because the machine thought you had been disconnected."

Then he repeated, "What happened to you?"

Le'ahn stared into space for several moments before answering, "Father said I was all right. I'm not afraid anymore." She sat up, looking around and feeling somehow lost among all the familiar things.

But she would be all right. Father had said so, and Father had conquered the whole world before she had been born so she would have a good place to grow up and live. The soldier who had guided her into the room helped her through a door and into a second room with a sleeping mat. She thanked him and settled down to nap.

When Terel's turn came, he nervously lay back and let the injection carry him into the special awake "Dreaming" state of the Dream-share. The Counselor was there, and so was a "thing". It looked ugly, although Terel had never seen anything like it before.

"I was afraid of this," the Counselor said resignedly, "that stun treatment for Alcys'ka's programming isn't always effective."

"What do you mean?" Terel asked, carefully stepping around the "thing" in his dream to where the Counselor stood.

"That is a program node complex," the Counselor explained, pointing to the ugly thing. Then he asked, "shall we see what's in it?"

Swallowing, Terel nodded. The Counselor took a step to the "thing" and with a knife that suddenly appeared in his hand, cut it open.

Terel was in a casino and was winning time after time. He couldn't lose, it seemed. He threw the knucklebones and every time they came up with a winning number or color. Every time he threw the knucklebones, more money added itself to his already enormous stack of gold Imperials. He bet on impossibly long odds and won. He played cards and every time drew the winning hand. Even three-stick flips always paid off.

He literally could not lose. Whatever he tried, he won. Girls were beginning to notice his luck and he realized he could win them too, whenever he wanted; and then he would own them as play-toys for his personal enjoyment.

Then suddenly, without warning everything vanished into a pall of inky blackness. It was night without light or moon or stars.

"Hmm," came the Counselor's voice, "now this seems to be his visual function control node. Can you see? You shouldn't be able to if it's what I think it is. Are you blind again?"

"Y-yes," Terel replied, "Please fix it. Please!"

Moments later, there was light. He was in a room he didn't recognize. Tireno Alcys'ka was there, fiddling with something. That "something" looked like part of a desk computer and display tablet attached to something that looked like the Dream-share machine he had seen when he had come into the room. There were light cables coming out of it and the display hologram was like nothing he had ever seen before, but Alcys'ka seemed to be familiar with it. He turned and looked at Terel and seemed to be concerned about something. Then everything froze.

"Do we have permission to keep a record of this part of the Dream-share?" Counselor's voice asked, "We've only had two other conscious memories of Alcys'ka at work."

"Uhh yes," Terel replied nervously. He had no idea where this dream had come from.

Tireno Alcys'ka moved and stepped over to where Terel was sitting and waved a hand in front of his eyes. Then he made as to slap Terel, stopping at the moment before contact. He bent and stared into Terel's eyes, apparently looking for something and not finding it.

"No reaction," he muttered, "another one who sleeps with their eyes open. What is it about your family that makes you sleep with your eyes open? Your brother did the same thing before his slut died. Then he became so upset I couldn't do anything with him, the weakling. One dead female is not worth getting upset over." Then he shrugged. "Humph, like you could answer. I need to load the new gambling addiction into you, slave, in addition to an experiment of my own. If my idea works, it will be something that I can charge a great deal for. For now though, try not to lose all your mother's money at once and do try to be very noticeable when you do it. The more of an embarrassment you are, the more I can ask for this particular fixation when I load it into others."

Alcys'ka turned to a piece of equipment and pushed a button and everything faded away. Then he was back with the Counselor and the "thing" was gone. The Counselor was smiling.

"That is a very usable memory about the Traitor, definitely," the Counselor said, "Too bad he didn't name any names."

"Is it gone?" Terel asked, and the Counselor nodded; "I just need to check a couple of really deep places in your mind and then we'll be done. For this, you should sleep, since they are all primal reflexes and not particularly pleasant for you if they're disturbed."

The next thing Terel knew was that he was waking up while the Counselor and Guardian Artol were discussing something. Seeing he was awake, they changed the subject.

"Glad to see you are back with us," Artol said smiling, "you gave Counselor Kalana a bit of a surprise with that memory segment. Apparently a resistance to mental coercion is part of your family heritage."

Then he asked, "How do you feel?"

Terel shook his head and replied, "Strange. Not bad-strange, just strange. Was that gambling thing really something Tireno Alcys'ka stuck into my head or was I just dreaming?"

"Yes to both," the Counselor replied, "You were in a dreaming state, but the gambling addiction--and it was an addiction, was deliberately forced into your mind. Now it's gone, although the habit of gambling may continue, depending on your nature. You just won't have the craving and needing to bet or wager anymore."

"And if I do, Counseling will help it this time?"

"It should. I didn't feel anything that would block a Counselor's behavior modification training efforts in your mind, if that's what you mean."

Terel relaxed, admitting; "Last time, Mother had some counselors working with me and it seemed the more they tried to help, the worse it got. I didn't like myself a whole lot then."

Counselor Kalana smiled. "That was probably your reaction to the mental implant's affecting your thought processes. People know when their minds are being interfered with on an instinctual level. Your self-hostility was actually directed at Alcys'ka's implant, not you. That may actually have helped you resist it on a few levels.

"Anyway, it is gone. The machine and I say so."

Then Terel asked, "Why did he do this? My sister just went blind, but I got hit with a lot of things. Why?"

This time Artol answered, "We think the idea is to discredit the Imperial Family or even our Imperial System as a means of discrediting the Empress herself. By making her children seem to be socially undesirable spoiled brats or worse, they make the Empress and her Companion appear flawed and unable to raise their children properly. As a male, you would be the most visible, since your sister tended to stay close to home and just spend money on clothing and fur treatments, while you would be seen as a rebellious and less-than-desirable male child of the Imperial Family. You would be an embarrassment, and that is what these people want."

He sighed, "It's complex and there are some parts I'm not at liberty to discuss, but you were essentially being set up as an embarrassment to your family and the Imperial Household in general. They lost their chance with your older brother Tam'yn when he went into the Navy, so when you came of age you became the next target."

Terel felt a cold chill when he heard how he was being used, but by who?

"Who did this?" he asked, "I mean, who paid Tireno Alcys'ka to do this to someone who had done nothing to them. Who hates our family so much that they would do something like this?"

Guardian Artol sighed and replied, "It isn't a single 'who', Terel; more like a number of 'who's' and they are after one thing to the exclusion of all else, and they have been preparing for this for a long time. I think you know what that thing is."

Terel's jaw dropped. Then he swallowed and said, "The Throne. They want the Sunrise Throne. But...who? Who would do something like that just so they could rule? Mother says it's like carrying every Empress since Jilathe' on your shoulders; and that's when things are going well. What sort of crazy person would want something like that?"

Counselor Kalana asked, "What makes you think they're crazy? Governing by the Charter could drive you crazy, yes, but suppose you throw out the Charter and just rule the way you want to? Suppose you don't care about the whole of the Empire, just your friends and cronies at the top? Suppose you had the means to control the opposition, thanks to the Traitor Alcys'ka's machines? Express the wrong opinion and suddenly zap, you're singing the praises of the current ruler and would willingly die to protect them."

"They aren't crazy, Terel, they want power and they don't care who has to die, who has to suffer, just so long as they get to sit on the Sunrise Throne. They aren't crazy, they're Evil; the same Evil that An'kor conquered a planet to get rid of. That's who they are, Terel; that's who they are."

Guardian Artol commented, "You're laying it on a bit thick, aren't you, Counselor? You're giving evil a physical presence in the world through the enemies of the Throne, is that wise ?"

"You haven't seen the damage these people did to perfectly ordinary members of the Government in the name of their 'Cause', Artol; while I have," the Counselor replied with some heat, "and I've dealt with more deliberate pain than I believed it was possible to inflict without causing physical damage We will be years with some people, mending the damage that was done to them, just so a political agenda could be followed."

Looking down, he added sadly, "And there are some people we don't know how to help, none of the release words work on them and we can't find the sources of their problems with the Dream-share because that bastard hid them in parts of the mind it would take his awful machine to reach. Some people are going to die, grieving themselves to death, because we don't know how to release them. If that isn't evil, tell me what it is."

Guardian Artol glanced at Terel to see how the youngster was taking these revelations. The shock mixed with revulsion on the young K'iir's face was enough. At least he knew what was happening in the Capitol and wouldn't be shocked by the news as things unfolded.

Le'ahn was a different story. She was different now. It was as if she had instantly matured in the Dream-share state, and that wasn't possible.

It was almost like she was another person, although the Dream-share had shown her to be completely free from the Traitor's machine and its mental effects.

Yet she had changed. Even her accent had changed, and she was using odd words in place of the normal ones. She said "winters" instead of "cycles" and "Married" instead of "Companioned". It was like she was using words from a different time or a different world. The recorded dreams in her dream state were also strange.

Counselor Kalana was going to need to try another Dream-share with her, to make sure she was all right and not manifesting a secondary personality from Alcys'ka's machine. He had dealt with six people like that and they were all beyond strange; a whole other personality was present in these victims, ready to do whatever they were told to do by their Master, Tireno Alcys'ka. They did not recognize his death when told of it, they were simply waiting for their Master to give them directions and they would do them.

May the Warrior's God protect Le'ahn from something like that...

Far from T'Kiir'ah:

Tam'yn went through the clothing sent from the ship a third time. Things were changing, that was painfully certain. His Dress uniform lacked all the accustomed markings outside of the M'Kereos patch on the left shoulder. The piping on the seams was now gold rather than red. On the right breast now the Imperial Arms were embroidered on the patch there where the old Imperial Navy seal had been. Only his medals remained the same.

His shirts and other clothing had been similarly re-worked into a not-quite-Navy collection of clothes, all modified for his left arm. Even his Dress leggings had been redone with gold trimmings and his foot covers were now shoes, complete with soles, rather than the hard safety protectors they had been.

Even his off-duty wear had been changed; some of it was Court-wear from his closet. Some of it he didn't recognize, other than it fit him and had been modified for his splint.

He stared at the pile of cloth with growing pain in his belly. Everything he had achieved on his own was being systematically erased. When he took off his black Navy un-dress uniform and sent it out to be cleaned, he wondered if he would get it back. There were shipsuits in the pile of clothes, but they were black and gold; not Engineering black and red or work-wear solid red. He was being eaten alive by his office. The Vice-royalty bracelet currently on a bedside table was a mouth that was bit by bit it devouring him, one piece at a time.

He felt anger at the thing he wore on his wrist so much of the time, anger based on his perception that what he had accomplished was meaningless, and only what his mother, the Empress, had conferred on him mattered.

Getting up, he strode over to the bracer and picked it up, staring into its light. It shouldn't be glowing but it was. Maybe it was still digesting its last meal of his personal accomplishments and his personal achievements. When it got hungry again, it would consume a bit more of him, of his life and of things he had done with no aid from the Palace. Eventually, all that would be left would be the political creature he was learning to be--the Imperial Viceroy. The T'Kiir'I who had won medals and made Engineer First on his own and in record time would be long gone, made into the political creature by a piece of jewelry that he had to wear.

Loathing rose in him as he stared at the Imperial Arms in the stone in the wristlet.

"Wasn't your oath to serve the Empire unconditional?" a voice asked; "If you are no longer willing to give your life for your Empire, then tell your Empress so. Service is service and death is death, no matter how they are shaped."

Shocked, Tam'yn almost dropped the bracelet as he spun to find the source of the voice...only the room was empty. J'sharra had taken a flier back to the M'Kereos to get something and wouldn't be back before dinnertime. Being sworn, the time of day no longer mattered and she was less impressed by the dual suns than by the cityscape around the hospital. She wanted to know if there were any K'Pyri'ah temples in the city.

The flier that had come for her had also brought his new clothing and his new problem.

Shaking his head, he put the bracelet back on the table. Hearing things... He needed another Dream-share session to find out where these voices were coming from.

The voice had been right, though. The Empire needed a Viceroy to meet the robot-makers and he was that Viceroy whether he wanted to be one or not.

He would talk to J'sharra when she got back. She would have an answer. At least he hoped she would have some sort of answer, because at the moment he had none.

Or did he? Maybe he already had the answer himself. Had he seen a...ghost outlined in the barrier energies in the interrogation cell as he stepped through that barrier? Was it the ghost of An'kor who was talking to him? Why him and why not someone with more natural authority, someone like Tan'yel? He just didn't know.

That didn't seem as impossible as it once might have, not now. He still didn't want to find out of a certainty, though. That would be too much, and his life seemed filled with things that were too much these days.

Sitting on his Healing bed, he assembled the least ostentatious set of clothes and put them on. He put on his old leggings with the red engineering piping after brushing them off so they looked presentable. He looked at the shoes. The shoes looked back at him, daring him to wear them. He didn't take the dare, as one foot was still sensitive enough that putting on the footwear would be painful. He hadn't worn shoes in a very long time, since you didn't need them in starships and they could make getting into a p-suit more difficult.

He clipped the foot protectors to his leggings after slipping them over his feet.

He was dressed, even though he still couldn't stand very long due to the surgery site in his abdomen. Glancing at the float-chair, he decided to go somewhere he hadn't been, which at the present was just about everywhere on the planet outside of some far away island and this level of the hospital.

With reservations, he locked the Viceroy's bracer around his wrist, slipping the key into a belt pouch. He might need the authority it conferred. He reached for his Engineer's earclip and stared at it. He had spent almost two cycles winning this thing, this mark of his achievement and ranking. Five marks later he was still staring at it, undecided as to whether he should wear it or not.

Then, with a muttered curse, he set it in place on his ear. If it bothered others, that was their problem, not his. He might be a Viceroy, but he was also a Ship's Engineer, First rank; by all the Gods of Star and Space.

He walked gingerly over to the float-chair and sat in it. After making sure the accumulators were fully charged, he activated it. Maneuvering it to his bed, he rang for an attendant.

One materialized in a matter of moments, almost as if she had been waiting for his call. She was a Birallan with a crest of red hair and slanted gray eyes wearing Healing blue. She did a little bow to him and his ears pinked.

"I hate to bother you like this," he said, "but who would I contact to have this clothing put away and some clothing cleaned? All this stuff arrived and I really can't put it away myself." He gestured at his waist, where the surgery pads made a lump in his shirt front.

Again the bow and she answered, "I would be happy to do that for you, your Radiance. I heard of your donation and I should imagine it will be painful until the surgical site heals."

Then she lowered her voice and said, "My Cousin-Uncle had a similar procedure done for another Cousin-Uncle and he was in discomfort for nearly a tenday. I would be happy to keep you from that discomfort since I understand what sort of discomfort it is."

Tam'yn thanked her and indicated his old semi-dress black uniform, explaining,

"That needs cleaning and I would prefer that it return just as it is, without any additional ornamentation. I would prefer plain Navy black un-dress, just like it is now. If anyone wants to add decorations to it you have my authority to tell them no. I want it back clean and just like it is now."

"Yes, your Radiance," the girl replied with a smile, "I will make sure the cleaners don't fancy it up. Will there be anything else?"

"I don't think so," Tam'yn replied, "I'm going to look in on my cousin and then wander a bit. This room is nice but after a while it gets boring."

The Birallan girl giggled; "My Cousin-Uncle said exactly the same thing. There is a Videon two floors down, and they show the most recent releases from T'Kiir'ah. It is very popular with the staff and the local people as well as the ambulatory patients. It is two floors down and on the opposite side of the building." She then busied herself with clothing and Tam'yn floated out the door and into the hall.

First, he headed to Tan'yel's room, only to discover J'ina and T'oko were doing a Dream-share session with his father. After being reminded that he and Tan'yel were due to have a Dream-share session after dinner, he thanked them and floated out into the hall again.

He had nothing to do and three turnings to do it in. He smiled and headed for a building Transporter to see what there was not to do. When he got there, he was surprised for a moment. This wasn't a Transporter, it was a lift, an elevator. Shaking his head, he got in and pressed the down buttons

He checked the Videon and decided against going in. There was a show in progress and the next one would be in two and a half turns. J'sharra would be back in three turnings or a bit less, and he didn't want to be watching something when she arrived. Their Companionship was still new enough that he didn't want to miss a single beat of time when he could be with her.

On the ground floor, he made a discovery that he definitely wanted to share with J'sharra when she returned; there was a K'Pyri'ah on the grounds of the hospital located in one of the gardens. It would be small, but it would be a place where his Companion could feel at ease and relaxed and be in familiar surroundings, which the meditation space on a starship decidedly was not.

Now he just had to find it. According to the simple map of the area he was studying, the door he was nearest was exactly the wrong one for what he wanted. He needed to go to the far side of the hospital, into the gardens that surrounded the Healing center, and take the second path to the right. That should lead him to the "K'Pyri'ah temple at J'retan Memorial Healing center" and the Dancers there.

In smaller characters under the Healing center's formal name, a second title appeared that was more familiar to him; "Guardian Hospital No.3". Apparently there were either two facilities in one structure or (more likely) one name was the public and general use name while the other was the official name.

Navigating the corridors of the hospital might be confusing to some, but to a T'Kiir'I who lived and worked on starships it was a piece of cake. He figured out the numbering system in minutes, and with that he was able to numerically find his way to the entryway he wanted. He tried to go out the doors and was surprised when his float chair bumped into them when they refused to open.

A second try was equally unsuccessful.

A glance showed him where the control panel was located on the left door jamb and he floated over to it. He was about to start entering general "open" commands when the door slid open as a Healer walked through it and out of the building. Wasting no time, he followed before the doors had a chance to close.

He was outside. He maneuvered his chair over to the curb and grounded it. Then he sat and enjoyed air that was not filtered, cleaned, treated, heated or cooled, humidified, and all the other things that indoor air had done to it.

It had been... He counted carefully, and it had been slightly more than eight segments since he had been outside of a structure of some sort, and that had been in a work P-suit checking the newly installed sensors on the outer hull of the M'Kereos. This air by comparison was almost intoxicating in its richness.

The light of the afternoon suns warmed his shoulders and ears, and those same ears twitched and spun catching the sound of a living planet, of creatures not seen but only heard. Pretty insects with enormous tri-colored wings fluttered from flower to flower in the garden area near the hospital entrance, and he watched them with pleasure. They were alien life-forms that were at least similar to the creatures he remembered from home.

He sat there for nearly half a turning, watching, recalling and remembering. His

"Viewing area" was a good imitation of life, but compared to the real thing it was just that; an imitation.

Finally, he stirred himself and went looking for the K'Pyri'ah, the K'Pyri Temple. Two paths down and a turn to the right wound him up at a simple structure consisting of a partially covered platform with a small structure at the back and five small structures clustered around two sides of the platform.

He had been there only a few beats when a mature Birallan approached him, clad in dancing silks. He wore a crystal pendant that proclaimed he was, like J'sharra, a priest of the Path of Moving Prayer.

He bowed, palms together and then asked, "Friends, what may I do to assist you?"

Tam'yn looked around and saw no one. "Friends?" he asked?

The priest nodded slowly, then replied, "There is a spirit with you of great goodness and virtue; thus I greet you both--the living and the light."

Tam'yn tried to speak and only managed to flap his jaw for a few beats. Finally, he managed to ask, "Is this 'spirit' wearing fancy clothing and armor?" He dreaded the potential answer.

His fears were confirmed. "Indeed," the priest said, "and I believe he was known to our founder, the Great Pyri, twelve hundred cycles in the past. I greet An'kor the Peace-bringer and healer of T'Kiir'ah, and make all our small temple's things available to him." Then he bowed again, deeply.

And Tam'yn's stomach went into freefall. He was haunted.

_ "Cheer up, cousin. You didn't piss yourself or pass out. This is a good sign since it means we are going to be able to work well together, and we are going to be together for a very long time, "_ said a voice Tam'yn was beginning to recognize. It was his ancestor. His famous ancestor. His famous dead ancestor who wouldn't stay properly dead. The ancestor who took over his body when circumstances required it.

His response was a groan, and the ghost laughed.

Some time later, after she had put away the things she had needed to get from the ship, Tam'yn told J'sharra about the K'Pyri'ah on the hospital grounds. She was delighted.

"Could we go, please?" she asked when he explained he had been there already and had an invitation from the Priest in charge of the temple for the both of them to attend sunset services.

He nodded, "Absolutely. The priest said that attending would probably help me with the Dream-share later tonight. I asked and we can eat at the main refectory on the ground floor, too. That way we can be part way there when we finish our meal."

J'sharra grimaced. "I'll ask them to pack something for me then, since dancing on a full stomach isn't good for the dance or the digestion. I'll eat just a light snack before we go to services, then eat my meal when we get back here."

Tam'yn grinned evilly and said, "Here, have a light snack" as he offered her a space-suit ration pack. She pouted and took it, admitting, "This is probably the best thing I could eat prior to dancing, but I remember the faces you make when you eat these. Are they really that bad?"

Tam'yn grinned, "Only one way to find out. Shall we go eat?" That got him a sour look as she stood and started to undress. "I will need to wear my priestess' robes when I go, so let me get out of these things and into my robes..."

Suddenly she turned and hurried to their closet and went through the clothing hanging in it. Her shoulders slumped.

Turning back to Tam'yn she grumbled, "They're still on the ship. I can wear my semi-dress uniform, I guess, and hope the Priest isn't offended.

Tam'yn smiled, "Osha won't take offense. He says the clothing, like the flesh, is just a way to contain one's light. I was wearing what I have on now, and he wasn't bothered by it. He does want to meet you, though."

"I wonder how a follower of Pyri wound up here?" she asked.

Tam'yn replied, "According to Osha, the founder of all the K'Pyri'ah on this world went to a specific Imperial Guardian and asked to come here some three generations ago. Apparently he knew enough that the Guardian Council decided to let him emigrate to protect the secret of this planet's existence. When he arrived, he set up a school and within five Imperial cycles he was making priests and they were setting up K'Pyri'ah all over the free parts of the planet. Since most of the people here are either released exiles or the children of people exiled here who have served their sentences and been released or are children of retired Guardians, there was a need for what Great Pyri taught and his teacher was sent here by the Light itself to bring Pyri's message."

"At least, that what Osha told me," he amended, "And given what he said, I wouldn't want to dispute him," he added as he remembered his Famous Ancestor.

"That would be the Light, seeking to dispel darkness," J'sharra said after thinking a while as she dressed. "I wonder who the blessed one was, the one who brought Pyri's way to this world?"

"Ask Osha," Tam'yn replied as the two of them exited the room for the first floor dining area.

Dinner was very pleasant for them. Since J'sharra had decided she would need to have her dance-wear and priestess robes sent to her from the ship, she could eat. They had spiced meat of some sort that tasted exotic along with steamed grain and strange green leafy vegetables and some interesting crunchy root vegetables. There was fresh Toro sauce, too, which made the suit rations Tam'yn had to eat less of an annoyance. He decided to eat the suit rations first, that way the meal helped him get the old-cardboard-and-fish-glue taste out of his mouth.

Dessert was a frozen substance made from the milk of one of the local animals, mixed with fruit flavors and topped with more fruit. It was exotic, since the animals on T'Kiir'ah didn't produce milk as rich or as plentiful as the animals here did. On T'Kiir'ah what milk was produced was needed to feed the young with very little left over. Milk products were one of the most expensive foods on T'Kiir'ah, but here they were abundant and cheap. Both Tam'yn and J'sharra decided that if this planet ever lost its invisibility, this frozen substance would be a high status export from the very first day.

Then it was time to visit the K'Pyri'ah for sunset services, a first for Tam'yn and a missed part of the day for J'sharra. They arrived along with what must have been more than sixty people as the suns began their setting in the planet's western rather than eastern sky. More wandered in as the first dancers stepped out and began the pantomime of sunset, moving into night and then peaceful sleep.

Tam'yn was enthralled as he watched the dancers tell a story of rest, peaceful sleep, renewal, and then rising with the new light, renewed even as the light was renewed. Music was provided by strings, flutes, and tuned drums, all playing music that supported the dance without being overly noticeable itself.

A glance to his side brought a shock. J'sharra wasn't sitting there anymore. This T'Kiir'I woman was older and less classically beautiful but utterly compelling in her presence. He knew this woman, he had seen her likeness hundreds of times. She was Jilathe', the first Empress and the beloved of An'kor the Conqueror. She looked at him and smiled gently. He felt as though he had seen something sacred in that smile.

A glance down at his left arm confirmed his suspicions; the splint on his arm was a ghostly shape surrounding a long, strong, dark brown furred arm with a leather wristlet wrapped around the wrist. He realized he was manifesting An'kor, perhaps empowered by the emotional belief here, perhaps something else. All he knew was that this was as real as it could get and he was going to need the wisdom of this ancient personage when he met the Robot makers; and maybe before.

No, make that probably before. No, just make it before.

"Wise thought, cousin," came a voice he was beginning to recognize, "There are going to be many instances where my experience can be of assistance, but you must always ask for it. I remain in the Light until situations in your world call me back, and my promise binds me to the thing I made and Jilathe' refined into the wonder it is today."

There was a dry chuckle and then, "It seems that Deleos Pyri'ka's ideas and philosophy have done well in this day. That makes me glad, for he was always a boon companion to me and a comfort when battle upon battle wore me down. He was always

there to uplift my spirit when I was ready to scream with frustration at the loss of life. He officiated at our marriage, Jilathe' and I, and was a wise counsel ever after until he himself entered the Light he so loved. Now he still counsels me and I grow with it."

_ _ "How is it that you can talk to me?" Tam'yn whispered; "I've never heard of ghosts talking to the living before, at least not like this."

"Two things," the spirit replied, "one is blood. You and I are close by bloodline, as was your sister and as are your younger siblings. You are almost all of you more than usually sensitive to those in the Light. Our family has always been that way, the why of it I do not know. It is strongest in those of us who sleep with our eyes partially open for some odd reason. The second thing is the machine that was used on you and on your Companion at the Palace. It changed your brain somehow and made it more sensitive to those of us who have entered the Light. There are going to be a lot of people who are suddenly aware of their ancestors, thanks to that machine."

Another dry chuckle, "That ought to be interesting. I just hope the Usurpers don't seize on it as a means of action, should this effect become known, although many of the spirits who have returned to this sunset world are dedicated to this Empire of ours."

Then he added, "The service is over, and my wife and I must needs depart. We will talk more, cousin, and at a later time."

Then Tam'yn was Tam'yn again. His left arm was secure in its splint. It was not someone else's arm.

Then a glance at J'sharra had him squirming around to get to her. She looked terrified, her lower jaw was dropped open and her eyes were wide with terror. As soon as he touched her, she looked at him and passed out. He caught her and was about to call for help when help in the form of A'sallah was there, along with J'ina and T'oko. Apparently they had come to the service too. He supported J'sharra, which had his surgery site screaming with pain, until A'sallah took her weight. He only let her go when A'sallah had her safely in his arms. Then he wrapped his right arm over the incision site, trying to stop the pain. It didn't help a great deal as he dropped to his knees. He felt warmth and wetness, he was bleeding. Wonderful. He would keep. J'sharra needed help more than he did.

T'oko rolled up to the group and informed them that he had summoned help. Tam'yn nodded his thanks but kept his arm over his belly, which was really seriously starting to hurt. He didn't care, something had happened to J'sharra.

Moments later, Osha hurried over to them, his silks partly covered by a simple robe and belt that was the non-dance Temple clothing of Pyri's followers.

"What happened?" he asked as A'sallah lifted and then lowered J'sharra off the bench seat and onto the ground. He looked shocked, and Tam'yn suspected why. He had been Dancing near them and had probably seen the two spirits who were using Tam'yn and J'sharra as hosts.

"I don't--," Tam'yn began to say, then changed his mind; "An'kor said something about J'sharra and the Palace, let me try to remember."

A'sallah and J'ina were beside J'sharra and Osha was kneeling at her feet when Tam'yn muttered, "Drok. An'kor said something about Alcys'ka's machine and J'sharra when she was at the palace."

"When was she there?" A'sallah asked and Tam'yn replied, "I don't know. I didn't even know she had been at the Palace, or when. She never said anything to me about it. Maybe Tan'yel would know, but I don't."

Further speech was halted by the warbling tones of an Emergency Flier as it settled nearby--away from the dance area but near where they were situated, partially scattering the group of curious onlookers who were gathering around the two injured K'iir. Two Healers jumped out, followed by a third with a litter under her arm and all three hurried to where J'sharra had been laid down on the ground.

Osha was holding one of J'sharra's hands and concentrating. Looking up as the emergency team converged on the group he said, "She has had a great shock to herself and has experienced a terrible fear of something. She needs Counseling more than Healing, and she needs it soon. There is great fear in her, dimming her Light."

The apparent leader of the emergency team nodded his thanks as he reached into a pocket in his clothing for what looked like a small piece of rope. He snapped it and the odor of ammonia began to fill the area. He waved it under J'sharra's nose and after a few passes she sneezed and her eyes opened, looking wildly around and then fixing on Tam'yn. There was pain in those eyes as she reached out to take his hand, seizing upon it tightly and not letting go. He returned her grasp with his own.

The emergency team leader stared at him, and for a moment Tam'yn thought it was the Viceroy's bracelet; but then he acted and gently moved Tam'yn's right arm from where he had been pressing it against his belly and the incision site.

Looking down, Tam'yn could see a lot of blood soaking the fabric of his shirt and his sleeve and muttered a curse. He knew he had damaged the surgery site when he had supported J'sharra and now it showed in blood. He had hoped it would just be minor but apparently it wasn't, not the way the Healer was acting.

The Healer opened his shirt and poked the pads there, then signaled for something from the flier. That 'something' turned out to be a second litter and Tam'yn was loaded into it while the one carrying his Companion was loaded into the flier, and then one of the attendants came back for him.

"I will pray for her," Osha said worriedly to him as his litter was lifted, "but what could so harm a Priestess is a mystery to me. We learn to balance the light and dark within ourselves so we become transparent to the greater Light around us, but something has excited a great terror in her so she has closed herself away from the greater Light as if she were trying to hide from it."

Then he took Tam'yn's hand and said, "Love her fully. That is how this thing will be broken and she will be healed. If either of you need me, I shall be here--praying in silence." Tam'yn thanked him as his litter was picked up. Then he was loaded into the flier with J'sharra at his left. He couldn't reach her. Surprisingly, not A'sallah but J'ina climbed into the flier and strapped herself into a seat.

"I heard what Osha said, and I can possibly be of help to her; moreso than Deryn could be," she explained, "and working with your father has given us some new words to use on the compulsions set deep in the mind as was his dæmon. When we get to the Emergency treatment area, I will try a simple scan of her mind to see if I can locate whatever it is that Tireno Alcys'ka put there. When T'oko meets us, we can go deeper and perhaps put you in link with her so she learns how to deal with the weakest of these perversions."

This brought a strange response from J'sharra, who had been sedated by the Emergency team; "No... not Tam'yn. Please, not him." Then she began to sob quietly and Tam'yn tried to get up only to find he couldn't.

While J'ina had been speaking, someone had put a bigger pile of compresses on his belly, making a large white and red lump on his stomach. The person who was applying them did not look happy.

"Let me up," he asked/ordered the Emergency Healing team, and got a solid refusal from its leader. A moment later, a tube was attached to the pump on his splint and he felt cold running down his arm. He tried to get up again, to no avail.

"Sorry, your Radiance, but you're bleeding from a cardio-surgical site and until we know why, you stay flat." Then he added, "And I would say the same thing to the Empress Herself; you are not bleeding out on my watch. Stay flat so we can see what's wrong, then we'll talk about you getting up."

Tam'yn fumed, but couldn't do anything about it. Both law and the restraint field were on the side of the Healer.

J'ina had taken out a small device and a scanner of some sort and by leaning forward had pressed it into the fur on J'sharra's right temple. Then she activated the scanner and was concentrating on the traces the hologram showed.

As the Emergency flier approached the roof of the hospital, several news fliers were already orbiting that same roof trying for pictures of the two people it was carrying. As the flier landed, a group of Guardian fliers chased them away long enough for Tam'yn and J'sharra to be whisked inside and down one floor to the Emergency treatment area.

Tam'yn learned he had torn some of his surgical skin-seal connections and had to have them re-made. While that was being done and his shirt was being cleaned, he worried about his Companion.

He was concerned that J'sharra didn't want him in a Dream-share. Why? Was it a sense of privacy? Did she have some great secret she was keeping? Did it matter to him?

The last question had him thinking deeply and finally deciding that No, it didn't. He was worried that she felt there was some part of herself she didn't want him to know, to learn about, but he didn't know what it could be and he couldn't ask.

He could only support, once he was allowed to get up and go to her. Currently, he couldn't even get up.

J'ina was with J'sharra in her treatment room. The device on J'sharra's temple told J'ina she was still very afraid, but was calming mentally now, apart from the chemically induced calm. What had her so fearful was a mystery that needed to be solved, and solved soon.

She heard the squealing of T'oko's treads before he arrived, homing in on the transmitter that was a part of her prosthetic right arm. When he rolled into the treatment room, she breathed a sigh of relief; her best tool was here now. They went into silent comm chat so patient J'sharra wouldn't be upset. At her request, T'oko commed Deryn A'sallah and requested him to check in on the Viceroy and assess his mood and feelings.

T'oko replied via comm link that Guardian A'sallah was bringing the Viceroy's float chair that had been left at the Temple and would use that as the reason for visiting the Viceroy rather than going to the location of the injured Security officer from the M'Kereos.

J'ina felt relieved. Deryn was always so thoughtful, that was what made him such a good Guardian. She just wished he would seek someone to fix his attentions on other than her. She was barely a person, no longer even female, and he deserved better. Yes, she cared about him a great deal, but he deserved better than her. No matter how much that fact hurt her, he deserved better than she could ever give. She had learned years ago to quash her own feelings simply because of what she had become; a neuter, crippled, tailless cyborg.

She had used that on the Traitor simply because seeing what she was without the prostheses and appliance/masks usually terrified people. He had broken early; some of the criminals she had dealt with had resisted until she was nearly nude.

They had all broken, though. Their minds had put the deformations and scars on their own bodies and they had recoiled at what they had imagined. That was basic psychology, that transfer. She was a nightmare of "what might be" and that broke people. Fear was a tool in interrogation, but now it was something harmful to be dealt with in the Viceroy's Companion. What had happened to her? What was she so afraid of, and what did she dread her Companion finding out about her?

Counselor T'keron began assessing J'sharra an Merenkon na' Yere'kos for the sources of her fear.

"What has you so afraid?" she asked gently, alert for every twitch her patient might make and every word she might mis-speak. She was also using the chemical haze caused by the medication given to J'sharra to get her to speak honestly and not try to hide what she was feeling.

"Tam'yn," J'sharra replied nervously, "He doesn't know about everything that's been done to him or what I've been ordered to do under some circumstances. If he finds out, he'll hate me and I'll lose him."

The scanner told J'ina that J'sharra was telling the truth, but the fear was making her hide things. That was not good.

Slowly, she began to trick and tease things out of the Dancer's mind and memory.

Meanwhile, A'sallah had negotiated the corridors and lifts of the Hospital with the Viceroy's chair by the simple means of sitting in it and steering it. Once at the Emergency unit near the roof of the building, he managed to locate the Viceroy's treatment room and delivered the float chair. The "Viceroy" was predictably not happy about things. A Healer-Surgeon was re-fastening the closures on his abdomen, and from personal experience A'sallah knew that while it didn't exactly hurt, it didn't feel pleasant either. Every time a skin section was rejoined, Tam'yn jumped a little from the shock as a tiny dose of Re-Gen and a pulse of electricity caused the cells to stick together. From that point natural healing closed the wound, but like any semi-healed wound the linkage was weak until full tissue healing was complete and the wound was fully healed. That would be the better part of a tenday for most of the surgical site and a tenday and bit more for the spots that had torn.

Tam'yn wasn't thinking about his healing, although he was annoyed at what had happened. He'd hurt himself helping J'sharra. The damage he'd done himself was being repaired, again. He seemed to have developed a knack for injuring himself.

That had nothing to do with what was on his mind, though. Tam'yn was worried about what his Companion had said, and why she didn't want him in a Dream-share with her. He realized he knew almost nothing of her past other than what she and Tan'yel had told him. Her past was a blank to him, and that past was something she was afraid he would find out about. She was a question mark that he had made his Companion.

After the Healer had finished re-sealing his stomach surgery site and told him to rest until his shirt was returned, he continued to think. He couldn't do anything else. He couldn't go anywhere until his clothing was returned, so he tried to think, trying to reason out the mystery of J'sharra Meren'kona.

He loved her, no doubts there. He was still concerned by her reactions. What could make her think that he would cease to want her beside him? As far as he was concerned--nothing. What would make her so afraid, though?

His mind wandered here and there. Had she been Companioned before? No matter. Was their meeting "arranged"? His father/cousin had assigned her to him as a security officer. For that he would be grateful to Tan'yel forever, matchmaking or not. Had she given birth? He didn't know; but if she had, where were her children; or by now their children?

He spent some time laying back thinking and not getting anywhere. A'sallah had left him with the chair and gone to find J'ina and J'sharra. He decided to emulate the Guardian and go looking for the two women too, once he managed to get his shirt back from whoever was cleaning it. At least the restraint field wasn't active this time.

Wonder of wonders, his shirt reappeared in the hands of a Healer-4 who apologized for taking as long as he had, but the garment was now clean and dry. Tam'yn gingerly sat up, donned it, and then quickly fastened it shut. Limping over to his float-chair, he settled himself into it and activated it. Carefully, he navigated his way out of his room and over to the central Healer's station where he asked about his Companion. The same Healer who had re-sealed him looked up from something he was filling out and pointed to the door next to his.

Tam'yn floated to the doorway from the hall, and as he was about to enter, he heard, "...and his mother said to try and gain his affections. She was worried about him and was concerned that he was at risk from elements hostile to her rule, so I was to watch over him without his knowing it, although that was before we knew about Tireno Alcys'ka and what he had done."

A mechanical voice asked, "Is this what you fear his finding out? I noticed your stress levels peaked before you said anything about the Traitor. Is there something else?"

What was clearly J'sharra's voice replied, "He doesn't know about me, other than what I have told him. He is so trusting... " then she began to cry.

That galvanized Tam'yn into movement. He rounded into the room and gently but firmly pushed past A'sallah to take J'sharra's hand. He raised it to his cheek and rubbed the back of her hand against his own cheekfur.

"We've been together just a short time, J'esa," he said gently, "hardly time for us to get to know each other and I suspect we both have secrets we haven't divulged yet. That's for tomorrow and all the tomorrows after that. Now, we have each other."

"But you don't understand, Tam'yn," J'sharra wept, "I was to spy on you for the Empress. I was supposed to keep you under surveillance, not fall in love with you. "

There was a brief war in Tam'yn at that revelation; his mother the Empress still wanted a leash on him. Then a question appeared in his mind and he asked, "Why did she have you watching me? I left the Palace to make my way in the Navy. What was it that had her so worried about me?"

Looking miserable, J'sharra replied, " Remember your fixation on words, and the actions that were set into you by Alcys'ka? She had been warned about you by some of the spies the Palace Guardians had in place in the plotters households. I was to find out if those warnings were valid or not. There were implications that the Traitor had put layers of commands in place to make you a danger to the Empress."

Ears at an angle, Tam'yn agreed with her, "Yes, I was sensitive to certain words as we both know; I still am, maybe. Alcys'ka needs to tell us what he did to you and to me beyond the obvious. We can ask the interrogation officers at the prison intake what he has said about us, or if he's said anything yet. If he hasn't, they can ask him and I don't think he will try to hold out any information, not after his, ahh, experience with us."

Then he smiled gently, "Whatever is in your past stays there unless you want to tell me about it, J'sharra. I love you in the now, and I think you love me too. We can work this out between us, ancient spirits or not."

She shook her head, "You are so trusting of me," she repeated; to which he replied, "Yes, I trust you. If I didn't I wouldn't have asked you to be my Companion."

Then he asked, "Unless you don't want to have me as a Companion any mo--". His last word was broken off by J'sharra's hugging him and kissing him almost frantically. When he could breathe again, he rubbed his cheekfur against hers as she all but sat on him in his float chair, she was so close.

Looking past her, he could see A'sallah looking unconvinced and J'ina was rubbing her thumb against her breast, speculating on something.

He knew what that something was, too. J'sharra still had secrets she hadn't spoken that were centered on him. He himself was of two minds, one blissful with J'sharra's presence and the other thinking, considering what she might eventually say. He held her close and decided to let things sort themselves out. They would anyway. He did love her. If she had secrets, in time they would come out.

Now was demanding of his attention and hers too. They were a team if nothing else.

What had Jilathe's spirit said to her, there at the service?

Carefully, J'sharra disengaged from him; her eyes never leaving his. The relief and joy in those eyes was plain to Tam'yn as she settled on her bed.

A'sallah cleared his throat and said, "It appears you are both recovered, but by J'sharra's own admission she has been compromised by Alcys'ka. We need to find out how badly Security Officer J'sharra has been compromised and how to negate it as well as negating whatever he did to her."

J'sharra nodded; "I have no idea of the thing happening, but that seems to be the norm for such cases." Her eyes were still focused on Tam'yn.

Then looking at J'ina, she asked, "Could you find out what Alcys'ka did to me, Counselor T'keron? My Dance can't be pure if some dark thing is in my mind, whether I'm aware of it or not. I can't do my job, either, since I won't know whether I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing or if the Traitor's mental meddling is only making me think so."

Tam'yn asked, " He couldn't have had much time with you, could he? How long were you at the Palace? That could give us an idea of what he might have done."

J'sharra winced, "I think it was only a day, but now I don't trust that memory. That could be manufactured to hide how long he had me under his machines." Then her ears drooped, "And I don't know what it was that he did to me either."

"He is here on the planet. We can ask him," J'ina stated, "and he probably will remember what he did to you since he 'died' less than a cycle-quarter later; and you are rather a memorable young lady."

A'sallah added, "And I can send a question to T'Kiir'ah and have an answer in under a day's time. Don't worry about it, that part of things can be determined by the Guardians back at the Imperial Capital."

Glancing at the wall chron, J'ina asked, "Do you still want to take part in a Dream-share session with Tan'yel tonight? While there is still time to do it, it is getting late and I want to speak with my father before I retire."

Tam'yn nodded his agreement. "I want my father to get better and," he glanced at J'sharra, "I think she wants him better too."

J'sharra nodded, "I really do. I need his knowledge and experience aboard the M'Kereos if I am going to be the Security Officer for the ship."

Ten marks later; T'oko, J'ina, J'sharra, and Tam'yn were in Tan'yel's room. A'sallah had departed for the communications center at the hospital. The Dream- share machine was set up and ready to go.

There was one small problem, though. Tan'yel was asleep, and J'ina did not want to wake him. They decided to meet with him the next morning for the Dream-share and split up, each headed for their particular rest areas.

Tam'yn and J'sharra returned to their quarters in his hospital room. Somehow, they managed to get both of themselves onto the sleeping pad; it was the one brought in for J'sharra rather than Tam'yn's hospital bed, but it worked. Neither of them wanted to sleep alone that night for some reason.

Ch. 9: Lake An'shal, an' Yere'kos house;

Le'ahn lay on the same daybed she had before, wearing the same headset that made the Dream-share possible and the same Guardian-medic injected her with the same medicine. Slowly, she sank into the special dreaming state that the Dream-share needed for operation.

She was at Yere'kos house. Father was elsewhere taking care of the business of running his Empire. Mother was with him, of course. So was Kor'ahn, her brother; now old enough to help Father with some of the administration of the Empire.

She would be joining them soon, after helping cousin Taren with the Pirka harvest. It seemed there were never enough hands to bring in the ripe berries when they were at their peak of flavor and sweetness, so she was helping her cousin with a far more pleasant job than her brother was doing. She could nibble as she picked, hardly what Kor'ahn would be doing as he went through the land records so Father could rule on a land dispute between two of his war-band members. As was the law nowadays, they didn't battle each other over the land, instead they had the Emperor's son check through the land deeds to see who actually owned that piece of real estate. Then the Emperor would make ownership final with one simple signature, should it prove necessary.

What was funny was that the land in question was being given away to one of Father's friends, a very nice K'iir named Pyri'ka, to start a school of dance as a way of worship. Both Lords wanted the honor of the donation, but the land in question seemed either to belong to both or to neither of them. Kor'ahn would find out. He was becoming very good at being an Advocate and might make it a career some day.

Now though, she had a visitor. He was one of the new school of Counselors; Healers who specialized on the mind rather than the body. He had questions for her.

She smiled, "How may I help you, esteemed sir?"

"Ahh, may I have your name, please? I am Kalana an' Serysa, a Counselor. I'm sorry but I seem to have misplaced yours." He was clearly embarrassed.

She smiled, "My honor, esteemed Counselor; I am Velana na' Jilathe an' K'koro."

Her visitor seemed surprised, so she added, "Yes, Father is that K'koro, but he's a really nice K'iir when he isn't having to make people be good."

They spoke for some time and finally she had to go.

"I promised not to take too much time from Le'ahn," she said gently, " since she is here too; but it is such fun to see how the world has changed since I was last in it."

After putting Le'ahn into deep sleep to use up the remaining medications in her system, Counselor Kalana called both Karalan'ka and Artol to the room he had set up as an office. He was having some difficulty with what he had shared in that dream and felt that sharing his knowledge might bring some resolution to his current confounded state.

First, he explained what he had learned from the second Dream-share. Then he added, "Given the sense of age I feel in this personality, I don't think it is something that was forced into her mind by Alcys'ka. The personality is too complete, too full and it has too much...depth, for lack of a better word. I think it is a real historic person."

"I think that somehow the Traitor's machines have created a window into the Light and those who have lived before can look through it into this world."

Karalan'ka put her hands to her head and groaned, "That could be worse than anything else he might have done. My sister needs to know about this because I don't think this situation is at all unique to my niece. This could bring the chaos the others need to act; it might even be what they intended to have happen before they acted. Light protect us, this is worse than anything we could have imagined."

Artol asked the Counselor, "Are you saying that this young woman has two personalities, and that one of them thinks it is Velana na' Jilathe, An'kor's first daughter by Jilathe? Isn't there already a diagnosed sickness like that, where someone thinks they are two people and act out differently for each?"

The Counselor nodded, "Yes, there is a mental sickness called 'Many person syndrome' and it manifests that way. The person thinks there are two, three, or more people in their mind with them. Dream-share is used to treat this, because in the Dream session we can show the person that these other people are not people at all, just their mind dealing with stress by creating someone else who isn't stressed and who is not suffering from this sickness."

He lowered his head and continued, "In this case though, in the Dream, I felt and dealt with two quite distinct people in Le'ahn's mind. There is Le'ahn and there is the person who calls themselves Velana. I plan on learning about An'kor's first daughter so I can check what she remembers against recorded fact. It may well be the more mundane 'Many Person Syndrome' manifesting, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. It feels like there are two complete people in her mind, to be honest."

Karalan'ka sighed and muttered, "I honestly hope she's as crazy as a Birallan gem-setter then. The very idea that somehow those awful machines could make it possible for someone in flesh contact someone who has gone into the Light is..." she paused, momentarily at a crossroads with her own past, but then continued, "It has to be impossible. Can you imagine what would happen if people found out that those machines could let them contact their loved ones who are in the Light? Can you imagine the chaos that would follow such an announcement?"

Guardian Artol and Counselor Kalana nodded slowly.

"We have to keep this utterly secret then," Artol said to the others; "Tell the Empress, since it will be happening in the Capitol, but set up some sort of way to make it stay a religious thing. Kara is right about the chaos that would follow. Society is just not set up to deal with it, in fact I wonder if any society could deal with it? The Empress needs to know and we, that is Her Guardians, need to have guidelines on how to deal with this new event in what is already a turbulent time."

Turning to the Counselor, he asked, "What about Terel? You did a Dream-share session with him; is he manifesting one of these historical ghosts?"

"Honestly," Counselor Kalana replied, "I don't know. I do know he was more involved with what was being done, since he had what was literally an addiction forced into his mind along with several smaller compulsions to support the addiction. There was also the blindness command and what looked like several other harmful stimulations of some primal responses which were very incomplete. I think he was being set up as an embarrassment for the Imperial Household, but the work was only just begun there, thank the Gods. Otherwise, things could be a lot more difficult than they are already."

"What do you mean by the term 'primal impulses', Counselor," Karalan'ka asked nervously, "besides the gambling, what else was the traitor doing to him?"

Counselor Kalana shifted a bit in his seat before responding, "I put him to sleep while I went into some of the really primal drives in his mind so that he wouldn't react to my examining them and testing them. He was being set up to become--I think--a sexual predator, in that his reproductive desires had been enhanced greatly above normal. The work was quite new and very incomplete; so while he may have been more stimulated by potentially sexual situations, he had no real desire to act on them."

The Counselor stared at the wall for a moment before going on.

"Tied to that was what appeared to be a stimulation of the Anak'a'Kiir, the fighting urge that moderates drastically in females when they give birth. "

Obviously uncomfortable, he continued, "I suspect that given the simple structures in both areas, that these were new and in early development, perhaps intended when complete and fully empowered to be awakened in the future at the right moment, since there was also a structure I have found in others who had word-associated actions in place which were triggered with the right word. Fortunately, all of this was very new and very weak so I was able to disassociate these things from the instincts they were attached to. They were unable to function in the weak state they were in, and within a tenday you'd never know they had ever been there since his mind will have dealt with them on its own. That argues a need for repeated exposure to these things so they could condition the affected parts of his mind into their acceptance."

"What are you suggesting, Counselor?" Artol asked, now all Guardian.

"I am not sure, not certain enough to take it to Law," Counselor Kalana replied carefully, "but I suspect he was being set up to commit linked rape and perhaps murder on someone's command. Understand, this is based on the results of a few simple incomplete and non-reactive command implants in the instinctual areas of his mind. I have no real idea of what the Traitor's intent was, but based on what I have treated in others and on what the Dream recording shows, he was intended to force the Empress into retirement for having raised a social criminal. Speculating, if the thing were complete, he could be triggered to attack, rape, and possibly kill either a specific female or a number of females by means of a simple phrase spoken by one of the Usurpers' confederates. I've dealt with a similar setup, only far more advanced, in the mind of...another Courtier. It wasn't sexual predation, thank the Gods, it was obedience to verbal commands. Again, the command set in Terel's mind was not complete; I suspect that this sort of thing is hard to put in someone's mind since it goes against every normal social response pattern."

"Who had the more complete damage?" Guardian Artol asked briskly, "And this is a matter of Throne Security. Who was the intended weapon?"

After dithering for a moment, Counselor Kalana finally replied, " Lord Sirem-Atholka, a leading Conservative in Parliament. He's in a very exposed position, and something like this would fatally damage the main points of the Conservative philosophy with the populace. When he voted for the Liberal's Reform bill against his every principle, he sought me out since I have assisted his family in other things. What I found was shocking in what he had literally been programmed into doing. I removed the triggers for the criminal compulsion and reported it, as I am supposed to do. Then part way into dealing with his other, related problems I was sent out here to help the Empress's children while one of my students continued to work with the High Lord."

Sounding embarrassed, he admitted, "At first I was somewhat upset at being reassigned so suddenly, but it appears Her Rising Glory's luck is still holding. I am perhaps the only Counselor who would know where to look and know what to do with the perversion in young Terel's mind without potentially injuring him. "

"You mentioned as much to me," Guardian Artol said thoughtfully, "but not knowing about the other command set in the Lord's mind, I didn't give it the weight I should have. Are you certain that Terel is now free of those potentially lethal damages?"

Counselor Kalana nodded, "Completely. As soon as I broke the linkage between the two impulses and made his mind aware of them in doing so, their time in his mind became limited. They are now anomalies in his mind and as such will in time just disappear. One thing I have learned in all this is that the mind is capable of healing itself to a tremendous degree, far more so than I learned in Counseling school. He will be alright. He can be re-tested in a tenday and by then those impulses will be gone."

Guardian Artol stood up, looking worried. "I need to contact the Palace," he said in a tense tone of voice, "I'll use the Comms unit in one of the fliers, since it will have the necessary codes to keep this secret."

He took Karalan'ka's hand, saying, "I'm sorry, but I must insist you say nothing of what you have heard here today. We need to keep this secret until Her Rising Glory is informed about it, and then we'll need to continue the secrecy until we are ordered otherwise." His face was a map of worry and fear.

Karalan'ka squeezed the Guardian's hand and asked, "What is it that you know and aren't saying, Artol? I know that look, and right now it's frightening the life out of me."

"It all depends on whether this...spiritual thing is intentional or not. The murderous compulsions we can deal with, but having ones ancestors sharing bodies is simply not something our society can manage without a lot of help. Suppose that the followers of one path have a lot of ancestors showing up while another path has none? Think of what that could mean to our society. While we stress all religious ways are equal under the law, their followers may not necessarily agree. We ran into that with the Otai faith when one of the laws made forcing their children to follow their parents' faith illegal. They objected rather violently and we made the Otai concession part of Imperial Law."

"Religious war..." Karalan'ka replied in a near whisper. She knew what had happened on Biralla when one religion rose up against the others on the planet, and on T'Kiir'ah there had been a semi-religious war six generations before the current time, when the followers of Otai had made war on the rest of the Empire to try to keep their beliefs intact. Both wars had been extraordinarily bloody and wasteful of innocent lives, although both had been short in duration. On Biralla, the leader of the "Purity League" had disappeared and was now being sought by the Birallan government. The followers of Otai gained the right to keep their beliefs and practices with one simple concession to Imperial Law.

In both cases, the history of the war was still a thing of horror.

Now it was happening again, and this time it would involve the Government itself and perhaps the Empire it governed.

A religious war on T'Kiir'ah could destroy everything.

On a world far from T'Kiir'ah;

"You need to see this," J'sharra said worriedly to Tam'yn, "it's something I was given when it became plain that the two of us were going to be together. Originally, Tan'yel had it; I think it came aboard with some of the special data chips he got from the Palace, but I really don't know. He briefed me on it and gave me the access codes for it...and it has to do with you and your 'promotion' to Viceroy."

They were back in his hospital room. She had fetched Tan'yel's special comms device from where it had been stored and had made sure the accumulators were fully charged. The device now rested on the table between their sleeping pads.

"Wait a second," Tam'yn sputtered, "this has something to do with my sister's death? What do you mean?"

J'sharra hung her head. "I don't think your sister's death had anything to do with this, really. I think it happened, but what happened to you as a result wasn't connected with it. Tan'yel had this chip before your sister died, so I think your elevation had nothing to do with her death."

J'sharra's eyes were full of tears as she continued, "Jilathe' told me I had to be honest with you about this...Tam'yn, I'm so afraid you'll hate me when you see this..."

Tam'yn took her hands in his and said, "J'sharra, I will not hate you. Never. Not until the Sunset Harvester takes me by the shoulder and leads me away from the world will I leave you, and I will resist the Harvester as long as I can. I will not leave you. That's the end of it."

He held her one armed as she wept and clung to him, seemingly forever. The truth was, he couldn't imagine life without her even though they had been together for bare days. She was to him as Jilathe' had been to An'kor; completion and fulfillment. He began to understand what his ancestor had felt as J'sharra leaned against him, taking strength from his implied promise.

Finally, with J'sharra beside him, he took the data chip and slid it into the slot in the machine and set it for holographic projection on J'sharra's instruction. The first thing he saw was a request for an activation code. On a hunch, he entered the family general access code, the one he and Tan'yel used when they contacted T'Kiir'ah.

It was accepted and together they watched something that had Tam'yn slack jawed.

His mother, the Empress, conferred him with Viceroyalty again. This time there were no tears and his father was absent. This time, the instructions were different.

This time, the Empress said, "We direct Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, a child of our body, to assume the mantle of Vice-royalty and to make preliminary contact with these people whose robot we have discovered. We direct him to make presentations of friendship with all the peoples he contacts in his seeking of the makers of this robot device we have now in our keeping. We direct that this vessel shall be an embassy to them and shall assist them in all such ways as our Viceroy considers prudent.

"We further direct that he shall communicate with Us such treaties as he makes, so that our Empire may know of them and so we may properly observe them. When he has completed his discoveries, we shall send our daughter and Senior Viceroy L'yrel an' Yere'kos to these peoples to further confirm and conform these treaties to Imperial interest and law; and our Viceroy Tam'yn an Yere'kos shall advise and confer with her to bring these agreements into Imperial conformity."

Seeing J'sharra's frightened eyes on him, Tam'yn quashed his annoyance with the message and explained, "This isn't all that an uncommon thing in the Empire's history. I would make the contact and generally try to conform agreements to Imperial standards; any educated Imperial citizen could do the same. Remember the tests? Remember the ones about how the Empire works? I could have made some basic agreements that my sister would fine tune when she got there. I think this has been done before, with the Kokorrans; we can check later."

"In this version, I got the Viceroy's position so I could make basic treaties. L'yrel would have ironed out any wrinkles in them and I would have helped her," he continued, "and I would have gone back to being an Engineer when my work as Viceroy was done. In every way I would have preferred that, but now I have to do the whole thing and that means I will be stuck with this bracelet for a long time."

J'sharra all but whispered, "There's more. Say 'continue'."

Puzzled, Tam'yn did as she requested.

This time the Empress' message was different, very much so. Looking properly saddened, she gave new directions.

"We, the Empress of the Sunrise Empire do revoke and expire the grant of Viceroyalty which we have conferred on Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, a child of our body. We direct that whosoever is the senior Imperial or Navy Security officer shall take the emblems of office, being the bracelet of Viceroyalty and the seal ring of our Clan, into their keeping until such time as they may be conveyed to T'Kiir'ah and our own keeping.

"We issue pardon to Tam'yn an' Yere'kos for any non-treasonable acts he may have committed as our Viceroy, but any violations of Navy regulations or the Imperial Charter he shall be held to account for. We simply ask that those authorities in control shall remember that he is male and has been conferred with Vice-royal authority and may have found the combination too much to manage. In that case, we ask for mercy; as he was simply not prepared for what the Vice-royal confirmation allowed him to do."

Tam'yn stared, unable to speak. His own mother had assumed he might let the power she had given him go to his head? She was prepared to discard him if he proved an embarrassment? No. There had to be another reason.

A glance at J'sharra told him she was nearly ready to break from tension and fear. He had to find another reason!

Then he had it. Turning to J'sharra, he said with false calm; "Mother allowed for the Anak'a'Kiir in me. It is stronger in males than females, always. She had to protect the office of Viceroy, even if it meant I went to prison."

J'sharra stared at him and said, "But she just discarded you. I had orders to use this recording if you started assuming too much authority. I actually considered it back at the prison when you started talking about acting 'in loco Imperatrix' if the person who killed J'ina's family was still alive."

Tam'yn sighed and answered, "And I would have. This has less to do with my authority as a Viceroy than my responsibility to the Navy. It would have taken tendays for the Navy to act, and as an Admiral it would have to be the Navy General Advocate Commission who investigated him. It would be very probable that 'Techyota the assassin' would have found out about it and would have an emergency way out. All he would have to do is 'go on an inspection' and a day later he would be someone else on a ship going to some Hegemony planet. We both know now that the Navy chips can be changed, and I have no doubt he would have at least one other persona ready as an escape system."

Continuing to think, he added, "Actually, all he would have needed would be a modified maintenance chip clipped to his fur under his clothing. They are a lot more powerful than the chips in his body and they would be what the identity-check systems would read best, since they use multiple frequencies to match the chips used by various cultures. Either the Navy chips wouldn't be read or they would be rejected as 'noise' from someone nearby."

Frowning, he stated, "There was no way I was going to let that happen. Both as a Navy K'iir and as a Viceroy, I could not let him get away." Making a wry smile, he added, "Too bad he got incinerated when his flier exploded, although as a revenge, it was perfect. A'sallah confirmed that they found both bodies and positively identified them, so he didn't escape."

When he asked, "Is there any more on the data chip?" J'sharra collapsed against him in relief. Again holding her with his right arm, he wondered what other surprises were waiting for him.

Truth be told, his mother's revocation had unsettled him, but with the politics at home he could see her reasoning. The Throne had to be protected, and as both a Navy T'Kiir'i and an adult citizen, he had a responsibility to help in that protection. As a Navy officer, he had sworn to die to protect the Throne and its lawful occupant.

Worriedly, he wondered if he might have to do just that?

J'sharra had gone to sleep against his chest. He smiled a little. He would have to wake her soon, he needed to use the San; but for now he simply enjoyed the contact of her body against his chest.

Slowly, he shook his head. The way things were going, finding the Robot Makers was starting to appear anti-climactic. What had happened here in a hospital, on a hidden world, was already shaping up to be more than enough. Much more than enough...and it wasn't over yet.

J'sharra woke up and hugged him again, then sat up. "I am so glad you were understanding about this," she said in a relieved tone of voice. "When Jilathe' told me I had to be honest with you, I was frightened. Now I'm not. "

Tam'yn smiled. "I can see where you would be nervous," he replied, "but remember, I grew up in the political world of the Palace. I learned that a lot of times, things weren't what they seemed on the surface. The base of it all is keeping the Empire going and doing right. It's difficult, but it's what we have to do if the Empire is going to last another generation."

He smiled ruefully, "Sometimes it means an Engineer has to be a Viceroy, not because he wants to, but because that's how it has to be."

He switched off Tan'yel's comms unit and retrieved the chip, handing it back to J'sharra. He had seen the indicator on the machine's display showing that there were two more files to be played. He resolved to let them be for now. He was tired and J'sharra was exhausted.

After excusing himself to use the San, they undressed and settled to sleep on her sleeping pad, him on his back with the splint across his chest, while J'sharra cuddled close to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Sleep soon claimed them.

In his hospital room, Dr. Antra T'keron was discussing J'sharra Meren'kona's symptoms with his daughter, Dr. J'ina T'keron. She was concerned about what had happened while he was less so. T'oko was against a wall, recharging himself and listening to the conversation, occasionally adding things he had observed.

"...and I am not sure that she was being completely honest with him regarding the stressors in her mind when they spoke," J'ina T'keron said as she completed her analysis of the woman's collapse. "She was hiding something and she knew it; quite unlike the Dæmons we have encountered so far. When he entered the room, instead of the tension spike I expected, she actually calmed down although she didn't show it. I believe she is still hiding something from him, perhaps several somethings."

The elder T'keron chuckled, "I would be surprised if she wasn't. She is young, deeply romantically in love, and has undoubtedly not matured their bonding in her mind yet. She is afraid she will lose him, remember--he was in love with her older sister and then vanished when she died. I suspect she is still afraid that will happen again, even though she knows that he has declared her his Companion in life. What she is aware of consciously and what she thinks below conscious awareness are probably two very different things."

J'ina rubbed her chest as she thought the thing through. Then she replied, "I am not sure that is the whole of it, although as a Security officer she would tend to mask her feelings about people simply to maintain the appearance of being even-handed in her position of authority. There is still something else she is masking, though, I can feel it."

"Like you are masking your feelings for that Imperial Guardian?" A'ntra T'keron asked bluntly; "How long are you going to hide from yourself and your feelings for him?"

J'ina's head snapped up toward her father, one hand clenched tight, "I can never be what he needs," her voice-box said in a falsely calm voice. "I am a cyborg, not a woman. He is in love with what he thinks I am, not what I really am. He deserves better than I can ever give him." Although the timbre of her voice never changed, the pain in her stance and the partly bared claws on her left hand told of seething feelings trapped within her body and unable to escape.

Her father stared at her, unaffected by her display of anger. "Have you ever bothered to ask him what he wants of you?" he asked calmly, "Or have you just assumed? I do not have that many cycles left, and I would be relieved to know that you and he had reached sensible resolution between yourselves. He will not leave you, J'ina. He has had five cycles to do so and he has never shown an interest in anyone else."

He went on, "I'm honestly concerned that your self-suppression will affect your observations of others. Are you sure that you aren't projecting your own concerns on the Viceroy's Companion?"

J'ina stiffened for a moment, then slumped a little. "No, father, I am not sure," the synthetic voice replied, "but I am concerned about the time she was in the Imperial Capitol and the Traitor's access to her. Until I know how long she was there, I have to assume the worst and anticipate that she may harbor something harmful to either herself or to the Viceroy."

T'oko swiveled his head toward the two of them and asked, "If she was made a full puppet by Alcys'ka, why did he not use her on the island when he was interrogated, rather than the Viceroy? He was unarmed, she was not. He was visibly disabled, she was not. It would make sense to use the least damaged and best armed person as a means to escape, wouldn't it?"

The elder T'keron replied, "Yes, T'oko, while it would be reasonable and logical to use her instead of the young man, remember that Alcys'ka had at best a few days with her while he had years with an' Yere'kon. It is also possible he didn't recognize her. There are a number of reasons for him to have called out Viceroy an' Yere'kon on the basis of authority alone, either as a hostage or as a shield. Armed or not, he would not expect a female to shoot an Imperial Viceroy for any reason, and he would also think he could order that Viceroy to seize the stunner and the female would not resist."

He wrinkled his mouth as if tasting something foul; "Tireno Alcys'ka despised females of any sort. Even when we were working together he disliked having female 'trainees' in his groups. For whatever reason, he is a profound misogynist and always has been."

"I wonder why?" J'ina asked in return, "He was first employed by a female, an Empress. Another Empress made him Master of Protocol and gave him an income for life. He has served three Empresses in his lifetime, and each one either financially rewarded him or honored him in some way. His dislike for females would actually hamper his ability to work in the Imperial system."

Antra nodded in agreement, "Indeed, but I saw his response to females over some five cycles while I was trying to develop my training system, and he utterly despised them. He was good at hiding his feelings, that I also know to my dismay. He let me see his real self only a few times and only when we were both near exhaustion and I suspect he was just too tired to keep up the pretense. That was why I started separating myself from him, as I never could trust what he was actually thinking about the project we were both working on. The only certainty was that he despised most of the people he worked with and females in particular."

J'ina wondered, "Do you think he's been like that his whole life? It seems strange that he would have accomplished so much with such a limiting mental structure as that, but yet you say he was a misogynist all the time you knew him. It seems so strange."

Antra T'keron smiled briefly and replied, "Tireno Alcys'ka could have been a masterful presence on the stage as an actor, he is that convincing to those around him. I saw what I believe is the real person, the real Alcys'ka, exactly twice and he is utterly devoid of scruple or consideration for anyone other than himself. It was after I had determined to end my 'training' experiments that he confronted me and demanded that I allow him to continue them, saying that he was near a major breakthrough and that he would be vindicated in what he had done."

"I told him that I was convinced the experiments were going nowhere, but if he desired to continue them without my backing, equipment, or Imperial Permission he was free to try."

Staring down the length of his bed, Dr. T'keron said, "He laughed. He said he had already duplicated every instrument and system we had developed and that with his backers he didn't need a Permission, and that I would see his capability with the system in a matter of a few days. Then he walked out of my laboratory and, I thought, out of my life. I was patently wrong there..."

J'ina took her father's hand and held it in her real hand for some moments before saying, "He is here now and a prisoner, while you are free and respected. Ultimately, he has lost and will be telling the Guardians what he knows. What he did was horrible, but what you and I have done is wonderful; we have created the first cybernetic citizen of the Sunrise Empire and he is growing wiser than his parents every day. Alcys'ka tried destroying lives, you tried to make a life. He is in prison and you are free and respected among your peers."

T'oko spoke up, "Yes, Grandfather, where he tried to destroy life you have created one, and I am grateful for it. Viceroy Tam'yn thinks I am worthy of citizenship and made me a citizen. The Traitor has nothing while you have made a new citizen for our beloved Empire. I would say that you have ultimately prevailed where he has failed, even as the writings of An'kor say will happen; 'That which brings benefit will prevail in the fullness of time against all odds and resistances, for people seek the benefit instinctively for themselves and their children'."

"You've been studying the works of the First Emperor?" J'ina asked, "An'kor's Meditations?"

T'oko nodded, "Yes. It seemed proper somehow, after Viceroy Tam'yn commented on them. I have also been reading Pyri's Commentaries about An'kor and his wife Jilathe'. As a citizen, it is proper that I learn about them because they both speak of the responsibilities of being an Imperial Citizen rather than a city-state's Subject. I can see there are great differences already and I have not studied them all yet, nor for very long."

Antra T'keron stared at the robot that he and his daughter had built and loaded their self-awareness algorithms into. He was amazed at what T'oko had learned, and the connections being made in the collection of processors and memory cards as the machine aged.

T'oko was becoming a mature person, even as a living being would. This robot was evolving as they watched. Briefly he wondered; was T'oko becoming a living being as he evolved? He had been designed to learn and incorporate that learning in his actions and processes over time, but this was so far beyond what Antra T'keron had envisioned as to seem magical.

It had been planned that T'oko would be the first of several self-aware devices, each one building on what had been learned with the previous model. Even his name, "T'oko", meant "First" in Imperial. T'oko was "First" only in development, he was already at a mental level that T'keron had imagined that "P'renn" or "Fifth" would occupy.

And that gave the old inventor an idea, once he was out of this hospital. He would have a vastly improved version of T'oko built; one with more power, more capacity, and more processing capability built into the robot's body. The "mind" would be transferred into the new body and then "T'oko" would have more room to grow as a person.

He might even include legs rather than treads and wheels; walking robots were not uncommon and being able to walk would make T'oko even more T'Kiir'I-like.

Almost as if he had been reading his creator's mind, T'oko said, "It is becoming evident that I am reaching my own limits, since I am using close to eighty percent of my processing and memory for my everyday tasks, and in less than a cycle I will be nearing my limits. I am already using more power than planned on that account, which means I must recharge more often than normal and there is no more room for accumulators in my frame."

Looking at both Antra and J'ina, he asked, "Is it possible that a new body could be constructed for me? I need not have the appearance of a T'Kiir'I, if that would be a limit on my structure. I have been introduced to a whole new way of thought, and I would prefer being able to study it as a whole thing rather than as sections as I must do now."

"What is it you are studying that takes so much memory or processing?" J'ina asked with a gesture of surprise.

"The history of our Empire," T'oko replied, "the strange discarnate being who was with the Viceroy suggested it to me as a way to better understand the thing of which I was now a part."

"Strange discarnate being?" Antra T'keron asked with surprise and then seeing J'ina's reaction he turned to focus on his daughter. "J'ina, what is he talking about?" he asked nervously

J'ina T'keron looked away for a moment but finally answered, "A number of us observed a...a phenomenon in the prison when the Traitor tried to take control of Viceroy an' Yere'kos. The phenomenon repeated itself when the Viceroy and his Companion were present at the Sunset services at the K'Pyri'ah on the hospital grounds. Apparently even T'oko saw it, since he commented on it."

"That phenomenon you are referring to wouldn't be what people generally refer to as a ghost, would it?" Antra T'keron asked carefully.

J'ina's hand gesture and T'oko's nodding caused the elder T'keron to groan, "That idiot! I warned him about abnormal occurrences and he ignored it. That was one of the main reasons that I decided to discard my teaching system. I had managed a stable retention of information and managed to get the worst psychotic reactions under control, but that was when people who were 'in the Light' started showing up and asking me what I was doing, bringing them back into what they called the 'Sunset world' again. Several of them warned me about what this could do to our society, and I had to agree. Our society is not capable of dealing with ghosts as an every-day occurrence."

Antra T'keron's ears drooped, "And that idiot has created ghost carriers in the Imperial Services. He has done more damage than I thought possible."

T'oko asked, "Did you warn the Palace about this potential danger, Grandfather?"

Bleak-eyed, Dr. T'keron replied, "On the day I was supposed to explain those and other un-resolvable dangers to the Empress and what I believed had brought them about, half my family died in an explosion. Honestly, I had for the most part forgotten about it until you mentioned it here. I guess I hoped that Alcys'ka's methods had gone another way or that it wouldn't happen with his system."

Shaking his head, he said, "That horrible day will stay with me forever; can you blame me for not wanting to think about it? The best I can do now is contact the Palace and warn them and pray that the damages aren't so deep that they can't be repaired."

Lake An'shal, House an' Yere'kos;

Le'ahn had settled into doing the Estate's accounts on the again available computers. It seemed that after all the upset with Terel and the payroll accounts, they were considered no longer at risk for traps on the planet-web. Then too, Alcys'ka's memorials were no longer taking all the available news bandwidth and word of other news was filtering into the semi-closed world of the plantation.

Terel was helping her with the accounts, especially in looking things up. He seemed to have a genius at finding things, which helped her a lot.

When she looked at him, a strange sadness would come occasionally. Velana had explained why: he had drowned when he was twelve winters old, checking out a set of locks at one of Father's dams to see why they leaked. They were supposed to allow river boats to bypass the barrier of the dam without breaching the dam itself. These leaked so badly that boats sometimes grounded while they waited for other boats to enter the locks by the dam. They had failed and he had drowned, being swept downstream six Ta-Ketra in the rush of water. The builder, who had used inferior materials and cheated the Empire was publically decapitated by An'kor himself in the Capitol. Velana had gone into mourning for a whole season, trying to get used to being alone in a world of twins. It was difficult in the extreme but she managed eventually. She would always miss her brother and would always seek to make the law protect people who were trying to do good.

It felt so strange, having another person in her mind, but Velana was someone Le'ahn could chat with and someone who shared a lot of things with her. Velana was the daughter of An'kor the Conqueror, not that it mattered. Her delight with the world had infected Le'ahn with a sense of wonder at things she had taken as commonplace all her life. Now they were wonders to be marveled at.

Best of all, Velana was someone she could freely talk to, unlike the people at Court. Even dear sweet An'kale had been known to leak things she said to him as he turned her fur into gold silk that floated in the least breeze. Now Velana wanted that too, after listening to how Le'ahn had described what it looked like and after she had finally managed to provide a single image of herself after a treatment. Velana was smitten with the results and wanted to experience it too.

That would be such fun, once they got back to the Capital.

Terel brought her a data chip of the last three lunar's accounts that he had put together for her when she had asked him. He was shaking his head as if concerned about something or was bothered by something. Neither was normal.

When she asked what the problem was, he explained, "I think the market in Tala is being manipulated and the estate has been cheated out of thousands of Sovereigns, maybe more; only I can't prove it. I don't have enough access to the figures I need."

Le'ahn stiffened, but Velana gasped, "Kor'ahn? Is that you?"

Terel smiled shyly and nodded. "I think I'm going to stay invisible for awhile," he said to his sister, "So far, everyone is looking at you. That will give Terel and I a chance to find out whether or not someone thieving from our family."

Then he added, "Thanks to the gambling sickness that Alcys'ka stuck into me, I can calculate odds in my head where others would need a calculator. Odds, ratios, projections or discounts, I can calculate them and Kor'ahn can research what I find. It ought to be interesting."

He corrected himself, "It's Imperials now, not Sovereigns. Right, Terel, I'll let you do the talking."

Le'ahn giggled, "You two are talking to yourself. Be careful or people will think you're talking to someone who isn't there."

Terel cocked his head to one side and replied, "And you aren't? At least you have a reason, and sister--or sisters, please keep people watching you while I work out whether or not our family is being cheated."

"We will, brothers. I think that one Healer--or Counselor as they are called these days, will be focused on me almost exclusively, and I don't present a threat to anyone. Be swift, though; I don't know how long I can keep him entertained."

"And Terel--remember, you're my birth sib and please don't do anything dangerous. I remember the pain that Velana went through when you died and I don't want to do it again."

"I will, Le'ahn; I don't want to die either. You be careful too."

In a room that had been set up as a Guardians Office, a Palace Guardian muttered a curse and copied the recorded conversation a separate data chip he could give to Commander Artol. It had happened again and it had happened here. Once more the Traitor's machines were indicated as being the cause of this potentially serious situation. So far, the affected people were being sequestered on the grounds of needing further Counseling treatment from their attack of grief over the Protocol Master's demise, but that diversion wouldn't last forever. People would become curious about the "injured" palace personnel and the secret wouldn't keep very long once the news investigators became involved.

Now there were two more, the Empress's children. On what he had listened to, they had sounded reasonably sensible about matters, which he considered a good thing.

Some of the "ghosts" were being less reasonable about things and posed a danger to the Empire, and some of the victims had Clan, House, and family to deal with.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. This was like nothing he had trained for. An attack, a mutiny somewhere, a bomb attempt, even an attempted usurpation; those he knew what to do about. People who thought they were manifesting their ancestors, or for that manner were actually manifesting spirits in the Light were outside of a Palace Guardian's scope, other than collecting intelligence for those who might know what to do while containing things until a decision had been reached.

Popping the now loaded data chip into a carrier, he walked over to the Commander's desk and put it on the center of his data screen, as he had been trained to do. Commander Artol would come in, see the chip, and watch it, as he had been trained to do, and make a decision on the matter. At least that was still normal-- for now.

The Palace Guardian stretched before sitting at his security console and ran a quick check over the rest of the bugs that had been planted throughout the Estate House.

The locals might object were they to learn of them, but this was de-rigueur when Imperials were involved. Under the law, unless they learned of something that was a direct threat to the Imperial Children, the Reflections of Her Rising Glory the Empress; it was to be ignored. Theft, violence, anything that did not threaten the Children was by law none of their business. People might not like having every moment of their lives under scrutiny, but keeping the Empress safe required it.

And it was deadly boring work, too. Nonetheless, it was done. They were Palace Guardians.

When Commander Artol entered the "office" he noticed the chip on his data screen and winced internally. Playing it made him wince physically. Things were starting to get out of hand in the Capital, and now both children here were manifesting the illusion of harboring a spirit returned from the Light within them.

Counselor Kalana was preparing for his second interview with Le'ahn by studying and making notes on Lady Velana na' Jilathe from the early days of the Empire. Her decisions on the laws her father had set in place were still being followed in the present time as principles of law and had earned her the title Velana the Jurist and Velana the Just. She was reputed to have ignored the letter of the law in favor of the spirit of a given law, and even her father had backed down before her command of reason and legal acumen, changing Imperial laws as his daughter suggested them to him.

Commander Artol considered the situation. If this was a psychotic fixation, it was unlikely that Le'ahn would be able to carry it off. She could be shown that whatever she knew came from books and not from some spiritual context caused by the Traitor's machines.

He rubbed his chin, thinking. If it turned out that somehow the Traitor's machines had actually enabled spirits in the light to return, she would understand the need to pretend nothing had happened on the grounds of the damage it would do to the Empire of which she had been one of her mother's foremost Jurists.

Either way; this could be contained and the Empress would not need to be concerned over her children being ghost-haunted.

He watched and listened to Terel again and came up with a similar way to both test and contain him; give him the tools he needed to discover that he was not the Conqueror's first male child. Let him find out (while being discreetly watched and protected) that he was not a genius with figures and the personality of Kor'ahn was just an artifact of the gambling addiction the Traitor had saddled him with two cycles in the past.

Commander Artol smiled to himself. All of this could be dealt with here, and the Empress's children could be kept safe from danger without further problems. Their mother would be relieved, and Kara would be happy. Both would be good outcomes, he decided.

Especially since that old and deep affection they had for each other was coming back to life. Especially that.

Tam'yn woke slowly and yawned, starting to stretch. He stopped just in time to avoid cracking J'sharra across the jaw with his splint. Carefully, he returned his arm to his side and slowly rolled to his left so he could turn and look on his Companion, still sleeping beside him.

She was on her side, one arm had been draped over his shoulder and her face was fingers widths away from his. He felt a sense of wonder as he looked at the beauty beside him, so innocent-looking in her sleep.

He felt a pressure in his chest, almost as if it were going to break open--a strange feeling but he had felt it before when he had looked at her sleeping beside him on their sleep pad on the M'Kereos.

His eyes were beginning to tear up as emotion burned inside him, for she was so wonderful and she loved him. She loved him enough to fear losing him and he realized he felt the same way. He was terrified that she would leave him; briefly he was paralyzed with that fear, fear that she would leave him.

He could not conceive not having her beside him no matter what secrets she was keeping. He felt a terror of loneliness course through his body at the very thought of her leaving him. The tears became more insistent as a silent sob escaped his lips.

Laying back, he focused on his breathing, calming himself. It would never do for her to know how emotional he was about their Companionship. Males were supposed to be strong and solid in their natures, enduring all and maintaining their dedication to their other, their Companion. They were not, unlike himself, supposed to get all teary-eyed over their lifemate. He remembered his father, during one of "those talks" shortly after L'lanya's death, explaining to him that males had to maintain their self control because of the Anak' a K'iir, aggressive nature of the T'Kiir'I people that was so strong in males and females-- even though it usually faded in a female after she had given birth. Males had no such moderation in their lives, so they had to adopt a stoic outlook in life.

"In the past, it caused fights at the slightest imagined provocation," Tan'ero an' Yere'kos had explained, "even after the Conqueror brought a measure of peace and uniform law to our world through his Empire. Some people, like the Otai, tried to control it by becoming absolutely logical in everything and giving emotion no place to exist in their minds. K'Pyri Dancers dance out their aggressions. K'Morokai weep it out. Most of us are taught moderate ourselves from childhood onwards, but the fire; the Anak', is always there. That is why we have to avoid extremes in emotion, even in grief; because the fire will use your grief to get out and burn everything it believes to have caused that grief to hurt you. Giving over to emotion will only hurt you more in the end, Tam'yn."

His father had been trying to help him deal with L'lanya's death and his own fear that he had caused it by calling her and relaying what Teacher Alcys'ka had said to him. He had already shown claws twice when his erstwhile instructor's name had been mentioned and his parents had seen the show of anger. His father had spoken to him, trying to help his grieving son but not realizing that Tam'yn was blaming himself for L'lanya's death, and his claws were aimed at himself as much as at his "Teacher", Tireno Alcys'ka. He hated Alcys'ka, yes; but he hated himself more, a lot more.

So he had found relief in a bottle. Drunk, he was a risk to no one. No one would pay attention to him, so nobody would get hurt because of him. If he got hurt, he deserved to be hurt for what he had done to L'lanya at Alcys'ka's demand.

That had lasted less than a quarter of a cycle before his parents sent him to Counseling for what they thought was beginning alcoholism. He hadn't told them about the dreams he had been having...

He wanted a drink now, so he could feel a bit less about J'sharra and maintain his proper nature. He knew he couldn't have one, so instead he got up and went to use the San.

When he returned, she was awake and smiled at him.

"Good morning Tam," she said in a somewhat sleepy voice. "I feel better now and I had wonderful dreams about us last night."

He smiled back. "I hope they included getting the M'Kereos space-worthy again," he replied, "and about Tan'yel getting better. This is a wonderful planet, but I would really like to be out looking for Robot-Makers."

She giggled and responded, "Well, they were there too, but we were somewhere back home and living at Merenkon House...or maybe Yere'kos House; the place looked a little like both."

He settled on the sleep pad beside her and asked, "Do you think we'll be able to do that? If we find the Robot makers, we may be on their planet for several cycles, helping them into the Empire. Even if we just find them and then come back home, remember that the Navy owns us until our Commissions run out."

J'sharra made a face; "You are entirely too practical for this time of the morning, love. We need to listen to our dreams; they are the Light showing us a way to travel and what could happen if we don't."

He could only chuckle. His Companion was much happier than she had been the previous night.

Glancing at the chron on the wall he sighed, "Breakfast will be arriving soon.

That means I have to get dressed and in the chair or sit on the bed. I swear, while the beds here are very comfortable, I wish there was just a sleep pad here big enough for the two of us."

J'sharra nodded as she stood and settled her sleep-robe around herself and headed for the San. "Maybe you could talk to someone?" she suggested while he pulled on his undress uniform and fastened his leggings and foot protectors in place. His uniform had been returned while they were either at dinner or the Dance service or perhaps the Emergency treatment area, he didn't know when. What he did know was that it had not been "improved" upon other than being cleaned. He was finishing up with the right legging fasteners when she returned; her shiny fur a sign she had used the sonic shower to bathe while he had been dressing.

She looked at him and then glanced at the finer clothes still hanging in their closet and pointedly sighed. He frowned. She said, "You know I can't wear anything fancier than you're wearing, don't you? If you keep wearing that old uniform, I have to wear something 'equal to' or 'a bit less than', and I really would like to wear something nicer than that."

Now it was his turn to sigh. "After breakfast, alright?" he asked. She smiled and nodded and he felt as if he had somehow been bettered at something. He wasn't sure what, but it was like she had beaten him in some sort of game...of some sort. He wasn't sure how or why, exactly, but she had decidedly scored points on his defense with just a smile, and he didn't mind in the least. He would dress up if that made her happy.

Breakfast arrived and they were served at a table and chair that had been brought into the room by three very efficient people. His own float-chair was his seat while J'sharra sat in the chair that had been delivered.

Their meal was surprisingly good for Healing Center food, and Tam'yn suspected that a certain piece of Imperial Jewelry on his wrist that was the cause of such excess. He was, after all, a Viceroy. Essentially, the way he being was treated was the same way the Empress herself would be treated. He was being pampered.

Then he asked himself--since J'sharra was being pampered too, did he really mind? He decided he did not mind in the least that his Companion was receiving top-level treatment as a result of his notoriety.

And besides, the food was excellent.

After breakfast, he asked if they could have a simple raised sleep pad for two rather than the current hospital bed and single sleep pad arraignment. One of the people removing furniture nodded and added, "That will give us more floor space and let us keep the table in here instead of placing and removing it for meals. I'll convey your wish to the housekeeper for this section, your Radiance, and it should be done by mid-day."

Thanking the now departing hospital worker, Tam'yn was again amazed at the power conferred by the Viceroy's bracelet on his wrist. Shaking his head, he was getting ready to leave when J'sharra tapped him on the shoulder and presented him with some clothing. He remembered his agreement of "after breakfast" and sighed once. Then he began to unfasten his un-dress uniform while studying what his Companion had chosen for him to wear. As soon as he was out of his uniform, she took it and hung it up so he wouldn't change his mind.

He studied what she had provided him and was surprised at what he saw.

It was a combination he hadn't known was there. It was his informal Dress uniform, the one now lacking anything military outside of its cut and the M'Kereos patch on the left shoulder. On the right breast were now the Imperial Arms and his award ribbons while his shirt was still piped in Engineering red. Fortunately for him the trousers were cut for leggings rather than the more common Court wrappings for the lower legs. There were also a pair of shoes. He declined the shoes for his foot protectors.

At first, J'sharra looked like she was going to ask why he was wearing obvious work wear and then she apparently remembered his broken toes. She took back the shoes with an implied apology.

"Half the time I forget my toes too, until I try to wear shoes or try to walk too much and then I get a painful reminder," he admitted, "the foot protectors do protect my feet and don't press on my toes so they are a lot more comfortable at the current time. When my toes heal, then I'll consider shoes, but for now these foot protectors are what I wear on my feet."

J'sharra suggested, "Still, perhaps you could order some new ones? Those are getting a bit scratched around the toes."

Tam'yn nodded, "Yeah, I could do that. They're almost three segments old and I keep forgetting we're on a planet and I can order from stores that don't deplete the ship's supplies. I'll order some new ones today."

That got him a kiss and cheek rub, which brought about a reaction of; "Where are we going today? If I had any plans I must have forgotten them after last night's..." he stopped talking when he saw what J'sharra was wearing.

It was an informal Dress uniform like his that had obviously been tailored for her. Wearing it, she was stunning while the grade two stunner holstered at her waist was a visual redundancy. She was wearing leggings and shoes and he could see why she wanted him in shoes too. They would match that way.

He grew thoughtful as they left his (or for now, their) room and headed toward Tan'yel's room. He wondered how his father was doing. He knew his own side kept him seated since the surgery site was still tender and would be more so because of his damaging it the night before. Almost as a reminder, his side gave a twinge and he winced in response.

"Are you alright, Tam?" J'sharra asked concernedly, apparently having seen him wince.

"Oh, fine,'' he replied, "just my side reminding me to take things easy, that's all."

Pausing, J'sharra took his hand for a moment and held it. "Thank you for caring last night," she whispered, "I was so afraid of what you would think about me when you found out about those messages..." her eyes bored into his.

"J'esa," he replied, "there is your job and then there's you. Your job is to serve the Empire, just like mine is. You--you're a person doing that job. Under that, there is the other you; the woman I love. As long as we keep the separation clear in our minds, we should do alright."

She squeezed his hand in reply.

They arrived at Tan'yel's room to see both J'ina and T'oko talking to him in a relaxed manner. He was sitting up in his bed and when he saw Tam'yn and J'sharra he beckoned them into the room. The dream-share device was where it had been the night before. There were three chairs set in close proximity to the device and their intent was plain. They were to provide a place for the Counselor to sit while the dream share session was in process. In this case, they would also provide places for Tam'yn and J'ina to sit while J'sharra watched.

Tan'yel looked at Tam'yn and stated, "You understand that you don't have to do this, don't you? I've been talking to Counselor T'keron and she's told me that you will be able to see some parts of my mind that may shock you; remember, I'm a Guardian and I've seen some pretty nasty things. You might not like what you see."

Tam'yn nodded and took Tan'yel's hand. "I've seen some pretty ugly stuff myself. I just hope it doesn't affect you negatively...father."

Tan'yel stared at his son for almost a mark before saying, "Let's get this thing going then. I want to be free of this thing in my head and I want to get back to the M'Kereos and settle into my new role of Security advisor for the Guardians we're taking with us and as J'esa's trainer for ship security."

Then he grinned, "And don't get annoyed with me for stealing your Companion now and then, Tam'yn--she has a lot to learn, and I tend to be an intense teacher." After pausing a moment, he added; "And I like the way you two are turned out. You're being proper representatives of the Empire to this planet and they really do deserve the best you can give."

Relaxing in bed, he turned to J'ina T'keron and nodded, saying; "Let's get this thing going, shall we?"

T'oko rolled over to the bed and began settling the Dream-share helmet on Tan'yel's head. There was a cable running from the helmet to a port on his upper torso.

"I am making sure of good connections and good scanning," he explained, "this will save time in calibrating the Dream-share device so we can spend more time healing Officer Kerel'yn's mental injuries. With any fortune, Tam'yn an' Yere'kos' mind will assist in the beginning of the natural healing process in his father's mind today."

Suddenly, J'sharra asked, "Can you include me in this? Maybe that way we can start healing me of whatever the Traitor did to me in the Palace."

Tam'yn was surprised at the sudden change in his Companion, but he could see her reasoning. Looking over at J'ina T'keron, he nodded mute agreement.

"We will do this after we have treated your father," she decided, "since your involvement will be passive in nature and not overly fatiguing. I agree that it is important to determine what was done to Officer Meren'kona as soon as possible, so we may be sure there are no hidden personalities or other harmful structures in her mind."

"Could I have been under his control long enough for that?" J'sharra asked nervously; to which J'ina replied, "I have read the information he has already given the interrogators at the prison intake unit at breakfast this morning. So did my father. He is of the opinion that Alcys'ka can do things he had considered impossible, and that the Traitor's equipment is very much advanced over the things he had to work with."

That statement was plainly not what J'sharra had wanted or expected and she shuddered as she heard it. Tam'yn's hand found hers and he squeezed a comfort to her and she looked at him and nodded. They would manage.

Ten marks later, that certainty was a bit shaken. Tan'yel Kerel'yn was both older and a lot more complex a person than Tam'yn had ever imagined possible. At first, there had only been strange double images of him looking at Tan'yel and Tan'yel looking at him. Memories of other times and places and people came and went--all of them strange to Tam'yn. He could see that Tan'yel was similarly experiencing things that were new and strange to him. Things started to settle down a little, or so it seemed. They grew more calm in their mutual world of the Dream-share. He could sense his father sharing something with him, but had no idea as to what it was. It was just a sense of sharing, like after telling a story about something that they both had participated in and were sharing their own views and experiences within the story's context. It was strange, but pleasant.

Then the visual images began.

A younger Tan'yel watched over two children in the Imperial apartments, then he was being asked by the Empress to watch over their son on the new Exploration vessel M'Kereos. Tam'yn felt the brief ague of fever at the Family plantation where he'd caught Sora Fever but an herb Healer was helping him through it and another Healer injected him with antigen stimulants and then Kara and Tan' were asking him to help them make the reigning Empress happy with them. Sudden frustration and sadness flooded him --

And then Tireno Alcys'ka was staring at him in confusion. "Who are you?" he asked with surprise, "and what are you doing in my mind?" He was standing between Tam'yn and Tan'yel, although nobody else seemed to notice his presence. The previous sense of sharing was suddenly and sharply broken by his appearance.

Then he seemed to gain strength. "I know you now," he said thoughtfully, "you are the child he fathered on the Empress when her own Companion couldn't get her pregnant. Where is your sister?" He rippled like water for a moment, or perhaps like an image viewed through water. He was like a poorly synched hologram that was slightly out of phase. Tam'yn felt a sudden surge of anger from someone, but he didn't know who it was. Then things seemed to settle again, while the image between them seemed thoughtful. Several times he seemed about to say something but then stopped.

The image of Tireno Alcys'ka thought a bit more and then commented, "She died, yes she did. Why are you still alive? Why didn't the bomb go off like it was supposed to?" He looked around a bit and asked, "Where am I? 'Dirty fingers' isn't here. What has happened to him? I am supposed to use him to keep the investigation going in circles."

A voice from literally nowhere spoke for the first time, "You are now extracted from Tan'yel Kerel'yn for the purpose of learning your intentions. You are currently in an artificial environment while Officer Kerel'yn's mind learns to break free of your control. You are out of his mind and being kept active in a storage device."

"Impossible," the image of Alcys'ka sneered, "The Master put me in the Guardian's head and only he can remove me. You're lying, whoever you are. I will control Kerel'yn's mind from the moment your focus weakens and I return to my place within the tool's mind. Even if you had managed to remove me it has to be temporary; it simply has to be. You will return me and all will be as it should be."

Then, almost plaintively, it asked; "You are going to return me, aren't you?"

The voice replied, "You can be kept here as long it is required that you be kept here and as long as it is needful to isolate you. While you are out of the Security Officer's mind, his son's mind is in contextual communication with him and is sharing the means by which he was able to throw off the Traitor's controls on him."

"But you can't!" the image cried out, "Only the Master can do that, and if he does it I will die! I don't want to die, I want to continue doing what I was doing. I was made to do that! I have to do that! I need to do that!"

The figure of Tireno Alcys'ka began to try to run around, and although the legs ran it went nowhere. It began to panic and

Tam'yn was waking up with a dream-share helmet on his head. At first he didn't realize where he was and then he recognized the room and J'sharra's worried face.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern in every word.

"I think so, but that was very, very strange," he replied as he glanced over at Tan'yel and at J'ina with a puzzled expression. J'ina seemed to be meditating while Tan'yel was looking relieved and surprised.

It was T'oko who spoke first, "The creation is in a static pattern buffer in my memory. It became agitated and I decided it would be best if it were immobilized."

"But Tan'yel..." Tam'yn asked; and got a response he didn't expect from T'oko.

"Officer Tan'yel Kerel'yn seems to be virtually free of the creation," T'oko replied with a hint of surprise in his voice, "with the exception of some disassociated fragments of the information it contained, I cannot find any functional parts of it in his mind. This was not what we expected although it has happened before with other implants. They are like separate complete structures in the mind when they are active, as this one was. I have no reference for it myself, but perhaps Mother will have a more complete concept of what has happened when she finishes studying the structural algorithms that make it up."

It was Tan'yel who laughed then, startling everyone in the room.

"Alcys'ka made this one too complete," he laughed, "remember when I said it was using my eyes because of what it was telling me? It was supposed to control other puppets on the M'Kereos, and since it was unable to be renewed, it had to be strong. My guess is that Alcys'ka overdid it and made it into almost a complete personality because he had to be sure it would do the job he had given it--the destruction of the M'Kereos and everyone aboard it."

"But it seemed to be afraid of dying and that would mean it would die when you did," Tam'yn replied, still a bit shaken.

J'ina spoke for the first time since the Dream-share had started, saying, "I did not get a sense that it knew it was going to suicide," her artificial voice said, "and I suspect it was incapable of realizing that completing its mission would end in its death along with that of Officer Kerel'yn. Its personality algorithms are focused on the completion of its task and allow no consideration of the results of those tasks outside of their completion. "

"I agree, mother," T'oko replied, "In fact the only death fear or comprehension of death it seems to have is its removal by Alcys'ka. I regret it has so little memory on its own of its creation, too. It seems to be principally a controlling construct that is separate from its environment and using biological analog data to achieve the results programmed into it. As such, memory would be limited to the desired result, like a climate controller."

"Memory?" Tam'yn asked, now curious; "Why wouldn't it have a memory of its creation? I can see why you want it, but why wouldn't it have a memory of its being built?" He was getting confused once again, but he was learning from the situation and hopefully making sense of what he was learning.

"The most likely reason for its not having a memory of its construction is because it is not the first such construct that the Traitor has made," J'ina theorized, "and the previous constructs provided the method and manner of building such a mental implant."

"So it's like a third generation replacement part," Tam'yn hazarded, "the original build is locked at Fleet stores but the pattern in the buffer still works and that is what is used?" He wondered how closely the engineering practice would match what he was hearing.

Seeing J'sharra's odd look, he explained; "That's how some types of Fusion units are repaired in flight. The designs are kept in virtual storage and we use the patterns off of what we already have in the build-robots' memory. It works fine and we only need reference copies of the original designs to proof the actual parts so constructed when they are released. That saves load time and check time since we are working from known-good data and don't need to recertify everything again."

Seeing incomprehension in the group around him, he muttered, "It's a way of repairing things when we don't have a Service facility handy, that's all," and looked at J'ina for more information.

For the first time he realized she had what looked like half a dozen light cables plugged into the side of her head where her ear had been. It was on the table beside her, next to the Dream-share machine. She seemed to take no note of it as she waved her left hand in semi-dismissal and replied, "I can see your repair concept is valid, but this is different. This personality is one we have run into before from the Traitor's devices and in each case it seems the control personality is made afraid of its creator as a means of controlling it. While this one is the more complete creations from the workings of Alcys'ka's machines, it is still a control program impressed into the victim's mind by an external force."

Continuing to examine the now static creation stored in T'oko's memory, she added; "It is surprising how simple the construction actually is. Father said he had gained the best results with the simplest implants, and it seems the same applied to the Traitor's puppets. This will be useful in the extreme when it comes to ridding others of these dæmons in the future."

T'oko did something that caused Tam'yn to tingle and made Tan'yel mutter "what?". As he turned toward the robot, Tam'yn was suddenly aware that he was alone again in his head.

"I have disconnected you from each other," the robot explained, "since for nearly twenty beats the subconscious data-sharing between the two of you has been virtually inactive. At first, when the construct was expelled it was very high; but then it began to slow down. When I put the construct into static storage, the data sharing increased again but that has slowed to the point where I doubt any further contact will be of assistance. It appears that Officer Kerel'yn was aware of the construct at a low level and my storage of it stimulated new sharing between you two. "

"What are you talking about?" Tam'yn asked in surprise only to have Tan'yel answer; "I don't know about you, but I felt things moving in my head while you were talking to the air."

Looking over at T'oko, he asked, "What did you do to us when you connected us together?"

The robot replied, "At first I cross connected the areas where I sensed that Tam'yn had recently expelled programming from his mind. Then your mind took over and I monitored the exchange between the two of you. It seemed that your mind was actively asking for data and Tam'yn's mind was supplying it. I have made recordings of the process so Mother and Grandfather can observe the process and determine what happened. I deliberately kept the personal thought content suppressed and only recorded the nature of the processes being exchanged and the circumstances of that exchange. This will probably allow the development of an application where such treatments can be synthesized to fit the needs of the individual rather than finding a living source for the treatment."

"I recently expelled something?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, "When?"

T'oko replied, "Chronologically, my estimate would be between four and six turnings in the past, most likely when you were asleep. That is when dreams occur and when the mind normally makes repairs to itself. This is a completely normal and completely automatic process, and the only difference in your case is that you expelled parts or segments of external programming. Given that this is what I saw when I last checked your progress, I determined that your mind would have developed the most effective healing systems in its most recent activities of expulsion. It appears I was right, since Officer Kerel'yn is currently expelling command remnants and action strings. Perhaps this also aided the removal of the dæmon, since that happened after the first surge of data between the two of you."

"So that's why I feel so damned funny," Tan'yel grumbled, breaking into the conversation, "unless you're doing something to cause it," he added, looking at T'oko.

T'oko nodded, " I am monitoring and recording what your mind is doing to dæmon-segments that did not come out with the main construct. They appear to be data nodes it used to perhaps awaken other puppets or to modify their programming."

"Shouldn't we record those things?" Tam'yn asked worriedly, to which T'oko replied, "As a node is identified and attacked I record it and then allow Officer Kerel'yn's mind to continue to destroy it. We must remember that our principal focus here is to free Officer Kerel'yn of these implants which make him a direct threat to both his ship and himself. I can record what they are, and by using the control implant see what they were intended to do. That tells me what the Traitor knew of the voyage and thus I can transmit that information either to Mother or to you for action."

Tan'yel smiled wearily, "T'oko, you're as good citizen and when you grow up you'll make a superb Imperial Guardian. You have the right instincts, and those can't be trained into a body, they either have it or they don't. "

" You have them," he said as he grinned at the robot, "you have them in full."

Then, glancing past Tam'yn; he said, "And it looks like J'sharra is about ready to do something too. Is she going to help drive things out of my head as well?"

Tam'yn shook his head. "No father, its more simple than that. Alcys'ka got to her too. We don't know how long he had access to her, but when mother was giving her orders for the ship, so was Alcys'ka. We don't know how long he had her under his damned machines, but she needs the same thing you did. She needs to be free of Tireno Alcys'ka's controls, whatever they are."

"Damn that old traitor," Tan'yel growled, "J'esa's a Navy Security Officer, not a Palace Guardian. What could she possibly know that he would need?"

"I think it was where I would be," J'sharra replied sadly, "When you specified me to be your assistant on the M'Kereos because Tam'yn was there as Engineer, the Empress sent for me and gave me some instructions about her son and what I was supposed to do and not tell him about, like the other Investment of Vice-Royalty you have in your kit,

and what consisted of grounds to revoke that Investment."

She added, "And I never thought I would fall in love with him; I thought that was over and in the past but then..."

"But then I started pairing you two together and I got lucky," Tan'yel replied, breaking into her speech, "You see, I had some instructions from Herself too. Our Empress never depends on just one method to get her Empire where she wants it to go. She always uses a minimum of two, and frequently three or more paths; and she's good at what she does; very, very good."

"You mean my mother planned this out? Sh-sh-she deliberately put J'sharra and m-me together to..." Tam'yn sputtered as he began to realize that what had happened to both himself and J'sharra was a result of his mother's involvement.

Tan'yel interrupted him by saying, "Tam, she wanted her first born to be happy, and to be with someone who loved him like he deserved to be loved. J'esa is that someone, and don't tell me she isn't. You know it, she knows it; it's time for the two of you to both realize it."

Tam'yn's mouth worked for a few more moments before a sound came out of it, before he turned to J'sharra and asked nervously; "This is what you want, and not what you've been ordered to do? You really do care?" Hope warred with fear in his soul.

She kissed him and whispered, "Yes," and he relaxed against her. There were tears in both their eyes.

T'oko made what sounded like a very creditable cough and said, "I would suggest that we determine what the Traitor has done to Officer Meren'kona soon. I need to assist Grandfather later this morning with two assessments and a diagnosis."

Sighing, Tam'yn nodded and J'sharra turned to the robot and asked, "What do I need to do? Will I need something beside the helmet and the drugs for this?" Her voice was curious as she leaned forward to get her answer.

T'oko shook his plastic head and explained, "You will need a mild injection for the dream process and you will need to wear the contact helmet while the sharing sequence is in action. It is unlikely you will need anything else."

Tam'yn and J'sharra settled down in chairs facing each other. Tam'yn wore the same helmet he'd worn with Tan'yel, not having taken it off. J'sharra trembled briefly as a Dream-share helmet was settled over her hair and T'oko calibrated it while J'ina helped settle it in place. J'ina sat next to Tam'yn with the light cables still running out of her head and T'oko took a similar position beside J'sharra's chair.

Then in one fluid movement, J'sharra pulled her stunner and shot J'ina T'keron and was about to fire on Tam'yn when T'oko reached across the space between them and back-handed her stunner across the room. A fraction of a second later, J'sharra Meren'kona stiffened and collapsed on the floor. Tam'yn was just beginning to move to try and stop her and it was all over.

Even so, he scrambled out of his chair and landed next to J'sharra, terror in his eyes. J'ina was holding her side while Tan'yel somehow managed to get out of bed and crawl to the group of people on the floor. Out in the hall, an alarm began to sound.

"What happened?" Tan'yel croaked, then asked, "Dr. T'keron, did she hit you with that stun shot?"

"A grazing shot," she replied, "and I saw her jerk the stunner to the right, attempting to miss me, I think. I am unharmed outside of a slight surprise over the action." Turning to T'oko, she asked, "T'oko, what did you see?"

"I saw her twitch her hand to the right, relative to you, when she fired," the robot replied. " Now is the time to determine what was done to her, while she in unconscious. Her mind will have fewer barriers in place while she is like this than would be there under the drugs. This is a perfect time to see what the Traitor did to her."

"But why did she lose consciousness like that, and why did she shoot anyone?" Tam'yn's voice was full of fear; "That makes no sense unless she is a puppet too."

T'oko turned his metal and plastic head toward Tam'yn and replied, "The helmet is well enough in place that I could send a high energy pulse to render her unconscious. I did not wish her to come to harm, which she could if she fled the Guardians were looking for her. For the moment, it seems to have worked."

"What happened?" Tan'yel's voice asked from beside Tam'yn, who turned to see his father on the floor and trying to sit up. He gave up and started crawling toward them.

The first people responding to the alarm were showing up, two Healers and a Guardian Tam'yn didn't know. The Guardian moved quickly to take the stunner while the Healers were plainly upset with Tan'yel out of bed and on the floor beside Tam'yn and the unconscious J'sharra. Tan'yel growled a warning at them and they backed away.

One of the Healers made to remove the Dream-share helmet from J'sharra only to be blocked by first Tam'yn and then J'ina T'keron.

"Leave this person alone, " her artificial voice said, "she is under treatment and the contact must not be broken," as one of the Healers tried to press past her to get to the downed Security officer.

"Do as she says!" Tam'yn snapped, thrusting his viceroy's bracelet in the face of the over eager Healer. The Healer backed away, shocked and confused.

T'oko advised, "Someone needs to link with Officer Meren'kona soon, while the dæmon is stunned and inactive. The pattern is beginning to become active again."

Turning a determined face to T'oko, Tam'yn ordered, "Link us so we can fight this thing together. My mind knows how to beat this and I still have the Dream-share drugs in my system, let me share that information with her and somebody find out from Alcys'ka what he did and if there is a deactivation phrase!"

Ch. 10: First Blood

Moments later, the world faded as Tam'yn an' Yere'kos flowed into the un-resisting mind of his Companion, J'sharra Meren'kona. Physically, his body slumped against hers while once again, J'ina T'keron seemed to go into a trance. She was actually linking with T'oko to share what he learned and to provide him with her own experiences as a reference to work from.

Tam'yn floated over a sea of light and was in turn covered over by a swirling dark cloudy shadow. Every time he tried to pierce it, it roiled back away from him and his mental hands encountered nothing. Time after time he tried and every time he failed. What was worse, the shadow was swirling into the light and somehow consuming it, weakening it while getting stronger itself. In time, he would stand no chance against it.

Instinctively, he knew the light was part of J'sharra and the shadows were corrupting her, breaking her down. He also realized that she was unaware of this, unconscious and unable to resist.

Finally he called out; "Ancestor An'kor-- help me! I don't know how to do this!"

The semi-familiar form of his ancestor appeared beside him, and with him floated the female who had become the first Empress; Jilathe'. Surprisingly it was she who spoke to him: "Lend me the armor you wear so that I may make it into a protection for my descendent, Tam'yn; she needs it and my husband will protect you while I re-make it for her." She was dressed similarly to An'kor, in what looked like armor.

_ "I don't know how!"_ he cried back to the spirit, who replied sharply, " Will it to me, kinsman. Strip yourself of it and give it to me.!" A glowing hand extended to him in expectation.

It was harder than anything he had ever done, but then Jilathe' had a glowing something in her hands while he suddenly felt naked and helpless.

The darkness saw this and dove for him, to be stopped by a steel-flanged war-staff wielded by a determined spirit that was his ancestor. Time after time it tried to get to him and every time it did, An'kor struck it and damaged or destroyed a part of the dark swirling shadow. The war seemed to go on forever, but then with a shock Tam'yn was armored again and had a war-staff in his own hands (with no idea of how he had achieved that state) while a part of the light below him that he had been defending was beginning to take on a shape he knew; the shape of J'sharra, his Companion. Then she was with them, wrapped in light that was more than light, with a glowing war-staff in her hands as well.

Between the four of them they drove the darkness back, back and away from the ocean of light that Tam'yn came to realize was his Companion's soul; her eternal Self. That knowledge made him fight all the harder, striking and beating the darkness until seemingly out of nowhere an opening appeared that the darkness fled into simply to get away from their combined assault. It was a lot smaller than it had been and they had hurt it. The opening then closed and Tam'yn began to fear that the thing they had been fighting had run away to hide and would come out again. He began to move back toward the glowing light of his Companion's soul so he could protect it if the darkness returned from wherever it had vanished to.

T'oko's voice came from...somewhere, and announced; "The pattern is now in a static buffer and separated from Officer Meren'kona. Viceroy Tam'yn can disengage. The danger is contained. Officer Meren'kona is beginning to regain consciousness. The others with him are thanked for driving it to a mental node that I could readily access and control. It is now no longer a threat to anyone. "

An'kor turned to Tam'yn and smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "When in your time you join us," he said, "I will be glad to welcome my kinsman into my Brotherhood of Warriors. You fought well today, youngster, and your ancestors are proud of you, both of you; and our Empire needs such as you in these days." Jilathe' was hugging J'sharra and smiling at her, while J'sharra smiled back. It seemed bond had been forged between them like the one he had with An'kor.

Then he was aware of his hip aching and that they were surrounded by people. Looking around, he saw Tan'yel wearing a Dream-share helmet. His eyes were suspiciously bright. He reached out, and his son took his hand in a shared Warrior's grip. It was the first time Tam'yn had tried the special handgrip that was shared between Guardians, the Military, and other Imperial defenders and he got it perfectly. He realized that something had changed in him, profoundly so, and he hoped he could figure out what it was before he was called on again to fight something again. He was at heart an engineer, not a fighter...but that seemed to be changing too.

Moments later, J'sharra gasped and shuddered as her eyes flew open. Looking into Tam'yn's eyes, she realized it hadn't been a nightmare. She reached out to him and took him into her arms and wept on his shoulder as he helped Tan'yel crawl over to them and join them there on the floor. Briefly, they clumped together, sharing strength.

Their reunion was interrupted by the presence of Security Officer A'sallah who was squatting and looking at the group of them with open curiosity in his eyes. He held J'sharra's stunner in one hand while the other rested on his hip.

"Would you good people mind telling me what just happened?" he asked mildly, "since it seems that I get different answers from each person I ask, including Security Officer Der'allan here." He gestured toward the Security Officer who had first come in response to the alarm and was looking rather confused.

T'oko swung his head to look at A'sallah and offered, "If you would put on a Counselor's helmet such as Mother is wearing, I can show you. The discarnate beings appeared again, only this time in Officer Meren'kona's mental sphere. It was most interesting. I also have a new type of puppet in buffer storage that you would be interested in; it is unlike any other I have encountered."

"Discarnate beings?" A'sallah asked, somewhat taken aback.

"Deryn, I saw the beings we observed at the Dance service," J'ina explained, "and this time I can definitely state that they were the spirits of the Imperial Founders. Deryn, the Light is what the religions say it is and I saw the proof of it today. That means my brother is not lost. We will be together again."

Her left hand reached out and A'sallah took it, an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. The tableau held for perhaps fifteen beats, then he asked, "Did Officer Meren'kona shoot you? I get differing claims on that part of things."

J'ina paused before replying to think, then said, "No. A program in her mind tried to shoot me but she managed to twist her hand so that the charge only hit some skin replacement and was dissipated by the ferinyl support structure underneath. I felt a slight tingle but I was not harmed. After that, T'oko knocked the weapon out of her hand and rendered her unconscious."

Looking over at T'oko, A'sallah asked, "How did you do that? Do you have a stunner built into you along with everything else?"

T'oko replied, "A built-in stunner would not be necessary for this, Officer A'sallah. She was already hooked into the Dream-share system, so I simply sent a neural pulse that rendered her unconscious. The effect was similar to a stunner pulse but without the corresponding damage to the rest of the body. She lost consciousness and ceased to be an active threat."

A'sallah twisted to be beside J'ina and asked, "What did you find, Counselor? Was this another one of Alcys'ka's puppets?"

By now, J'ina was leaning back in her chair, apparently in deep thought. "It is an implant, yes, " she replied, "but this one is--different. It seems to have only one or perhaps two directives, and has no command structure in it. One, obviously, was to protect itself from discovery. I am not sure what the second directive is, not yet. Unlike the dæmon from Officer Kerel'yn, it has no personality structure. It appears to be two commands with a minimal support system to keep them inactive unless threatened with discovery or the situation meets their activation parameters. Perhaps T'oko will have more information on it because he can process what he learns faster than I can." She looked at the robot expectantly.

"Mother, I am still processing this creation," T'oko replied, "and it is indeed something new from the puppet maker. What I can make of it so far is that it is a specific stimulus-response program. The threat of discovery triggered the violent attack, but my opinion is that this is a side-effect of the main program. It will take me time to determine its intent, I am afraid."

"Is it gone?" Tam'yn asked nervously, "Is it out of J'sharra's mind so it can't effect her anymore?"

"Unequivocally yes," T'oko replied, "you and the others forced it into an area where I could access it and collect it. Since this is the only dæmon in her mind, she is free of the Traitor's effects, although I cannot identify the type of creation it is."

"What do you mean you can't identify it?" J'sharra asked nervously from Tam'yn's embrace where he had slipped his splint around her body. "Is this something new?"

This time A'sallah responded; "Perhaps because it was incomplete," he said thoughtfully, "Palace records show you were in the Palace at the Empress's request for less than one day and left late. The Traitor had a very limited window of access to you since your recorded time with the Empress took up most of the time you spent there. There is barely a turning and a quarter un-accounted for, and until now I suspect the assumption was that you were eating in the Guardian Refectory before you departed. Now, there is a serious question of where you were during that time."

"I still want the Dream-share," J'sharra said firmly, "I have to be absolutely certain that there are no other monstrosities in my mind--I have to...

This time T'oko took the initiative, saying; "While I am certain there is nothing more implanted in your mind, I can understand you concern. Currently your brain activity is too chaotic for me to accurately Dream-share with you, but if you rest; tomorrow would be a good time to make certain you are free of any more dæmons or other creations implanted by the Traitor."

She turned her eyes to Tam'yn who nodded in agreement, "The first time I did a dream share I was told the same thing. Our minds need to rest, especially after what just happened. Let's do it tomorrow, ok?"

J'sharra nodded and held herself close to Tam'yn as if seeking his strength to supplement her own, and as best he could, he returned the hug, although the splint on his arm made it difficult.

He was still wondering what else had happened to him there in his Companion's mind. He sensed that he had learned things, but he didn't consciously know what they were. He was still puzzling over them as J'sharra helped him up while the Healers helped Tan'yel back to his bed.

Glancing at Tan'yel, he was relieved that his father had not been harmed by his excursion from his bedding, although the Healers were fussing over him like he was very fragile and they were worried as to whether or not he would break.

Tam'yn knew that Tan'yel wouldn't break, although his patience level might crack fairly soon if the Healers didn't stop fussing over him because he had been out of bed.

Once Tan'yel was back in bed and J'sharra was standing and was Tam'yn settled back into his float chair, A'sallah suggested they discuss what had happened to them for the record. Tan'yel waved them off, saying, "It's quiet in my head again and all I want to do for a while is sleep. I know what I saw and I don't need to run it into the ground or analyze it to be certain of what happened. You go on and let me sleep; it will be so nice to sleep without that damned voice yammering in my ear for a change."

He rolled on his side and proceeded to do just that.

A'sallah chuckled, "He still runs things, even here." Turning to the four people remaining, he asked, "Shall we go to the same office as before? We can contact the prison from there and get the word from the monster himself."

"Monster?" Tam'yn asked, "You mean Alcys'ka's done more than we already knew?"

A'sallah remained silent until they were seated in the Guardian office near Tam'yn's room in the Healing center.

After they had seated themselves, A'sallah began to speak.

"Your Radiance, the Traitor has managed to corrupt your younger siblings, but they are under treatment and recovering. There was an addition to the report that should come as no surprise to you; they are manifesting the spirits of persons who have gone into the Light; to be precise, Kor'ahn and Velana, the Conqueror's firstborn children. This effect seems to be randomly affecting those he corrupted, some manifest ancestors and some don't; the only thing they have in common is their victimization by Alcys'ka and his machines. A set of what we think are his most current connection diagrams is being transmitted here under the cover of an update for some agricultural equipment control systems for our contact Colony."

He glanced at J'ina and asked, "Do you think your father is well enough to review them when they arrive? They are based on his work, extended by Alcys'ka. Your knowledge of cybernetic systems will also be needed on account of how his systems seem to work, but I'm worried about the strain to him when he sees what Alcys'ka has done with his concepts, given his current medical state."

J'ina nodded, "I believe he is strong enough to examine them and determine what has been added and what he and Alcys'ka worked on together. T'oko will be helpful there too, since he can run virtual tests to see what certain systems are intended to do."

Then she asked, "Did you get copies of the operating system? The command flow charts? The input protocols? We will need those too if we are to re-create his devices for study here."

"I'll ask," A'sallah replied, "but honestly, all the communication said was the "schematics and plans" for his devices. They don't dare risk trying to remove the current systems at the current time for medical reasons."

"Medical reasons?" Tam'yn asked with surprise, "why medical reasons?"

A'sallah stared at the table for a moment before answering. "There are twenty-two people who are grieving themselves to death," he replied; "All are in critical positions and every one of them collapsed when they learned of the Traitor's 'Death'. They have to be force fed and restrained so the Healers can hydrate them by injection. They want to die, and for no reason other than that is what they were programmed to do. The report said it was likely that six would be dead within half a tenday. We are trying to find out what was done to them from his records and the machine process recordings. So far, nothing has been learned and the Traitor is being silent about what he did to them. Legally, we cannot force him to tell us, and there is no way to be sure that what we would get under force would be accurate."

"We can use the Mind-share device with T'oko in the loop to satisfy the law," J'ina said after thinking for a moment. "Once he knows what it can do, he may give over what we want without our actually using it."

A'sallah nodded, "It may be so. Given the gravity of the situation, I can get a permission from the Council within the day, since this is a meeting day for them. I'll forward the report and the request for a Mind-share authorization and we should have a response by this evening."

"What do we do if the Council decides the situation doesn't warrant it?" J'ina asked nervously, "they tend to be focused on Home rather than the Empire in most things."

"Then I use this," Tam'yn stated, showing his viceroy's bracelet. "If it is that critical to the Empire's security, I'll authorize it myself. I don't want to, but these twenty-two people are probably essential to the Empire's functioning. That's why they were programmed to die, and when the first one does die, Alcys'ka becomes a murderer; and that will change everything regarding his survival. Let him know that, and remind him he no longer has his protectors to keep him from answering for what he's done."

A'sallah half-bowed to Tam'yn and said, "As you command, your Radiance."

Then he grinned; "I think I'll arrange for him to learn that just before his dinner time, so he has a proper appetite for his supper. Nothing like an empty belly to make you think long and hard." He chuckled, a cold and harsh sound.

Tam'yn nodded, and J'sharra nodded with him.

Lake An'shal, T'Kiir'ah.

Counselor Kalana was readying his workroom for his Dream-share with Le'ahn, the Empress's daughter, who was either manifesting Many-Persons-syndrome or was sharing her mind and body with an ancestress who had passed into the Light 1100 cycles in the past.

In front of him, hidden from the mind-share daybed, a voice activated computer screen would provide him information about the questions he had for the mental structure who called itself Velana, the daughter of An'kor and Jilathe'. It promised to be interesting and informative, at least for him.

Le'ahn strolled into his office and took a seat on a chair next to the daybed, which surprised the Counselor a bit. There were more surprises to come.

She smiled and bent forward. Someone else sat up. This someone wore her honey gold hair in four braids with small gold flowers braided into them. She was wider featured than Le'ahn, older, and a bit on the full figured side. Her eyes contained mirth and wisdom while her mouth wore an easy smile. Her ears had tiny cloisonné flowers in piercings along the outer edges while deep cream fur filled her ears on the inside and brown-gold fur covered the backs of her ears and her face. She did not look at all like Le'ahn.

She exactly resembled Velana na' Jilathe' an' K'koro from the montage of images that the Counselor had managed to assemble. After several moments of shock, he remembered to close his mouth. She giggled.

"I apologize, esteemed Sir, but Le'ahn explained what was probably going to happen and I couldn't resist this," she said, " If I caused you discomfort, I apologize again."

"H-how are you able to assume this appearance?" the Counselor sputtered, still completely at a loss.

The apparition smiled, "Easily. Le'ahn offered herself to me for this, and the body you see simply changed to support the spirit that was active in it. This way, we are able to share this most wonderful world together, rather like very close cousins would. She and I share a lot of personal things and we enjoy each other's company."

Her eyes twinkling, she commented, "I suspect you have some questions to ask me? If so, I am at your service, esteemed Counselor."

Counselor Kalana coughed, embarrassed, and asked, "How is it that you are here, and not in the Light? By our reckoning you passed into the Light nearly 1100 cycles ago, but here you are. How is this possible?"

Velana leaned back in her chair and grew thoughtful. "I believe it is in part a bloodline relationship that makes this possible. Then too, there is that odd machine which that awful man used on us to force us to obey his commands. Something happened then--I suspect it was Le'ahn's mind trying to get away from what was being done to it, but that is when I first became aware of this world again, this shadow place.

While the nasty things were in our head, neither one of us could do anything about it. It was only when they were broken that I had a chance to get out and into the world as it is now.

"Then, Father did something and the remains of the ugly thing were purged from me and I could be completely alive again with Le'ahn's permission. Fortunately, we liked each other from the start and we continue to do so. This world is so much fun! It is so wonderful that Father and Mother's Empire did what they wanted it to do, to make a world where the awful things that were common in their time had passed away and we K'iir could find the goodness in ourselves rather than always being wary of attack. I know Father is so happy about this, and so is Mother since they both pledged before the Light to remain half in the world to protect what they had made. That is their promise, that 'what they had made they would protect' until their protection was no longer needed and T'Kiir'I everywhere lived as they should live, and as most T'Kiir'I live now."

"Where is your father now? Is he in the Light or...?"

"He is with his closest descendent in a special place, showing him how to protect his Empire. Mother is with him, helping her closest descendent who is married to father's closest descendent. This always happens when there is risk to their Empire; the descendents meet and marry and keep the bloodline active and receptive to Father' and Mother's advice."

The Counselor was stunned at the revelation. True, it would explain several "Miracles" of T'Kiir'I history, but it also implied a sort of selective breeding. That was not something he felt the Light could do or would do if it were capable of it.

Seeing his confoundment, Velana explained; "Oh, the spirits involved agree to be born into this. That is why I was born again as Le'ahn. We are the same spirit, the same ray of light, just different reflections of it in different times."

"But...why?"

"Because we love our Families, our Clans and Houses; our People. They represent the continuance in the Sunset world that we have in the world of the Light. Even those who are born without any of that; the houseless, clanless people have Families. And those without Family in this world have their Family in the Light. Master Pyri'ka was so right about that; we are like the light in that we go on forever and like the beams of light we are all joined in one supreme source, one Bright Sun Source where we all come from and where we all return to..."

She brought her hand up to her mouth and dipped her ears for a moment. "I'm not supposed to say things like that here," she whispered, "but it is so wonderful, all of it."

After gathering his rather scattered thoughts, Counselor Kalana asked, "So how did you rule in the Pyri'ka donation?" That was her first legal decision supported by her father and her first foray into Imperial Law. It was also the best documented.

She smiled, remembering. "Kor'ahn found that part of the land was owned by both Houses due to a surveyor's error. The Surveyor had used a point on a stream, a big rock actually, as the base leg of the parcel. Well, the rock was undercut by the stream and then rolled into the stream and then the stream flowed around it on the opposite side from where the surveyor had based his mark. That meant there was a large section in the middle of the land that belonged to both families because the reference point had moved, you see?"

Counselor Kalana nodded, entranced.

"Father didn't want to appear to favor either side, so he asked me to decide on who owned the land so the donation could be made by the right House. I took the point on the map that showed the original location and then marked in where the new location was and divided the land between the two equally. I then said that House Arkova owned the land on the east side of the division line, and House Metis'ka owned the land on the west side of the line. Now, since the line went through a big rocky hill, nobody farmed it or had any use for it so this way both Houses had the honor of the donation and both houses got rid of some land that was useless to them.

"Since the hill was mostly limestone, it was perfect for building which is what Master Pyri'ka used it for. That way he didn't have to bring anything to his new Temple site because he had it all; limestone for building and for making concrete, wood for framing and floors, and water to drink and bathe in as well as water the crops they planted. Both Houses were happy, Master Pyri'ka was happy, Father was happy, and I found I liked helping people deal with problems. While Kor'ahn was alive then, he and I took Father's and Mother's laws and made them work for everyone, since Father and Mother tended to be focused on other things most of the time and tended to make their rulings work for only one situation at only one time. We fixed that, and both Father and Mother appointed us to be Advocates and Magistrates so they didn't have to do that anymore and could focus on running the new Empire and making it work rather than deal with stolen J'ferkas or broken windows.

"Kor'ahn would investigate and then we would figure out what was right in a given situation. We're doing that now...oops. Please forget I said that."

Counselor Kalana nodded but had no intention of forgetting it. If she thought she was also her brother, then he had his diagnosis.

Then he remembered Terel. Was the boy also hiding a psychotic belief? He could check later when he made sure that the Traitor's implants were truly gone in the young K'iir.

Continuing their conversation, Counselor Kalana became less and less certain that this was a psychotic reaction and began to return to his previous sense that this was indeed the personality of Velana an' Jilathe na' K'koro reborn in the body of Le'ahn an Yere'kos, daughter of the Empress.

When their interview was over and Velana transformed back into Le'ahn, he was convinced of the fact.

This was something that Guardian Artol needed to be informed about.

To add to his shock and relief, Le'ahn said, "Oh, Velana asks me to tell you that she is aware of what this could do to society if word got out, so I will be the face for us and she also asks you to tell the soldiers who are guarding us that both she and her brother will do their best to be invisible."

Then she added, "Oh, her brother thinks the Estate is being cheated, so if Terel spends a lot of time on the computers its because he and Kor'ahn are trying to find out who is doing it."

The Counselor asked, "Le'ahn, what do you think of Velana? How do you feel about her sharing your body and to a degree, your mind?" He was very curious about what was a unique situation to him.

Le'ahn thought for some time, then said, "She is the best friend I have ever had, or ever will have. That's how I feel, Counselor. She is my very best friend."

Tam'yn was getting ready to scream. Ever since the episode in Tan'yel's room where she (under compulsion) had tried to stun J'ina T'keron and who knew who else, she had been tentative, nervous, and clingy.

He knew why, too. She was afraid. She was terrified of the unknown that might still be hiding in her mind, even though T'oko had said she was free of the compulsion that Alcys'ka had forced into her mind.

When she had gone into the San to bathe (again) he had used his Viceroy's authority to send a Guardian and Priest Osha to the M'Kereos and retrieve her dancing silks. He had been arbitrary, issuing orders to both Guardian and Priest, but he felt his Companion was in danger of breaking down and that would in turn affect his capabilities as a Viceroy and as a person.

She was that much a part of him now.

When she returned from her sixth wash in the San, wearing yet another clean house-robe, there was a parcel on their sleeping pad and Priest Osha was sitting in a second chair that Tam'yn had ordered brought into the room.

She shuffled into the room and when she saw the Priest, she cringed back.

"Why does my sister cringe from me?" Osha asked, and she ran to him and wept. Tam'yn hoped he had done the right thing, but he was out of other ideas. She had been hurt, even as Osha had said the night before. She had fought the thing that had been raped into her mind and was silently awaiting its activation. She had exchanged something with the first Empress, Jilathe'; although what that was he didn't know. They had discussed the situation with A'sallah in the special office just down the hall from this very room.

When they returned to their room, the healing bed was gone and a comfortable double sleeping pad was in its place along with a table and a chair for their meals.

She had sat on the chair and looked at him. Then she had broken. She had wept, she had heaved, she had clung to him and had alternately turned and been afraid to meet his eyes. Then she had begun compulsive bathing, running back into the room to cling to him as if she were afraid he would vanish. Then in a quarter turning, it would all start again.

The priest seemed to be helping, in that she wasn't hysterically weeping or clinging to something. Tam'yn had moved discreetly away from them to give them a shred of privacy. He didn't know what else to do. Inside, he was quietly terrified.

After what seemed a handful of turnings, Osha beckoned to him. As he floated over to the priest, he wondered what more he could do.

He found out.

"She must dance this pain out, and you must dance with her," Osha said bluntly. "You must trust yourself to the dance and let go of the limits placed on you. That means you must wear nothing to protect your feet and forgo the security of the splint on your arm. You must be free so that your light may move with hers in unity. That will heal her fear and self loathing. You must trust to the Light for your protection, and she must again find the protection of the Light within her own self and overcome the fear that rules her soul."

"Bu-but my arm is b-broken and it hasn't had time to heal yet," he stuttered.

"Trust the Light," Osha repeated, "In the Light there is no harm, only healing."

Tam'yn was about to say no but instead he said, "yes". He might break something...but J'sharra was broken now and she needed him. He nodded to the priest and said, "Let's go. J'esa is hurting and I want her well, no, I need her well, not for me but for herself. So I spend more time in this chair, so what. She needs to heal."

Osha smiled slightly and gently suggested that J'sharra dress so she could go to the Pyri'ka with him and her Companion.

"But will the Light accept me like this?" she asked nervously, "I'm corrupted by what that evil person did to me there in the Palace. Can I enter the light and let it move through me now when I don't even know if I am corrupt or not?"

Osha smiled gently and said, "Within the light, shadow cannot exist; and where the light enters, shadows are dispelled. Opening even the tiniest window in the darkest room allows the light to enter and dispel the darkness, for darkness cannot abide even the faintest light."

"Chapter six, section ten of the Illuminations" J'sharra murmured, "how could I have forgotten it?"

"Fear makes us forget all manner of things," Osha said gently, "and faith helps us to remember. Come, sister, and dance with your Companion; move within the light with him and dispel your darkness and fear."

She looked over at Tam'yn who was sitting in the float chair with the charging cable in his hand. "There's plenty of power to get me to the K'Pyri'ah and back, J'esa. Let's go."

He was keeping his own feelings in tight control; he wanted to kill Tireno Alcys'ka with his claws and teeth. He wanted to shred the Traitor to pieces for hurting his Companion. His Anak' a' K'iir was under tight control and he dared not let it loose. Perhaps the dancing would let him vent some of the heat he was feeling in his gut. He hoped so, because he passionately wanted to shred someone in particular, and that wasn't the way to go about it.

He understood what his name-father, Tan'ero, had warned him about, all those years ago. The T'Kiir'I were a bloodthirsty race who had to control themselves all the time. He didn't want to, but he did.

J'sharra dressed simply and he discarded his fancy clothing, going instead for light-weight exercise-wear from the ship. It was a bit loose. He hadn't had time to exercise and hadn't had time to take it to the ship's tailor. He made do with a belt to hold up the knee length trousers.

He considered taking the Viceroy's bracelet off but decided not to. It still glowed when it should be dark. Something or someone was in there and the Light would help them in some way. Anyhow, he was getting used to it on his wrist--the wrong wrist perhaps, but he was used to it there.

It seemed to take forever to traverse the width of the Healing Center to get to the proper door, but eventually they got there. He realized he was spoiled by the Transporters on the M'Kereos which took you wherever you needed to go, but this was not a starship.

The doors again refused him exit, so Osha stepped through them and he followed closely behind with J'sharra beside him.

"Why don't those doors work for me?" he wondered aloud, to which Osha replied; "Probably because you are a patient there and the staff don't want you going outside where you could be hurt. They read your implants, you know."

"I didn't," Tam'yn replied, "but it makes sense."

Then a thought occurred to him, "I hope Security doesn't come storming into the Dance area because I've gone missing," he muttered.

Osha laughed, "I doubt it. I told Officer A'sallah we would probably be going to the K'Pyri'ah and we are. He will know where to find you if he needs to."

"You know A'sallah?" Tam'yn asked in surprise, and Osha nodded, "Oh yes. I was a Planetary Guardian for ten cycles before I accepted the Light Within. He was my trainer as a cadet. He and the T'keron's often come to Evening services, so they obviously know where the K'Pyri'ah is."

The best response Tam'yn could manage was, "Oh". He realized he really knew nothing about this world outside of a few places and a handful of people. He didn't even really know where it was, outside of the fact that it was circling a double star and turned the wrong way.

Once the M'Kereos left this world, they would have no way of finding it again in the vastness of space. It would be a story, a legend, and stay a safe and secure Sanctuary for the Empire and its Empresses.

Then he remembered that A'sallah would be coming with them, along with twenty Imperial Guardians as a security force for...what? He realized he didn't know why they were coming with the M'Kereos, outside of something about training the new Guardian force onboard for space duty.

His curiosity was cut short by their arrival at the K'Pyri'ah and J'sharra's beginning to relax as she entered the world she knew so well. On the walk to the K'Pyri'ah, her grip on his forearm had been tight enough to hurt, but now she was relaxing and his right arm was duly grateful for the change.

There were a number of people there dancing or taking lessons in dance or perhaps just exercising. There were a lot of people around, most in exercise wear and the remainder in dance robes or practice silks.

Osha gestured to one of the latter and after he approached and did a little bow, Osha spoke to him in a low voice about something that apparently involved Tam'yn since the stranger glanced at him a couple of times before nodding and hurrying away.

"I have sent for dance robes for the both of you, even as if you were new to the Way of the Light so that both of you may be as one in appearance. We will have two drummers for rhythm and a flutist for the spirit lifting, " he explained, "and when my assistant returns, he will help you prepare for your dance together."

"Ah, what about the splint?" Tam'yn asked, feeling slightly nervous.

Osha smiled, "He is also a Healer level two and can disconnect you from the splint and also bind and protect your toes so they don't distract you."

Tam'yn was amazed for a moment until he realized that being as close to the Healing Center as this K'Pyri'ah was, it would be very likely that Healers would attend and even be part of the services offered.

Osha gestured and they followed him to a small sand pit, one of several, where he suggested they settle and relax while their dance preparations were being done.

J'sharra was already seated on the warm sand in the sun, her legs crossed and her hands palm up to the light. She glanced over at Tam'yn and he parked the float-chair and got out of it to settle beside her. Surprisingly, his incision didn't twinge or even feel very sensitive; what he felt most was the warmth of the sand as he settled on it and took the same posture that J'sharra had taken. They were side by side in the sunlight and it felt good.

"I've spent too much time inside," he thought, "and as long as I'm here I need to get out more. I'll be inside again soon enough when we leave here and go look for the Robot-Makers, so while I'm here, I might as well enjoy it."

He was a spaceman. He spent most of his life inside a starship. Here, though, there was something so good and pleasant about being outside that he enjoyed it.

J'sharra was beginning a meditative chant, one she had taught to him. He picked up on it and they began to harmonize together, just like they had done on the M'Kereos before all this insanity had happened...

Light come guide me, light come lead me, help me find my path;

Lift my feet upon a sunbeam and through clouds I'll dance,

Like the sun my life's a journey, dance from dawn to night,

As I dance through brilliant day I'll dance through darkest night,

Light come guide me, light come lead me, help me find my path...

(Pyri's "Call to Light" from "Illuminations". Used with permission.)

He realized they had spent less than half a tenday before things had become complicated. He wanted that time, that feeling, back.

So he harmonized with his Companion as they chanted a simple prayer to the Light. He felt so...complete when they did this, he didn't want it to end.

Then, their chanting was over and they moved to the grass to start their stretches. While they had chanted and then prepared to stretch, other things had happened.

Tam'yn had slowly stood up, feeling unsteady after having his splint taken off and the injection system capped. He missed the weight of the splint on his left arm. The sub-Priest and Healer 2 had scanned his left arm and pronounced it well enough healed for a lighter and less distracting splint during the dance. For the moment, his lower arm had been wrapped in stretch bandage with three plast strips to support the area. His toes had simply been taped together with a layer of plast under the toe pads so they wouldn't move. The scans had shown them to be decently healing and in the opinion of the Healer 2 should have been re scanned when he entered the Healing Center.

As it was, Tam'yn stood for the first time in a tenday on his own and out of his float chair without pain.

It felt strange to him to be on his own feet without something hurting. His abdomen was wrapped with more stretch bandage to keep him from tearing his incision when he danced.

He asked the Healer 2 why the Healers in the Healing center hadn't done the same and got a surprising answer: "Sometimes we do things to keep our patients inactive so we don't have to worry about them hurting themselves. People heal better if they are inactive for the first two or three days after a surgery, since it gives their bodies a chance to recover from the assault of the surgery itself. I was here last night, and the only reason you tore your incision was because your surgeon wanted you in bed, not active. Your getting around wasn't desired, so you got hurt."

"Will I be alright like this?" he asked, and the Healer chuckled, "Just don't try any acrobatics with your initiation dance and you will be fine."

With those words in his ears, Tam'yn had joined his Companion in their pre-dance stretches. They had only done this twice before Tan'yel had been arrested, but in both cases Tam'yn had found the slow stretching exercise to be both pleasant and enjoyable.

He began to consider that perhaps Healer J'nero on the M'Kereos had been deliberately trying to keep him inactive so he would heal more certainly. Plainly, he didn't trust Tam'yn to keep to the calcium intake requirements and eating properly if he had anything to distract him.

Sourly, Tam'yn realized Healer J'nero was right. Now, though, he had J'sharra, he had someone to care for and someone who cared for him. He wanted to get well--for her.

As they stretched together, loosening their muscles and joints, Tam'yn was feeling a very real sense of being more alive and vital and less like an invalid. Their robes were light on their bodies, not disturbing the short-trimmed fur that grew there and the robes themselves stretched a little so they did not bind. He and J'sharra were now foot to foot, he mirroring her movements in reverse as they loosened their muscles and made ready for their Dance together. J'sharra was looking more and more relieved as they moved, and that made Tam'yn happy because she was healing and getting over the awful thing she must have felt when she thought she had been contaminated by the implanted things in her mind.

When Osha came for them, Tam'yn was feeling better than he had felt in a very long time. Thinking back, he remembered feeling like this on his last posting on a Fleet freighter with his teacher, Master G'rollan, after they had gone through several warm-ups for a session of Tan-o'; an ancient T'Kiir'I fighting and dueling system. Surprisingly, he felt himself slipping into the Tan-spirit, where he felt completely relaxed but was ready to move with lightning speed. His reflexes had scarred Uma the Moka who had attacked him and broken his arm when he had gone to see what damage had been done to the M'Kereos by their bypassing safety systems to use a supposedly closed port in the hull.

He had reacted unthinkingly then, and only the fact that he kept his toe claws filed and rounded had kept Uma the Moka from being disemboweled with his counterstrike. The Moka would still have scars the rest of his life.

Priest Osha apparently noticed the change and asked, "Is it the Tan?" Tam'yn nodded and Osha smiled, "Good. Great Pyri'ka was also a practitioner of the Tan'o and many of his dances include postures of the Tan. You and you Companion will dance together more completely as a result." He was actually rubbing his hands in anticipation.

J'sharra was less certain. "What is this Tan'o" you keep referring to? She asked, to which Tam'yn replied; "Remember when all this started and Uma hit my arm and broke it and I had him down before either you or Tan'yel could fire? That is Tan'o."

She nodded, now looking thoughtful.

"It's a fighting system where you use your claws and body leverage to defeat your opponent," Tam'yn explained, "and there are Tan'o movements that could be fitted together with some of the dance moves I've seen you do, in fact, I think Osha expects that to happen.

Osha smiled at them and replied, "What I expect is two souls starting to find their union within the Light by means of the Dance releasing the Light that is within them. Each of you has been injured by a very dark-spirited person, and each of you needs to expel the fear that person used to dominate you with your own Light. This dance will allow you to begin that expelling of darkness and fear, while allowing the two of you to grow closer to each other as you dance."

They walked to a building and entered, and to Tam'yn's surprise there was a tiny circular stage in the center, lit by a huge skylight set into the rounded roof. J'sharra was looking around with growing happiness on her features as she recognized what the room was, it was a training room for students and practice room for Dancers. The sunlight on the stage was as she remembered from the Lake An'shal K'Pyri'ah, and instead of a teacher mounting the stage with her, her Companion stood beside her; bringing her the completions that had been promised so many cycles in the past.

In one corner of the room, two sub-priests were seated with drums in their laps, and a third (by her dress a full priestess) was seated with them, a long flute in her hands.

Bowing to J'sharra, Osha said, "Begin the teaching of your Companion and Student, Priestess. You know him best, begin letting him find the Light within himself by sharing your own Light with him. By your leave, I will offer suggestions if I see difficulty on either of your parts and if there is any. Let this be a sharing between you, even as it was with the one who began your training in Movement within the Light." He settled to one side of the space and seemed to relax.

The drummers began a simple rhythm, similar to that of walking, and J'sharra began to rock from side to side, watching Tam'yn as she did so. He followed her, trying to match his movements to hers. Slowly, they began to move as one, their eyes locked on each other. Next, J'sharra began to make a gentle semi-rocking motion with her hands and arms which Tam'yn had no trouble following since they were slowed versions of blocks from the Tan-o'. He felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into the Tan, the calm super-awareness of everything around him and the sense of peace that rose from his center, his body core.

Osha watched as J'sharra began to match her student's practiced moves, a look of surprise and pleasure on her face.

Tam'yn unconsciously moved into the next set of blocks, a figure eight with palms remaining parallel, increasing the orbit of his forearms.

J'sharra added to their dance by lifting one foot off the flooring and transferring her weight to the other foot, then repeating with that foot as she moved in the other direction with her arms, sliding side to side in parallel with her arms.

After a little difficulty, Tam'yn matched her movement. Their eyes were locked together, seeing only the movements and changes made by their other, their partner in the Dance.

Now, the flute began a simple series of notes that followed their movements with musical tones, supporting the drums providing the rhythm for their dance.

Tam'yn was almost unaware of all of this. He was inside a glowing place where his Companion shared her dance with him and he with her. Figures formed within the glow and began to follow their movement and soon they were surrounded with glowing, dancing figures.

In the back of his mind, Tam'yn heard himself chanting the Call to the Light, even as they had done in their warm up and meditation.

And the Light answered. Within him, he felt warmth moving and pulsing with their dance. He felt a completion within him that had ended with L'yrel's death. His sister, his other half, was with him again in spirit, dancing within his soul.

He was without pain, without sorrow, the Light was around him and within him; he was a ray of light that went on forever, circling the universe to return to its glowing loving living origin.

For perhaps the first time in his life, he was totally at peace in every respect.

After an uncountable time, their dance slowed and he returned to himself, the body he had put on at birth...and J'sharra was before him, like him regaining the mortal being she was.

The Dance ended as he embraced his Companion and they kissed, both beginning to heal from the injuries that Tireno Alcys'ka had done to them.

Glancing over at Osha, he saw the Priest smiling at them. His aim was achieved; to heal the two people who had come to him in pain and sorrow. They had begun their passage to the Ultimate Illumination together.

Good.

Glancing at the skylight, Tam'yn was surprised; late morning had passed into middle afternoon while they Danced. It didn't seem to have been that long, but he sensed that where they had been, time was irrelevant.

Dropping unconsciously to one knee, he bowed his thanks to Osha. That worthy smiled and handed him a small crystal on a chain, similar to the nest of crystals J'sharra wore.

He slipped it on, realizing he had entered on another path of discovery; this one of the spirit and the Light itself.

As he stood and leaned against J'sharra, he marveled; "I don't hurt anywhere. I don't ache. I feel wonderful."

She smiled at him. "Within the light, love, there is only healing, not pain. You let the light into yourself today, and you feel the result. While we're here, you and I will dance every day to get you well faster so when we return to space you'll be better able to do your work."

"And when we're in Space?" he asked curiously, "what then?"

"We dance whenever we can make time, in the area for Contemplation. We dance within the Light even when we are travelling superluminal, because the light we dance in is within us, not in space."

Turning to the drummers and flutist, Tam'yn thanked them all, receiving smiles in return. As they left the dance building, he grew curious about their things.

They were where they had left them, neatly folded and waiting.

Slowly, Tam'yn got dressed, still marveling at what had happened to him.

The Healer-Priest, showed up and helped him into his splint again after taking off the wrap over his forearm. The wrapping around his middle remained as did the protection for his toes.

"You'll be more comfortable this way, and by tomorrow your regular Healer should begin the wrapping procedure anyhow. You just need support now, and the wrap will provide it," the Healer-Priest said dismissively, "so why not start a bit early? It won't do any damage."

When they returned to the Hospital, the Healer-Priest came with them to open the doors for them. Once there, he took a small keypad out of his robe and entered a set of commands into it, then swept it past Tam'yn's chest. It beeped. He repeated the action with J'sharra.

"Osha told me about your problems with the doors," he explained, "so I used my key to tell them to open for you. That way, if you want to come dance again tomorrow, you won't need to find someone to let you out." He smiled and turned back to the K'Pyri'ah as Tam'yn and J'sharra entered the now co-operative hospital doors and headed for their room.

They dressed and headed for Tan'yel's room. He was awake and watching something on his bed vid-panel.

He was not smiling.

Glancing up and seeing them enter, he beckoned them over to his bed while swinging his vid-panel so they all could see it.

Ch. 11: A message from mother

A news talker was going over news local to K'Arrah, the City of the Empire. Most of it was ordinary but there was one odd and perhaps unsettling note. High Lord Antero-Kessa, leader of the Progressive movement, had disappeared. His disappearance had been reported to the City Watch. His daughter was "away" from the House, leaving it without a noble presence, which was very unusual.

There was a quick flicker on the screen where Tan'yel had looped it and then the same newsreader was talking about the departure of two regiments of Alar mercenaries from House Kessa's lands in the south.

Tam'yn looked at Tan'yel for an explanation and got: "Those Mercenaries may have been wearing Alar colors and uniforms, but they weren't Alars or anything like them. I know the Alars, Contractor-General Ylem and I played T'pon regularly. He would never have consented to having his troops active on T'Kiir'ah, and he was the Contractor-General for the Alars working for the Throne.

"Add in that they were using House Kessa's lands and High Lord Antero-Kessa was quite aware of the use of these lands, and their mutual disappearance has me very unhappy."

"They left because he stopped paying them?" Tam'yn ventured, surprised by his father's upset, and got the reply: "They were paying him, not the other way around, Tam'. Frankly, I'm worried about this and I'm stuck in a hospital bed."

J'sharra wondered aloud, "Do you suppose he is coming here? Could the Guardians have taken him like they took Tireno Alcys'ka?"

"I don't know," Tan'yel grated, "and that too has me worried. This is not something the Guardians would do; he is too high profile, and anything that would get him sent here would have him before Throne Justice answering questions about what he's been up to. His disappearance makes no sense if you're looking at the good of the Empire, and things that make no sense have me worried right now."

Then he grumped, "And this broadcast is two and a half turnings old."

Looking at the two of them, he asked, "And where have you two been? A'sallah has been looking for you. He's been in here a couple of times. Where have you two been?" There was a hint of anger in his voice.

"A-at the K-K'Pyri'ah," Tam'yn stuttered, somewhat flustered.

"He's been helping me heal," J'sharra explained, "and Osha knows A'sallah. If the Guardian had called, he would have told him where he could find us."

"I did, he did, and finally we connect," came A'sallah's voice from the doorway. The Guardian walked into the room with a chip in his hand.

"There is a message on this that we can't decode. It's from the Palace. I suspect that Tam'yn has the necessary means of decoding it, since what we get is just his House sigil and the words "Restricted."

"Where's my reader?" Tan'yel asked; and Tam'yn replied, "In our quarters here at the hospital. I'll go get it. "

He started out of the room only to have his chair ground after a few paces. On the data panel the words, "Low Charge, Please Recharge This Device" started flashing. "Drok," he muttered," I forgot it was only partly charged when we went to the K'Pyri'ah."

"I'll be right back," J'sharra said as she hurried out of the room while Tam'yn very slowly moved his float chair to a wall power connection. He plugged it in and then got out of it, walking over to Tan'yel's bed and Guardian A'sallah to wait for J'sharra's return.

"You're walking better," A'sallah commented, "is that from the Dance?"

"You know about that?" Tam'yn replied, surprised, "Actually it's because one of the sub-priests there is also a Healer here. He taped my toes and wrapped my abdomen."

Then, honestly, he added; "And the Dance did help a great deal. It helped J'sharra and it helped me, too."

Tan'yel gave him a look and said, "Next time please leave a note as to where you are going, Tam'. As a Viceroy, you don't have the freedom to just go wandering around without letting someone know where you are. Like when I was on the M'Kereos, you no longer have the luxury of just disappearing for a while. I had to get used to it, now you can enjoy the same thing."

A'sallah chuckled, "We knew where they were, Tan'yel. The message didn't carry any alerts or hurry-ups on it, so I decided to let the two of them heal a little. He sent a Guardian to the M'Kereos specifically for his Companion's dancing silks, and I think a Priest went along too. We knew where they were probably better than they did themselves."

Tan'yel relaxed a little, but still gave Tam'yn a warning stare. Tam'yn nodded, wondering if the hint of fear he saw in his father's eyes was actually there or not.

J'sharra returned with the tablet and placed it on Tan'yel's bed table.

A'sallah handed Tan'yel the chip, which was inserted into a slot in the side of the device. Next Tan'yel activated the holo-screen and once the words "Data Loaded" appeared, he entered the same code Tam'yn had used and waited.

The word "Restricted Content" appeared on the screen, and Tan'yel scowled.

Tam'yn put his Clan ring against the "read" section of the tablet. The message flickered but remained unchanged.

Tan'yel was obviously concerned now and glanced at Tam'yn's Viceroy's bracelet. Tam'yn was equally concerned and nodded as he set his bracelet against the "read" section and this time the message changed.

Karavele'ka an' Yere'kos, Empress of the Sunrise Empire to

Her Viceroy, Tam'yn an' Yere'kos: Greetings.

We ask that our Viceroy expedite repairs to his vessel, the M'Kereos, to the fullest extent possible and then proceed swiftly to the coordinates provided in the navigation updates below and search for the Civilization that has sent their robot into our Space. If, after four segments pass and nothing is found; We direct that you return to Imperial space and to the Place where you are currently making repairs for further instructions from us. Unless you find and establish contact with these people, or there is an active threat to Our Empire discovered in your voyaging, you will remain incommunicado; neither transmitting nor receiving any Hyper-Wave or Sub-Space communications with the Sunrise Empire. You will ignore any other orders to the contrary unless those orders come from ourselves in the same manner that these orders have come to you.

May the Gods of Star and Space protect you and grant you success, my son. I will pray for your Company's and your Ship's success.

Karavele'ka an' Yere'kos, Empress.

There were many lines of coding under the K'Kiir'sa script. Tam'yn recognized his mother's hand in the character formation. The fact that she had written it herself was unsettling. He realized this was the only way she could be certain of secrecy, since any keyboard could be tapped and its memory compromised. Paper could be burned.

Swallowing, he took control of his nerves and asked for a blank data chip. A'sallah searched his pockets and then ran out of the room. He was back in less than a mark with two blank data chips bearing the hospital's name.

With a shaking hand, Tam'yn loaded the blank chip into the tablet's second data port. Ten beats later, the navigation data vanished from the screen. Only his mother's instructions remained.

A'sallah whispered in Tam'yn's ear and the second chip went into the reader while he pressed the "copy" key and held his Viceroy's bracelet against the reader. A moment later, the chip popped out and Tam'yn handed it to A'sallah for transmission to the Guardian Council who ruled this world. They would need to know about the M'Kereos' change in orders.

Tan'yel was controlling his breathing, trying to keep any alerts from sounding. The last thing they needed was for some stranger to see the message on the screen.

Tam'yn eased that problem by blanking the screen, removing the chip, and shutting the tablet off.

J'sharra looked confused for a moment, then said, "She wrote it so she could keep the message secret?"

A'sallah nodded, grimacing; "We have all manner of security, but the best one is still reducing things to unreadable ashes."

Then, turning to Tam'yn he saluted and said, "I will have the installation work sped up and hopefully tomorrow we can transfer you back to the M'Kereos. I don't know how much work has already been done, but I will have that information in a quarter turning, your Radiance.

Tam'yn felt his stomach going sour, and stealing a glance at Tan'yel saw a similar look in his father's eyes. Looking at J'sharra, he saw fear and determination in equal measure.

Borrowing A'sallah's communicator, he contacted the M'Kereos' First Officer. The "contacting" tones went on for several beats before he heard his First answer.

"Yes, A'sallah; what can I do for you," came First officer Or'mate's voice.

"It's Tam'yn. I'm borrowing the Guardian's comm unit. I just got an order from home directing a 'hurry-up' on the repairs and installation. Please begin this immediately, interfacing with whoever is in charge planetside. I will be back this evening with the message directing all of this. J'sharra and Tan'yel will be back...probably tomorrow or the day after. The pressure level just went up at home, I think. We need to find these people fast, and we need to be able to prove it. I'll tell you more when I get there this evening."

There was a pause, then First Officer Or'mate's voice replied, "I was half expecting this, your Radiance. I'll be waiting for you to arrive, and in the meantime I'll find out how fast the ground crews and our crews can get this work done."

"Thank you, sir," Tam'yn replied, still not comfortable in his Vice-royal position. He handed A'sallah the comm unit and thanked him too.

Then he leaned against Tan'yel's bed and growled, "Drok. What in the seven hells is happening at home? Why was First 'expecting' this hurry-up order?"

J'sharra stepped over to him and hugged him, "You can do this, Tam'yn. Reach out for the Light and its strength. You can do this."

Leaning against her for a moment, he replied, "We can do this, J'esa, we can. I just don't know what this is going to be that we have to do, and that scares me."

A'sallah said, "I can probably help with that problem, but not here. We need to return to the Security office near your room to discuss this."

Scowling, Tan'yel grumbled, "Just remember not to leave me here in the dark. I've been there recently and I did not like it."

A'sallah nodded, "I'll give you an update once I am sure what his Radiance decides to do. Some of the information from T'Kiir'ah is bound to be useless, but it will take the Viceroy to decide what is and what isn't important."

"I know the protocol," Tan'yel grumbled, "just don't forget me, is all I'm asking."

"I won't, father," Tam'yn said as he took the elder K'iir's hand in his. Tan'yel smiled briefly and then replied, "We need to remember that on the M'Kereos, we're cousins. We need to keep up the deception while we're there."

Tam'yn nodded and turned to the float-chair, realizing it couldn't get him back to their room, then shrugged. His foot didn't hurt, thanks to the wrapping, so he decided to walk. He could get the chair later.

Apparently so did A'sallah, who glanced at the chair and then at Tam'yn, who provided an answer by taking J'sharra's arm and nodding at the door. Question answered.

The walk to the Security room provided Tam'yn with a surprise, as his legs were quite tired by the time they got there. Thinking back, he realized he had been in the chair or in bed since he had been injured. Yes, J'sharra had provided exercises approved by Healing, but their dance earlier and now this walk across a fairly large building was using up most of his remaining leg strength. He was very happy to have a seat when they arrived and A'sallah had taken them to the same table they had been at earlier that day.

They were provided with cups of Guardian-brewed N'aan and then A'sallah began to talk while they all sipped the hot drink.

"High Lord Antero-Kessa has gone off planet, destination unknown. His personal flier was satellite tracked the House Kessa land that the Alars had been using and there it vanished; probably into one of the transports the Alars were using. There are claims from the City that those Alars were fakes, and the source of most of those claims is Contractor-General Ylem, the Alar representative to the Throne.

"We have release phrases for some of the affected Ladies in Service, but we are concerned about releasing the High Lord's daughter from her grieving. Netello Taveralos has been released and is recovering with her Companion and children in a high security facility somewhere in K'Arrah as a means of control over her father. We are unsure of the advisability of releasing the other two High Family women, since they represent puppets their fathers could force on to the Throne."

Tam'yn held up a hand and asked, "What does the Empress think of this and why was one of these women released?"

A'sallah straightened in his chair and replied, "The Empress has left that decision to her Viceroy, by specific and Guardian-only encoded message. No disrespect, but why she would leave that to you is a mystery. The one that was released was freed to give the Empress a better hold over the girl's Father, Lord Taveralos."

Tam'yn hung his head for a moment, then said, "I know why she gave the choice to me, A'sallah. Those three women made my life a living hell after L'lanya died. They saw me as a fertilization device with the right connections, period. They confronted me in the Palace near the Imperial Apartments and..." He hung his head again. "It was something that haunted me for years, since Alcys'ka made the confrontation one of his damnable anchor points. She wants to see how I feel about freeing them."

Staring at the table, he added, "For all I know, he may have set the whole thing up so he had something strong to attach his perversions to. The girls were probably just pawns even then."

He stayed silent for over a mark, then raised his head and said, "Release them all unless Mother objects. Make their breakdowns general public knowledge so they stay unsuitable for the Throne. Just because they tormented me is no reason..." he shook his head and looked away from the table for a moment.

J'sharra leaned against him and rubbed her cheek ruff against his, "This is the Light working in you, Tam; you are choosing to forgive rather than condemn for personal reasons."

Tam'yn was less sure, but he liked the feeling of his Companion's face against his own. Looking over at A'sallah, he asked, "What else is there?"

"As I mentioned, we have Lord Taveralos under control and I should imagine he will face trial once this is over.

"It is confirmed that your brother and sister were partially controlled by Alcys'ka, although that was broken. His machines are starting to yield their secrets, hopefully in time to release those people who are grieving themselves to death."

"What? Tam'yn asked, "I remember what you said, has it become worse today?

A'sallah nodded, adding, "It's was a matter of time before they die of this enforced grief unless they are treated. Now it's a certainty, since one of them has gone catatonic."

Tam'yn's mouth pulled down into a frown. "Prepare paperwork authorizing his transferral to the Condemned area of the prison. I'll sign it. What is the method of execution here?

A'sallah jerked back in his chair, but then answered, "Stun beam that burns out the brain, why?" His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief at what he'd just heard.

"Tell him that when one of his victims dies, he will too, pumped dry or not. Put him in fear of his life," Tam'yn growled, "and make damned sure he believes it." His eyes were slits as he spoke; "Make him believe that once one of his victims dies, he will be dead as soon as the information gets here. Frighten him into giving you the release words or telling you how to use his system to release his victims. Make him afraid and keep him that way; he will talk. All the games he's played with his victims were to keep him in power over them and keep him alive. He fears death, so use that fear to save lives."

"Your Radiance, that goes beyond the Charter," A'sallah warned. Further warnings were forestalled by an arctic glare and the words, "The Charter was made to save lives, not protect deliberate murderers. If my order goes beyond the law, then the Empress will punish me, as is proper. For now though, I will act as my Ancestors did, to protect our Empire."

There was an odd note in Tam'yn's voice that neither J'sharra nor A'sallah missed. A'sallah bowed at the table and said, "It will be as you say, your Radiance."

J'sharra could see Tam'yn's eyes, and they were a smoky hazel again. An'kor was speaking through his descendant once more.

The rest of the briefing centered on what was happening in the City and on T'Kiir'ah. The government was recovering, if slowly. The People were concerned, but not overly so. The grain market was up, especially in off-world markets.

Tam'yn listened, but began to rub his forehead, as though he had a headache. Finally, he asked bluntly, "Is there any more relating to the threat to the Empire? I have a splitting headache and I would prefer to go take something for it unless there is something else I can assist with."

A'sallah nodded, "Indeed, your Radiance, the rest of the matters are more Guardian than Throne-related. I will have the order set up for your signature tonight."

He smiled grimly, "And believe me, this order may bend the Charter, but it should get us the information we need to save lives."

Tam'yn nodded, "Saving lives is what our...ahh, the Empire is about. Thank you, A'sallah; now I think I am going to try to nap before supper and my flight back to the M'Kereos."

He stood and with J'sharra at his side, he departed the office. In the hallway, he stared confusedly in both directions before J'sharra took his arm and guided him to their room. The suns were just beginning to set.

Tam'yn walked to their sleeping platform and then looked up at J'sharra, his eyes still hazel. He moved like an older K'iir, slowly and carefully as he sat on the edge.

"J'esa," he asked slowly, "What did I just do? What did I say? I remember something about people dying and then it's all just a blur. What did I say, Gods of Star and Space, and what did I do?" There was terror in his voice.

Gently, J'sharra told him what he had said, fearing the results. He looked haunted when she was done.

"He's inside me," he said in a low, frightened voice, "he's inside me and he just takes over whenever it suits him."

"Tam'yn," J'sharra said sharply, "Look at me. Look me in the eye."

Raising his shaking head to look into the eyes of his Companion, he saw her tense and then relax. "Your eyes are normal now," she said, "before they were dark, smoky hazel. Now they are green-gold again."

"My eyes?" Tam'yn asked, "he changes my eyes?" His face was full of horror as he brought a shaking hand to his face.

J'sharra got up and took a bottle of Tela-bark pills from her personal things and poured out two of them. She got him a glass of water and handed him both items. He took the pills and washed them down with water, then looked up at his Companion again, confused and frightened.

"Tam'yn, pull yourself together!" she said forcefully, "What is wrong with you? You weren't like this when we danced earlier today."

Haltingly, Tam'yn explained, "I never know when he is going to take me over. I'm listening and then suddenly everything just blurs together and the next thing I know I'm walking down the hall and I can't remember getting there or where I'm going."

"We need to talk to Osha," J'sharra decided, then looking at him critically, she asked, "When did you eat last?"

"Breakfast," he replied, "Why?"

"You need to eat," she decided, "Let me call someone to bring some supper up here."

By the time she had arranged for meals for the both of them, he was asleep on the pad. She knelt beside him and kissed him, noticing his sour breath. He needed to eat, his body had become used to regular food and his missing a meal had weakened him seriously. Well, there would be food coming soon, and she had suit rations if need be.

In the light of the setting suns, softened by the frosted glazing, he looked worn and tired. He had made too many demands on his body and this was a result. She would make sure he ate...

"Ancestress Jilathe, help me," she whispered and felt another presence in her mind.

"My husband is forceful, I fear; too much so for his descendant's body at this time," whispered a half visible woman on the other side of Tam'yn's sleeping form, "And I think he fears this turning of events more than any in the past. Strengthen your husband, your companion in life, to better contain my husband when he comes into this world. I will ask him to moderate himself, but remember; if he had known moderation in this Sunset world, he would never have dared to make our Empire. It is up to your husband to become stronger while I ask mine to be...more gentle for a little while."

Then she was gone.

Supper arrived and was set on the table while Tam'yn slumbered on. When J'sharra wakened him, he was confused but the scent of the food got his attention and interest almost immediately.

As he got up, weaving slightly, he asked, "How long was I asleep?"

Looking at the chron, she replied, "About 20 marks, why?"

"It felt longer, somehow," he replied, sitting down at the table. "And I apologize for getting so upset earlier," he added, "it's just that losing a chunk of your life can be unsettling. It used to happen when I kept drinking to deal with L'lanya's death, and it scared me then, too."

"I can imagine," she replied, opening a covered bowl to release a wonderful odor.

Tam'yn sniffed and smiled, "Margero soup! It's been ages since I've had any. I wonder what else is here...?" He started lifting the covers on the main plates and smiled; fish with green vegetables, Tonko roots, blue-tinted florets of some sort and a large bowl of Toro sauce.

J'sharra handed him a bowl of soup and a packet of suit rations He made a face when he saw the latter and opened the packet.

"Ahh, yes; those," he grumbled.

"Eat them first," J'sharra advised, "the soup will mask their flavor and you need the energy in them. That's what hit you this afternoon, no lunch."

After glancing at the windows, he nodded; "Yeah. I forgot the time. It's too late for Evening services, drat." Hanging his head, he said, "I'm sorry I made you miss them, J'esa."

"We danced earlier today," she reminded him, "and we can either visit the morning Greeting of the Light or the Midday meditation. If we need to go to the ship then, we can and still have had two or three Dances with a Priest to help us by coming here. Now eat, love."

With a shy smile, Tam'yn did just that. Their meal was excellent.

Dessert was Kerra preserves in more of the milk product, only whipped this time; along with soft cake. This time he made sure to eat every bite.

Finally, though, their meal was over, and he felt pleasantly full.

He made a quick use of the sonic shower and then with a sigh pulled out his newly modified fancy dress uniform. It now lacked the military markings outside of his medals, but he knew he was going back to the M'Kereos as a Viceroy, not as a Crewperson. He would be required to dress the part, even to the extra sash and fancy dagger. He decided to leave the cloak behind, though; the weather didn't justify it.

J'sharra also dressed in her full dress uniform, like his--Navy black; but unlike his-- still military and not Court. He sighed and stood , offering her his arm which she took after inspecting him and smiling brightly. He blushed as they left the room.

First they went to the Security office, where the scent of Margero soup still tinged the atmosphere and the officer in charge handed him a dataplate with his order recorded on it; moving Tireno Alcys'ka to the Condemned section of the prison. Nothing was said about his execution on the order, but Tam'yn knew that information would be conveyed verbally to the Administrator. It was within his authority to order the Traitor to be moved, but he would have to follow the law to order his execution, and that would require a review by the planetary High Council even though he was a Viceroy.

He was gambling on Alcys'ka not knowing that.

He set his bracelet and then his clan ring against the document and with a beep the Imperial Arms appeared on its head. Now, it was law.

After handing it back to the officer in charge he asked to have a flier for transport to the M'Kereos on the local landing pad in half a turning, and got a salute and a promise in return.

With J'sharra at his side, he walked across the hospital tower to his father's room and looked in to see Tan'yel on his back and fast asleep. Taking out a pad of paper and a stylus, he wrote a quick note of what he had done and left it on the table beside Tan'yel's bed. He collected his float chair, sat down, and they left the room, hand in and.

They then went to Dr. T'keron's room, where they found A'sallah and all the T'keron's in a deep discussion. A'sallah looked up and gestured them in, standing and saluting as he did. Tam'yn returned the salute smartly and floated over to Dr. T'keron's bed.

"I understand you are going to give Alcys'ka some of his own medicine," the elder scientist observed; "but I have one question. He manifestly hasn't told all he knows. Are you still going to order his execution?"

Tam'yn nodded, "Yes, but under the laws of the Empire. He won't know that. What he will know is that an Imperial Viceroy ordered him moved into the Condemned unit. He has no idea what I'm thinking, but he expects me to hate him. This move will fit within his beliefs perfectly. I expect him to bargain for his life and I am pretty sure A'sallah has already briefed the prison officials on what they need to say. Once he knows that when we learn of a death on the part of one of his victims, he will die too; he will almost certainly provide us a way to avoid that. It's in his interest to do so, would you not agree?"

Antra T'keron grinned, "Oh yes, I agree. He may be a genius with mental rapine, but when it comes to anything else, he is a coward. If there is a way to reverse the effects of his death order, he will give it to us. Brilliant, your Radiance, utterly brilliant."

Tam'yn bowed his head. "It worked for my ancestor with Kalika M'trenos. As you have pointed out, people may adapt, but they rarely change. If there is an antidote, he will give it to us."

"You are a descendent of the Conqueror?" Dr. T'keron asked carefully, "or are you the Conqueror sharing a body with a certain Viceroy?"

A'sallah gasped and J'ina's hand went to her throat in shock as he asked the question. T'oko stared at Dr. T'keron and flipped one ear to the side to show surprise.

Tam'yn replied evenly, "Perhaps both, Doctor; perhaps both. What we have made, we will protect. That is the responsibility of every Imperial citizen, isn't it?" He smiled for a moment, then he frowned a little.

"Now we need to fly out to the M'Kereos to deliver some messages," he continued unhappily; then asked, "A'sallah, do you still have that data chip? First Officer Or'mate will need it when I show him our new orders."

"If I may accompany you?" A'sallah asked discretely. Tam'yn nodded.

J'sharra suddenly turned to Tam'yn, "Where did we leave the reader?" she asked.

After racking his brains for a moment, he replied, "Tan'yel's room. He probably put it in the drawer his table, because I don't remember seeing it when I left the note."

A'sallah said, "I will go on to make sure the flier is at landing pad three. I'll see you there." He then left them in the hall. Hurrying back to Tan'yel's hospital room, they checked the drawer in his table and found nothing. While it would take his Viceroy's bracelet to open the message again, losing the reader was not something he wanted to have happen.

He started to get out of his float chair to look around, but was halted by J'sharra's hand on his forearm. Carefully, she teased the reader out of Tan'yel's grip without waking him. For seemingly no reason at all, Tam'yn's eyes teared up as he looked on the sleeping form of his father, who had taken the reader into his bed to protect it as he slept. Pinching his muzzle between his eyes, he shook his head and then added a second note to the first;

"Father, we have the reader. We are going out to the M'Kereos to explain the hurry up order from home. Alcys'ka is going to talk, I have a plan to scare him into talking. I will tell you more about it tomorrow.

Father, I know when we go back to the M'Kereos we go back to being cousins; but while we are here, let me say that I am honored to be your son, and father, I love you. --your son Tam'yn"

He felt a touch on his arm and looked up to see tears in J'sharra's eyes too.

Taking a shuddering breath, he pressed the controls on his chair and they headed toward the Security office and the landing pad.

Back in his hospital room, Dr. T'keron asked J'ina, "Did you notice his eyes? At first I thought they were greenish, but then they seemed to change to a dark hazel. I wonder if it was a matter of the light--or perhaps something--or someone else?"

J'ina remained standing still at her father's bedside for a moment, then nodded her head. "I saw someone else in Tam'yn's mind when he...went into his Companion's mind to fight the Dæmon in it. T'oko saw it too, and has a recording of it."

She put her living hand in her father's hand; "Our family will be together again, once all this is over. I saw something that I have to consider as proof of the immortality of the soul. I saw An'kor and his wife Jilathe' helping Tam'yn and J'sharra drive that dæmon out of her mind and into T'oko's memory cores. I saw a miracle, father, and I'm at peace at last. I will thank the Light for letting me share this experience for the rest of my life."

Her father's hand squeezed hers and she squeezed back. T'oko looked on and learned more of life and love and hope rewarded, and grew a bit more.

The door slid back, opening access to Tireno Alcys'ka's cell. It was slightly larger than the cell on the ship that brought him here, wherever here was. Supposedly, he would be here until he could be sent to either a farm or the mine near the planet's southern pole. Neither sounded particularly pleasant.

Twice a day, he was allowed out to exercise his body in a small connected space that also held bathing facilities and his clothing issue storage locker along with what looked like doors to two other cells. He got his meals by means of a conveyor, and the same conveyor took his used utensils and plate away. He spent his time otherwise telling about his masterwork and the slaves he had conditioned with it.

He was not extending himself with this. He took his time and was very careful and very slow about everything. Here, at least, he had a decent bed, decent food, and a chance to sneer at the guards in the passageway that passed by his exercise area.

This was a change, and he didn't like changes. The Prison Intake Commandant's face appeared on the comms screen and began to speak while from an opening under the comms plate a document printed on edible paper slipped out and then the opening closed again. The paper was edible so it could not be used to cause a choking incident.

What the face on the screen was saying made no sense at all. Picking up the paper, he read it.

Viceroy Tam'yn an' Yere'kos had put an order in place moving him to the area of cells reserved for the Condemned. He kept reading...the boy was insane! He was a valuable prisoner. He hadn't turned over a quarter of his information about his training system yet. He could not be condemned; the law only permitted death sentences for people caught in the act of willful murder with proven premeditation. The boy was insane, issuing this order...

His attention was brought to the comm screen in his cell by the usual means; a loud noise and bright flashing lights in the overhead lighting panel.

The Commandant was staring at him with a cold smile on his face.

"The death order is awaiting one thing before the Council decides on it. That is the death of one of the Palace administrators you conditioned to die if you did. When we receive word from T'Kiir'ah of one death, the Council will authorize the warrant for your execution. You are being moved to the Condemned section of this prison as a means of making your death more convenient to the administration of this prison."

"What do you mean?" he asked, beginning to fear, " How can you prove I had anything to do with theirs or anyone's death?" His hearts were beginning to race. Everything depended on what he heard next.

The Commandant leaned forward to speak. "They wish to die because they believe you are dead," he explained, "and their monomaniacal focus is exactly the same as the other victims of your machines. The similarity is unmistakable, and when they die, they will die as a result of a deliberate and intentional act on your part. That, Prisoner Alcys'ka, is evidence enough for the Council on this planet to order your death by Stun system wherein your brainstem and brain will be destroyed by a specifically designed stun device that will overload and virtually cook your brain within your skull. You are to be moved to facilitate this process. May your Gods have mercy on you."

The screen went black as Tireno Alcys'ka screamed, "Wait! I can work out a means of releasing the slaves, I just need to know who they were! Wait!"

He pounded on the screen and scratched at it and screamed in a hopeless attempt to get someone's attention.

He was never aware the stun-beam that knocked him out for transport, he simply crumpled on the floor in front of the comm screen.

Tam'yn watched the night-darkened land slide under the flier. This time it was the Commandant's gig, rather than an express transport. J'sharra sat beside him. The float chair was locked to the floor in the corner of the cabin. Across the aisle, A'sallah was listening to a comm unit on his wrist. He had somehow managed to get into a Guardian Dress uniform while they had looked for Tan'yel's reader and then moved slowly to the doors at landing pad number 3.

Coughing discreetly to get the Viceroy's and his Companion's attention, he announced softly, "The Traitor has been moved. Commandant Pin'tero reports that he became agitated about the move, and had to be stunned to do so. He has been briefed as to what we need, and he is of the opinion that we will get it sooner rather than later." In the dim light of the cabin, his teeth were almost the only part of his face that could be seen against his dark fur. He was smiling...or that's what it looked like.

Tam'yn grunted, then muttered back; "He is a coward. He will break," then went back to watching the countryside pass below the flier. Occasionally a softly lit area slipped past as a farmstead went under their flier and once they passed over a dim set of streetlights in a small farming town with a monorail terminal that was well lit and busy. One thing Tam'yn did notice was that there were no lights pointed or shining upwards. The only visible light from the ground was reflected, either dim from places where outdoor lighting was a convenience or bright where there was after suns-set work going on. Within a hundred ta'-ketra, it would be diffused into nothingness and invisible to an orbiting spacecraft.

It began as a glow on the horizon, hard to see because they were flying directly toward it. Slowly it began to grow and suddenly they were there, at the M'Kereos.

The Imperial starship towered into the night, its main hull a huge somewhat blunted arrowhead rising above and thrusting forward of its engineering hull and flight decks. As they flew across the ship from above, they could see the long body of the engineering hull extending behind and below the main hull with the two levels of flight decks below it and behind it.

Tam'yn heard J'sharra gasp as she saw it in the work lights set up around it, since it stretched over nine hundred ketra from the forward array to the after buoy launcher (appx2800 ft) and stood well over two hundred-fifty ketra tall from flight deck keel to the top of the main hull. It was almost two hundred ketra wide at the flight decks. Yes, it was large, it had to be.

It was a Starship. It was a world unto itself that could move at over 4000 times the speed of light, and Tam'yn had brought it into being as Navy representative and Engineer. He felt a sudden flush of pride at what he had done.

"I had no idea it was so...so huge!" J'sharra said in tones of wonder, "I never saw it from the outside before."

In the shadows of the flier, Tam'yn smiled to himself. Yes, the M'Kereos, "The Swift Arrow" was large and somewhat intimidating, but it was made to be that way. It was originally a warship, and it was intended to be intimidating. In the past, the Empire had used that intimidation to stop battles. In one case ships like the M'Kereos had stopped a nuclear war from happening--after the first wave of missiles had been launched. Diplomatic contact with that world had come later.

He spoke gently to J'sharra, "It used to be a bit smaller. The lower flight deck was added on at the ship's refit. It used to house twenty-two shuttles, scouts, and seven fighters. Now it holds nearly twice as many vessels. Several of them are provisioned and fast enough to make it back to the Empire from the farthest planned distance we're going to go, although it would take several segments to do so. That is a safeguard against the Obori problem happening again."

"Who are the Obori?" J'sharra asked and then answered herself; "The quarantine! We quarantined a planetary system because they were so hostile to us."

Tam'yn nodded. Only the fact that the Obori had never developed super-luminal flight had kept a potentially species-ending war from breaking out between the Empire and a race of ruthless xenophobic space-travelers. They had never developed faster-than-light travel and the Empire wanted to be sure they never would. There were dozens of warning satellites orbiting with the gas giants of the Obori system that would keep it that way. Any vessel with Hyper-wave or Sub-space receivers within half a light-cycle of the system would receive a warn-off signal. If they ignored the warning, it was very likely they would be destroyed by the sub-light-speed (but still very fast and maneuverable) Obori warships themselves.

Their "showoff" flight around the M'Kereos ended and the flier slowed and flew toward what appeared to be a black covering over one of the flight deck "doors", slowing to a crawl as it passed through the safety field and into the open landing slot prepared for it.

It seemed as if half the ship's complement was there to welcome home the K'iir who had been an Engineer and had been appointed to the post of Viceroy. Tam'yn glanced through a window and groaned; time for the show to commence.

He sat down in the float chair. It had been charging on the flight out and showed a three-quarter charge as he disconnected and settled into the seat. Then with a muttered curse, he got up, plugged it back in, and took J'sharra's arm as he prepared to exit the flier.

They would exit as the pair they were, on their feet. The ship deserved that, as did the crew. Their Empire did not need a float chair to get around, and for the time being he, Tam'yn, was the Empire in person.

They exited the flier side by side and both returned the academy-perfect salutes the ship's First, Second, and Fourth Officer gave them.

Tam'yn felt briefly sorry for Rintallan, who was wearing an obviously a borrowed Full Dress uniform. Then he saw the pride in his replacement's eyes and smiled. The ship was in good hands.

Stepping smartly to First Officer of the ship, Tam'yn asked; "Captain, permission to come aboard?" in a ritual as old as the Navy itself.

First Officer and ship Captain Or'mate replied, "Permission granted, your Radiance; and with pleasure."

That was when the assembled crew broke into applause and cheers, which went on for nearly a mark.

J'sharra repeated the phrase and was also formally welcomed back aboard her own vessel. The applause was quieter, but still welcoming. She felt her eyes tear up a little, she was home; back on her ship.

A'sallah was similarly welcomed aboard.

They all took the Transporter into the ship and up to a place that Tam'yn semi-recognized. It had been his and J'sharra's quarters. Now it was a combination meeting room and formal dining area and they were standing outside its doors. Tam'yn was both curious and unhappy. This space had been his and J'sharra's first home on the ship. Now it was gone. He glanced over at First, curious and strangely unnerved by the changes.

Seeing his raised eyebrows, First explained, "We've set up quarters for the two of you nearer the Security office and further to the rear of the blast egg where you will have the best protection."

"Best protection from what?" Tam'yn asked nervously. Now he was worried.

Commander K'trellan Arkos replied, "We found out what one of the suspect contractors were programmed to do. A stunner went missing from secure stores and wound up in her personal things. We re-checked and she had the right access data on the supposedly inactive second channel of her identity chip. The ship's Guardians tried out a holo-projection of someone in a Court uniform and she went out of orbit, trying for a weapon even though she had turned it over to us earlier. It was the strangest thing I've ever seen."

He sighed, "So now both of the contractors are in Confinement, both at their own request. She is being Counseled for this and the algorithms from Dr. T'keron seem to be helping her a great deal."

"What about the other one?" Tam'yn asked curiously, "what about him?"

Commander K'trellan nodded his head and replied, "When he learned about the woman, he turned himself in at Confinement and is under treatment. He gave us a useful bit of information when he did so."

"What?" Tam'yn asked, now completely focused on the ship's Second officer.

"They were both sent to the Palace for testing by Admiral Techyota when they transferred out of Fourth Fleet. They remember going and filling out test forms and then being sent to Personnel station 6.

His eyes grew grim as he said, "And the person administering the tests was none other than Tireno Alcys'ka. Apparently, he had a set of offices next to the Navy Headquarters within the Reservation in the Imperial Palace."

Tam'yn's stomach went into meteoric fall, souring on the way down.

First rather pointedly suggested; "We do have a conference room where we can bring this and a few other things up, right through these doors. Shall we get out of the hallway?"

Tam'yn and A'sallah nodded quickly, while J'sharra seemed to be in shock. They all moved into the new conference room and took seats around the one table not covered by engineering plans or models of things.

J'sharra asked, "What about your brother, Ensign K'vellan?" somewhat nervously, and learned, "He is the one who cracked this. He traced the stunner theft by reasoning out who had the opportunity to take it and who had access to that part of the ship that we didn't officially know about . Since Tailor's assistant Dalia Keneros'ka discovered she had been conditioned, she has cooperated totally with Counseling. So has musician Konko Jessa, the other suspected puppet with engineering data on his second channel. They're both working with Ship's Security on this. Counseling thinks that they can be treated thanks to the data files provided by Doctors Antra and J'ina T'keron. They are being tested after every session and the implants seem to be degrading as they should."

First spoke up; "And we are getting daily demands for our position from the Navy. So far we've just ignored them, but eventually we are going to have to respond or they will either assume the ship is lost or they'll come looking for it. Neither outcome is particularly something we desire."

A'sallah spoke up for the first time. "Imperial Security will speak to the Imperial Navy about the matter. We have documentation wherein Viceroy an' Yere'kos turned this vessel, its personnel, and assets over to the Imperial Guardian Service for our specific use. The Navy should have been informed about this within a day of his doing so. If they are ignoring this order, then the Palace Guardians will deal with it on T'Kiir'ah."

Looking over at Commander K'trellan, Guardian Alcys'ka asked, "Do you have any documentation wherein these two people specifically connect Admiral Techyota with orders sending them to the Palace and Tireno Alcys'ka?"

The Commander nodded, "My brother has the records on Navy order pads. They are signed by Techyota and specifically direct both crewpersons to an address inside the Naval Reservation in the Imperial Palace. They recognized Alcys'ka's image from the death notices, and said he had administered tests to both of them; paper tests that they had to fill out with block printing."

A'sallah asked, "What's the room number?" and Commander K'trellan handed him a data pad.

"Looks like the Navy is going to need a thorough cleaning out," the Guardian muttered after looking at the pad, "and now we have a place to start."

Tam'yn coughed to get everyone's attention and said, "I have a message from home to show you. It is from the Empress and bears directly on this ship and its mission. Guardian A'sallah has new navigation data for you, data that came with this message. You need to see this-- it may not explain things beyond the basic why, but it will enlighten you."

He set up Tan'yel's reader as a holo-projector. It would be short ranged, but this way everyone at the table would be able to see it.

Switching it on, he pulled up the Empress's message and then set his Viceroy's bracelet against it. It clicked and the message he had seen earlier:

Karavele'ka an' Yere'kos, Empress of the Sunrise Empire to

Her Viceroy, Tam'yn an; Yere'kos: Greetings . . . appeared floating in air in front of the table.

First officer An'kereo Or'mate came to stiff attention as the words appeared in the air in front of them. So did every other Navy officer in the room. A'sallah had tied First in speed to his feet and salute.

Tam'yn swallowed and said, "Please, be seated. This is a message for all of us."

Slowly, the officers sat, still focused on the handwriting of their Empress. In a way it almost seemed to be worship.

Rintallan was looking odd after Tam'yn had said, ..."this is a message..." Suddenly he gasped, wide eyed and spun toward the doors.

He was now the center of everyone's attention, including Tam'yn himself.

"The long range Scouts, " he said with a tinge of fear in his voice, looking back, "they have rescue beacons that can be triggered remotely by Hyper-wave, and we had to fix up special connecting cables for them including communications because none of the ones on the ship would reach! The others are isolated, but the beacons in the long range scouts aren't! They're hooked into the ships comms net including the Hyper-wave system! They could be triggered remotely by the Navy, and any Navy ship in the area would be able to transit-locate where the beacon is located."

For the first time, Tam'yn saw real fear in the room as Rintallan burst out of his chair and headed for the Transporter.

A'sallah had his comms unit to his mouth ordering a clear path for the Engineer regardless of who was there and what was or was not visible. Tam'yn put his hands to his head and groaned, he had created those cables and had done a complete hookup rather than the usual power only setup because he had wanted something to do.

Now his actions may have doomed this planet.

They all sat, staring at either the message or Rintallan's empty chair until the comms unit by the door chirped. Tam'yn answered, it was Rintallan. His voice was distorted by background sound but they could all hear, "Someone disconnected the cables because they were in the way of something. I'm going to check the four transmitters in the scouts to be sure." There were amplified clanks and muttered curses for the next ten marks before Rintallan's voice came on the comms unit again.

"They're all cold. They haven't been activated. We still need to check the other beacons, even though they are short range ones."

First asked, "What is the range, Fourth?"

Rintallan's voice came back, "They're all crash beacons, e-m radio with a relatively short range. In the hull here, a searcher would have to be nearly on top of the main hull to generate enough signal strength to trip any of these. With your permission, sir, may I return?"

First replied, "Granted, Fourth, and that was very good work on your part. Expect a commendation when we return to T'Kiir'ah."

First slumped in his chair and stared at the Empress's handwriting; "That was too damned close," he muttered, "Too. Damned. Close."

A'sallah offered comfort with, "If any of those beacons had triggered, our planetary shields would probably contain it. It may be Hyper-wave, but as a protection we have a series of orbiters that routinely scramble radio waves and other broadcasts. Hyper-wave is distorted into unreadability. We use an optical laser system to send and receive data from our moon as a precaution against broadcasts being readable outside of perhaps ten planetary diameters above the surface. We've spent a lot of effort at not being here. Even the fighters that go meet the ships legitimately on their way here have to use a hands-off auto pilot until they are within the atmosphere...or fighting.

"We've been in hiding for well over a century, and in that time we've become quite good at what we do. Even when we navigated you here from our docked shuttle, we used the auto-pilot until the planet was visible against the star-field. Only then did we take control and bring you in to landing."

He then changed the subject; "It looks like Admiral Techyota is involved with the conspiracy. We Guardians have an agreement with Navy Security, and with the next transmission to T'Kiir'ah, I'll send a request for his detention and questioning regarding his activity with the Traitor. I can't see any reason for his sending two contract personnel to the Traitor for any reason. Adding in the bastard's presence in the Naval Reservation in the Palace, and the fact that these two people were made into puppets, I am seeing some major corruption in the High Admiralty whether they realize it or not.

"Our operatives within the Imperial Palace Guardians will be in a better position to decide what to do, once I send them this information with the High Council's imprimatur on it."

J'sharra spoke up, "What about the third person, the one who was retired Navy and had extra data in his second channel? I wonder if he may be corrupted too?"

Second shook his head, "We checked. He was contracted to a freighter and when his time there was up, he chose the M'Kereos because there was an empty slot in his specialty. He never left the Crew Replacement station . His history with the Navy is flawless, and apparently he has a reason for staying employed with us; his second daughter is under expensive medical treatment and as a Naval contractor, his original Navy health care continues to cover her. It also appears he doesn't get along with his Companion too well, so he sends most of his pay home to keep her happy and his service-connected healthcare takes care of his daughter."

"How did you learn all this?" J'sharra asked in surprise, and Second smiled and replied, "Little brother wants to impress his boss, so he's been busy going over everybody on the ship. I would suggest you comment on his work favorably."

"I will!" J'sharra replied, "I certainly will. He sounds like he has a natural ability with this line of work, and that makes me happy and to a degree relieved."

Tam'yn spoke up next, "First, you said in our communication earlier that you weren't surprised about what the Empress said. You have brought up the Puppets and the Navy's demands for our position reports, which is completely foreign to anything I remember about this. As I recalled, the only time we had to report our position outside of asking for docking instructions was when something important started running short and our destination wanted to know when we would be arriving--or when there was a wreck and Fleet control wanted to know where potential rescue ships were."

First nodded, "It's the same thing now. I take it this was when you were doing Cadet work headed for your being made an officer?"

Tam'yn nodded back, "Exactly. I was training for Engineering, but I had to cover every function on the ship. That is where my Tan'o teacher and I met." Then he added, "Is there more now?"

First sighed, "Yes. We are getting demands for position reports twice a day from some nebulous office called 'Fleet Monitoring' and they are rather pointed in their demands."

A'sallah laughed, "That's from our people here. I'll tell them to shut it down. They were trying to smoke out any plain ordinary spies on board. What better way to get an agent to show than by having them answer an obviously proper demand for data. This way we know you haven't broken your 'Blind and Deaf' restriction and there aren't any spies on board. You have to admit that with four puppets on your ship, we were a bit more than curious about things. You're obviously clean, so not to worry, the demands will cease."

First's jaw dropped and he sputtered, "You mean you...your...this planet was the source of these messages? How did they have Navy encoding and Navy headers on the messages?"

Unperturbed, A'sallah smiled, "Oh we have a lot of strange and special things here; it all comes with protecting an Imperial Sanctuary from discovery. Those of us who leave this world take an oath to die rather than even hint we don't come from our contact Colony or wherever we are supposed to have come from. Some of us even have an upper cardiac implant as protection against being tortured to reveal where this world is. If we activate a built-in transmitter, we have a sudden and lethal heart storm." By now, the lightness had left his eyes and a degree of concern was becoming visible.

Turning to Tam'yn, he said, "What your cousin had in his chest is one of ours, modified to receive a different and specific radio signal. We traced the identity number on it to a student who had traveled to the Imperial Palace twelve cycles ago, while I was there learning from Tan'yel. We thought she had been in a flier accident, what we could find of her. Apparently, she had been 'made' and killed and the 'pacemaker' had been taken from her body along with two of her identity chips. Now, it's a murder, and now the Imperial Guardians will find the truth about what happened no matter how long it takes." There was frank pain in his eyes as he spoke.

Tam'yn asked hesitantly, "Did you know her?"

Neutral-faced, A'sallah replied, "She was my first cousin on mother's side. She is in the Light and at peace."

Seeking something to say to get away from an obviously painful subject, Tam'yn asked, "First, how long is it going to be before the M'Kereos is ready to travel? The Empress specifically requested we get moving as soon as possible. How long will that be?"

First looked at the ceiling and flipped his ears before saying, "Four days at the maximum. There is a special fusion unit going in to replace the Inverted matter reactor, and the Engineering has had to modify some of the framing to accommodate it. That is almost done and the welds are being scanned for continuity. The reactor itself will come in by means of those hatches you designed into the power-room flooring; the Engineer in charge wants to worship at your feet for making it so easy to do. He was prepared to open the hull and now he doesn't have to. That saved us a tenday or more. The old Fusion units are all completely renovated with new, Guardian-only parts that should give us thirty percent more power on those alone. The special unit puts out more power than the Inverted matter reactor; apparently the Guardians didn't stop Fusion development when the Navy did."

There was a clearing throat beside Tam'yn and he turned to see Rintallan, a bit mussed but back at his seat.

First smiled and nodded, "Fourth Officer Rintallan, would you continue?"

Nodding, Rintallan turned to face Tam'yn and said, "Tam, it's amazing! Remember I was talking about that four chamber fusion reactor? The Guardians have it! They decided not to go with Inverted matter and kept developing fusion and wound up with something incredible!"

"How so?" Tam'yn asked, caught up in his friend's excitement.

"The old fusion units have all been upgraded so they put out four percent more power apiece than they did before, and with less hydrogen," Rintallan explained happily, "and the new reactor going in puts out more power than all ten of the smaller fusion reactors together. We will have nearly twice as much power available compared to the Inverted matter unit and all the older fusion reactors. We'll have power to spare no matter what!"

He bubbled on, "They replaced some of the parts in the C.I. drive system and loaded new control codes and they say we'll be able to reach Lumen19 reliably, and we'll be able to fight and maintain Lumen 12. They've been all over the ship upgrading things, and the Master Engineer who is running this is furious about how the original refitters used second hand parts re-tagged and fancied up along with faked documentation on things like the Inverted matter reactor. He says there was no way you could have known what was happening because the forgery was at all levels, from the ship down to the suppliers down to the accountants. He thinks you're some sort of magician to have gotten us this far without a disastrous failure or just plain blowing up."

Then Rintallan added, "He asks if you can give him one more day than the minimum so he can finish all the updates and upgrades, and Sir, I think you should too. We will be a long way from home and I for one want to be able to get back."

Tam'yn had all but collapsed in his chair while Rintallan had rattled on about the forgeries of parts and documents. He was vindicated! Looking up at Rintallan, he asked,

"Can this Engineer guarantee we will lift off planet no more than one day later than minimums if I okay these additional things?"

Rintallan nodded vigorously, "Yes, sir; in fact he may not even need the whole day to do it. We might be able to leave earlier."

Turning in his chair to First, he asked, "Captain Or'mate, do you think this is a good idea, despite the Empress's request to expedite?" He kept his own thoughts to himself, although J'sharra was watching him closely for some reason.

First thought for nearly a mark before saying, "Yes, your Radiance, I do. With the extra speed, we can make up for one day's late takeoff in two ship days, provided we have the navigation updates promised us."

A'sallah reached into his pocket and produced a data chip with the Hospital's name on it. "I have it right here, First, and when we are in your ready room or wherever your Nav-Pack is, I will be happy to give it to you."

First stared at the data chip, then said, "That is a hospital's chip. Are you sure it has what we need on it, and not someone's colonoscopy?" His eyebrows were in full question position.

A'sallah laughed, "There was a one-read on this data and nobody had a chip handy. I got a fresh data chip out of the Healer's station supplies and loaded it on. Trust me, it has what we need."

"We?" First asked dubiously.

"I will be accompanying this voyage for the purpose of training my Cadets about ship-side security, " A'sallah explained, "and I will be advised and assisted by Tan'yel an' Yere'kos who will be released from the hospital to continue his recovery here. By the time we return, I expect we will have some well trained Guardians who can go train other Guardians about ship-duty. There is a reason for this, and please don't ask what it is. I can't tell you because I don't know a great deal of the why myself."

First looked at the message again and commented, "It does direct us to return to this planet rather than T'Kiir'ah. I wonder why?"

Tam'yn answered him. "If we find another world full of people out there, they will be safer here than on T'Kiir'ah. Here, the Empire will live on, whether the Usurpers succeed or not. Were we to return directly to T'Kiir'ah with representatives of this new place, I doubt that we would make it. Something would happen on the way, since our successful return would overthrow whatever the Usurpers have in place. Here, there will be safety for us and for our new allies." As he began to speak, his voice began to change, to deepen and grow rougher, and then it wasn't Tam'yn's voice any more.

The whole room turned as one to face Tam'yn, only Tam'yn wasn't in the chair any more. Instead, an older K'iir with white streaked braided hair and damaged ears was sitting where Tam'yn had been sitting. He was dressed in battle gear and had a war-staff in his left hand, resting across his knees. Every person in the room recognized him, even though the person they were seeing could not possibly be there.

An'kor the Conqueror stood and surveyed the room. "I built our Empire on the strength of dedicated and honorable T'Kiir'I. That has lasted for twelve hundred winters, but now a cabal of bastard Houses and false Nobles seeks to undo what I and my war-brothers bled and died to achieve. For this purpose, I use my descendant's body as an anchor in the Sunset world to try my best to preserve what I and my warriors and my wife have made. Please send for a Healer, for when I release my descendant, he will need the help of one. What we have made, we are sworn to protect until our protection is no longer needed. I ask you, shadows of my future, to help in this. We need your help." By now, J'sharra was Jilathe' and was standing at her husband's side. She was looking at her husband with some concern. Then she turned to face the room. There was no trace of J'sharra in her body or features.

When she spoke, it wasn't J'sharra's voice, either; "We have made promises under the Light that keep us from fully entering it until we can be certain our creation will endure. We need you, Warriors of another age; and we need you desperately."

Looking around the room, An'kor asked, "Will you be my new war-band? Will you help me in this Sunset world to keep the dream of twelve hundred winters alive?"

Dark hazel eyes surveyed the room and saw what he had hoped to see. Every K'iir in the room was on one knee with head bowed and their left arm and left hand extended in the Imperial Salute.

The spirit looked at, and perhaps into each K'iir in the room and said, "Thank you, friends. A ghost has hope now. Call your healers, my young left-hand war-brother will need them."

Slowly he sat, as did Jilathe'. They faded and both Tam'yn and J'sharra slumped. First opened his comms unit and called for a team of Healers in the Conference room, two people had passed out. He was about to say more but stopped. He looked around the room and in each face he saw awe and determination. He closed his comms unit as the reality of the situation hit him fully and completely and mentally staggered him.

"We say nothing unless we absolutely must." A'sallah said quietly, "This has to remain among us."

First stood wide-eyed in the same spot he had been in when he called for Healers and said in a shocked voice, "I've seen more impossible things than I can name, but that...that was him, An'kor, our first and only Emperor. Jilathe' was with him. This is impossible, but I know with every fiber of my being that it was as real as real can be."

J'sharra groaned and raised bleary eyes to the room. Then she asked shakily, "She warned me it would be exhausting and it was. Did they give you the warning? Did they tell you what they needed to tell you?"

"She?" Second asked carefully, "Who is She?"

J'sharra struggled to sit a bit straighter in her chair. "My ancestress, Jilathe' ne' An'kor. We're related, you see..." She slumped back in the chair, asleep again.

At that point, the team of Healers burst into the room with Healer J'nero at their lead. They had two litters. Surveying Tam'yn and J'sharra slumped in their chairs, he sighed, "Yes, it would have to be them." Turning to the room he asked, "What happened?"

First spoke to him quietly for a moment, and the Healer nodded his head.

Looking at Tam'yn he muttered, "Poor k'ora. The others in Confinement are both the same. At least now we know what to do." He gestured and moments later Tam'yn and J'sharra were on their way to the Healing section located one level down.

Some strange time later, Tam'yn awakened with a drip in his shaved arm. His head didn't hurt, but he was exhausted. Looking around, he saw J'sharra in a bed next to his with a similar hookup going into her arm. She was fast asleep.

Looking at the foot of the bed, he saw Healer J'nero standing there, his arms crossed and a resigned look on his face. "Welcome back, Tam'yn. I know what happened, and we have two other and similar people in Confinement while they are being treated for Tireno Alcys'ka's mental rape."

Looking at his arm dumbly, he asked, "What's this?" His eyes went to J'sharra and then back to J'nero.

"When spirits from the Light manifest, they use a lot of bodily resources, including blood electrolytes," the Healer explained, "and that is what is running into your arm, blood electrolytes. Now that you're awake, I can get you something to eat, and believe me, you will need it."

Curious, he asked, "Who did you manifest? Given the looks I saw in the Conference room, I wouldn't be surprised if it were The Conqueror himself. Who was it?"

Tam'yn sat up in the bed and replied, "You said it. He is my direct ancestor. He is...terrified about what is happening at home. While I was unconscious, he apologized again, and then he shared his youth and the day he saw his family's headless bodies on posts in front of what had been his home. Their heads were on pikes up on the walls. It was...horrible beyond belief." Dizziness claimed him and he was staring around, not sure of where he was, confused again. Moments later, he had a cup of something put in his hand and a friendly squeeze on his shoulder. He drank the liquid in the cup wondering at the odd glue like texture and the bland flavor, but it seemed to be helping him so he finished it.

That was when Healer J'nero came back with a meal roll and a tall glass of water on a tray. "Here, eat..." his eyes fastened on the cup in Tam'yn's hand and the tray clattered from nerveless to the floor while the Healer's jaw dropped open in shock.

Looking down, Tam'yn recognized what he was holding. His mother had a copy of it as part of her Imperial Regalia. This was no copy, though. Half afraid of what he was seeing, he raised An'kor's cup to his eyes and quietly fainted.

Healer J'nero caught the cup and wondered what to do with it. Then he decided. If the ghost of An'kor the Conqueror had gifted his descendent with his drinking cup, then it needed to be washed and put where its new owner could use it.

He also needed to call in someone to clean up the mess and bring more food for his two patients. He had a cup to wash and then he was going to visit the Contemplation space on the ship and pray for a while.

Somehow, it felt like the right thing to do.

Two hours before dawn, the Commandant's flier was headed back to Guardian Hospital #3. It had three passengers; A'sallah, still yawning after an all night planning session with his "second" on the ship and a strangely subdued Tam'yn and J'sharra.

They had both manifested their ancestors again, and an open recorder on the table had caught An'kor's words and the implied offering in them. What had both Tam'yn, First, and A'sallah puzzled were the ghost's words, "our new allies". Was he referring to the people who had sent the exploration device into T'Kiir'I space, the so-called "Robot-makers" or was he referring to someone else.

They didn't know. J'sharra had excused herself from the planning session to visit the Contemplation area on the ship, perhaps to pray or perhaps to dance. Rintallan had vanished down to the Engineering hull to tell someone that they had the extension they had asked for.

Second had returned to the bridge, relieving his younger brother and sending him to rest and study in his cabin.

Now, the three T'Kiir'I were headed back to the city and the Hospital they had vacated much earlier that evening. Tam'yn had an ancient style cup in his hand; a solid and real gift from his ancestor. He had decided to have a belt clip made for it and wear it as his ancestor had. Yes, it was fantastically valuable; the actual drinking cup that An'kor had given to a starving Jilathe' filled with so-called "warrior's gruel" that was short on taste but long on nutrition and energy.

He had shown it to J'sharra and she had taken it, kissed it and then started to cry. Later, she wouldn't say why, other than Jilathe' had wept too when he had fed her and her children.

It wasn't fancy. It was silver plated on the inside and copper on the outside, curved and tapered like a drinking horn. The only decoration was a golden band around the top where the drinker's lips would go and a golden tip with two folding feet so it would also serve to sit on a table.

There was one real decoration on it. On the side that would face out were set three crossed war-staves with a disk behind them. One was vertical, the other two angled off at what looked like thirty degrees. Behind them, a disk of gold was placed to provide an accent for the silver staves. They both could see the beginnings of the Sunrise Empire's arms in this decoration; the seven-rayed half disk of the Rising Sun with the staff, cup, and crown in front of the center ray. It was An'kor's own device, his own symbol in a largely illiterate world, and the symbol that tens of thousands had clung to as hope in a violent and treacherous world.

This cup had the origin of that Imperial symbol on it, and Tam'yn knew why the ghost had given it to him. It would be his touchstone for the authority he needed to do this thing.

As they started slowing and flying lower into the city, Tam'yn asked J'sharra about attending services at the K'Pyri'ah. She nodded agreement. They would dance together again, only this time he would make certain to eat something afterwards. He might even eat a suit-ration pack before dancing; they were high energy and easy to digest even if they did taste like glue and cardboard.

He would bring the cup along, with water or perhaps athletic drink for after their dance. He just knew he didn't want to be separated from An'kor's gift and--perhaps his blessing.

It was still a turning before suns-rise when they landed at the hospital. Tam'yn thanked the pilot as they left and got a nod in return. They left the flier behind and entered the hospital, A'sallah headed somewhere while they headed for their room.

Once there, J'sharra flopped on the bed and sighed, "She and I are so much alike it's amazing. While we slept, she told me about her husband; the one An'kor's cannons killed; and while she loved him, it had been an arranged marriage between two minor houses for political advantage. She had given birth with only one servant to help her and then the servant ran away. She had cared for her children, she thought, in the hope of her husband returning. He never did. She never saw him again.

"Then she saw a tall K'iir mounted on a J'Korah with a group of warriors surveying the city, and she knew it had fallen to the invading army and her husband was dead. She hated him at first, but then he got down from his J'Korah and walked to her, pouring something into...into that cup. He offered it to her and she drank it down because she was so hungry and was afraid of dying up and not being able to feed her children. She saw he had tears in his eyes as he carried her babes to his J'Korah and motioned her into the saddle. She mounted up and exchanged that cup for her children, and then he led her along with his warriors back to a pavilion set up in what had been a park.

"He took her in and fed her and it wasn't for half a tenday that she learned that he was An'kor; the Scourge of the Cities, Breaker of walls, Destroyer of Kingdoms... And here he was caring for her and her children like they were family.

"That was when she learned what love really was. She learned his story, his history from his own lips and those of his followers and realized that he wasn't trying to destroy civilization, he was trying to save it. She stayed with him as his wife and later his Empress and together they created a new world, our world; a world of law and justice and honor where people didn't have to cower when someone powerful came by, they could look them in the eye squarely and honestly. They were as equals under the Law.

"He awarded titles on merit, not patronage. If he made you a Lord, it was because you exemplified what a leading K'iir should be, not who you had paid off. He created the world we live in today, and some pack of Drok-eating-J'Okeks want to change it? "

Tam'yn saw then what female Anak' a' K'iir could be like when it was aroused. J'sharra, Priestess of Pyri's path and advocate of peace growled, "I don't think so," with a frightening amount of rage-fire (Anak') in her eyes. Her ears were backed, her eyes slitted and her lips were skinned back from her rear teeth. Her claws were out. She looked ready to fight. The fur on her shoulders was on end in a classic rage display.

Tentatively, he extended his hand in the classic Warrior's grip and she took it with enough strength to make him gasp. She said bluntly, "We will fight this together, love, and we will win because we have the Light with us. Never doubt that."

Slowly he nodded and she smiled, the Anak' slowly leaving her eyes. They were welded together in one purpose: Protect their Empire. Somehow, they would.

Prior to their departure for the K'Pyri'ah, Tam'yn ate a pack of suit rations and they both managed to get both hot N'aan to drink as they dressed and day-old breakfast rolls for after the dance. Tam'yn also got a bottle of athletic drink and pulled a small pouch out of his clothing to hold his cup and the drink. J'sharra wore her dance silks and a robe for cover, while he wore the same practice robe he had the day before. He checked the pressure wrap around his stomach and the tape on his toes and decided they were still usable. They left the hospital together after looking in on Tan'yel and seeing he was still asleep, although he had changed position and wound himself up in his bedding. J'sharra giggled as she watched.

The door opened for him this time, and the walk to the K'Pyri'ah was carried out in the growing half-light of dawning. As they approached, Osha hurried over to them and said, "Welcome, friends in the Light. We are making ready to welcome the Suns, the symbol of the Light within us and invite you to join our dance."

Tam'yn blushed and thanked him while J'sharra slipped out of her robes and wore only her Priestess' silks. Osha led them to an area that would be behind the main group of dancers so they could both watch and participate at their own level.

Settling his student's robe around himself, Tam'yn joined J'sharra in their stretches and warm-ups together. He fell in love with her all over again as she moved with a grace he was certain he could never match, totally contrasting herself with the warrior queen who had taken his hand in their room at the Hospital half a turning before.

So many people, and they all loved him. He was the most blessed K'iir who had ever lived.

Then the drums began to call them to the dance and he found his feet following the summons to a place behind and inside other beginners. J'sharra moved onwards to the Priest's row and took her place where she could still see him and he could see her.

Then the drums and flutes began and he lost himself in the dance. Again he mentally sang the call to the light and again it filled him and warmed him completely. He and the light of the rising suns were one, speeding across the universe on wings of energy that would never run out or end.

He was only slightly aware of J'sharra at first, but as the dance went on it seemed that she was vastly exceeding what he had seen her do before. Admittedly, he hadn't seen her do a lot, but this almost made him forget his own Dance as she became Light and Lit the Cosmos.

Then the drums called him back and the rhythm slowed to a quiet calming beat, letting the Dancers return to themselves from wherever they had been.

Then the drumming stopped, and he slowed to a simple relaxed stand, catching his breath. J'sharra flowed toward him and they kissed, then carefully made their way through the dispersing dancers back to where they had left their outer clothing. They sat and hugged, sharing their happiness and uplift.

He opened the pack and extracted the cup and athletic drink and filled the cup, offering it to J'sharra. She took it with an unusual glow in her eyes, and drained it to the bottom before offering it back to him. He poured more drink and drank it himself, feeling the liquid refresh his dry mouth and insides.

That was where Osha found them. He had something in his hand.

"I watched you dance this morning, Priestess, and have a gift for you," he said in a respectful voice. Opening his hand, he gave her a single long faceted crystal on a silver chain.

J'sharra's jaw dropped and with a slightly shaking hand held it up so the light of the suns caught it. A rainbow resulted. It was so cut that the sunlight refracted in it and surrounded it with all the colors of the spectrum. The results were beautiful.

"A Rainbow crystal?" she asked, half disbelieving her eyes, "but that is for someone who has become as the Light itself. I'm not worthy..."

Osha shook his head in negation. "Quite the contrary, Priestess, six of my Priests and Priestesses broke their dance to watch yours. I have been following the Light for seventeen cycles, and I have never seen such a Light-touched dance as yours was this morning as you welcomed the Suns. You are truly within the Light, and as such you both deserve and require the Rainbow crystal. You will follow the Light in all its many paths, all its colors and all its hues until you reach the Bright Source of All. The Rainbow crystal simply tells others of your accomplishments and the Light's presence within you. Truly, J'sharra, you are becoming one with the great Light we all pursue. I am honored that you blessed this meeting with your Dance."

J'sharra's mouth worked but nothing came out. Tam'yn chuckled and as a measure of friendship offered Osha some of the remaining athletic drink in his cup.

Osha sipped, then stopped and stared at the cup in his hand, then finished the beverage and stared long at the cup he was holding before returning it to Tam'yn.

"Did he give this to you?" he asked, not doubting who "he" was.

Tam'yn nodded. "He gave it to me this morning while I was on the M'Kereos, although at the time I didn't realize what had happened. It had some odd gluey stuff in it that tasted flat but helped me re-energize. Now I guess I need to wear it like he did."

Osha nodded, "What was in it was what was wrongly called 'Warrior's Gruel', a drink-meal first made by Deleos Pyri'ka as a recharge for himself when he would dance alone. Priestess J'sharra has the recipe for it since we still use it now. He chose it as a ration for his warriors because it strengthened and kept one healthy without waste or the use of a great amount of supplies. He always had problems with supply, and this eased his problems greatly."

Then Osha asked, "Do you know what this gift means?"

Nervous, now, Tam'yn shook his head in negation his eyes wide and worried.

"It means the Peace-bringer has chosen you as his representative in this modern age. It means he sees you as his cup-brother. It means he trusts you to lead the battle in his absence. Deleos Pyri'ka wrote a detailed story about the man who was his friend and who brought the Light's peace to a troubled and ill world.

"Bluntly, it means he sees you as his successor in all things, your Radiance."

Tam'yn didn't quite hear the last part. When Osha had said "...he trusts you to lead the battle in his absence," his eyes had rolled up and he had fainted.

Looking at his now supine Viceroy and War Leader, Osha asked, "Does he do that a lot?" His eyebrows were showing curiosity.

J'sharra nodded, "But he's getting better at it. His mother asked me to see if I could stiffen his back when she saw me in the Palace because she was worried about him. I was shocked when the love for him that I thought I had put away reawakened, but it has; and in a way it's just like my ancestress Jilathe'. Her husband was killed by An'kor's cannons and she thought she would hate him for it. Instead, she found a depth of love for him deeper than any she had ever known before. It's the same thing for me."

She leaned forward, gently stroking his cheek and calling softly, "Tam? Tam, wake up please."

Slowly Tam'yn's eyes cracked open and he asked, "Did Osha actually say that?"

J'sharra nodded.

"Oh great jolly joyfulness, something else for me to do," he groaned as he slowly sat up.

"Something for us to do, love. We'll never be alone again." Then she kissed him as Osha smiled with suppressed mirth.

Their return to the Hospital was a comfortable, slow walk. Once inside, they took the lift to their floor and got out, still arm in arm and happy. In their room, he dressed in a lower key version of the Dress uniform he had worn the previous day and headed for the restaurant on the ground floor for a more substantial meal than the breakfast wraps they had taken to the K'Pyri'ah earlier.

They were glad they did; breakfast consisted of fresh eggs with salted and smoked meat from some animal with steamed grains and fruit. It was delicious, all of it.

They were back on their floor when a Counselor Tam'yn dimly remembered called out to him and asked for a moment of his time.

Curious, Tam'yn and J'sharra followed him into a small cubicle where the Counselor offered them seats and then sat himself.

"What can I do for you, Counselor L'eshta?" Tam'yn asked, more out of curiosity than anything else and received a very strange reply.

"It isn't you, your Radiance, it is the Guardian called Tan'yel to whom you are related," the Counselor replied, "I have completed my diagnosis of his psychical problems and he has a sickness common in older Guardians. It comes in many forms; in his case it has two major involvements. One, he sees conspiracies everywhere, often involving fanciful concepts or old worries made flesh."

Eyebrows now raised, Tam'yn asked, "What sort of conspiracies, Counselor?"

Counselor L'eshta explained, "His records show he has spent a number of years at the Imperial Palace on T'Kiir'ah. Apparently the strains there that caused him to retire here have him convinced that there is a plot to unseat Her Rising Glory, the Empress."

The Counselor sighed, "This is not an uncommon aberration among those whose care involves the protection of the Imperial Person. It is, however, treatable."

Nodding, Tam'yn asked, "And what is the second involvement?"

"That involves the late Imperial Servant Tireno Alcys'ka as some sort of villain bent on corrupting the Imperial establishment. Guardian Tan'yel thinks he was responsible for his hysterical blindness, and for some reason insists he is still alive here on this planet," the Counselor explained; "and that would be rather difficult, considering how far away we are from T'Kiir'ah ,and the fact that this is a hidden Sanctuary planet. Even if he were alive, how could Protocol Master Alcys'ka get here? There are treatments for this delusion too, your Radiance, and I would estimate that within a few Lunars we could have your cousin healthy enough to return to his retirement, especially given the magnificent donation you made for him of heart sections. I'm personally very glad you two were so closely related it could be done. Usually we clone and then the patient is on restricted activity or even bed rest until the new sections heal."

He smiled, "The good news is that your Cousin will be healthy in practically no time, and can return to his retirement with us a healthier person mentally and physically."

Tam'yn didn't dare look at J'sharra or he would burst out laughing at the incredibly inept diagnosis, so he tried something else.

"Counselor L'eshta, there are a few things you may be unaware of. One, there is an active conspiracy on T'Kiir'ah, and one of my reasons for being here is to protect both myself and the Empress from a group of so-called 'Nobles' who want a return to the days before An'kor made his empire. This is no delusion, this is fact."

Steepling his fingers, he went on; "And Tireno Alcys'ka is here, on this planet, as a prisoner charged with multiple counts of High Treason against the Throne. His death was...faked to mislead the other plotters. He is facing a death sentence if another one of his victims dies as a result of a machine he perverted into a puppet-maker that turns otherwise normal people into his controlled puppets at the sound of certain command words. I would direct your questions on that to either of the Doctors T'keron, who are currently involved with developing treatments for this abomination he did to others who came to him for simple lessons in Court mannerliness.

"Tan'yel an' Yere'kos is healing from a hearts attack brought on by such a mental attack created by the Traitor Alcys'ka as a means of controlling other puppets on our ship, the M'Kereos, which is currently being upgraded on this planet for a secret deep space mission critical to the Empire itself."

"Death sentence?" the Counselor gasped, "Do you mean you still employ that barbaric thing on Imperial Citizens? How can you? Sentencing someone to die is nothing short of murder!"

Now cold as ice, Tam'yn growled, "There are over twenty people on T'Kiir'ah who are grieving themselves to death as a result of the Death notices broadcast throughout the Empire, and every one of them was conditioned to do so by this Traitor to all we love and care for. It is harsh, that I agree with, but so is deliberately causing someone to grieve themselves to death as a means of crippling the Imperial Government. Please, Counselor, talk to either Doctor T'keron and you will learn the sort of monstrosity he is capable of doing," Tam'yn growled as he stood.

"And please, for your own sake, don't go accusing people on the basis of your own faulty diagnosis."

They both walked out of the Counselor's cubicle. Neither of them noticed that as soon as they were gone, Counselor L'eshta was on his comms unit calling someone he had been told to call under such circumstances.

The call didn't go through. He tried again and again he got a "no connection" notice on his comms unit.

Two marks later, a Guardian stepped into the Counselor's cubicle and asked, "Why are you trying to call a certain garbage-scraper journalist? Would you mind coming back to this floor's Security office and answering a few questions about several 'leaks' in Hospital security regarding some of our high-profile patients?"

"I certainly would mind going to the Security Office, I have patients to see to," Counselor L'eshta snapped angrily.

"Actually, as of now, you have no patients here," the Guardian replied coldly, "and whether that situation changes or not will depend on your cooperation with us. There have been almost a dozen 'surprise' stories in the local press over the past half cycle, and you were either consulting or working directly on each one. We aren't allowed to question journalists, but our own employees are another story. Counselor, the sooner you speak with us, the sooner you discover whether or not you have any patients here, and that is not open to negotiation at all."

Nervous but trying not to show it, Counselor L'eshta went with his escort for an interview that he knew would probably end his employment. Still, he had no choice; and perhaps offering up the journalist who had paid handsomely for a few "off the record" comments would keep his job for him, or at least gain him a simple "release for other work" separation. Either would do.

Meanwhile, Tam'yn and J'sharra were talking to Tan'yel who was annoyed at having slept through everything "interesting" on the M'Kereos.

"Here I was snoring while you manifested the Founder of the Empire," he groused, "And when I get back aboard, I can look forward to more of the same while I'm in Healing convalescing up so I can start helping A'sallah's cadets."

J'sharra began to snicker and Tam'yn, against his will, began to follow her.

Putting on an annoyed face, Tan'yel grumbled, "So what's so funny?"

Tam'yn replied, "Knowing you, within a day's time after you're back, you will have a finger in every Security pie on board the ship, even while you complain about being ignored and stuck in Healing. Anyway, manifesting An'kor is no walk in the park. Both J'sharra and I were out for nearly two turnings while we recovered. I did get one thing out of it though, father."

Tan'yel was about to try discounting his son's claim when curiosity caught up with him. What did Tam' "get" out of the experience?

"So tell me what you got," Tan'yel asked, now a bit less the annoyed father.

Tam'yn got out the thing An'kor had given him, the Cup. He handed it to Tan'yel and waited for the K'iir's reaction.

Tan'yel held the cup as if he were holding something sacred. His eyes were wide and wondering as he turned it over and over in his hands.

Finally, he raised his eyes to Tam'yn's and said, "Do you know what this is, Tam? Your mother has an imitation of this as part of her regalia. The original was lost shortly after An'kor died and was cremated, in fact, according to some tellings; his cup, war-staff, sword, and armor were put on the pyre with him to go onward into the next world.

"This is His, Tam'yn, you can feel it when you hold it. It's like something sacred from some religion." His eyes widened and he asked, "Do you know what this means, Tam'yn? Do you?" He had raised his voice as he spoke and something had come into his eyes, something different.

J'sharra spoke; "Osha says it means that An'kor has chosen Tam'yn as his War Leader in this time, someone '...to act for him when he isn't there, someone to lead his troops; someone to be his successor in the modern world."

Tan'yel nodded in agreement. "All that and more, J'esa. This cup is something special. All he will need to do is show it and people will follow him. He could very well become the second Emperor if he wanted to, and he may well have to do that if things go to hell." He offered the cup back to Tam'yn, now full of concern for what was happening.

Tam'yn took the cup back but sputtered, "Wait a mark here. There has only been one Emperor and that was An'kor. Me? I can't sit on the throne, I'm male and I can't have children. I'm automatically unqualified for running the Empire because of that."

Tan'yel grinned up at him, "Need has a way of ignoring restrictions like that."

Then he chuckled himself, "This trip is going to be interesting. Very interesting. Finally, I'll have an answer to my grandfather's visions. Yes, this is going to be very interesting."

Then, practicality took over and he asked, "When do we leave? Your mother's note suggested we get going and we really should do as she says."

Tam'yn replied, "Four days or a bit less. The M'Kereos is being remade stem to stern. We'll be getting a Guardians-only fusion reactor that will put out more power than the Inverted matter system, and the old standby fusion reactors have been upgraded to provide thirty percent more power than they did when they were new. The Drive is being upgraded too, it'll be more efficient and faster than before. We'll make up for our late departure in two days of running, and after that we'll be using an improved set of guides from home. You saw those. We will be relocating to the M'Kereos probably tomorrow or the day after. Then you and A'sallah can teach Guardian Cadets about ship side Security and safety."

Tan'yel nodded, "Good. Not that this place isn't comfortable but I would feel a lot better back on the M'Kereos than I do here. All the doctors do is poke and prod and ask if I've had a bowel movement today. At least when I'm back in Healing on the M'Kereos, J'nero won't bother me about that, and he owes me a chance to get back some of the pay he peeled off of me with his T'pon moves."

Tam'yn heard himself being paged on the intercom and went to the wall grille to answer it. It was his surgeon, looking for him. He promised to be back in his room within ten marks and the connection shut down.

"Looks like I get the poke and prod bit this time," Tam'yn said as he returned to Tan'yel's bed. "I'll tell the Healer hello from you."

"I' m stealing J'esa for a few marks because I have some things for her alone," Tan'yel said as Tam'yn settled into his float chair for the trip back to his room. "Don't worry, she'll be there before the Healer leaves so she can tell him what you forget to," Tan'yel chuckled, "and why don't you two go shopping in the city here? You aren't going to get another chance for a minimum of four segments, so now's the time."

Surprised, Tam'yn glanced at J'sharra who shrugged as he turned his float chair and headed out into the hall. All things considered, they just might do that. It was still early.

Tam'yn floated into his hospital room, plugged in his chair and started getting out of his fancy gear. The doctor was more interested in his surgery site than what he was wearing, and the collar of his shirt rubbed against his throat unpleasantly.

The Healer who showed up was the same Healer he had seen the day before. The abdominal pressure wrap seemed to surprise him, but not in a negative way. He checked Tam'yn's arm and his toes, again registering surprise at the wrapping there. He asked the same questions he had asked the day before and Tam'yn tried to be as honest as he felt would be wise.

"Who did the wrap on your belly, your Radiance? Obviously you didn't do it, but it's a well done job. It matches your toes, too. Who did this?" Healer Jorosa asked curiously, "The work is excellently done."

"Honestly, sir, I don't know his name," Tam'yn replied, "It was at the K'Pyri'ah yesterday morning when I was taking my lessons in Dance from my Companion, J'sharra. She's a priestess of Pyri's way, and I needed to have better movement than I did."

"Was it a Healer 2 named Korso who did this? He has brownish fur and a gold chest with blue eyes."

Tam'yn thought back and replied, "Yes, I think so, Healer. His eyes were a very dark blue, almost like a dark sky. He said my toes should have been re-checked when I was admitted, for some reason."

The Healer nodded, "Yes, we should have, but we were worried more about the receiver of the transplant than about your toes."

He stood for a moment before saying, "Your arm is healed enough for you to use a protected splint rather than this heavy cast. I can remove the electronics and injection sites too, in say, half a turning? I can also put you in a compression garment that will be more comfortable to wear than six to-ketra of pressure bandage. Your toes look nearly healed, so I'll show my readings to one of our people and get his opinion on it, but I think that if you are careful and keep wearing the protectors instead of shoes, you should do fine.

"I'll show this to the Osteo-specialist and see what he thinks, but in my opinion you're pretty well healed and just need to stay in the float chair for a couple of tendays and you'll be good to go," the Healer said as he used his scanner to get Tam's waist and lower chest.

"Why do I need the chair, and is the Osteo-healer named Itrec? He's a Leem," Tam'yn asked, curious as to his being stuck in the chair for another two tendays.

The Healer nodded, "Good questions, both of them. Last first, yes; our Osteo-specialist is named Itrec and he is a Leem. He's been here for nearly twenty cycles, and he's about as good a bone specialist as I've ever seen. As for the chair, you lost some sections off your abdominal heart; and while you may be well enough for beginner's Dance, being on your feet all day long would have you exhausted long before the day was over. Remember, the abdominal heart is the pump that sends blood to your lungs for oxygenation. Under normal situations, you would do all right, but remember you're not oxygenating as well as you would normally and low oxygen in your circulation would accumulate and knock you over when you were least expecting it. In a couple of tendays, you will be fairly well past that, but for now you need the support the chair gives you to keep you from tiring out easily."

He smiled, "Any other questions, your Radiance?"

Tam'yn shook his head. "You'll be back in twenty marks?" He asked hopefully and got the answer, "As soon as I get the things I need and talk to the Leem, I'm back. Remember, though; foot protectors, not shoes."

"Oh foo," came J'sharra's voice from the door, "I was hoping he could wear something other than work wear."

The Healer turned to her and stopped still, then bowed and replied, "Yes, Light bringer, but only for two tendays or so, until his toes heal."

J'sharra seemed surprised at the address, but nodded her thanks back. "Can we get him shoes in the City later today?" she asked hopefully, and the Healer nodded, "Yes, ma'am, so long as he can wear them now and not guess at his size. Our sizing here is somewhat different from Imperial standards, so he needs to be sure his shoes fit now. The protectors are for his toes, so they aren't at risk for re-injury before they are completely healed."

He bowed to her again as he left the room, which puzzled Tam'yn a bit. The Healer had never bowed to him. He looked over at J'sharra, whose ears were quite pink. Her hand was at her throat, where the new crystal was located.

He put two and two together. "He's one of Pyri's followers," he said with some surprise.

J'sharra nodded, "He recognized my new crystal. I need to lower it so it doesn't make rainbows whenever I'm in strong sunlight."

Then she grew concerned, "Tam', we have a problem," J'sharra said nervously. "You're going to have to decide something about the trip, and soon.

"Huh? What?" Tam'yn asked, taken for a loss.

"Tan'yel told me that J'ina T'keron and T'oko want to go with the M'Kereos. Her father will stay here; he really can't travel."

"Why?"

"He is recovering from a hearts-storm, but he isn't strong enough yet."

"I meant J'ina and T'oko. Why do they want to come with us for a four segment exploration far, far outside of Imperial space?

"She has developed the Mind-share system into a translator and a device that can teach languages in hours rather than months," she explained, "and T'oko said, 'Because mother will need my abilities to make the Mind-share translator work at its highest levels'."

"What do you think, J'esa?"

J'sharra walked around the room for a mark before answering. Finally she said, "Somehow, I think we should take them along. I don't know why I think this, maybe Jilathe' is helping me with it or maybe just female intuition, but I think they should come with us."

Tam'yn sighed and then shrugged. "Mother has these 'flashes of intuition' too, and she is nearly always right with them. I've seen it happen too often for it to be chance, so alright, they come with us. Fortunately we have a lot of free space for them, so that's not a problem, and only one of them breathes and eats... What about her meal packs? Apparently that is the only way she can eat, and we're going to be out beyond everything. Is there a way to be sure she can eat what the ship has or do we need to make room for her rations as well?"

J'sharra replied, "There are some loadable perioral meal packs that are re-usable, and T'oko routinely prepares meals for both her and her father. That is no problem. In fact, T'oko has developed several additions to the meal-pack such as drinking cups and snack packets, all re-usable indefinitely. The two of them are pretty much self-sufficient together."

Tam'yn asked, "What about the senior T'keron? He's here now, but what happens when we're a thousand light-cycles away and he gets released? Who will care for him at their home?"

"He already has a cadre of his best students who assist him when his daughter is away on the other side of the planet or is working at the Prisons here," J'sharra replied, "Apparently they function as individuals a lot more than either of us guessed, given that the questions I asked were almost word-for-word the same as yours."

Tam'yn could see that J'sharra still had things to say, so he asked, "And what else is happening in the world while I get poked and prodded?"

J'sharra squared her shoulders and said, "T'oko wants to bring several crates of parts with him and some things he calls body sections. He seems to be nearing his limits and asks if an Engineer could help him upgrade himself in memory and power. He has to recharge daily now and...Tam'?"

Tam'yn was grinning widely, "Oh, Absolutely. Tell him to bring whatever he needs. I know of an Engineer First Grade who will have nothing to do on the trip outside of watching others do their jobs and reading histories. This will keep that Engineer employed and active in what he loves to do. Absolutely, in fact ask him to contact me. I can possibly get some Navy items that will make his upgrades even better than he had planned on, heck; I'll call him myself."

J'sharra was giggling while he spoke and finally managed to control herself. "I had wondered about asking you to help him with this, but it seems you got ahead of me. You certainly seem excited about it."

Tam'yn sighed, "Look, J'esa, outside of re-reading several histories of our diplomatic endeavors and going over the standard Navy contact protocols, I was looking at a lot of down time and tail-brushing. Now I have the opportunity to do what it is that I do, be an Engineer; even if it isn't making a Starship run. I get to do the second-most pleasant thing in my life."

"Tam, if Engineering is the second-most pleasant thing in your life, what is the most pleasant thing?" J'sharra wore an odd look in her eyes, hopeful perhaps.

"Spending time with you, J'esa; spending time with you."

That got him a kiss and a hug that threatened to bend some ribs. She rubbed her cheek fluff against his and whispered, "Tam', I love you so much..."

Their tete-a-tete lasted for several marks until there was a knock at the door. Anticipating the Healer, Tam'yn was surprised to see A'sallah instead. A'sallah was grinning from ear to ear, and said ears were tall and radiating happiness.

Rubbing his hands together, he said; "We provided the Traitor with a list of names of his victims in the Palace who had collapsed and were being force fed. With four of them, he gave detailed word exchanges to release them, and they worked. They're recovering now and have no memories of what happened to them. The rest he's still working on, and it seems we will have to use his damned machines on some of his victims, but he claims that his so-called 'Sponsors' required that they be programmed into incapacitation on a specific command. He added the death notice response as a means of his own survival. His directions seem to make sense back on T'Kiir'ah, since our last communications said that the Palace Guardian Counselors were hooking his machines up according to his directions and getting positive results in the form of the responses they were told to expect. They think that if this works, the government will be back at full strength within a tenday at the most.''

"Of course, that means he gets to live, but some things can't be helped," A'sallah added with annoyance, "However, once these people are capable, the Government will be fully functional again."

Something clicked in Tam'yn's mind as he blurted, "Do not let word get out that the Palace has the capability to reverse the Traitor's crippling of the Government. Get them functional, but keep it secret. The recovery has to be kept secret."

Then he ordered, "Get as many known-loyal Navy ships and crews into T'Kiir'ah orbit as soon possible. Reshuffle commands but get as much firepower orbiting the planet as you can. I'll issue orders to that effect as soon as I get to a list of who you trust and some unused data plates. Send my mother a message for her eyes only: 'Orgra city trap" and get it out as fast as you can!"

Ch. 12: A history lesson

"Orgra city?" A'sallah asked, plainly confused, "What has Orgra city to do with..." Comprehension dawned in his eyes and totally forgetting decorum he turned and ran out of the room.

J'sharra was plainly confused too, so Tam'yn explained, "It's part of the Empire's history we all learn. An'kor had been besieging Orgra city for half a cycle. He got word that the Royal family had all committed suicide and the City was surrendering to him. They opened the gates and brought him the seal of the City as a token of their surrender. He sent in two troops of cavalry on war-bred J'koras and they sent word back to him that there were a dozen headless bodies in the City Square dressed like Royalty, even to the children."

Seeing the horror in J'sharra's eyes, he sighed, "J'esa, it was a different world back then; an ugly, bloody, vicious one. An'kor was at war with that world, and thank the Gods of Star and Space, he was victorious. Anyway...

"Something was nagging at him, but everything seemed right. The Royal family would traditionally commit suicide to prevent the victor from murdering them or selling the children as slaves while slowly killing the adults. He entered the City classically, his way, at the head of a relief train; food for the starving citizens of the City. That was something Pyri'ka had taught him; show the people he was conquering that he was aware of their losses and privations and was going to take care of them as their new Overlord. Bluntly, in those days, it led to him being virtually worshipped by the people he conquered and ended any schemes of resistance from the old guard Nobility."

Tam'yn grinned; "Even back then, politics was as much about filling bellies as ruling the bodies around those bellies." He took a sip of water and continued.

"About the time the last wagons of the relief train were inside the gates and his troops were ready to march in and begin the investment of the City, the gates were slammed shut and the hiding Orgra Army, what was left of it, hit his forces in the City on both sides while some mercenaries commanded by the City's second Prince hit the back of his army as it was forming up to march into the city and start the second part of his Conquest; establishment of An'kor's Law.

"It was only because he had felt something wrong with headless bodies of the Royal Family that he had left his crack Legions and his Cup-bearer..." Tam'yn stared at their bed table where An'kor's cup rested for several beats before swallowing hard and resuming his story.

"He left his most trusted Commander with his crack Legions and the J'korah auxiliary forces with the main body of his army, and they fought off the mercenaries while his forces in the City took on and beat the remains of the Royal Army. It was a close thing for him and that is where he lost the tip of his ear when the Crown Prince tried to cut off his head. He ducked and the Prince missed everything but the tip of his ear. The Prince got the spike end of his War Staff in his chest from the belly, up into his upper heart and died in his saddle, then An'kor swung his war staff around and cut off the Prince's head.

Then he and his personal Guards got busy fighting for their lives against two companies of the Orgran army who were trying to surround and kill them.

"Then the People of Orgra rose up and turned on their own Army and An'kor managed to gain a narrow victory at the cost of most of the personal Guard who had come with the relief wagons. It seemed that the Royal Family, the Army, and their cadre of Nobles were eating well while the citizens were starving, eating anything they could find.

"When the Royal family was flushed out of hiding, he sent the children to be raised by his cousin, the one who had originally kept him alive through the murder of his family. They would be a part of his Family of Orphans and live. The Queen was dead, killed by her husband when she begged for him to surrender and his two older sons were also dead at the hands of his army. The King's two daughters had been married off and weren't in Orgra anymore. An'kor beheaded the King and his General in the marketplace, not for being enemies, but for dishonoring a Surrender. Apparently, there were rules about that in those days and they both broke them."

Tam'yn paused to let J'sharra process what he had said so far. When comprehension dawned in her eyes; he concluded, "A'sallah said all of Antero-Nessa's Merc's went off planet somewhere and the High Lord went with them. They're waiting for word, probably from their confederates, that the Government is crippled as its highest officials, appointed professionals, start dying off. If they get word the Government is going to recover and pick up where they left off, what do you think will happen?"

J'sharra's ears flattened and turned pale along the edges. "They'll invade, " she said in a near whisper, wide eyed with fear.

Tam'yn nodded. "That is why I'm using my in-loco-Imperatrix powers to pull what forces the Imperial Guardians know will be loyal into T'Kiir'ah orbital space. Mother won't dare try it since the conspirators will have spies in the Palace. She dares not issue the order, but I can. She will be informed of it 'routinely' by the Palace Guardians in her daily briefing, but she can stay quiet while the forces loyal to her start massing in orbit around the planet."

He grinned without humor, "I expect there will be some 'mutinies' on Navy ships when loyal officers take control from Alcys'ka's puppets. Mother can sort that out once things are settled. The idea is to place some sort of protection around the planet without advertising the fact."

At that point, there was a knock at the door and the Healer who Tam'yn had spoken to earlier strode happily into the room. "I have your corset and a new splint for your arm, and I have the removal tool for the antenna under your skin, " he said, belatedly realizing the atmosphere of tension in the room.

"Is there trouble?" he asked, his eyes moving from Tam'yn to J'sharra and back.

Tam'yn forced a smile and replied, "Not around here, at any rate. So I get free of this anchor?" he asked, indicating his shoulder length splint. The Healer nodded, his spirits somewhat restored and diverted from his previous concern.

"Corset?" J'sharra asked with concern, "Will it affect his Dance lessons?"

The Healer shook his head, "Not in the least. It will apply pressure over the surgery wound but nowhere else."

"What about my toes?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"Itrec checked my scans and told me to have your Ship's Healers re-wrap them twice a tenday for two or three tendays, then leave the wrapping off. He did repeat the warning about staying in your chair outside of dancing or light exercise, though."

Tam'yn nodded, "I understand that part, and it makes sense. Is there some sort of test I can use to tell me when my lower heart is fully healed?"

"When you can stand on your feet and be active for half a day without being exhausted, you're done. Then you just exercise to regain your endurance, and I expect either your Ship's Healer or your Companion will be able to help you there," the Healer replied, smiling.

The Healer's optimism was infectious, and by the time he was done, both Tam'yn and J'sharra were feeling more positive.

The new splint was light and fit his forearm snugly, supporting the healing bone but not restricting movement. The "Corset" was a sort of waistband that provided light support all around Tam'yn's waist, but pressed firmly on the on his right side. It wasn't at all uncomfortable after being worn for a while.

Removing the antenna from under his skin was accomplished by means of a device that gripped the single contact above his skin and with a twirling motion slid it out from under his skin in one strange-feeling movement. The splint fit over the area and supported the healing bone. The injection site was dealt with by removing the catheter and dabbing some dilute Re-Gen over the place where the catheter had come out. There were only two drops of blood on his skin before the bleeding stopped.

J'sharra was smiling widely and Tam'yn felt relieved; he was definitely getting better! He asked about his still bared arm and was told, "That will probably be treated back on your ship. I could give you an injection to neutralize any remaining growth inhibitor in your system and your fur will begin regrowing on its own, but I would suggest that you wait until you are out of that splint, since regrowing hair itches and under the splint it could in-grow; and that is very uncomfortable. I would just suggest you wear long sleeves until your arm is re-furred enough so you aren't conscious of being without your natural fur on that arm."

Then he handed Tam'yn a small data pad with several business names and addresses in it.

Grinning widely, he said; "These people give discounts for Active servicepersons and there is place that sells shoes and also sells high-end foot protectors. That way you and your Companion can dress well and still protect your healing toes."

With a smile and a nod, he left them in the room, both were somewhat shocked but pleasantly surprised.

Tam'yn asked J'sharra, "Should we? Shop, I mean."

J'sharra's response was very positive, and when she came up for air she said, "I can get a longer chain for my new crystal so I don't make rainbows whenever I'm out in the sunlight, and you can get something that will protect your feet and look nice on you. We can spend a few turnings and get a few needful things that aren't Navy issue."

8: Shopping!

The term "Needful things" puzzled Tam'yn but he was willing to try, if for no reason than to find out what his Companion thought were "needful" on a fully provisioned Starship.

He found out.

J'sharra bought many small inexpensive but quality items to give as gifts to people for dedicated but less than promotion-grade work for their Viceroy. They were simple rewards for the most part. She bought a longer chain and with a sigh of relief changed out the one on the new crystal she was wearing so it was less visible and nestled between her breasts. While Tam'yn marveled at the City, she purchased useful and indeed "needful" things, all to be delivered to them at the Hospital.

Then Tam'yn found a cup carrier. It was leather, a light brown that went with the cup in his belt pouch nicely and fit the cup almost as if it were made for it with only a bit of looseness around the body of the cup. A strong clip retained the cup in the carrier.

They found several sources of foot protectors that were quite fancy, and he learned the reason for their existence. The law required that any person who was in an industry where foot injury could reasonably be expected to occur had to have and wear foot protectors to protect their feet from damage on the job, and there were apparently a lot of industries where that might happen. The law had become a fashion statement. The Guardian Council that ran this world was safety conscious to a degree that would have had people protesting loudly back on T'Kiir'ah. In many ways, the system on this planet was more like the Navy than a civilian government, but people obeyed and the Healers were much less busy with accident and injury cases than on T'Kiir'ah.

Then he found them. Trousers shaped and made like the ones that came with his own clothing but with slits in the outer leg seams and small pouches attached to those slits inside the pant-legs. They were all but invisible yet were capable of carrying a common belt-pouch's worth of possessions. Other styles had the pouch on the outside of the pant leg and were located more forward than the hidden others. He and J'sharra were amazed at the invention. You didn't need a belt pouch or two belt pouches or more...you had pouches built into your pants where you could simply reach in and take out whatever you wanted. They both bought several pairs of the wonderful trousers and the matching leggings that came with them as a part of the outfit. They were soft fabric leggings, but they could be laced up the outside and be made to fit a number of legs instead of the Navy's five sizes that the wearer adapted to with stockings. Tam'yn even got three pair of trousers-with-leggings in near-Guardian Gray for Tan'yel to wear.

When they stopped for lunch at a public eatery, they watched the news of the planet they were on and realized that for the people living here there was no stimulus to look offworld. Every bit of the news focused on planetary matters. The Empire's news was a two mark précis' broadly covering the Empire of which this world was a hidden part. Even the upset in the Capital, K'Arrah, the Center of the Empire, was referred to in one sentence saying that after serious problems, the Imperial Government was returning to normal operation. The next story was about a local Birallan who was developing a compact communicator that had a range of five ta'ketras. Government approval was expected once range and durability testing was complete.

Tam'yn and J'sharra looked at each other in surprise. On T'Kiir'ah even cheap communicators had a range of thirty ta'ketras at a minimum. Why would things be different here?

Then Tam'yn slapped himself in the forehead and whispered to J'sharra, "This is a hidden planet, so long range communications would logically be restricted. On the freighters where I learned my trade, we would pick up chatter from the planet we were orbiting on our ship comm units and have to filter it out. On this world, they don't dare risk that so the range is restricted drastically for general communications."

They looked around themselves again, realizing that while this world looked like any other Imperial world, it wasn't. The people here were subtly encouraged to ignore the Empire they were a part of and to concentrate on their own world instead. They were hidden and would remain that way. Their government was a Council of people sworn to guard and protect the Imperial way for every one of their citizens, even at the cost of their own lives. Their lives were dedicated to An'kor's dream of law and justice for all.

Tam'yn could think of perhaps six Parliament members who might take such a pledge and only one Council member who would be willing to do what the government here did as a matter of course.

This was a planet where An'kor and Jilathe's dream would live on even if the Empire fell into ruins about it. This would also be the world where the Empire would be reborn and rise again for those worlds who still believed in the rule of law and in equality. In a way, the concepts of the Empire would never die, they would change and adapt and live on forever.

His hand reached out and she took it. They would protect what their ancestors had made even if it meant their passage into the light. Some things were worth living for, and a very few were worth dying to protect. This was one of them.

They were walking down the street and looking in shop windows when two Guardian fliers settled into the street parallel to them and a group of Guardians got out. One of them hurried over to Tam'yn and knelt, extending a folded piece of paper in her hand.

Groaning inwardly, Tam'yn opened it while J'sharra looked over his shoulder. On it, A'sallah had written; "Hurry back to the hospital. Have listings of ships and need your seal on orders moving them. Reports from Sharra colony hint that mercenaries are there, and image proof of Antero-Nessa's presence there is provided."

He groaned and J'sharra sighed. The Guardian asked, "Sir, have you read the message? Have you any further need for it?"

Puzzled, Tam'yn shook his head. The Guardian took out a small igniter and lit a corner of the note and it poofed into smoke. Then she stood and saluted.

Looking around and seeing a crowd starting to form, both Tam'yn and J'sharra quickly followed the Guardian to the front flier and got in. They were airborn in moments, headed toward the tower that was the Hospital where they were currently living and was their ad-hoc headquarters.

"How'd you find us?" Tam'yn asked the Guardian seated with them. She replied, "We flew low over the streets and scanned for an Imperial Viceroy's ping-back to our signals. We waited until you were on a less busy side street before we dropped down to deliver the message."

"Do you do this often?" J'sharra asked worriedly. The Guardian nodded, "Whenever one of our people is needed for something and they are on leave, yes. The people around you will think you are off duty Guardians, no more."

Tam'yn held up his Viceroy's bracelet on his right wrist and asked, "I wondered why nobody was reacting to this. People don't know we're here, do they?"

The Guardian shrugged, "The general public doesn't know and won't know until you are off world again. Then the news services will release some storage pictures and that will be it. We have found that anonymity is the best guarantor of safety in a case like yours, since there may be people here who have been released from prison but still do not like the Empire very much. Travel both free and is encouraged on this world so local populations don't create House or Clan groupings and exclude strangers from their communities. You could have come from any one of six cities or hundreds of farms and been here today for a friend's name-day, all completely anonymous."

"Ahh, you did kneel and present me with a hand written note..." Tam'yn reminded the Guardian, who at least blushed a bit. "I apologize, your Radiance, but you are Her representative on Home, and my protocol training took over."

Tam'yn smiled, but became aware of J'sharra's intense stare. Turning his head to face her he asked, "What, J'esa?" Her face was full of happiness and release.

"She said the word and you did nothing. I know you're supposed to be free of that, but we thought you were free when you interviewed Alcys'ka, too, and you weren't," J'sharra said in a relieved voice. "I didn't want to have to stun you here, the Guardian might not have understood and there could have been problems."

"You're carrying a Stunner?" he asked in surprise, to which she flipped open an unlocked belt pouch to display her compact model. "When we're out, always, unless we're at the K'Pyri'ah. Those are my orders from your fa--cousin."

"I see..." Tam'yn replied. J'sharra's words had him at an impasse. He was grateful that she would be able to protect him, but unsettled that a decision had been made about him by someone else...again.

Then there was the fact that he was haunted by an active ghost. Mentally, he shrugged. It was going to happen no matter what, so he decided to go with things since he really didn't have any choice to do otherwise.

He also resolved to get out his own Stunner and practice with it when they were back on the M'Kereos. That way he could protect J'sharra's back effectively as she protected his.

His train of thought came to a halt when they landed on one of the Hospital's landing pad. It was pad number three again and he could see a figure standing at the doors with his back to the flier to avoid any dust that might be kicked up. While the flyers used gravs to land like this, they used reaction jets to maneuver and dust was everywhere.

He turned as they got out and he hurried to them. It wasn't A'sallah, it was one of the Guardians he had seen in the converted office space near his and J'sharra's room.

He was saluted and the Guardian asked them to follow him to the office where apparently, A'sallah was waiting.

He was, and he had several sheets of paper in hand and a stack of tablets on the table beside him. He looked busy and Tam'yn was unsure if that was a good sign or not. It was.

"I can place seven Guardian Service ships in orbit around T'Kiir'ah's moon under the guise of needing service," he said as they sat beside him, "and within six days I can have four more Navy ships with them. All I need is your activation as Viceroy."

"You'll have it," Tam'yn replied, "and what is this about the missing Lord on some colony?"

A'sallah grimaced, "Shavra is a colony in name only. It's more of an open air market for stolen or questionable items, all available to the highest bidder. There is one, repeat one Imperial presence there, who monitors things so that planet-destroying weapons aren't sold and biologicals aren't passed around and there is no slave-trade. There is an agreement about that and it's in the interest of the locals to honor it. They do, closely and harshly. Other than that, it's someplace where the scum of the Empire collect and circulate rather than corrupt other worlds. Basically, it is a safety valve that lets off criminal pressure under a measure of Imperial monitoring.

He slid two sheets of paper toward them with images on them. "Top one," he said, "is a picture of someone who tripped one of our hidden cameras as a person of interest. His name is High-Lord Jentan arak K'koro an' Ankero-Tessa. He vanished from T'Kiir'ah three days ago. His house kept it secret for a day and still maintains he is 'in seclusion' - whatever that means. We traced his flier to the Kessa lands he controls where both vanished onto a transport ship. Two turnings ago, we get his ID chip showing at one of Shavra's more reputable landing areas and this picture with it. It matches his profile in eighteen out of twenty measurements. The difference is his facial fur pattern and his eye color, both of which are easy to change with dyes and lenses. The other person is something of a mystery outside of his being with Antero-Kessa. He is someone we have no knowledge of outside of his clothing is an older-style Alar uniform. We think this may be one of the people who was commanding the 'Alar Mercenaries' who were holding maneuvers on House Kessa lands. The travel time fits the capabilities of the ships we saw them using on T'Kiir'ah."

"What are they doing there?" Tam'yn asked, somewhat puzzled about where A'sallah was going with all this display.

"This should help, " A'sallah replied, "remember the suspected Slavers we spoke of recently?"

As Tam'yn was nodding, A'sallah activated a holoprojector built into the table. There were two dots, one red and one yellow along with several lines visible above the table surface connecting the two dots and extending into the distance.

A'sallah pointed with a fingertip; "Shavra is the red dot here." Moving his hand, he said, "And this is where we are. Please excuse the lack of scale or stellar data. This is more than I'm supposed to show you as it is." Then he indicated the lines, "These are projections of what we think are Slaver vessels, but maybe they aren't. Remember the comments that they all went out and none came back? Well, from Shavra past us and into the unknown is a straight line, a classic superluminal course setup."

Tam'yn thought about it and then nodded. He remembered A'sallah's telling him something about it on the M'Kereos.

A dark cloud appeared under the yellow dot. "This is a dust cloud," A'sallah explained carefully, "It's an important dust cloud, because the exploration device you're chasing had to have come through that dust cloud to get into Imperial space. We thought it was impenetrable, full of rocks and dust and other debris, but apparently it isn't. If you fly out past us, you can return to Imperial space by going through this dust cloud while we can't see you because of where we are in relation to that damned dust cloud." The anger in his voice was growing as he spoke. "By the time you are clear of that thrice-damned cloud, you are too far away for our sensors to see you or your superluminal wake." By the end of his speech, his ears were backed and he was glaring at the image as though it was something foul.

Tam'yn thought he saw something but couldn't quite figure it out until J'sharra gasped, "A triangle! Start at Shavra, go out there, and come back under the dust cloud!"

Then, one ear askew, she asked, "But what would be down there?" as she pointed at the table under the dust cloud image.

"Oh, just the Cortinian consortium, the K'jarra pirates, the Moesia hijackers; all of them simply lovely people who would be ever so joyful if the Empire were to cease to be," A'sallah replied bitterly, "Not to mention the Shavra Two colony, the other end of the Empire's criminal pressure relief system."

He grinned without mirth, "Funny thing; the Cortinian consortium, as they title themselves, objected mightily to the Empire's establishing Shavra Two in their part of the Galactic arm. I guess they didn't like the competition."

Tam'yn stared at the picture and kept getting the feeling that something was missing. He didn't know what it was, though.

"Something's missing," he said half to himself, not realizing others were listening.

A'sallah grunted, "That's what several of our better Intelligence analysts are saying, and they can't give a reason for what they're feeling. Can you?" he asked with a measure of hope in his voice.

"After all, you have some--ahhh, extra wisdom about this," he added.

Tam'yn asked mentally and got the equivalent of a headshake, "Even I was not all wise in the way of battle, cup-brother."

Looking up at A'sallah, he replied with embarrassment, "He says no. None."

Shrugging, A'sallah said, "So we have to just keep going. Speaking of that, I have some orders for you to authorize," as he turned to the stack of data pads.

Several marks later, eleven vessels were ordered into Imperial Space, seven for service that had been deferred out of a lack of parts and four who had "suspect" Inverted matter main reactors. None of them was larger than a light cruiser, although the Guardian ships mounted unusually heavy weaponry as a result of their piracy suppression mission. They were older vessels too, and lacked the fighter and shuttle carrying capacity enjoyed by more modern ships. If there were fighting, they would have to depend on themselves and their weapons alone rather than launching fighters to increase their deadliness. They were at a serious disadvantage should battle happen.

Tam'yn was shocked that with all the vessels in the Imperial Navy that only eleven were considered "safe to use" should an attack on the planet and Empire occur. Then he remembered the office that Tireno Alcys'ka had operated within the Naval Reservation in the Palace itself and his shock had a reason.

How many trustworthy First Officers were there in the Navy today? How many would turn traitor at the right word or some command in an otherwise normal message? What would happen to his family? He began to feel a horrible fear. His mother, the Empress, was visible as a requirement of her position. She was the Government in a person. She could rule absolutely, dismissing her Court, the Parliament, the Planetary Assembly; literally every single advisor and councilor, and nobody could stop her.

She was the Empress and she was the Empire in living flesh. She became An'kor and Jilathe's legal daughter on her accession of the Throne. She was the keeper of An'kor and Jilathe's incredible dream in the world of Sunsets.

She was one woman who bore the weight of worlds on her shoulders, and only she could see the necessary qualities in another woman to choose that one woman as her own successor.

"Tam?" J'sharra's voice penetrated the shock around him, "Tam? What's happened to you? Why don't you say anything?

J'sharra's face swam into his view, surrounded with the gold lace of the Imperial Cloak and the gold and silver Imperial Diadem, all radiating light. Then his vision cleared and he saw it was the light of her crystal, fallen out of her bosom and hanging as she bent to speak to him.

"What happened to me?" he asked as he shook his head, "Not much outside of being reminded of literally everything we're going to be fighting for, that's all."

Across the table, A'sallah nodded. His Radiance had realized and accepted that there was going to be a fight. May the Warriors' God guide him, along with his own incredible ancestors. He would need every bit of guidance he could get.

Lake An'shal, T'Kiir'ah: evening

Le'ahn sat on a box at the end of a short boat pier that projected into the lake, her feet resting on another box and a sack of seed-grain providing a back-rest. The setting sun cast warm lights on the water and the water doubled them, sending rippling reflections into the softly tinted air. Hearing the sound of shoes, she looked back at the shore and saw Terel walking toward her, his boots making their characteristic clumping sound as he trudged along toward the pier, growing closer to her slowly. He looked dejected and unhappy about something.

At the pier's end, next to her, he sat on a piling, slumping bonelessly and staring over the shallows and toward the large commercial dock that served for cargo and crops and supplies for the Plantation. The dock they were on was for occasional fishing and small boat use. A small solar-charged overhead lamp provided light at night and served as warning that the water around that pier was rather shallow. It was a place that both young people favored when they wanted some quiet time to think. Even Guardian Artol came out here to "fish" although he never caught anything. It was a place of pleasant quiet and general relaxation.

It was also a place where they could talk in relative privacy.

Terel looked up, not quite at his sister but in her general direction and said softly, "I think I've found who is stealing from us."

Le'ahn yawned, looked away and then resting her jaw on her fist, asked, "Who do you suspect, Kor'ahn?"

Scratching the nape of his neck, Terel replied, "Okromo is paying the plantation seven commerce bits per measure of Tala, standard breed. He, or someone in his Storage Group is selling the same Tala for one and a half Commercials a measure. He's making a huge profit off the grain, only where is it going? The standard holdback on grain is thirty percent. He's making over twice that much, well over the contract amount, but it disappears somehow. The books I can reach are as straight as a taut line, and he has to make his profits available for tax audits, but somehow nearly the same amount he pays us just disappears off the columns like magic. Terel, can you help me here?"

He sat silent for almost a mark before saying, "The only way he could be doing this is by moving the extra profits into an expense column and hiding them that way; and I think I know which expenses they are."

Leaning back and stretching, Le'ahn asked, "Which expenses? I need to be able to tell the Counselor facts he can have the Guardians check out."

Terel rubbed his nose, yawned, and slowly came to his feet while saying, "He has a new transport company moving the grain south to the markets. They're new, less than two cycles old business wise, and their prices are somewhat high compared to everyone else. I think they're charging high and then rebating the extra to the Storage Group. Remember Kerolio, and how he was cheating father? I think this is a modern version of the same thing."

Scratching at the base of his tail and slumping his shoulders, he looked around as if dissatisfied and then clumped back to the house while Le'ahn continued to enjoy the sunset. She would pass the word on to the Counselor when they met again for another Dreaming session. The clumping boots were a fortunate convenience. Kor'ahn had a similar pair of boots when he had been alive in this world. Terel preferred either foot protectors or light soft shoes unless the weather was cold.

When Kor'ahn had something to say, Terel clumped. When Kor'ahn was relaxed, Terel wore what he pleased. It was that simple when you were a reincarnated spirit sharing a body with the spirit born into it.

In the Guardians' workroom, the same Guardian who had first discovered that the children were also harboring their earlier selves transferred a voice file to a data chip and took it over to Commander Artol's console and placed it dead center in the view-screen. Putting a microphone out on the pier had been simple, since the children made a habit of going out there and sometimes sitting until the sun had completely set, or until their Aunt had called them to dinner. When the weather was warm, it was a fairly pleasant place to be; and the light kept you from accidentally walking off the end of the pier at night.

It had taken a bit more effort to figure out when to be extra alert for information being passed between spirit and spirit rather than between brother and sister, but careful watching had shown that when the boy wore his boots, the spirits spoke. When he went out on the pier in either shoes or foot protectors, the spirits generally remained quiet.

Occasionally there would be four conversations going on between two young people, which might have seemed difficult to monitor but had proven very easy. They used each other's names when they spoke, so when Kor'ahn spoke, Velana responded to him by name. When Le'ahn spoke, Terel replied with her name. They discussed literally everything, the ancient spirits being just as opinionated as the young people they inhabited, and using names as a means of identifying who was saying what.

"Actually," the Guardian thought to himself, "it's probably the most sensible way of doing it."

When Commander Artol listened to the data chip, he opened files on the laws regarding grain trading and a history file on someone named Kerolio who had lived in the early Empire. Both were interesting reads.

He realized he was at a troublesome point of law, though. By Imperial law, this theft was none of his business. He was forbidden to investigate it, since there was no danger to any of the people he was charged with protecting. They were simply being cheated out of a fortune, and their finances were none of his business. They could be forced into bankruptcy and he could not intervene in their behalf. So said the law.

That night, after he and Karalan'ka had dinner together, she found a data chip in her waist pouch with no idea as to whose it was or how it got there. Sensibly, she opened it and listened so she could return it to its owner.

She didn't. The next day she contacted the local Guardians and the Estate's Advocate. She kept the data chip and passed on the information on it rather than the voices (which had been disguised anyway).

When this information filtered down to Terel and Le'ahn a day later, they were a little confused as to how their aunt had learned of their discovery before Velana had "passed" it to the Counselor who was doing their Dream-shares regularly.

Velana had an idea that someone had been listening, and suggested as much to her modern persona Le'ahn. Le'ahn looked, but couldn't find anything where she had been sitting or where Terel had sprawled, either. She didn't check the solar-charged light on the end of the pier where the microphone was located, though. It was too high for her to reach.

Le'ahn was less than happy about people finding out. When Velana asked why, she replied, "That means we get stuck out here some more...and An'kale is in the City. That means we stay coarse and rough while he makes other girls prettier and more attractive. Somehow that just doesn't seem right; after all, the four of us found out who was cheating the Estate."

"That's true, soul sister, but Father says there is danger in the City these days and we are a lot safer out here than we would be back there; whether we had warriors around us all the time or were locked up in a Gate fortress. Since Father is the greatest of all warriors, I tend to trust him in this. Perhaps we could ask our Aunt again for one of those do-it-yourself kits, since we saved her so many Sovereigns."

Le'ahn considered for a few moments, then replied, "She just might. It isn't like we're in that much danger out here, and we did save her a pile of Imperials. Let's at least try."

When she later approached her aunt, she was surprised to learn that her Aunt Karalan'ka was interested in the same thing she was.

With a sigh, Karalan'ka said, "I'm going to the local Commerce and Transportation center to speak with our Advocate about our being cheated, and I suppose you could go with me. Our accountants are there too. There is a decent sized town attached to the center with several appearance practitioners in it who do body fur for the local women. Terel wants some new electronics for the guidance systems on the pickers, so why don't we make a day of it? Artol will be with us along with some of his people who have earned some relaxation time, so we won't exactly be alone there."

Unable to believe her ears, Le'ahn promised, "When? I'll be ready whenever you say, Aunt Kara', honest!"

Now chuckling, her Aunt replied, "Two days from now. We'll take the farm carrier since I need to get some supplies, too. We will leave one hour after sunrise, so don't dawdle. If you are even one mark late, I'll leave you here, understand?"

Le'ahn agreed instantly and hurried out of her Aunt's office, missing her Aunt's suppressed laughter as she hurried out of the room.

Later, walking back to the workroom and the computers, she silently asked Velana why she thought her aunt had changed her mind so completely.

Velana replied, "Because our Aunt and Warrior leader Artol are getting interested in each other, and she wants to be attractive to him. I doubt your brother's need for the things he uses to repair the farm-machines would be the cause of her leaving her business here at the Estate."

Le'ahn was shocked. "Interested? But they're old! They're too old...aren't they?"

Velana gently reminded her other self, "Le'ahn, I had two husbands when I lived here. Oren died in a battle with one of the Hold-Out Cities, and Berol and I were forty when we married, and we had two sets of babies. Your aunt is less than thirty and she is lonely. Warrior Artol and she like each other a great deal now and their liking grows the more they are together. It isn't so odd that she wants to look pretty for him, is it? In her place, wouldn't you?"

Le'ahn stayed silent, agreeing. She knew that Velana had been nearly ninety when she had entered the light, but now that she was back, she didn't seem to be that old at all. Maybe Guardian Artol and Aunt Karalan'ka would become Companions. That would be nice, she decided.

The more she thought about it, the better it seemed. She was being influenced by her other self, Velana; even though the influence was gentle and unconscious on both their parts. Her youth was a renewal for Velana, and Velana's maturity and wisdom was a welcome assist for Le'ahn.

And they were best friends. That was the most important part. They were best friends.

Tam'yn nervously made the call to the M'Kereos from his bed comms-unit. It went through and he was connected to the ship's First Officer and Captain, An'kereo Or'mate.

"Captain Or'mate", he said a little nervously, "I need to ask you to have the Loadmaster find room for some things that will be coming from the city here under the name of Dr. J'ina T'keron. They will be both personal luggage items, same restrictions as the Scientists, and some parts for the robot T'oko. Please make room with access for both." He hoped he hadn't sounded too nervous when he had spoken to his former commander and First officer of the M'Kereos.

First replied, "That would explain the boxes of parts delivered here. Their specifications are all 'General Electronic Devices '. There are also some metal sections with them that look like they've been assembled and welded. Are those for the Doctor or the robot?"

At first he was puzzled, but then Tam'yn remembered, "Yes, First; they are parts for T'oko to use. He and J'ina T'keron are coming with us to operate a special translation system for the people we meet, largely because we can't afford to wait around while we learn each other's languages. This is a strictly mental thing and it will mean we can communicate with these new people immediately when we find them."

"Now it makes sense," First replied in a relieved tone, "I've already been advised that the Doctor will... Did you say J'ina? His daughter? What about Doctor T'keron, are we leaving him behind?"

"We have to," Tam'yn explained, "he had a hearts-storm and is in bed until the cloned grafts can regrow over the damaged areas of his upper heart. His daughter will be taking his place with us."

"Doesn't she have special dietary needs?" First asked worriedly, "will we need to pack extra food for her?"

"T'oko deals with that," Tam'yn replied, "He prepares her meals and feeds her. There should be loadable food packages and drinking assists with her things."

"Alright," First decided, "when Dr. T'keron's things arrive, I'll have housekeeping put her up on your level where we have some extra cabins the scientists didn't grab when we were making up the original complement for the M'Kereos. Are there any other things I should tell the Loadmaster about?"

"Ahh, J'sharra got some things; little gifts and awards for us to give out to members of the crew and the scientists for extra work," Tam'yn added carefully, "They won't take much space and they aren't Navy-issue items, so they shouldn't cause animosity among the regular crew."

"Awards for special work, I'm well aware of the practice," First replied with something of a satisfied tone in his voice, "Wise move, your Radiance, since we can't exactly award extra leave time where we're going, and promotions will be limited. The Loadmaster will site them where you can get to them easily. We got the word a little while ago; we can lift in two days and six turns, roughly. The work will be done by then and everything will have been tested and certified."

Then First asked an odd question; "How secure should we make the communications system? Second suggests we just remove the tuning crystals from the long range arrays rather than disabling them. If they're disabled, it could be a day or more before they are usable again. The crystals will do the same thing without the rebuilding time required by disassembly. And, your Radiance, do you want one system kept capable of reception only so we can monitor the situation in the Empire?"

After thinking quickly, Tam'yn decided, "If we heard the Empire had fallen and we were out where we had been sent, all the news would do is upset us. We couldn't do anything about it. We need to follow the Empress's orders to the word, here. Knowing what was happening in the Empire would only impede our searches. Take the crystals and take them all. Secure them where you think is best, but keep one set available for warning about any threats we find--provided we find any ."

The "Aye, sir" he heard over the comms unit sounded relieved.

"And First," Tam'yn asked somewhat plaintively, "Could you leave off the 'your Radiance' business unless it's seriously formal? I know the it's the proper title for me since the Empress made me her Viceroy; but, well it sounds a bit pretentious when it gets used all the time, especially by people I still see as my superior officers."

This time the "Aye, sir," was more relaxed and Tam'yn breathed a bit easier.

Closing the connection, he looked at the pile of clothing they now had in a closet and a chest at the foot of their sleep platform. J'sharra was at the K'Pyri'ah meditating about her new crystal--or something, she really hadn't said, and he had finished all the contacting he needed to do. He was done with what he'd needed to get done.

Curiously, he got out a pair of the new trousers and tried them on. They fit well in the waist but were slightly loose around his hips for some reason. Then he had the answer; the looseness was to make the use of the new in-trouser pouches more comfortable. Continuing, he realized he had to wear the leggings, lace them, tie them off and then fasten the lower cuffs of the trousers over them. That would hide the tops and make (he decided after looking in a mirror) for a clean legged look that was just different enough to be stylish.

With his semi-formal top and minus the pouches on his belt, they looked very stylish indeed. Now the only things on the belt around his waist was his cup and a small empty pouch.

Next, he took one of the new pair of foot protectors and fastened them around his feet. Since he was wearing soft leggings, there was nothing on them to fasten the clips on the foot protectors to. After fiddling with the leggings a bit, he discovered a loop tucked up in another little space that the clip on the protector fastened into perfectly.

He decided he liked the overall look, and picked up Tan'yel's trousers and left the room to go see his father.

After a short walk, he realized that wearing these trousers with the pouches in the legs rather than around the waist was going to take some getting used to. They felt funny. Half way to Tan'yel's room, he realized he'd left the float chair in their room, and rather than go back for it he went on to his father's room.

Tan'yel was out of bed and watching the video panel from a chair. He was wearing a hospital robe and under it a sleep-gown. He looked annoyed by something on the video-panel and when Tam'yn walked carefully around the chair to see what his father was watching the reason for the annoyance became obvious.

Parliament was in an upset over the now officially missing High Lord Ankero-Tessa. According to the lines of script under the main image, several groups within the Parliament wanted to know why Imperial Security hadn't found him and were making everyone else miserable with their demands for his discovery and return to T'Kiir'ah.

Other groups were just as glad the High-Lord was gone and were blocking funding for an all out search for him.

"Behold the Empire's finest and brightest in full career," Tan'yel growled, "the ones screaming that he needs to be found are the ones he supports and they're afraid of having their supplies of Imperials cut off. The others want him to stay gone; they oppose his supporters on nearly every issue."

Turning to look at Tam'yn, he added; "Needless to say, the business of actually running the Empire is being ignored, as is usual. Who are the pants for?"

Tam'yn blushed a little and said, "They're for you, sir. J'esa and I got them out in the city. I hope you like them." He handed them to his father a little nervously.

Tan'yel held them up and surveyed them critically, saying, "They're nice, yes; but you're acting as if they're special or something. Will they help me get out of this damned room for a while? That would be special."

Tam'yn grinned and replied, "I'm wearing a pair. Watch." At the word he put his hand into the cloth pouch inside the pants and got out his comms unit. Tan'yel looked surprised and found the slit in the side seam in his pants and explored the pouch attached to it on the inside of the trouser leg. He found the one on the other leg and started grinning, "Oh, I like this. I don't have to load pouches on my belt any more, all I need to do is put my whatever in one of these things."

"Where did you get them?" he asked as he kept looking over his new clothes.

"There is a store in the city here," Tam'yn explained, "where these trousers are sold as a consignment item. Apparently they are made here, but are so different that most other the stores won't carry them, since people use belt pouches instead."

Tan'yel snorted, "That's because most people don't have a choice or don't have the sense to make a choice if one is dumped on them." He continued to examine the trousers and started nodding, saying, "These would be perfect for a space-traveler. You don't have to dump your belt when you pull on your p-suit, all your stuff comes inside with you. Maybe you can't use it when its inside the p-suit, but once you're in atmosphere again, whatever is in here is still good and not vacuum dried out."

Then he squinted at the slits and pouches again and wondered aloud to himself, "Could we fit a small stunner in one of these? Probably, yes. A modified holster could be fitted into the pouch and the stunner fitted into that, all nice and neat."

Looking up at Tam'yn he smiled and said, "Thanks, Tam. This is something I can use for certain. The leggings might work with my uniform, too..."

Then he focused on business. "Did J'esa talk to you about J'ina T'keron and T'oko? They want to come with us for some reason, and while the story about the Mind-share as a Translator sounds interesting, I think there is something else going on here, only I don't know what."

He frowned, "Look, I know I'm officially an administrator and assistant to A'sallah, but I still feel like the Third Officer of the M'Kereos. I get the feeling that the translator angle isn't quite the only one she's working here but I don't know what any other might be and that twists my tail a bit."

"I approved her to travel with us," Tam'yn said worriedly, "do you think I made a mistake?"

Tan'yel shook his head, "No, we will need her experience out there, and we need fast translation if we find anybody; so yes, she should go and the robot with her."

"Uhh," Tam'yn pointed out, "T'oko is an Imperial Citizen. I administered the oath myself. He could be considered her domestic-helper, since he prepares her food for her. In a real sense, I felt that the two of them are like mother and son as we T'Kiir'I would see them."

Tan'yel nodded, "Yes, he was bubbling about his naturalization all day after you did it. I honestly think he will be a good citizen and..." he snapped his fingers, "Got it!"

Seeing Tam'yn's confusion, Tan'yel explained, "T'oko is the T'keron's vindication! He is proof that an electronic mind can be a good citizen and a dutiful family member. Both the old Doctor and his daughter have been under a cloud ever since the Robot war because the name 'T'keron' is equated with evil and monstrosity. T'oko proves Doctor T'keron's belief that an electronic mind can be as loyal and law-abiding as a flesh and blood mind. That's why she wanted to go! It was to prove her father was right!"

Tam'yn was less sure than Tan'yel, but let the matter lie. He'd had an idea.

He said, "Let me ask the Healer on your case if you could attend our Sunset service tonight. You could use my chair if you needed to, and you would get out of the Hospital and into the open air."

"Our?" Tan'yel asked carefully, "as in you and your Companion are taking the Way of the Light? You're studying to become a Dancer?"

Tam'yn blushed but nodded; he had decided. Tan'yel smiled slowly and then said, "Good. That means the two of you are growing together."

Then he grinned, "And it means I get out of this room for a while."

Getting permission for Tan'yel to attend the K'Pyri'ah was relatively easy, once Tam'yn had found his principal Healer. He would be issued a chair that had been set up for patient use by the Cardiac department and would be issued a new float-chair before he returned to the M'Kereos.

"That will probably be tomorrow," the Healer explained, "since the rehabilitation department will be closed by sunset, and it takes about half a turning to set up a chair for personal use. I'll send a chair to his room within the turn, and letting him get out during the day before the Sunset services wouldn't hurt him either. He's healing well and starting to complain about being in his bed and in his room, which we see as an indication that he feels well enough to become a bit more active."

After thanking the Healer, Tam'yn returned to Tan'yel's room and told him the news that he would be able to not only go to the Sunset service but could go out earlier if he wanted to as long as someone went with him.

"As soon as I find my clothes and they bring the chair, I'm going out," Tan'yel declared, then paused to ask; "Could I borrow something of yours? I can't find my clothing and the Healers may have them in storage somewhere impossible to reach before midnight."

Tam'yn laughed and said, "As soon as I go back to my room and get my chair, I'll find a top for you. I probably have something stretchy that will fit you."

Tan'yel glared, "I suppose you're claiming I'm fat. Well I'm not, not anymore with the itsy bitsy meals they feed us here. The Diet people say something about heart diets and such while giving me just enough to keep me from fainting with hunger while I eat. When I get back to the M'Kereos, that'll get better."

Chuckling, Tam'yn headed back down the corridors to reach his and J'sharra's room. As he walked, he started feeling the tiredness his Healer had warned him about. He would ride his chair and recharge himself, that way he and J'sharra could dance together again. Then he would ride in the chair back to the hospital. What was important was Dancing with his Companion. He stopped a couple of times to drink from a public fountain so his slow progress didn't attract Healer attention. Even so, it began to seem that each step drained a little bit of energy out of him and he was starting to run low.

When he reached their room, J'sharra was there, smiling and sitting on their sleep pad. They hugged and he told her about Tan'yel's response to the new trousers, including outfitting them to carry a stunner.

She giggled, "Tan'yel would figure out how to turn a sweetberry bush into a weapons carrier. He has a fascination with them."

Then she said softly, "Osha gave me something for you. It was his when he first began his Journey in the Light as a seeker and he got it from a friend who had become a priest. Now he gives it to you with his blessings."

She handed him an old but well kept book with a single word, "Illuminations" on the cover. Carefully, he opened it to see an even older set of pages with beautiful K'Kirr'sa script on them. They were much older than the covers and they looked hand done. He looked at J'sharra and then at the book and then back at her again.

"This is old," he said in a hushed voice, "very, very old. It's been recovered, that's why the pages are so much older than the covers. This is... J'esa, I can't take this! It's a treasure that belongs in a Temple where it can be protected, not on a Starship."

Yet his fingers were caressing the pages like the fine things they were; both very, very old and very lovingly cared for. His breath caught in his throat as he read the first page:

"Come now and seek me, find me and keep me, for I am the Light and you are in shadow. Touch me and hold me and let me enfold you, for I am the Light and will lead you to freedom."

"Pyri's challenge," J'sharra said softly, "something every new Dancer tries to understand. Light is the way the stars tell the Universe of joy and life, and the way that the soul leaves its shadowed past behind as it enters the path to Illumination."

"What is the 'freedom' it speaks of?" Tam'yn asked, to which J'sharra smiled and replied, "Follow the light and you will find it. I did, and I am still finding it. Share the Light and there are fewer shadows, but if you focus exclusively on the Light you'll lose your way because you can't see."

Tam'yn nodded thoughtfully, adding; "'and let me enfold you' must mean that you can't rush the process. Wow, I need to find a way to thank Osha for this."

J'sharra smiled again and said, "When you pass it on to another new seeker, you will thank Osha the way he wants to be thanked. That's how he got this copy, when he began his journey into Light. In time you'll get another copy or make your own and then this book will become a welcoming gift for another seeker."

Suddenly, Tam'yn gasped, "Tan'yel! I promised him I would get him a top to wear to the Sunset service! I better get busy."

J'sharra laughed, "What made you think of that?" she asked in surprise.

Tam'yn replied as he went through his clothing, "I thought of thanking Osha at the Sunset service and suddenly I remembered that Tan'yel wanted to go and I needed to get him a top."

J'sharra looked at him like he was slightly crazy and then grinned, "We could take Tan'yel out to the street fair that is happening in front of this hospital. He would probably enjoy that," she suggested.

"There's a street fair?" Tam'yn asked, "How did you find out?"

"The K'Pyri'ah is having a Dance sharing there," J'sharra replied, "and they will have a Sunset service there too, instead of at the K'Pyri'ah."

"Oh, then I really better get busy," he said as he started going hurriedly through his clothes, "Do you think there will be any more of these trousers there?"

"I don't know," J'sharra replied worriedly, "remember that only one store had them and I got the feeling that there might not be any more once these are gone."

Tam'yn stopped going through his tops for a moment, then said, "That's crazy, these are wonderfully useful. I would buy a dozen pairs just for the convenience they offer."

J'sharra shrugged, "They're different. A some people will pass them by just because they're different from what they know; and others may not know about them at all."

"That is something that can be changed," Tam'yn replied grimly, "and when we get back here I'm going to make sure they are known all over this world, even if that's the only place they are known."

"How are you going to do that?" J'sharra asked, "Dance in them?" Now she was curious.

Tam'yn shook his head and replied, "Imperial Recognition in the form of an Appointment as trousers maker to Imperial Viceroy Tam'yn an' Yere'kos. Within half a segment there won't be anyone caught dead without at least one set of these in their closet. The maker's name is on the garment tag, so I can go from that and have the Appointment delivered to the store selling them. The store will spread the word about it and when we get back I can buy more because whoever makes these will have a huge demand and I can buy them and not be obvious about it," he said with obvious self-satisfaction. Imperial Appointments were frequently used to reward innovation, and this was very innovative.

J'sharra rolled her eyes and then started laughing. When she finally ran down, she had to agree it would work, although it would be something she'd never thought about. Then, mischief in her eyes, she asked, "What if you can't get any more because the maker is backed up for segments trying to fill the demand you created?"

After trying to think of a reply, Tam'yn shrugged and replied, "Get the ship's tailors to make some? I really hadn't thought that far ahead."

Then he found the top he wanted for Tan'yel and loaded his dance robe into one of the pouches on the side of the float chair. J'sharra used the other side for her silks and a cover robe so she could change. After surveying everything, they decided they had all they needed and departed for Tan'yel's room on the other side of the Hospital, he floating while she walked. The corridors were less busy than they had expected them to be, a plus for Tam'yn in his float-chair.

On the way, J'sharra asked Tam'yn if he had walked to Tan'yel's room earlier, since when she had returned the chair had been in the room and he hadn't been with it.

Tam'yn nodded, "Yeah, I walked. What the Healer warned me about happened, too. I ran out of energy on the way back and really had to push to get back to our room."

She grew thoughtful and suggested, "Maybe you shouldn't Dance at Sunset service. You could read instead, Pyri's words are as much a part of the Dance as the movement is."

Looking crestfallen, Tam'yn replied, "I forgot and left the book in the room. Anyway, I wouldn't want to risk it getting dirty or anything, I'll manage somehow."

J'sharra smiled and handed him a small booklet also titled "Illuminations". This one looked much newer and better preserved. He thanked her and then asked where she had obtained the book she had given him.

"It's my student book," she replied, "and I still study it regularly. I'm working on my own copy-to-keep, but it's on the M'Kereos, not here. Before you ask, yes; I'm making a hand-written copy of the book. Eventually that one you have now will go to one of our children, " she added, her ears pinking a little bit.

They had arrived at Tan'yel's room and after Tam'yn gently opened the door, he stopped so fast in surprise that J'sharra almost ran into the back of his chair.

"He isn't here," Tam'yn said as they entered the room, completely surprised; "Where could he have gone?"

"To get my chair," Tan'yel's voice said from behind them, and suddenly turning they saw him seated in a float-chair similar to Tam'yn's, although older in appearance and a lot less fancy. "I'm getting my practice for the one I get issued," he added as he floated gently past them into the room. He was wearing the trousers Tam'yn had brought him and a Hospital wrap shirt around his upper body. The Healer-trainee who had been with him smiled to see Tam'yn and J'sharra and then went on to some other task on his list.

"Did you bring me a shirt or a top, Tam?" he asked hopefully, "The Housekeeping people can't seem to find my clothing from when I was..." He stopped, his mouth half open. Then he frowned, "I wasn't wearing a shirt," he grumbled, "because I was in that damned transport bed, and no pants either," he said, frowning at the situation he was in.

"Here," Tam'yn said as he offered the shirt he had brought, off-white with red piping, "It may not be Guardian Gray but at least it's a shirt."

"As long as it isn't orange, I'm happy," Tan'yel replied, pulling off his wrap shirt to put on Tam's offering. As he did so, they saw old scars and new ones on his abdomen as well as a pressure wrap around the top of his chest protecting his upper surgical site. Tan'yel was very heavily scarred and with his shaved chest they were doubly obvious.

There was also something around his left wrist that resembled a communicator. Seeing their interest, once he had pulled on the shirt he held it up for them to view while frowning at it.

"My leash," he grumbled, "The Healers want me to wear it like a good patient, so they can make sure I don't overdo." He glared at his wrist ornament for a moment, then said, "At least it looks like a comms unit and not a medical thing."

Then looking at the two of them innocently, he asked, "Where are we going?"

"This is wonderful!" Tan'yel laughed for perhaps the fifth time in the half-turning they had been at the fair, "Fresh air, it's something you forget about when you spend all your time breathing the recycled stuff in a Starship. This is real air, not the sanitized version we usually get, even at the hospital."

Said Hospital towered over the fair and the street it was set in. This world had of necessity restricted flight capacity, so ground transport was used most of the time. This resulted in something the three of them had seen only occasionally, a street made of crushed stones held together with an epoxy that was wear resistant and weatherproof.

On T'Kiir'ah, roads such as these were rare. In the City (and all cities) roads were part of the decorations and not necessarily for travel, since most vehicles used gravs instead of wheels and a low power impulse unit for movement roughly one or two ketra above the ground, and all traffic was computer controlled when on public roads or airways.

Here, people still drove themselves. There were several bulk haulers parked in a storage lot that the three of them suspected were transport for this and similar street fairs.

This fair featured local foods, arts and crafts, styled clothing and trims and seemed to be a gathering place for local musicians and artists as well.

J'sharra bought a pair of ear-tip decorations and a low-cut vest-and blouse combination that looked stunning on her when she changed into them at the dressing rooms spotted along the roadway, usually near a clothing vendor. With the new trousers, she looked nothing like the Security Officer she was; she looked like a beautiful young woman out with friends for a good time.

Tam'yn found a combined set of pouch, cup-carrier and belt of butter-soft tooled leather and wanted to try his cup in it. The vendor held it out for him and made a suggestion.

"If I may see it, sir, I have several styles of fastening available for drinking cups and I can match cup to carrier perfectly for you," the vendor offered, and Tam'yn took him up on it.

The vendor took An'kor's cup and looked through his wares and finally pulled out a beautifully worked belt, pouch and cup-holder to try the cup in.

It fit perfectly, snuggling into the leather holder slightly upside down and with An'kor's symbol beautifully displayed.

"I'll take it," Tam'yn said happily and authorized the charge on the vendor's business plate.

"Thank you, " the vendor replied, then glanced at Tam's pants and smiled, saying; "I'm glad to see you wearing those trousers. We couldn't get anyplace but one store to carry them and even then we only get half the sale price."

"We?" Tam'yn asked curiously, "You know who makes these?"

The vendor nodded, "Yes. A member of our Collective designed them and had them made up, only nobody bought them. Finally we had to put them up for sale in a consignment store just to try getting our costs back. A pity, that, we all wear them but I guess the public wants to stay with belt pouches."

Tam'yn grinned and asked, "Will you be here tomorrow?"

The vendor nodded, "Yes, and for the next four days. Then we move on to another fair and work the circuit."

"Do you have a card?" Tam'yn asked the vendor, and received a printed cardstock with the Collective's name on it. "What is the name of the person who designed these trousers?" he asked curiously, "I might be able to help them out."

"You're a distributor?" the vendor asked hopefully, "you like our things?" He gestured around the stall at his wares and Tam'yn looked around and did like what he saw. "I'm not a distributor, I'm afraid," he admitted, "but I can manage something that should help out ahh...who?"

"Jes'sa an' Kereto," the vendor replied with hope in his voice, still. "She's my Companion. We're part of a semi-Simplistic Collective. We're trying to keep the old ways alive in a modern planet. I'm Gola'ka an' Kereto; businessman, so to speak."

"What about the Empire?" Tam'yn asked curiously.

"We, that's the Collective, know it exists and we're a part of it, but we have to stay hidden so the Empress has a place to go if there are problems on T'Kiir'ah," the vendor said a bit sadly, "We know it's out there, but going out there would be too difficult and expensive. We focus on Home, trying to make Home a better place for everyone, including the prison releases. Going Simple means less for people to have to deal with, although we have most of the conveniences. We just prefer living simply and avoiding the craziness of the cities."

Tam'yn sat for several moments, then replied; "If everyone thought the way you did, Home wouldn't need to be hidden. You're keeping His dream alive, just in the way you live."

"Who's 'He'?" Gola'ka asked curiously, "You make this person sound very important."

Tam'yn opened the cup carrier and handed Gola'ka the cup; "This is his cup. He gave a starving widow some food in it. He's important to me."

Gola'ka really looked at the cup this time and something happened in his eyes. His jaw dropped and he handed the cup back to Tam'yn, wonder in his features.

Tam'yn said, "He fought a whole world to make a place for people who were decent and believed as yours do. In you, his dream lives on."

Then, bowing his head, he said, "Thank-you, Gola'ka."

As they separated and headed toward what looked like the Dance area, Tan'yel whispered, "You did well, Tam; real well." Tam'yn nodded, still feeling humbled by his visit with a salesman who sought Simplicity in a complex world.

They met up with J'sharra again at a small public eatery near the Dance area and purchased something local and surprisingly good; fruit and sweet cake mixed together with more of the milk product on it. It was light and delicious. Tan'yel had some tea to drink while Tam'yn and J'sharra had cups of N'aan. Seeing their surprised looks, Tan'yel admitted; "I have to moderate my intake of N'aan for a while until I've healed completely. I got into the habit of tea because the hospital N'aan makes the M'Kereos's version taste positively wonderful. I think they use one pot of water to one ground N'aan seed, and then dilute that. If I'm going to drink hot water, it might as well be good tasting hot water like this is."

They compared what they had bought for themselves and for others aboard the M'Kereos. J'sharra had purchased Dance wear from someone she had seen at the K'Pyri'ah, while Tan'yel had bought shirts and trousers made of local fabrics unlike what he had to wear on the M'Kereos as "leisure wear".

Tam'yn showed off his belt, its attached pouch, and the cup holder; eliciting pleased comments from J'sharra along with some close and critical analysis of the materials. Then he reached into the belt pouch and set a small bottle in front of his Companion. He waited as she took the bottle and opened it and then sniffed it.

Her eyes closed briefly in pleasure and then she turned to him and asked, "Where did you get this? This has to be Banten-flower essence, and Banten flower essence is worth its weight in gold!"

Tam'yn smiled shyly and answered, "It smells like Banten-flower, yes, but it comes from a plant that grows here plentifully and naturally. If you like it, there is a seller who will sell it to you for a lot less than the essence it smells like. This cost me twenty Imperials-equivalent including the hand blown bottle, and I think the bottle was the more expensive of the two. If you like it, we could get more."

"Why did you get it?" J'sharra asked curiously, "I haven't worn any scents on the ship because of my image. How did you know?" A world of curiosity was alive in her eyes, mere finger-lengths away from his own.

Stuttering a little, he explained, "When I s-smelled it, it made me think of you. S-so I got it."

That got him a suddenly teary kiss which made him feel very happy .

A gong sounded somewhere and J'sharra stiffened and turned her face toward the sound's apparent source. "That would be the first Call for the Dancers," she said, now shocked and looking at the suns in the sky. "Where'd the afternoon go?" she wondered aloud as she looked around at the lengthening shadows.

Then looking at him, she asked, "Are you Dancing or are you going to be sensible and watch along with your--Tan'yel?" She carefully avoided a word they would need to hide later.

"Sensible, " he said sadly, "I'm still tired. That part is so strange; I just walk and suddenly I'm tired."

"Don't forget you Danced this morning and later walked all over this City and carried things too," J'sharra reminded him, "You need to let yourself heal rather than overstressing yourself. Watch my Dance and read pages two and three as part of your training, love." Then she kissed him and hurried away after gathering her dancewear together.

Watching Tam'yn, Tan'yel felt relieved. He could probably send one or two more messages before they returned to the M'Kereos and took off. He already knew what one would be, addressed to simply "Vele'" on T'Kiir'ah. It would say, "Alone no more and healing." In these times, such a message would brighten "Vele'" s day considerably.

Then with the sounding of drums, the Dance began. While the actual form of the dance varied, the theme was not. It was the end of the day, and night was coming. Time to rest, time to renew, time to contemplate and await the return of the Light in the form of the dual stars that lit and warmed this world.

Tam'yn watched as the Dance spoke to him, helping him put the day's concerns to their rest and calming him from the day's worries.

Then from the center of the group came a Dancer who sang the day to its rest with her body's movement. She reached out and touched the watchers there, telling of the peace of the evening and rest in the night, followed by the promise that the Light would return with the rise of the suns and the comfort of the Light coming from the myriad of stars above them as daylight ended.

Glancing at Tan'yel, Tam'yn's jaw dropped as he saw his father with tears in his eyes, watching the central Dancer as she spoke to his soul. He whispered one word, "L'yrel" and with a sigh, bowed his head in his own worship of the Light and his now lost daughter that he could never openly acknowledge while she had lived.

Tan'yel was saying good-bye to someone he had loved very much and now rested in the Light.

Then the dance was over, departing with the sound of a low flute and minor notes as the light left the sky and the stars glistened down on them. Because no light was permitted to radiate directly into the sky, the night sky was nearly as dark as space itself, and the light of the starshine granted the land a ghostly presence half seen and half lost in shadow.

Small lights came out, path lights and street lights, and the world reshaped itself around Tam'yn and Tan'yel as the people started leaving the Dance area for the fair area and the evening ahead of them.

They waited, each with their own thoughts, until J'sharra found them again. She was flushed with excitement and hugged both of them with joy.

Puzzled at Tan'yel's reticence, she turned to Tam'yn with curiosity in her eyes. He gestured her close and whispered in her ear, "L'yrel. He just said good-bye."

She turned to Tan'yel and knelt beside him and whispered something. Tam'yn couldn't hear what it was, but Tan'yel turned to look at her and smiled, sadly perhaps, but he smiled, then stroked her hair and nodded.

"Shall we go eat?" she asked, and both Tam'yn and Tan'yel nodded. Hunger was something they mutually shared. The pre-dance snack was but a memory in their stomachs now, after the Dance.

"Osha suggested a good spot here in the fair," she said as she walked between them, "and given the food we get at the hospital, it is probably going to be welcomed by all of us."

"You mean you can taste something?" Tan'yel asked, his spirits appearing to be restored by the thought of food.

J'sharra nodded, "Osha said it has all sorts of local specialties and gave me some suggestions. Some of them sound decidedly spicy."

"Lead the way, " Tan'yel all but commanded, "and don't spare the seasonings."

Nearly a turning later, replete and relaxed they were surveying the remains of what would be a memorable meal in the days to come. Everything had been fresh, sometimes startlingly so. The spices were both Imperial-common and unique to this world, and the cook had used them expertly.

The dining area was on the street itself, while the kitchen was in the back of a large hauler. There were two large power cables hooked up to the hauler while water and waste lines ran down the curbs and into a relieved opening in the walkway beside the road. Even though everything was outside, the food was as good as any of them had tasted in some of the better restaurants on T'Kiir'ah.

They had started with a staple, Margero soup, backed by a local salad with an interesting mix of green and blue in it. Next had come a roast, carved to perfection and rare-colored under the tiny light on the table. It was served with odd root vegetables, orange in color and vaguely sweet in flavor, cut into strips and steamed. Boiled grain, both yellow and red served as a starch and added a festive scheme to the meal. They had enjoyed a fish dish made of tiny silver fish salted and mixed with leafy vegetables in a wonderful dressing and fresh bread with an odd white color and a sweetish taste. Dessert was frozen dairy product in some sort of dark sweetish sauce that tasted of sugar and butter. Following that were small bland biscuits that cleansed the palate and helped settle the meal. There had been mineral water to drink, in several versions, each of which complemented some part of the meal.

Tam'yn muttered, "I'm glad I'm in this chair, because otherwise I don't know if I could move."

Tan'yel grunted, "I need help. My chair control is too hard to push. I may just go to sleep right here."

J'sharra giggled, "I know what you mean. I thought my Dance would give me an appetite, but this was so incredible I just don't want to move." Then she sighed, "But we have to."

"Yeah, "Tam'yn replied, "we need to get back to our rooms." Then he suggested, "J'sharra, you could sit in my lap and that way you won't have to walk."

"What about me?" Tan'yel complained, "Why can't I sit in your lap?"

"You're in a chair already."

"Right, and I'm not as pretty as J'esa either."

"You two are being silly," J'sharra accused the two men and both nodded in agreement.

Tam'yn grinned, "Being silly occasionally feels good," then raised his hand for the charge plate.

When it was presented, he looked at the amount and raised an eyebrow. The meal was good, but also expensive. He decided it was worth it and brought the plate near enough to his chest to register his ID on it.

Looking at the now charged plate he added the standard percentage as a gratuity and then put his finger on the "authorize" square on the face of the plate and watched as it went blue and indicated "paid".

He handed it back to the server and made ready to leave with Tan'yel and J'sharra. Smiling and thanking the server, he turned and floated after them.

He hadn't noticed that his Viceroy's bracelet had also been recorded, so when the server brought the plate to the cashier, they both stared in amazement at the Imperial Arms at the head of the bill and then at the departing three people.

"I guess the stories of there being a Viceroy here on Home are true," she commented. The server nodded. This night would be one they remembered.

As for Tan'yel, Tam'yn, and J'sharra; this night would be remembered too. This was the night they had become a family, not just Companions and friends. They were family and would remain that way. Tan'yel had a new daughter in J'sharra just as Tam'yn had a Companion in her, while J'sharra had regained the family she had lost when sorrow had sent her to seek healing in Pyri's way.

Tam'yn felt L'yrel's smile and blessing as he slipped into sleep that night, lying next to J'sharra, and some of his pain at losing her was lessened.

Morning came with Tam'yn and J'sharra snuggled together in their bedding on the sleep pad in their room at the hospital. Neither had experienced the least trouble sleeping and as the alarm went off, both considered just staying in bed for the rest of the day.

They knew they couldn't, though. They wanted one more Dance at the K'Pyri'ah before they started packing up to return to the M'Kereos. They might be contacted today, in fact they probably would be, and when First said the ship was ready for them they were going to have to leave this world behind, hopefully to return with word of a civilization out in the starry vastness beyond their outpost on this hidden world.

First had received the navigation updates and they had been entered in his Nav-pack as new flight vectors and a different set of waypoints for the navigation computers to use for guidance.

As they had done the day before, they had N'aan to drink and then he took his float chair while she walked; their destination the K'Pyri'ah.

Osha greeted them and Tam'yn thanked him for the wonderful gift of "Illuminations" and asked if there were any way he could thank him. Osha smiled and shook his head; "When you see some new face, some person who is discovering the Light within themselves, then pass it on to them with your own blessings. Pyri'ka always passed things along to others when he no longer had need for them, especially when he saw in them the hunger for the Light within that was so strong in his own hearts. He was of the belief that we are beings of the Light and constantly returning to this sunset world to learn and to reach out to others who are beginning to realize they are in darkness and want to find a way out. He knew it would take many lifetimes, but eventually the Light within would match the Light without and the soul would find the freedom it so hungered for."

Tam'yn thanked him again and then hurried to catch up with J'sharra, who had switched to her new Dance wear and was waiting for him near a group of others who were doing their warm-ups and stretches in preparation for the morning's Greeting of the Light service.

He worked out with her, matching her moves with his own, slowly warming and stretching his muscles and joints so he could join the Dance with her. After a brief kiss, she went to her place in the line of Priests and Priestesses while he stayed with the students and people new to Pyri's way.

When the drums and flutes began to welcome the suns, he fell into the movements he and J'sharra had practiced before, the dawning Light being his focus.

As the two suns crept over the horizon and the dance intensified, he became aware of something happening in the Priest's dance line, something he hadn't seen before.

The sunslight was making something glow with a thousand rainbows in the line of Priests and he realized it was J'sharra's new crystal making spectral patterns in the air along the line of Dancers who were welcoming the Light returning from the darkness of the night and back into their world. The effect was amazing and he lost himself in it as he continued his own greeting and joining with the Light.

In time the Dance ended and he settled onto the ground among the people he had danced with, enjoying the feelings he was experiencing thanks to the Light. When he saw J'sharra walking toward the place they had left their outer clothing, he got up to join her as many others were doing once their Dance was done; all heading toward their outer clothing and their worldly lives.

They hugged and dressed and returned to their room together after bidding Osha a farewell.

Tam'yn had explained, "We may be moving back to the M'Kereos today, so I wanted to thank you for all you have done for us. J'esa and I have grown more together as a result of being here and your guidance. Thank-you, Osha, thank you."

Osha had smiled happily and replied, "All I did was to provide a small place where you could begin your quest for freedom. Everything else, you accomplished between the two of you with the Light as your guidance. Travel happily, seekers, and may you find the Light within at the end of your path."

With those words in his ears, Tam'yn grew thoughtful as they floated back to the Hospital. When J'sharra asked him what was bothering him, he replied, "Really, nothing. It's just that I get the feeling Osha was saying goodbye more than he was saying farewell, almost as if he didn't think he'd see us again. It just has me wondering if something else is happening we're not aware of?"

J'sharra eased his concerns by saying, " That was a common travel blessing, and we are traveling into something of an unknown area. I didn't feel anything in it that was unusual, if you're worried about that."

Tam'yn shrugged, "Just a little nervous, I guess. You were very beautiful this morning."

J'sharra blushed, "Thank-you, Tam. I felt the Light moving within me a great deal and tried to let it guide my Dance."

Tam'yn nodded, "It was beautiful, and the crystal made those rainbows around you when the sunlight hit it. It's something I'll remember for a very long time."

She had kissed him and then they had taken the elevator down to the dining room on the ground floor for breakfast. Over breakfast, they decided to take one more turn of the street fair before packing up and getting ready to return to the M'Kereos.

When they returned to their floor, they headed over toward Tan'yel's room to see how he was doing, and to ask if he wanted to join them at the fair. They discovered that he was sitting in what looked like a new float chair with a hospital technician adjusting it the same way Tam'yn had seen T'oko work on his to make it easier to use. He grinned at them and said, "In a little while, I'm going out again. I need to practice with this chair, and so I plan on visiting that fair again and getting a few more goodies for the flight. Since I'm not working as Third officer now, I can enjoy life a bit more, and only wear my uniform when I'm working as an instructor or perhaps as J'sharra's watch-officer fill-in. Life will be simple and easy for a change."

J'sharra asked, "Tam', can I speak with Tan'yel about a couple of things before we all go back to the fair again?" At his nod, she stepped past Tam'yn and started speaking to Tan'yel in low tones about certain security details on the ship and he responded to her questions with simple instructions or procedures to follow. Apparently his words had stirred some questions in her own mind and she was using the opportunity to have them answered.

That reminded Tam'yn of something he wanted to do. J'sharra was still talking to Tan'yel so Tam'yn excused himself to return to their room for a few minutes. He could see J'sharra was puzzled, but he had a surprise for someone at the fair and wanted to be able to deliver it while they were still on the planet.

He stopped at the Guardians' office for some special official tablets to use and then went to his room, intending to use them.

Tan'yel's reader/printer was still there, so he looked up the forms he needed to use for an official appointment document and loaded an official tablet with the format from Tan'yel's reader.

Then he dictated and spelled out the names of Jes'sa an' Kereto and Gola'ka an' Kereto as official suppliers of clothing and leather items to himself as an Imperial Viceroy. After carefully checking the holographic image showing what the official document would look like and comparing it against other Official Appointment documents, he set his Viceroy's bracelet against the "read" area of the reader/printer and then repeated the action with his family ring. Then he pressed "execute" and after several seconds of communication with the planetary database and confirming the correctness of everything, the reader/printer clicked and the official tablet displayed the Imperial arms, his own family seal, and his name in full as Viceroy Plenipotentiary of the Sunrise Empire.

Now they and their products were automatically items which would receive first consideration when any Imperial office on this world desired to purchase the designated types of clothing and leatherwork.

Then he got busy with a different document, a Commendation for their "Rayar Valley Simplistic Collective" for "Exemplifying the beliefs and efforts of An'kor's strivings in creating his Empire" within the modern world. In a way it was very political, something his mother wouldn't have dared do for concern of giving offense to other philosophic groups on T'Kiir'ah.

This wasn't T'Kiir'ah and he wasn't his mother, the Empress. He could do what she couldn't do because of politics, he could applaud the efforts of a small group of people in seeking a way that was more in tune with their world.

"And it isn't just because we an' Yere'kos' are farmers, either," he thought to himself as he set his seal to the second document and watched it blossom on the official tablet, complete with the Imperial crest and his own clan markings.

The two documents now could be copied and presented whenever necessary. The one thing that could not be done was that they could not be erased from the planetary data system.

He grew thoughtful as he stowed the two now official tablets in one of his float chair's side pouches. He might never return to this world, given the current political situation at home; he might be ordered along with the M'Kereos into a civil war. If his mother fled here, this world would close down and be utterly unreachable. They might never come back from their explorations. The M'Kereos could crash land on some world and they would spend their lives there trying to send a distress message home.

Whatever happened, he would live on here in these two documents. He had found something good and recognized it publically.

Honestly, he hoped that the appointment and recognition would do some good for the people they were intended for. He couldn't do anything else.

When he floated into Tan'yel's room, the hospital tech was gone and Tan'yel was still asking and advising J'sharra about ship procedures. They both looked over at him as he floated into the room. J'sharra smiled and Tan'yel raised an eyebrow.

"What have you been up to?" Tan'yel asked as he looked Tam'yn over carefully. "You have the 'I just did something' look about you that you used to wear when you would sneak a story book in with your study books. Give over."

"I did this," Tam'yn replied, and took both plates out of his side pouch and handed them to Tan'yel.

"Good thing," Tan'yel muttered as he shared the official plates with J'sharra.

"Why?" J'sharra asked, "I admit I wasn't there when you and Tan'yel were buying things from that fellow, but why an Imperial Appointment?"

"I mentioned it yesterday," Tam'yn replied with a hint of annoyance; "basically these people are making something new and a lot better than what we have now and they are getting ignored for all their efforts. Gola'ka said now they were just trying to make back their investment at that one store because nobody else would carry their products."

He frowned, "One of the duties of a Viceroy is to reward invention and innovation, and this is a way that will appeal to the locals who follow clothing trends. The government will have to give these people a chance to compete for clothing contracts now, and I'm convinced that all these people need is a good chance to show what they can do."

J'sharra was smiling widely as she said, "Tam', your Light is shining brightly today." Tan'yel rolled his eyes, "Well, shine or not, I'm going to that fair and spend some of my Imperials on things to keep me happy while I'm stuck in an office doing the cadet attendance lists or something else 'administrative'," he grumped as he set his float chair into movement toward the hallway, making Tam'yn and J'sharra scramble to keep up.

Once out of the hospital, they headed for the fair and the people and vendors there. They didn't notice that they were being followed by three nondescript people.

Once at the fair, they mingled with what seemed an oddly light turn out among the stalls and vendors. There had been a lot more people the day before, and the previous night, too.

The light was colder. Looking up, they could see low clouds that stirred a memory in J'sharra.

"It looks like it might rain," she said, looking up at the dark and heavy-seeming clouds; "I wonder if the fair has rain shields or not?"

Looking around, Tan'yel muttered, "Probably not. People are covering things up with what looks like rain covers. Damn, and I wanted to shop, too."

"Well, let's do what we can," Tam'yn replied, looking for the "Rayar Valley Collective" booth and seeing it some distance away. He headed toward it with J'sharra and Tan'yel following.

Behind them, three plain people strolled through the crowds maintaining contact with them.

Gola'ka smiled when Tam'yn showed up and greeted him, saying, "I hope you came to buy quick, the storm looks threatening and not all of us have rain shields."

"I take it you don't?" Tam'yn asked and the seller shook his head. "Too expensive for us, and they use a lot of energy that we would have to pay for. At home, we use simple rain-cloaks and such, but you can't put a rain cloak on a shop table and expect people to buy things."

"I may have some small help there," Tam'yn said quietly, "here. These may come in useful."

The vendor took the two plates in his hands. He stared at them, not understanding at first. Then he asked, "You know this Viceroy? I heard there was one here on Home, but as a rumor and nothing else. This is very nice, but what can they do for us?"

Tam'yn explained, "Any time the government wants to make purchases of clothing or worked leather, they will have to offer you and your Collective a chance to bid on what they want. An Appointment makes your products important to people who follow fashion trends, since you can put this on any leather or clothing you offer for sale. It gives you an edge, and that edge can mean the difference between a sale and a loss."

Now the eyes of the vendor were beginning to open as he considered what Tam'yn was saying.

He looked at the Imperial Arms on the Appointment, then at Tam'yn's bracelet and made the connection.

"You're him," he said in wonder, "you're the Viceroy! You like our products!"

Tam'yn was nodding, "In fact, I intend to purchase more of those trousers and to commission the making of more, to my and my Companion's measurements."

Then he grinned, "And for my cousin, too," he said, gesturing at Tan'yel. "We'll be gone for about four segments, then we'll be back so there will be no huge rush on things."

That was when the heavens opened up on them. As soon as the chairs felt the first drops of rain, rain shields appeared over them. Tam'yn pulled J'sharra onto his lap while the vendor hurried to cover his wares. The two plates were left propped up on one table, visible in the rain and quite waterproof.

Two marks later, they were all under a cover at the back of the stall, where there was a small cot and some personal items. Apparently, this person lived at his stall. A pair of small lamps were hung from the covering and spread a soft butter-colored light over everything.

Gola'ka explained, "We share San's and bathing, those of us who work a circuit. One of the haulers is set up for bathing and everything else. We eat here at the fair. I sleep here to save money, since there are no local hostels here, and I don't want to walk half a turning to get to a hard bed and no privacy. Here, I can sleep and I have my clothes, so if I want privacy all I have to do is drop one side of the covering."

He was staring at the two plates with wondering eyes.

"I can see the sense of the award for the clothing and leather," he said, "but our Collective? How do you know about that?"

Tam'yn blushed, "Planetary Business net, " he explained, " I read the founding documents and the legal incorporation and I liked what I saw. You are trying to live gently on your world, and that is very worthy of comment. You value virtues like honesty, promise-keeping, and fairness, and that is important."

He hung his head a little, "I was an Engineer on an Imperial Navy starship. Then my birth-sister was killed and the Empress told me to take up the work she was doing, and I had to obey. Now I'm in a world of politics that I really neither like or understand, other than they're mostly power games people play for their own benefit. I have a couple of people I trust absolutely to advise me, one of them is...the owner of that cup I have at my waist. The other two are here with me. There's trouble at home and we need to do something to fix it. That involves finding a new world out past this one, otherwise there may be trouble enough to make my moth--the Empress have to come here. We have to find this world, somehow."

Now he was really hanging his head. "I'm sorry to have bothered you with all this," he said sadly, "really, I am. I just needed to talk." Now he felt ashamed at his confiding all his worries in this stranger, someone who had worries of his own.

Gola'ka smiled and replied, "We all have a need to speak to a stranger sometimes, and I'm glad I could be of help."

Then he asked, "Did you say your mother was the Empress? Why were you in the Navy then?" He sounded confused. Tam'yn knew why he did too. Most people didn't realize how dangerous living in the Sunrise Palace could be. He did, unfortunately.

Looking down, Tam'yn admitted, "Because in the Navy I could be who I was and not the Empress's son. I could be me and not some political creature like I was at the Palace, although mostly at the Palace I just hid where people couldn't find me."

He sighed, "But mother knew where I was and when my sister L'yrel died in a Runner explosion she had me take over L'yrel's next task, finding some people who sent an exploration robot into Imperial space. Somewhere, they're out there."

"Your birth-sibling died? I'm so sorry," Gola'ka said with feeling. "My Companion's brother died two cycles back and now and then she still grieves about his passing. They were close, very close. He was one of my best friends."

Tam'yn looked up with pain in his eyes, "L'yrel passed into the Light less than half a segment ago. Even though I know she lives on and is happy, I miss her. Perhaps I will heal, but right now I just hurt when I think of her. What I do know is that J'sharra loves me and is teaching me Pyri's way, and the Light is my comfort too."

Gola'ka smiled, "We have a K'Pyri'ah Temple near the Collective lands, and several of us attend services there when time permits." He sighed, "One of the parts of living Simple involves the use of simple tools and devices, so no robotic harrows or harvesters; somebody has to drive them. Harvest time is when we work hardest, getting our crops in for sale to other Simplistic groups who don't have land yet. With them, we trade, like for the leather you're wearing. It comes from another Collective that raises J'Orun for meat and tans the hides. They don't have enough people to farm and manage their herds, so they focus on their animals and we focus on feeding them. We work together and we both profit."

Tam'yn felt a strange surge of homesickness as Gola'ka spoke. He remembered only little bits of his family's farms, but he did remember a sense of happiness that ended abruptly when his mother had been called to the Palace and his family had moved into the Palace apartments for Ladies in Service to the Throne. Then she had been made Empress, and suddenly he and L'yrel had been plunged into the world of Imperial politics that always swirled around the Empress like a swarm of carrion eaters around a dying animal.

He found himself desperately envying Gola'ka and the Collective he was a part of, but he schooled his features into "general happiness" as Gola'ka measured the three of them for their clothing to be picked up when they returned.

Provided they returned, that was.

They chose styles from a small set of images he had of the styles he and his Companion had developed, and then Tam'yn paid for all of them. They would settle accounts electronically back at the Hospital.

The rain stopped and the suns came out, and they made a quick sweep of the fair, buying small things and a few decorations for their quarters.

Tan'yel stopped by a fragrance-seller and was joined by Tam'yn and J'sharra, who were looking for something like he was. Puzzled, he watched as Tam'yn picked up a moderate-sized bottle and offered it to J'sharra. Shrugging, he went on with his search for a specific item and didn't find it. Standard Imperial scents seemed few and expensive, while local scents were plentiful and unknown.

One of the people working at the stall approached and apparently attracted by his puzzled look, asked him what he was looking for.

"I'm trying to find 'Spice-market' scent," Tan'yel explained, "only you don't seem to have any."

"Is that an Imperial product? the seller asked curiously, "I really don't recall that name on any local products."

Tan'yel nodded, "Yes. It's an inexpensive scent geared to males rather than females. You're saying you don't know it?" He was curious about the omission.

The seller smiled and asked him to wait a moment while he looked something up, which he did; going to a book at the back of the stall and going through what appeared to Tan'yel's eyes to be listings of some sort.

Then he was back, picking up a bottle of a light green fluid and setting it in front of Tan'yel. "Take a sniff," he suggested, "and tell me if it is what you are looking for."

Tan'yel did just that and was surprised to discover that yes, it smelled like the "Spice-market" scent he was looking for with some very pleasant woodsy fragrances added into it. All in all, it smelled better than the original.

"What is this?" he asked the seller, who replied; "We call it 'Spice and Moss' and its one of our best sellers for males of all species. Remember, anything from the Imperial marketplace will be very expensive and hard to get because of import taxes and shipping. We order samples of things and then our scent mixer uses local scents to make up something close to the sample we get. We try to get close without copying exactly."

Tan'yel smiled, "Well, you've done better than the original. How much is this?"

When he was told the price, he asked the seller to repeat himself. This was cheaper than the Imperial original by almost half.

When the price was confirmed, the seller asked if he wanted a mixing sprayer. Seeing the puzzled look in Tan'yel's eyes, he explained, "The mix in this bottle is a semi-concentrate. We sell a pump-sprayer that mixes the concentrate and water or alcohol when it sprays on your fur. Otherwise, you'll wind up wiping half the scent off your fingers when you apply it to yourself."

Then he asked, "Are you recently released? We have an opening for a new citizen within our group if you are."

At first taken aback, Tan'yel realized the seller didn't know he was a space traveler and new to this world. He replied, "Thanks, but I already have work on a ship visiting this world."

The seller seemed surprised, but then asked, "Is it true that we have a Viceroy visiting Home? I've heard rumors but nothing concrete."

Not wanting to give Tam'yn away, Tan'yel simply replied, "There is a Viceroy here, that I know for certain. He's having our ship made ready for a deep space exploration, and the Guardians are helping us do so."

"Then you're coming to investigate the source of the Object?" the seller asked with surprise, "I thought the books were closed on that some cycles ago."

"I don't know," Tan'yel replied; also taken by surprise, "but I'll ask. And I'll take one of those atomizers, too."

He paid the bill and went looking for Tam'yn and J'sharra, catching up with them at an artist's stall looking at paintings. As they drifted along the fair, Tan'yel commented, "I heard something about some sort of off world 'object' that landed here a while back and the local government hushed up. I wonder if it might have something to do with what we're looking for?"

Tam'yn glanced at him and then grew thoughtful. Then he asked, "Have you noticed anything odd since we've been out among the people this morning?"

"Like what, Tam'?"

"People seem slightly tense, at least they do to me. Osha isn't, and none of the Dancers are either; but the people in the City yesterday and at this fair today... I don't know. Something just seems wrong."

"We can't investigate," Tan'yel warned, "we have a ship to rejoin, and soon; remember?" Then he slumped in his chair, "Yeah. I'm picking up on some sort of tension. It comes and goes, but there is something happening. For all we know it might be the rain. People don't like to get wet and this fair doesn't have rain shields for the venue."

"That could be it," Tam'yn muttered, "that could be it."

It was J'sharra who commented, "We're being followed. Three people. That could be what is making people nervous, since our followers aren't being particularly subtle about what they're doing."

"It could be Security," Tan'yel said in a tone of annoyance. "You are rather a high status person here, and I'd have you shadowed myself if you were in a place like this."

J'sharra was admiring herself in a hand mirror with a fancy decoration on the back and said, "That might be it, but these people aren't dressed like any Security officers I've seen. They're wearing uniforms, all black, and people are avoiding them as if they're afraid of them." She kept playing with her hair and using the hand mirror to watch their followers.

Feeling slightly annoyed and angry, Tam'yn suggested, "Let's go back to the hospital roundabout and see what they do. There's an open section here where we can turn back to the hospital and force them to show themselves since there are no people or plants for them to hide behind."

"And it's looking like it might rain again," Tan'yel commented after looking at the sky, "and we have rain shields while they probably don't. Let's see how they deal with getting wet."

They steered toward a low angled section of curbing and walkway and left the fair behind as they crossed a large open space with the hospital Tower in front of them. With J'sharra walking between them, they slowly ambled back to the building while listening to J'sharra's comments about their followers.

"They look nervous," she said as they crossed the open ground, "and they don't look happy. Two look like Birallans and one is T'Kiir'I. They're actually rather pathetic without people to hide behind."

When the rain began again, Tam'yn and Tan'yel had automatic rain shields pop up above their float chairs while J'sharra stayed under Tam'yn's rain shield. Their followers had no such protection. They took their time going back to the hospital. Once they entered the hospital, they waited for their followers to follow them in, but it was as if the three had disappeared.

Tam'yn was annoyed. "We went out to have a pleasant last day here on this planet, and everybody around us was nervous because of our followers. I want to ask the local Guardians what's going on here; that was completely unnecessary."

"Totally amateur, too," Tan'yel added, "I feel embarrassed."

After taking the elevator to their floor, they returned to their rooms to dispose of their purchases and then Tam'yn and J'sharra went looking for their contact among the Guardians on this floor.

He wasn't in the Security office near their room, and when the Guardians there were asked about their shadows, they claimed ignorance.

"What did they look like?" The senior Guardian asked, and J'sharra produced her stunner and pressed a button on the sighting system. A small hologram of the three followers appeared. The Guardian looked close, scratched his head and said, "Those uniforms don't look Guardian issue, but I'm not the one to ask. Check with the Commander, he'll know." There was an odd note in his voice that neither Tam'yn or J'sharra missed.

Thanking the Guardian, Tam'yn and J'sharra crossed the Hospital to Tan'yel's room, where they found A'sallah speaking to Tan'yel about something. When he saw them, A'sallah winced a little.

"Who were our followers?" Tam'yn asked bluntly, "and why were they out to ruin our day?"

A'sallah looked at the ceiling, then at a wall and finally replied, "They're Council Special security. I found out about them when I called in this morning and got a serious talking to by two of the other Council members over my 'laxity' in letting you out among the public unescorted. I didn't order them after you, in fact they don't answer to me at all. They answer to the Council Security division, a separate office within the Government.

"When word reached the Council about some odd things involving you and certain other persons, Council Security decided you needed protecting."

Tam'yn could see that A'sallah was miserable and had been overruled in the matter. Turning to J'sharra, he asked, "Show A'sallah your picture, please."

Smiling, J'sharra held up her stunner and again the three tiny hologram figures appeared in it.

Tam'yn stated, "She was able to target them without their knowing. She could have stunned them, in fact perhaps she should have stunned them as a warning to your Council. Please convey to the people involved in your Council that the Viceroy is not pleased at their actions, or the insult delivered to his Companion and personal bodyguard and will communicate his displeasure to the Empress. We are going out and may never come back, and some semi-paranoid has decided we need protecting? From what? Is your Civil Guard so incompetent--"

Tan'yel interrupted him, "Give it up, Tam'. Your mother never gets out without half an army surrounding her. We were lucky, the times when we did get out alone."

Continuing, Tan'yel added, "J'esa could stun maybe two of them before one of them got her, and they carry heavy stunners; not lightweight ship's weapons. You would be gently returned to the hospital and a pair of Guardians would be posted outside your door and you would not be allowed out without them going with you."

"I'll also add that J'sharra may be your Companion, but if she fired on this world's Security, you might not see her again until we were back on the M'Kereos, if then. The Viceroyalty protects you, but not her, Tam; and these people are experts at getting what they want to protect this world and the people on it."

Seeing the unabated anger in his son's eyes, Tan'yel begged, "Tam', please remember we're guests here. We could be limping back to Imperial space under fusion power if one Council Member Guardian hadn't put his career on the line to get us the help we need. I can guess there are some members of the planet's Council who are still less than happy that we're here since we represent a direct threat to this planet's secrecy, thanks to that damned Moka and his spying."

Tam'yn nodded sharply, "Agreed, but we might as well start packing to return to the M'Kereos because I have the feeling that the Council already knows about our talk here, or will in a few marks and may decide to erase any evidence of our being here by relieving us of the things we bought at the fair and in the city, and petty theft I will not countenance for any reason."

Spinning on axis, he sent his chair toward the door with a slightly less angry J'sharra beside him. The door shut on them as they left the room.

Tan'yel looked over at A'sallah and asked worriedly, "They won't take the things Tam' and J'esa bought will they?" He knew how angry Tam'yn still was and was concerned over how he would respond to having his purchases taken from him.

A'sallah sighed, "I really don't know. They shouldn't, if that's any help. All tags show our contact colony as the source, not here. I would suggest we return to the M'Kereos, though, " he said, eyeing the room and knowing there would be listening devices in it somewhere.

Then looking warily at Tan'yel, he added; "We both know what happens if he gets angry enough, and on the M'Kereos that is less likely to happen." Then he asked worriedly, "Do you really think that An'kor would manifest over something like that?"

"An'kor gave Tam'yn his personal cup, A'sallah. Figure it out for yourself," Tan'yel replied tiredly, " And I would like a word with whoever authorized this job, about five turns worth of words with them. That was the most amateurish follow job I've ever seen, and I've seen and been on a lot of them. It's almost as if someone wanted Tam'yn to learn he was being followed, maybe as a message?" He stared at his former student.

A'sallah shrugged, "I don't know. Usually these people are invisible and blend into a space like they belong there. This was...odd. Maybe these were new officers unused to follow security, assigned to someone the Government thought was at minor risk." He was thinking, "...and maybe it was a message to his Radiance not to meddle in local affairs." Back on the M'Kereos, he would be able to speak more honestly with the K'iir who had been his mentor. He was the youngest Council member and had the least authority, but some very powerful Council members were nearly fanatical in protecting this world as a Sanctuary for the Empress, should she need it. He'd had to put his entire career on the line to get the M'Kereos permission to enter the planet's space and land for repair; and some Council members were still very unhappy at having a non-Guardian vessel on their world, Viceroy or not.

"Realistically, the sooner we're offworld, the better," he thought to himself, "and I hope that the Council decides to obey the Empress's command that the M'Kereos return here rather than forcing it on to T'Kiir'ah." Once decoded, the entire message had been sent to the Council for action, and the repairs had been accelerated as a result. That was proof the Council had received the message, but honoring all of it was a different matter.

All they would have to do was not respond to the M'Kereos's signal on its return. This world was hidden and it would take cycles of searching to find it, should its Council decide to ignore the signals sent by the M'Kereos, by then probably low on water, food and air. The M'Kereos couldn't afford to wait around for a response if it didn't come within a relatively short time and would have to make for an Imperial world instead, regardless of the risks involved.

A'sallah shivered, it would be Treason, but un-provable Treason on their part, and some Council members might do it simply to continue their primary purpose of making this world a safe haven for the Empress... and their own base of authority.

Tan'yel was watching something on the vid, so he could leave for a while. He'd go over to Dr. T'keron's room and see if J'ina was there. Bidding Tan'yel a good afternoon, he opened the door and entered the hall.

Behind him Tan'yel stared at the closing door for a moment, then went back to the vid program he was watching. His trainee was nervous over something and it didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

He was worried about being betrayed by the Guardians he served with; on the Council he was a part of, and he was probably right in his concern. Guardians were not immune to political intrigue, and being on the Council of this world was a decidedly political situation.

Tan'yel knew that there was nothing that could be done about it, and they would be leaving this world in two days at the most. They might be back on the M'Kereos tonight; or tomorrow morning for certain. He'd keep till then and A'sallah would learn to do the same. Some things you dealt with when they happened. Some things you just rolled with and waited for a weak spot to show. With this world, the latter was his and Tam'yn's only choice. They would be back, probably, and by then Tam'yn would hopefully have grown a bit wiser about politics and the people behind them. He might even have new friends for the Empire, allies for the times to come.

Rubbing the bridge of his muzzle, he hoped Tam' learned more about politics, a whole lot more about politics, and quickly. J'sharra could help there, she was a trained Guardian and knew many of the little tricks and maneuvers needed to get people to do what was desired without beating them over the head about it. Tam'yn was in all honesty like a small child in the murky world of political maneuverings and so far he'd been lucky. People had done as he asked because it was in their interest to do so, or their duty, or because they had stars in their eyes from dealing with a living representative of the Sunrise Throne. That had a decided time limit to it, and Tam'yn needed to be ready for when his "easy time" ran out. This time, there wouldn't be a Tomb to hide in or an unused watch tower to disappear into, he would have to face his problems and deal with them in an adult and responsible manner that reflected well on the Empire he represented.

He felt a stab of pain in his soul. L'yrel, beloved sweet L'yrel had her mother's natural ability with people and politics. She swam in the murky ocean of politics and political maneuverings repeatedly and always emerged clean and unstained. He should have been there, on the Runner; somehow he would have found the bomb and his daughter would still be alive. Instead he had followed her mother's request and put off his retirement for one last job, one last tour of duty aboard an exploration vessel where his son was Engineer First. He had a special young woman with him named J'sharra who was also his most recent protégé and someone who had unfinished business with his son, Tam'yn. He had brought them together and the magic had happened, but at the cost of L'yrel's life. L'yrel had known who he was because her mother had told her, and L'yrel had called him "father" in private. They had a special relationship that had been cut short when her Runner had taken her into the Light instead of to Biralla for a Library dedication.

And he had been half-way across the Empire when it had happened.

When his lower heart had failed, his last thought had been of joining his daughter and ending the pain of his loss. Instead, his son had worked a miracle and saved his life. Now J'esa called him "father" in private and it helped ease his pain. She wasn't L'yrel, but she and his son were together and were making something wonderful. Yet for all that he would always miss L'yrel, his bright-glowing daughter now gone into the Light.

Tan'yel sighed and wiped the tears out of his facial fur. His son needed to learn and he and J'sharra would teach him all that they knew, so when they found the Robot-makers, Tam' would be politically capable and ready to make the treaty that would save the Empire. He wouldn't fail his son the way he had failed his daughter, not while he was still alive.

A'sallah was still amazed that J'ina was planning on going with the M'Kereos to search for the people who had sent the thing into Imperial space. She wasn't in her father's room, she was packing her allotment for the M'Kereos and T'oko was helping her. T'oko's supplies had already been loaded aboard the starship. That was a mystery, what did he need by way of supplies? He was a robot.

The elder Dr. T'keron seemed to think the whole thing was funny for some reason. When A'sallah had asked why he thought his daughter was doing this, he'd looked at the Guardian and laughed and refused to answer further.

That had sent A'sallah to the Guardian's office near the Viceroy's room in a grouchy mood which was unrelieved by the communications he found on his desk.

Word from T'Kiir'ah was that most of Alcys'ka's victims were responding well and the rest were slowly improving, all in secret. It was amazing how easily some of the conditioning had been broken, simple word games had shut down the grieving compulsion completely. In others, repeated treatments under the Traitor's machines were gaining them longer and longer periods of remission, exactly as the Traitor had promised. His explanation for two different methods was simple; the second group had not been intended to survive. They were supposed to die, and his machines were reversing that conditioning a step at a time.

It looked like the Traitor would live after all; well, life had its disappointments and this was one of them.

Another report told of an action performed by the Viceroy which the Council disapproved of very strongly. He had made a Simplistic group his official suppliers of clothing and leather and had recognized this same group as embodying the highest aspects of Imperial civilization. That caused problems with the established hierarchy of suppliers, some of whom had been supplying the Guardians on this world for generations. A'sallah was directed to advise the Viceroy to cease involving himself with planetary matters without clearing them through the Council's Protocol Office first.

A third complained that the Viceroy had gone out of the hospital a second time that day and again there had been no Security provided for him, necessitating sending three Special officers to watch over him, and that the Viceroy had then gone across open ground in the rain and the three Special officers had been soaked to the skin. He was cautioned that further displays of incompetence on his part could result in his demotion with prejudice and he could lose his Council seat as a result.

A'sallah glared at the papers for some time and then folded them and stowed them in his belt pouch. Tan'yel would be interested in them, as would Tam'yn.

The Viceroy might even order the M'Kereos to fire on the Council hall, and at the moment, A'sallah wouldn't object at all.

A glance at the chron warned him it was getting near suns' set, and it was likely the Viceroy would want a final visit to the K'Pyri'ah and as such would need protection. A'sallah decided to be that protection himself, and since J'ina was a follower of Pyri's way, she might be there too.

That would be most agreeable to him.

J'sharra answered A'sallah's knock in her Priestess' robes, so A'sallah knew he had guessed right. She invited him in.

Tam'yn was doing stretches, but stopped to say hello to A'sallah and ask if he was planning on visiting the K'Pyri'ah for services.

"I am, your Radiance, and I wondered if I might accompany you there?" A'sallah replied, feeling relieved.

Going back to stretching, Tam'yn bluntly asked, "Is this so we don't have to deal with three annoying shadows this time?" His eyes remained on the Guardian.

Blushing, A'sallah nodded a yes.

Tam'yn stopped exercising again and said, "Thank you. Another such embarrassment would be very bad. I've been talking with someone about the political side of this situation and getting an education of sorts, although your Council's high-handedness was something of an insult to both of us."

Looking over at the Guardian, he smiled, saying, "I'm glad you're here." He went back to his stretches while J'sharra gestured A'sallah over to near the door and politely "out of earshot" and whispered, "I watched it. At first I thought he was so angry he was talking to himself, and then he started listening to someone I couldn't see or hear. That was when I realized who he was talking to, and part of it seemed a bit strong because Tam's ears went back like he was angry. Then he started listening again."

They both heard Tam'yn chuckle and then he said aloud, "Yes, my ancestor was schooling me about politics and how to deal with it. He started off by telling me to grow up and not blame the tools for their user's scheming. He went on that way for some time and then started telling me how to deal with people like that. He said to watch people and learn from them, since the politics of trading for a J'korah and negotiating a City's surrender differ only in the price of the bridle."

Seeing the looks of incomprehension on both J'sharra's and A'sallah's faces, he shrugged and added, "He seemed to think it was funny. I didn't understand either."

Getting up and completing his last stretch before getting into his float-chair, he floated over to them and said in a low voice, "He thinks what's happening here is like what happened with the K'Gonra garrison, and I have no idea about that either. Let's go."

They made a parade down the busy hall to Tan'yel's room, where Tam'yn went inside and asked if Tan'yel wanted to attend the services at the K'Pyri'ah on the hospital grounds.

Tan'yel nodded and switched off the vid on his bed and settled into his float-chair which was parked in a charging dock. "I hope I get to keep this charger-gizmo," he said, "since it makes charging this chair a great deal easier."

Then, looking at Tam'yn he asked, "Are you Dancing tonight?"

Tam'yn nodded, "That's why I'm in this chair. I need to conserve my energy for the dance. I discovered a wall that I can't get over unless I rest first."

Tan'yel nodded, "Yeah. Hitting the wall is a shocker. I did and had to nap for a half turning so I could stay awake enough to drive this thing. Shall we?"

The four of them took the elevator down to the ground floor and then went through the now very busy hallways of the hospital. Curious, Tam'yn glanced at A'sallah and got an unexpected answer, "Visiting hours are beginning. For most patients here, visiting is timed around the evening meal time so they can eat with their family after a fashion. Most of the day, visits are discouraged because the patients are in treatment or physical therapy or whatever is being done and the hospital doesn't want them distracted."

"Makes sense," Tan'yel commented, "like the Navy ship Healing areas, although I thought this was also a civilian hospital." He was fishing for information.

"It is," A'sallah replied, taking the bait, "but when comparing time in the hospital itself, the military method has people out and healed in, I think, seventy percent of the time for civilian visit-anytime hospitals. Since medical care is free, the Council decided to save where it could by not having to keep people longer than was needed. It works, and it works very well for getting people Healed and healthy again."

Obviously, A'sallah was proud of the hospitals on his world and the quality of Healing happening there.

Tan'yel was less sanguine about the process. Something felt wrong but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Ch. 13: Things go sour

Then he found out. The doors leading to the K'Pyri'ah wouldn't open for Tam'yn's float chair. When J'sharra approached them, they remained shut.

A'sallah was about to try getting them to open when a dark-clad security officer strode past them to the hospital doors and turned to face them, arms crossed; blocking their passage through the doors.

A'sallah walked calmly to the security officer and asked, "Are the doors broken?"

The security officer replied, "For his own safety, the Viceroy is restricted to the Hospital structure until he departs to return to his vessel, by order of the Planetary Council."

Tan'yel asked, "Are you aware that the Viceroy is on his way to a service of his religion and it is a violation of Imperial Law to deny him access to it?"

The security officer looked down his nose at Tan'yel and sneered, "For his own safety, the Viceroy is restricted to the Hospital structure until he departs to return to his vessel. On this world, Imperial Law is observed only when it is not in contradiction to the primary reason for this planet's existence as a Sanctuary world for the Empress, should she ever need to use it as such."

"Who is your Command officer?" A'sallah asked, keeping his anger under tight control. The Viceroy should not be hearing this!

"Over-Commander A'trosa na' Feros'ka, First Security Group's commanding officer," the dark-clad Security officer replied with a hint of relish in his voice. A'sallah's stomach plummeted, na' Feros'ka was one of the most paranoid members of the Guardian Council. His Security officers wore a distinctive dark gray uniform with a black jacket as their identification. They were one of his own greatest challenges at keeping within Imperial process.

"Call your command officer and ask him to come here, " Tam'yn said quietly, almost gently; adding, "And remind him that my voice has the same legal force as the Empress's voice. You might also point out to his that failing to do so would be mutiny against the Empress; and given his rank it might even be considered Treason. Tell him he has ten marks to present himself to Us here, in this place."

He then settled back in his float chair, staring at the special officer; his hands crossed in his lap.

A'sallah had never seen anyone so frighteningly angry or so potentially deadly as the young T'Kiir'I in the float chair. Something about him chilled the Guardian to the pit of his stomach, even though he couldn't see anything different.

The Special officer tried staring back, but slowly his ears began to lower and his eyes began to widen. This was just a boy, injured, and somehow a Viceroy; how in the Seven Hells was he being so utterly terrifying to a trained specialist like himself?

He was, though. It was as though he were being sized and measured for his cremation shroud. There was something not quite of this world about this "Viceroy" and it was starting to terrify him. The air around him was getting colder by the beat.

He got out his comms unit and called his commander. The call wasn't answered for some reason. He tried again, and this time the comms unit showed connection, ring-back, but no-one picked up. The third try got his commander's voice, angry at being disturbed.

He delivered his message and waited, the volume up so the visitors could hear, especially the so-called Viceroy.

"You can tell that sniveling brat to go to hell. We operate under a Charter written a century and a half ago and nothing else. Imperial law exists here only because we choose to allow it. You can tell him that I have more pressing matters than attending... Who the hell let you in? What is that, some costume? Put that thing down, do you know who I am? I said put that down! What? NO!! Not--" The connection was lost with a scream of terror.

A'sallah had been close enough to hear what was being said. Slowly, he turned to look at Tam'yn, who was slumped slightly in his chair but otherwise unchanged except for his eyes. They were a deep hazel color that slowly lightened to green-gold. His breath steamed in suddenly frigid air.

A'sallah was absolutely terrified but dared not show it. He knew what had happened in na' Feros'ka's office; an angry ghost had killed an enemy of His Empire. He also knew that there would never be a resolution to the investigation if he didn't speak up, and he had no intention of doing so. He wouldn't be believed.

Turning to J'sharra, Tam'yn said slowly, "I don't think I'll be dancing tonight, but I do need to speak to Osha. We both need to speak to him." His voice sounded tired.

Then sending a hard stare at the special officer, he suggested, "Perhaps you would care to accompany us to the K'Pyri'ah to assure yourself that we are quite all right. That way, your--ahhh, Over-Commander's wishes can be fulfilled and our religious needs met at the same time." His voice combined fatigue and something else, something very much else. It didn't quite sound like Tam'yn's voice, either. There was an odd semi-echo to it.

For some reason, that suggestion seemed like a wonderful idea to the special officer, especially since it had become so cold in the doorway. He entered a code in the pad by the door and the doors slid open to allow the party to pass through them. At the end of the group a black-uniformed Special security officer trailed behind them as if afraid to get too close but also afraid to be too far away.

They made the service just in time, J'sharra hurrying away to prepare herself and Tam'yn , Tan'yel, and A'sallah finding places where they could see the dance. They had a black jacketed shadow near them but not too close. They were all very tense over what had happened in the hospital doorway.

The tension was broken by the arrival of J'ina and T'oko, who settled with A'sallah on the low benches beside the float-chairs. He was relieved to see them.

As the suns began to set, Pyri's worship again promised peace and renewing rest, told by the moving bodies of the dancers. One of them seemed to float on the last rays of light, shining with all the colors of the rainbow.

Tam'yn's eyes were a little wet when the dance was over, he had been so taken by the Dance and his own half-silent prayer-chant. If there were hints of fear in his chant at first, they were small and fading when the service ended.

When J'sharra returned, Osha was with her, looking concerned. Tam'yn and Osha went off a little way for privacy as they spoke.

Haunted eyes in Tam'yn's face sought Osha's own, "He's killed, I think," Tam'yn said in a near whisper. Tam'yn went on to tell of the standoff at the hospital doors and what he had heard over the special officer's comm unit.

Osha remained quiet as Tam'yn spoke; listening, watching, being a neutral ear for a frightened disciple. When Tam'yn ran down, he grew thoughtful.

"Our world is governed differently, or so I am told," he replied, " on account of the prison, but I was under the impression that what we were governed under was still Imperial Law and nothing else. You say you heard some person say that the actual governing principle is some hundred-fifty cycle old Charter?"

He thought for a mark and then said, "It could be so. I was born on this world, and the only time I was off it was to be sworn in as a Guardian, and that lasted barely a tenday. Later, I found the Light and Pyri's Way and followed that. I really don't know much about how we're governed outside of it is generally fair and generally upright as all good governance is. We vote for representation in the planet's governing body, and our representatives listen to us when we speak to them."

He rubbed his chin and commented, "I have heard of those Guardians who wear black, but only as rumor; and rumor is less than trustworthy in most cases."

Then he leaned forward and asked, "Are you certain that An'kor killed someone? He's a ghost, how could he...?" then his eyes darted to Tam'yn's belt where the cup settled against his shirt and stopped speaking, realizing that this ghost could do many things supposedly impossible to those in the Light.

He sat thinking for several marks, then suggested, "If indeed your ancestor manifested and ended someone's life, I believe he would have done so as an act of purification. Who was it you believe passed into the Light at his hands?" The priest was concerned over of this student Dancer's upset than anything else. Fear of the ancestor he was bound to could only bring harm to them both, so the fear must be released that the Light might heal what the fear had damaged.

Tam'yn hung his head and replied, "Someone called na' Feros'ka. I think that was his name--" he stopped when he saw Osha's face, now angry at the name he'd spoken.

"If the person was named A'trosa na' Feros'ka, then your ancestor has done this world a benefit," the priest said in a sharp whisper, "for A'trosa na' Feros'ka was a shame to the Service of which he was a part. Only his superiors kept him from being charged as a criminal in several cases while I was a Guardian, and after I left that Service for a greater one, I lost word of him. He was everything we Guardians are trained not to be, and he remained a Guardian only because of his family connections and certain superior officers' desire for results regardless of the cost to others. If he has gone into the Light, then this world will be a little brighter because of it."

Then he warned, "Remember that I said 'if'. There could be a dozen explanations for what you think you heard, and his death is but one of them. Perhaps he was arrested for some violation that has finally been brought into the light of the Council's knowledge. That would be both right and good for the service of which he was a corrupt and violent part, and for the legal system on this world."

Then Osha bowed his head, staring at nothing for a couple of marks before admitting, "I thought I had released his hold on me and it appears that I have not," he said sadly, "for anger at such a person gives them a dark power over your very soul. I need to pray and meditate as to why I felt such an anger at a person I haven't seen for many, many cycles. He is a shadow over my soul and I need to let the Light into myself that his shadow may be dispelled."

Turning his eyes back to Tam'yn, he advised; "Before you allow fear to cast a shadow over yourself, first find out the truth of the matter and then ask the spirit who is ever with you about what happened. Remember that the light of truth is made of many little lights coming together into a radiant whole, and you should seek each one of those lights yourself that you may understand them and so understand the whole truth that they make. Ask your Priestess, she will help you to find your way in the light, for that is one of her many purposes now. Again, when she danced tonight, we saw a wonder where the Light became flesh for a brief time to help each of us on our way. Trust her, Tam'yn, and she will show you how to find your light and your truth among the myriads of others."

"Thank you," Tam'yn replied, still unsettled but feeling less so as time drew him away from what he had heard, or perhaps thought he had heard. Osha had been right there, he hadn't heard the whole thing, just the loudest parts. Turning, he floated back to his group while Osha walked beside him. When he was back with J'sharra and Tan'yel, he felt better and less stressed. He was even becoming a little hungry.

Osha gave them his blessing and then walked away into the gathering darkness as the lights on Tam'yn's and Tan'yel's float chairs came on, ready to light their way. J'sharra smiled and kissed him and he felt even better.

"Shall we go eat?" he asked, and Tan'yel replied, "Yes. I'm rather hungry and sitting out here is boring now that the dance is over. Food would make things a lot better."

J'sharra chuckled and agreed, "The dance was wonderful but now I'm starving. Shall we eat in the hospital restaurant again?"

"Yes," A'sallah said as he and J'ina stepped over to the group while T'oko simply rolled to the front of their group and waited for them to leave. Their passage back to the hospital was comfortable and easy.

Their shadow had disappeared during the Dance. Tan'yel had watched him receive a call on his comms unit that had slammed both his ears against his skull and had him backing away wide-eyed into the evening, giving every indication of the degree of fear that had been raised by what he had heard in that call.

In the growing gloom he'd smiled and then returned his attention to the Dance, J'esa was being incredibly beautiful tonight.

And she had called him "Father" again.

Dinner was pleasant and a bit sad. They all knew they would be returning to the M'Kereos and then leaving this world behind as they flew ever farther from Imperial space and the worlds they had known.

A'sallah was seated beside J'ina and sharing conversation with her and with the rest of the table. She had come to the table late after having her "dinner" in an empty office courtesy of T'oko. Her synthetic voice carried well enough for all of them to hear her, as she told them how her father was doing and how excited T'oko was to be traveling with them.

"Yes, mother, I am excited since this will be the first time that I have ever been off this world," he said with a hint of embarrassment, "but I am more excited at the potential of meeting a new and unknown people. Perhaps they sent the Object here."

A'sallah glanced at the robot and explained, "We determined that the Object was of planetary manufacture and some sort of hoax, T'oko. It was no more mysterious than finding a metal can on a walkway border; somebody wanted to cause an upset but they failed."

"But Officer A'sallah, that makes no sense," T'oko replied, "there were unique plants around it that were conclusively not from this planet. It even looked like a space vessel that had crashed, and the alloys were unlike what we use here."

A'sallah's ears began to pink up as he said, "T'oko, we are going out into space ourselves. If the Object came from out there, we will find the people who made it; even though seven planets within the Commonwealth use those exact same alloys for spacecraft. As for the plants, the Empire is huge and those plants probably came here in a seed packet of some sort. We're always looking for new food crops that will grow well here."

Tam'yn listened as he ate but said nothing. He would ask A'sallah later, perhaps much later on the M'Kereos. The mission they were on had been triggered by an "object" from outside the Empire. According to A'sallah that object, the exploration robot, had come through a dust cloud that was relatively near this system.

He would also ask T'oko about the thing when they were on the M'Kereos. While monitoring was a common thing within the Empire, on this planet the practice had taken on a somewhat sinister angle he really didn't like.

He couldn't even pass his concerns on to his mother, the Empress. She was already busy at home and he didn't really trust the system here, and the M'Kereos would be silent as it traveled unless the world of the Robot-makers was found. Then, the M'Kereos would power up its special long distance hyperwave system and punch the information back into Imperial space and ultimately the Palace on sheer energy alone.

His focus was brought back to the table by J'sharra asking him if he wanted her dessert because she was stuffed.

Eyeing the sweetberry confection, he nodded, "Oh yes. They grow a wonderful tasting Sweetberry here." He took the plate as she nodded sleepily. In six mouthfuls, the dessert was gone and his own stomach was pleasantly full. He grinned.

"What's funny?" J'sharra asked when she saw his face and he replied, "Well, Healer J'nero wants me to gain weight. Given the amount of good food we've eaten here, I believe I can make him happy over that matter."

She chuckled, "Yes, he should. In the mornings when you get out of bed, I noticed you're a little less thin looking, and I like that."

Tan'yel glanced at Tam'yn and nodded, "Yeah, he's looking a bit less like a starved urchin and more like a skinny Navy officer. Now I just want a warm rock to go digest on," he added as he slumped in his chair.

A'sallah's comms unit buzzed and he answered it, keeping his voice low. His face and ears showed concern and confusion for a moment, then they returned to normal position as he thanked whoever it was that had called him.

"Update on a certain Nobleman," he said to the people around him, "he left Sharra colony earlier today, planetary time. His ship was tracked for a while and it was headed right past us and into the great beyond. Something is happening."

"And we're going to be flying right through it," Tam'yn grumbled, "maybe they won't be expecting another ship so soon after this one. I do not like it."

"Who's going where?" Tan'yel asked, puzzled by the conversation.

A'sallah replied, "High Lord Antero-Kessa disappeared from T'Kiir'ah some days ago, and we found him on Sharra Colony . Earlier today, he departed Sharra for points far away from our Empire and right past us. We're going to be headed in that direction in a day's time."

"And if he has any nasty surprises out there, we'll be flying right into them," Tan'yel grumbled. "Sweet. I just hope we're faster than he is."

Tam'yn suddenly thought he had an answer to his own curiosity about the High Lord and asked A'sallah, "Is the angle he passes us on one that could also take him through the dust cloud?"

A'sallah sat for a few moments thinking and then said, "Yes. All they'd need to do is modify their flight a little bit to send them right through the dust cloud. Why?"

Now he was staring at Tam'yn with expectation writ large in his whole posture.

Tam'yn explained, "If he went through the Empire to reach either Sharra II or any of the other pirates in the Cortinian region, going through Imperial space he'd leave a transponder trail that would be easy to follow. Going this way may be a little longer, but he's outside Imperial Space and can't be followed. "

"Which makes perfect sense if you're hiding an army somewhere," A'sallah replied, now totally focused on what Tam'yn had said. "So of course we couldn't find his army on Sharra colony, we were looking at the wrong place!"

He stood and apologized to J'ina for leaving, but, "...I need to send a warning to the Council on T'Kiir'ah. They may have already figured it out, but a good Guardian never leaves things to chance. I'll be back in a few marks."

"I don't understand," T'oko said as the Guardian departed, "why are one High Lord's travel arrangements so critical to T'Kiir'ah? Is he in danger?"

"No, " Tam'yn replied to the robot, "he isn't in danger, he is a danger to the Empire."

Leaning toward the robot and speaking softly, he added, "For the trip, please get me what information is available on this 'Object' thing, would you?"

T'oko nodded agreement and asked, "Discreetly?"

Tam'yn nodded and T'oko nodded back.

Tan'yel looked across the table at his son Tam'yn waited to get his attention. He had a question for him. When he was sure he had Tam'yn's attention, he asked quietly, "So what do we do? Return to T'Kiir'ah to assist with protecting your mother the Empress, or go out looking for Robot-builders?"

Tam'yn looked out into space and seemed to be listening to something before he answered. When he did, he said; "We search. There are loyal Guardian vessels on their way even now, and there are four Navy ships headed there too. Word will spread. We would be...redundant, even though I want to go back and protect my family and my home with every part of my being.

"My Empress tasked the M'Kereos and myself with finding a civilization out beyond the empty zones in this galactic arm, and as her Viceroy and a Navy officer and her son--I have my orders and I have to follow them."

He sighed , "Even though right now all I want to do is to go home up by Lake An'shal; but I know I can't. I was entrusted with this task by my Empress for our Empire and as an honorable K'iir, I have to do it...I have to." There was pain in his voice that Tan'yel knew all too well, but there was comfort, too.

Tam'yn was growing up, and sounding like he had many cycles ago.

Looking up and then along the table, Tam'yn said, "I'm very tired. Tomorrow we return to the M'Kereos, probably early. If you will pardon me, I'm going to my room and try to get some sleep."

J'sharra stood and took his arm and the two of them departed for their room in the hospital complex.

J'ina looked around and asked, "Do you know where Deryn went? He mentioned that he needed to contact someone."

"Done. Message sent," A'sallah replied as he materialized out of the people in the restaurant and seated himself beside J'ina T'keron, taking her hand. Looking around, he asked Tan'yel, "His Radiance went to his room?"

Tan'yel nodded, "He said he was tired. I suspect it was the full meal as much as anything else."

J'ina asked their pardon for a moment and got up, T'oko following her as she headed for what appeared to be the San's near the eating area. A'sallah watched her for a moment, then turned back to Tan'yel.

He smiled and said, "The 'anything else' has dealt with an embarrassment to the government. Feros'ka was found in his office dead on the floor. He apparently had an upper heart siezure and died on the spot. I spoke to my immediate superior on the Council, and Feros'ka's Special officers are going to be reassigned for a while, then their organization will be broken up."

Now very curious, Tan'yel asked gently, "How did he get away with it? Don't you have safeguards to prevent this sort of thing from happening?"

A'sallah made a sour face, " He was blackmailing half the Council. On this planet, some memories go a long way back. As long as he kept controlling the worst trouble makers, the Council was willing to look the other way."

Tan'yel frowned, "And is this planet under Imperial Law or is there something else acting as a basis of governmental authority?"

A'sallah looked around quickly and then whispered, "Special Charter, although we try to remain within Imperial law. With a large prison population and having this planet as a Sanctuary, the founding Empress felt she had to set in place some special rules about things."

Tan'yel rubbed his chin and then nodded, "I can see the reasoning, but if it hasn't been renewed by each succeeding Empress there may be some serious legitimacy issues with that Charter."

Looking over at A'sallah, he added, "We don't tell Tam'yn about it unless we absolutely have to." That brought a quick nod from A'sallah.

J'ina returned and settled beside A'sallah and the three of them enjoyed after dinner teas, with J'ina dipping a semi-hidden length of tubing in the cup and drinking from it after checking the temperature with a finger tip.

In their room, J'sharra cuddled against Tam'yn and he nuzzled her in return. They were happy together, and that was important to each of them. Tam'yn had still been moody when they arrived, but once on the sleeping pad with J'sharra, his moodiness slipped away as she undid his nerves and his little hidden fears.

Soon, she was asleep against him while he stared at the ceiling and tried reconstructing what he had heard over the comms unit for the hundredth time.

An'kor sat across the table from him, his hard eyes thoughtful and for a wonder, trying for gentleness. He poured from a jug into Tam'yn's cup before filling his own.

"Drink your wine, soul-kindred," he said gently, setting his words to action himself. Tam'yn raised the cup to his lips and swallowed the sharp vintage, hardly noticing the taste; although An'kor did. He made a face of annoyance.

He shook his head, "I pay the wine merchants top coin for their products and for the most part all I get is the stuff they can't sell to anyone else. They know I will not harm them so they sell me their cheapest vintage at their most expensive price."

Looking Tam'yn in the eye, he said bluntly, "The man was a J'Okek in every sense of the word. He intended to make you kneel to him before he would release your ship to sail the skies between worlds. I borrowed a little from you and went to see this ugly beast in his own lair. When I knew his intent, I acted. He is no more in your world, his heart fairly exploded with fear when I raised my war-staff to him."

He shook his head in disgust, his ears lowered; and then looked back at Tam'yn, "For all his power, he was no more than a bug catcher, a manipulating creature who used others to cause misery for those he disliked, and he disliked you greatly because you had legitimate power he could not corrupt or control. Hence, he was willing to use a pretext to keep your ship in dock whether it was right or not until he had the bettering of you. For that, I was willing to borrow more of your 'now' and strike him down, but I didn't need to. He dealt in fear and it was fear that ended him, not the blades on my staff."

Hard eyes bored into Tam'yn's soul; "I waged war to end that thing, and so should you. Every person, every being deserves the same fair consideration without regard to their origin or shape or outer appearance. Learn that, and your battle is half won and the City you've taken is already half yours. Forget it, and your wars will never end.

"Let me tell you about a distant and near-forgotten garrison at K'Gonra pass in the K'Teela mountains..."

Tam'yn was shocked when his alarm went off and for a moment didn't know what it was. Then he remembered what and where his alarm was (his comms unit) and shut it down. Sitting up in bed, he tried to sort out where and when he was, finally calming down when Jilathe' stretched and gave him a sleepy smile.

No. That was J'sharra. Jilathe had been in an incredible dream last night--if it had been a dream at all.

J'sharra's waking confusion over things decided him. It had been a dream, yes; and it had been a great deal more.

Wondering eyes met his, then J'sharra asked, "It wasn't just a dream, was it? Or were we there with them, and they told us things we needed to know."

Tam'yn nodded, "Yes, it was more than a dream. I learned about a garrison that had forgotten it was just a garrison on his border and had tried to control a mountain pass for its own benefit, not for his Army's needs. I think he was warning me about this world, because in a lot of ways it's been left alone so it could stay 'secret', and the people here are forgetting there is an Empire out there that is more than an abstract idea, it's real and they're a part of it."

J'sharra nodded worriedly, "Jilathe' told me what An'kor had to do to regain control, and it haunted him the rest of his life. What a strange man he was."

Curious, Tam'yn asked, "Where were you? We stood in the entry to his pavilion, and I could see his camp but I couldn't see either Jilathe' or you? Were you in another dream?"

J'sharra blushed and replied, "No, we could hear An'kor's voice and yours, but we were in the Women's quarters. You were in his meeting area."

"But it was An'kor who ordered the abandonment of separate spaces for men and women on the grounds that it wasted resources and treated women as if they were property," Tam'yn protested then paused before saying, "or at least that's what I learned in school." Now he was confused. Was that what had really happened?

J'sharra explained, "At first Jilathe' accepted the arrangement, since it was what she was used to and it kept her children away from the warriors who still frightened her. Then one day as she listened to An'kor and Deleos Pyri'ka in the meeting area, she became curious and started peeking around the entry curtain and Deleos Pyri'ka saw her and asked An'kor who he was hiding away from the sun and its Light."

"An'kor was embarrassed. He had been preaching equality and yet he was treating Jilathe' Meronkono like a prisoner because she was a woman. He asked her to enter and sit with him. He introduced her to Deleos Pyri'ka, who was at that time his spiritual counselor and she found in him a friend she could depend on."

J'sharra sighed, "That evening, they went with Deleos Pyri'ka to watch the sun set over a lake, and An'kor asked her to be his wife; promising to care for and raise her children as their children. She asked him for a few days to think about it and he acceded to her request.

"When they returned to his pavilion, he took down the single red drape over the entry to her space that indicated 'restricted' women's quarters and had his servants put up divided curtains, making her rooms part of his own space. He also gave her a sash to wear that would tell every person in the camp that she was his guest and worthy of the same treatment they would give to him. Pyri'ka had one, too."

J'sharra's eyes were starting to cloud with tears as she went on; "She half expected him to come to her bed that night, since he had given her the same freedoms he had given to others, but he never did. He waited until she agreed to wed him and then on their first night together he was the most gentle man she had ever known. Her husband had been her husband, but An'kor became her husband and her lover too."

She wiped her eyes and completed her story, "That is when she began to see that he was indeed someone special. He had demons, yes; but they were driving him to help others, not hurt them. She learned his story, and she learned to comfort him when he wept for those he could not save."

Drawing a shuddering breath, J'sharra said, "Through Jilathe' I'm falling in love with An'kor too, only in his modern day incarnation; you, Tam'yn an' An'kor na' K'koro."

Hearing the change in his name, Tam'yn sat shocked and spellbound for several marks. Then he accepted her statement. He was Tam'yn an' Yere'kos, but he was also now Tam'yn an' An'kor na' K'koro. The name resonated through him as he sat and within him something was profoundly changed.

The Empire was his responsibility, even as it had been his ancestor's responsibility. An'kor had needed Jilathe' to bring his dream to fruition as he needed J'sharra to sustain it.

He could have stayed there all day thinking, but a wiser mind within him spoke, "We need to eat and then be ready for our transport to the M'Kereos. Shall we have one last meal in the restaurant on the first floor?"

J'sharra nodded. Whether she was Jilathe' or he was An'kor, their bodies needed food.

Leaving his float-chair charging, they went hand-in-hand down for their morning meal after calling Tan'yel and inviting him to join them. This time Tam'yn deliberately left the suit rations in the room. He'd eat them on the ship.

Tan'yel met them in his float-chair at the refectory-restaurant on the first floor and after carefully examining both of them, he said; "Looks like we all had interesting dreams last night. Wonder why?"

Tam'yn sighed, "Because I need to grow up a lot in a very little time, and I have some interesting coaches on both sides of the Light."

Tan'yel snickered, "Serves you right for hiding out in that niche on the right side at the back of their tomb. They saw you and liked what they saw."

J'sharra's jaw dropped as she gaped, "He did what?"

Tan'yel grinned as Tam'yn's inner ears blushed scarlet, "You know An'kor and Jilathe's tomb is directly under the Throne room, and the urn containing their ashes is directly under the Throne itself?" Tan'yel asked and J'sharra nodded, now curious.

"Well," Tan'yel went on, "there is a niche to the rear of the tomb on the right side, just under the stone arch with the pledge on it. I think originally it was for the jack that helped lift that stone in place after it had been carved. There was a niche on the left too, but it got covered over sometime after the pledge was set in place.

"Because the lighting in the tomb is directional, while the niche opening is in shadow, the actual niche itself is fairly well lit due to reflected light from the pledge illumination."

Then Tan'yel grinned, "Tam used to hide out there at first when people wanted him for something. Later, he snuck a pillow and some books into the space and had a nice little hide-away when he was wanted for something he didn't want to do. He hid out from teachers, courtiers, Ladies-in-Service who wanted him to get them pregnant, people who wanted favors from the Empress's firstborn; the whole damned lot of them. When I told the Empress where it was that her son kept disappearing to, she asked if there was room for her too. Regrettably, there wasn't."

"Then, when L'yrel was chosen..." Tan'yel stopped speaking for a moment as pain flooded into his eyes, "he hid out there a lot more," he concluded in a tight voice full of pain. His son took his right hand under the table, while his new daughter took his left one. Both of them held and squeezed for a moment.

When his hands were released and after he had used a napkin to wipe his eyes, Tan'yel looked at his family seated there at the table. His son, now a Viceroy, was showing some of the strength he would need in the future, while the girl he'd befriended at a K'Pyri'ah School who had become his son's Companion was showing the same strength his own flesh and blood had shown.

Perhaps L'yrel had blessed him with J'sharra, who was becoming as his own daughter in so many ways.

He sighed and was about to pick up the charges and pay them when his comms unit beeped along with Tam'yn's and J'sharra's. J'sharra had brought his comms unit from the ship and he had started wearing it, but right now it was being annoying.

Still grumpy, he pressed the contact button and asked, "Who is this and why did you call?"

There was a chuckle and then he heard his First Officer say, "I called to let you know we're cleared to leave in twelve turns. We're going to be away a while, so I thought you might like to come with us."

"You're so right, sir," Tan'yel grinned into the comms unit, "and since your Third officer is here and the Viceroy is too, I'll pass along the news. When do we get picked up?" His previous grumpiness was gone.

"You'll be contacted by A'sallah. He'll be bringing Dr. T'keron and the robot first so they can be settled in when the three of you load on. We have twenty percent more water thanks to the Engineering people here and over twice as much food; most of it in sub-century freezers that were installed just for it to stay cold in. The main Engineer and his team are still aboard doing minor adjustments and verifying upgrades, and will probably be the last people off before we lift."

Then another chuckle emerged from the comms unit and First said, "Apparently a fascination with minutiae is part of being an Engineer, since Rintallan, Tam'yn, and this guy all seem to like constantly adjusting both huge and tiny things throughout the ship. I have to admit though that the ship has never felt as 'right' as the M'Kereos does today. I'll see you all aboard soon, then." The connection broke and there was silence.

Tam'yn grabbed the bill and paid it, swiping it past his chest-located identity chip and then adding his Viceroy's bracelet for good measure. When the bill said "payment accept on imprint" he put his finger on the spot indicated and the bill turned blue indicating it was paid.

The Imperial seal sat at the top of the bill for good measure.

Setting the paid bill on the table, Tam'yn smiled and said," I hope this doesn't upset the planet's government too badly; doing that will have to wait until after we get back."

Tan'yel raised his eyebrows, but then J'sharra nodded in sober agreement with Tam'yn, so Tan'yel decided he would ask later. Later when they were safely on the M'Kereos; then he would ask.

The three of them separated to go to their rooms to finish packing, while at the table the server picked up the paid bill and stared at the Imperial seal on the top. Looking at the three places now vacated, he wondered which one had been the Viceroy. He also decided to keep this bill rather than have it reset for another customer. It would be something he could show his children; that there had been a Viceroy on this world and this was his proof.

Lake An'shal Commerce and Transportation Center:

Le'ahn yawned again as she leaned against the window of the Estate's medium hauler watching water and blue leaves pass under the machine. She had wakened well before dawn and spent nearly a turning dressing, undressing, and then trying something else. She had finally settled on a simple lightweight belted shift and closed-toe sandals to wear, since she would be nude when she had her treatment and for sometime after as her fur dried from the thorough washing to remove the chemicals so they didn't soften her fur too much--or make it come out.

She had wanted to wear something that would show her fur (and body) to advantage, but she knew what barely passed muster in the Palace would never be allowed by her Aunt. The lightweight shift was short enough to show her legs to advantage, and having a drawstring top, it could be lowered a bit to show off her breasts (or the fur floating over them). It left her arms bare, all the better.

This may not be the imitation of "Dancer's Silks" she liked to wear at the Palace, but for a country situation, this would do nicely.

Her Aunt was dressed practically and conservatively as always, although the trousers had imitations of closed slits in them and her leggings and shoes were different and fancier than her usual attire. Her blouse had what looked like more closed slits in it, but that was impossible; her sensible Aunt would never wear such flamboyant clothing. It was probably made to look like the panels and seams could be opened, rather than being openable in reality. Her Aunt was not that sort of person.

In the back of her mind, Velana was giggling for some reason and wouldn't share the source of her humor other than saying, "Fire burns hottest after being damped for a while," which made no sense at all.

Beside her, Terel wasn't there. Kor'ahn was watching everything in amazement and wonder and had been ever since he had seen Aunt Kara drive up in the hauler using the gravs to hold it a single ketra above the ground. Terel had chuckled and said, "I'll be back in a while," and then Kor'ahn had taken over Terel's body to better enjoy the wonders he was seeing.

Of course, to Kor'ahn, these were wonders. His world had consisted of J'korah hauled wagons and coaches and rarely, steam powered canal boats pulling two or three barges. He had died before the first experiments in steam-powered land transport had begun, and Velana had ridden in a steam-powered train for the first time at the age of seventy-nine, at the blazing speed of thirty ta-ketra a turning.

Now the world used gravs and impulse units and all manner of things that had not even been dreams when the two spirits had previously been in the "Sunset world". To both of them, there were wonders all over but Velana had a bit more experience in watching without getting visibly excited. She had been a Jurist and Advocate, both professions that encouraged a steady calm demeanor rather than obvious interest in anything other than the Law.

Guardian Commander Artol was just Artol an' Merenkon today, his uniform traded for leisure-wear that complemented Aunt Kara's clothing and there were five other off-duty Guardians with them in the flyer. Le'ahn was thankful that this vehicle had a third row of seats, since with a total of nine people in it things were rather crowded. Still, she had a window to watch out of and her brother's head rested against her shoulder as he stared at the landscape passing beneath them. She scooched over a bit on the seat so he could see more without being able to look down her shift in the process.

Then came a break in the fields and borders as a pair of monorail tracks slid under the flier and the course shifted to follow them. Moments later, the monorail terminal slipped under their flier and the shape of a rather large town emerged.

They had arrived at the Lake An'shal Commerce and Transport center and its attached community of five thousand people, the people who made things run and saw to it that harvests went out and ordered products came into the C&T center and were distributed to the farms and farming Estates scattered around the lake, as well as some retired people from the cities of T'Kiir'ah.

The flier did a controlled sideslip-spin and settled into a numbered slot in an open area where bulk haulers, fliers, transport-carriers, and other vehicles were gathered and parked.

They had arrived.

Aunt Kara and Artol were the first people out of the flyer, followed by Le'ahn, Terel, and five off duty Guardians as the safety system released the locks on the rear doors.

For the first time in forever, Le'ahn was in a town! No more Estate with bookkeeping, cleaning, helping her brother fix things, and Aunt Kara watching over them like some sort of watch-krenn.

There were stores! There were coat-dressers and appearance-practitioners! There were new clothes!

And Velana was roaring with laughter over something inside her head. Le'ahn frowned. What was so funny? Did the spirit she shared her body with dislike shopping?

"Oh hardly that, soul-sister, it was just that one thing hasn't changed in all the time I've been in the Light. We still love to shop, and this town looks well provided in that respect. Let's go!"

_ "We can't,"_ Le'ahn sighed mentally, "We're going to the coat-dressers first." Then she grinned internally, "but then we can go find things to show off our glorious newly treated fur."

Aunt Kara was waiting for her with obvious patience. "Finished?" she asked.

At Le'ahn's nod, she said, "We have appointments in ten marks. Let's go see what we want done."

As they departed the area, Le'ahn saw Terel walking with Artol, and both looked like they were serious about something. She wondered where they were going, and almost like she could read her niece's mind, Aunt Karavalan'ka commented, "Those two are off to our accountants and our Advocate. They'll be busy for a while, which gives us time to get started with our fur treatments."

"Oh," Le'ahn said as she returned to following her aunt, briefly wondering where they were going.

Aunt Kara walked steadily on until they were in the Town part of the settlement, leaving behind the Center. She headed for what was plainly an appearance practitioner's establishment. When they arrived, a Birallan girl with fantastic hair greeted them and took their names. She returned in a few marks and said, "You are both scheduled for a softening and highlightening, right?"

Karalan'ka nodded and asked, "Which products do you use? I don't want something that will harm my niece's skin."

The Birallan handed them a plate with several product choices on it. After looking carefully, Le'ahn saw the treatment An'kale used on her and asked the price.

The Birallan drew back and asked, "Do you really want something that cheap and harsh on your skin? While we carry it, we really don't recommend it. We have several treatments that are all natural-based, unlike that one, and they produce a much longer lasting softening effect and are a lot more comfortable to use, too."

Le'ahn stared slack-jawed. "It's cheap?" she asked, disbelieving her own ears.

The Birallan nodded, adding, "We have to be very careful with it because it contains some frankly poisonous compounds, and left on the skin too long can actually cause burns or make the fur to come out. We really, really don't recommend it."

Aunt Kara looked over at her stunned niece and suggested, "Perhaps we might try something else, just to see how well it does?"

Slowly, Le'ahn nodded in agreement, looking back at her aunt in obvious confusion. Why had An'kale used it if it was so potentially dangerous?

Karalan'ka chose an all natural deluxe treatment with highlighting color-packs and a claw trim and polish. They were led to a bath where three other women were soaking and relaxing, and soon the two of them were also relaxing in warm, flower-scented water which would start the cleansing process to get their fur ready for its treatment.

"What's your problem, Le'ahn?" she asked as her niece continued to stare into nothingness.

Slowly, Le'ahn turned her head and whispered, "When I had my fur softened at the Palace, An'kale claimed that treatment was the finest there was. He would go on about how safe it was and how wonderfully it worked."

Her ears drooped, "Now I'm told the same treatment he used on me is cheap, dangerous, and can lead to fur loss. I don't know what to believe."

Karalan'ka smiled gently and said softly, "Le'ahn, the world is full of people who sell things that aren't what they say they are. I take it he had an Appointment, since he practiced within the Palace, right?"

Le'ahn nodded, still looking lost.

Karalan'ka asked her, "Do you think your mother, our Empress, checks on every application that is presented to her? Le'ahn, she doesn't have time to do that. Those Appointments are overseen by a committee, basically making sure that the Appointee is capable, or in this case licensed, to do the work specified in the appointment. They make sure they're insured and meet all the other legal requirements when the Appointment is granted. It looks like this fellow squeaked through and set up shop selling cheap products at high prices. I wish I could say it's rare, but it isn't."

Then she whispered, "I'm just glad he was competent enough to keep from harming you. If he'd hurt you, I'd be furious and your mother would be worse."

Leaning back in the warm water, she said, "I think next time I contact your mother I'm going to suggest she have this person checked out by Security. Maybe one or two of his clients weren't as fortunate as you were and had their coats harmed. She needs to know."

"Thank you, Aunt Kara," Le'ahn replied quietly.

Karalan'ka smiled at her niece and said, "My little sister tends to get focused on big things too much, so now and then I remind her there is more to life than running an Empire. Don't be too hurt if he isn't there when you go back."

Then she asked, curious, "How much did he charge you for your coat treatment?"

Le'ahn replied worriedly, "Fifty five Imperials. I thought he was spending for supplies and that was why his fees were so high."

Karalan'ka snorted and said, "Le'ahn, for both of us, using a deluxe product and getting our claws polished and our fur trimmed, I'm spending forty-two Imperials, and that is for the two of us."

"He was using me," Le'ahn growled, "and I let him because I thought he was so caring and so careful." She didn't mention how cute he was, since by now she didn't think he was in any way cute, handsome or interesting. He was just a crook.

Karalan'ka leaned back a bit more and suggested, "Next time, check everyone's prices and what they do for those prices. Remember, you still need to make sure the J'korah you buy is honestly for sale and not stolen. It was true when my parents were children, and it's true today. Do your check-outs thoroughly, then buy."

At the Estate accountants, Kor'ahn was going over the profits and losses for several parts of the farm, copying some numbers onto a pad of paper. Then he stared at them for two marks and then asked for the transport charges for the past two cycles, comparing numbers and scowling as he stared at them again. There was a computer beside them that was being ignored as two people in one body worked on how the Estate was being cheated.

Artol was a bit confused although he could see what was happening. Kor'ahn was getting Terel the numbers he needed and Terel was turning them into percentages, markdowns, tax expenses and apparently a great deal else. Whatever else had happened, the Traitor's mental assault on Terel had turned him into a mathematical prodigy when it came to numbers and their calculation.

Suddenly he jumped up and shouted, "I have it! I see how they did it!"

The accountant who was assisting them looked surprised and Artol's jaw dropped.

"Look," Terel said, pulling up a line of numbers on the computer screen with their attached account names beside them.

"They flood the target market with an offer of old grain, maybe last year's seed crops or something," he said as he pointed at one set of numbers, "then they make the Estate an offer that seems slightly above the prevailing price for grain. Then they recover their grain offer, since it was never for sale to begin with; it was only an offer and that drove prices down."

"That's what they pay the Estate for the harvest. They have already made a big profit by depressing the market when the bids went out on what was a false evaluation. Then they hit the Estate again with transportation charges."

He entered some new commands in the computer and a map came up on the screen. He pointed at the Estate, a dot on the highway some distance from the Commerce and Transport Center.

"You see the road? According to the transport charge amounts, the Estate's grain is being moved by bulk carrier along that road to the C&T center, as in right here!" He stabbed the screen in another spot and then said, "Take it Kor'ahn".

He turned to the accountant and to Artol, "I have learned that the Estate ships its grain here by barge across Lake An'shal. The deceit employed is that both the barge and the road vehicle are referred to as 'bulk carriers' in the bills of lading, so Karalan'ka honestly didn't know how she was being swindled."

He looked at the screen and added, "The only time the grain could go by wagon is from the barge to the--ahh," he paused for a second then continued with ,"monorail. Is that how it is moved?"

Now the accountant was looking at the map and seeing what the young K'iir was talking about. He started to frown, then replied, "Grain from the barge is vacuum lift transported to a belt transport system and loaded into the monorail cars. The shipping company doesn't need wagons or anything else, the vacuum and belt system does everything.

The accountant got out a small hand held calculator as he backed up Terel's screen to the first image and entered some numbers into his own calculator. A few beats later, he nodded his head, saying; "This firm has had other farmers complaining about the odd prices in grain, but we aren't in the Storage Group and they have their own accounting firm, totally in house. Now I see why."

Turning to Terel, he said, "I believe this is a case for the Civil Guard. This is a new Storage Group, the old one was bought out by a group of investors from the City. That was when the whole region began experiencing odd grain prices, but when the five accounting firms here got together and ran a check on the system, everything tested out fine. We had to assume the situation was simply market-driven. Now I see it wasn't."

Terel nodded, "Precisely. K'Arrah is the center of the grain markets, and that is where I believe the prices were fixed to depress the contract values throughout the continent, perhaps even in the South. At the Estate, I ran a series of checks, and every time the market was depressed at the Exchange in K'Arrah, the local Storage Group took those numbers as their offer for grain crops. Depending on the extent of this manipulation and the number of Storage Groups they control, the price of bread could be controlled for the entire continent and perhaps farther.

"Someone is making a huge profit off of this, and their manipulations are sufficient to destabilize the very currency we use." He was staring at the map as though he were seeing something else, something ugly and dangerous.

Artol asked, "How can this destabilize the Imperial?" Now he was hearing things that concerned him a great deal and he wanted facts to take to the Empress.

It was the accountant who answered him, "Money has two values. One is its base value, such as the precious metals used in its making," he explained, "but the other is more important; the ability of that money to buy things. Let us say the cost of a ketra of bread is valued at ten Commercials. That makes one Imperial capable of buying five ketra of the same bread. Now suppose the price of that single ketra of bread costs one Imperial. The Commercial is de-valued by a factor of five.

"The buying power of the money we have is affected by the cost of basic things of life. If one ketra of bread is worth one Imperial, and this is the same bread that was selling for ten Commercials, then the whole value of the money in your pouch is reduced by a factor of five. That is what we call inflation, where prices inflate and render our specie, our money, worth less than it was prior to the inflation event." The accountant was beginning to sound worried, and that bothered Artol a great deal.

Terel stared at the computer screen and muttered, "That's what the rebel provinces did when Father took K'Arrah. They tried to break him economically...what fools they were! His army was still functional. He led his army and one by one he crushed the Grain Factors in those provinces as a lesson to the rest of the continent. He dealt fairly and honestly and he would not tolerate anything else in his neighbors. All those fools gained was death for themselves in the end. Now, it's happening again."

"Who are you talking about?" the accountant asked Terel, who was still staring at, or perhaps past the numbers on the computer screen.

Artol quickly answered, "Terel is a history major and he's been studying the post-conquest history of the Empire. He tends to get involved in his studies sometimes." His eyes slid over to Terel, who was still staring and then suddenly he jumped and turned and apologized, "Yes, Artol is right. I get wrapped up in my studies to the point that sometimes it feels like I was really there." He was blushing furiously.

The accountant nodded respectfully, "You're a wise young man, sir. Given your mathematical capabilities, I would strongly suggest you apply here for work should you need it. I was most impressed with your research and calculation skills, and my father would be too, and he's the senior partner here. Please consider us when your education is finished, you're a natural for a stock market advisor or loss control."

Terel thanked the K'iir for his kind words. Perhaps this could be a career for him later on, after Mother retired.

Artol asked the accountant, "Could you put my young friend's findings on a document we can present to the local Civil Guards? We started this when he found out that Holder Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos was being cheated for her grain, and we'd like to have something other than opinions to give to them." He was ready to present his Imperial Guardian identity card but it proved unnecessary.

"Give me five marks and I will go with you to the local Guards station," the accountant offered instead, "Holder an' Yere'kos isn't the only one of our accounts who are suffering as a result of this, and we are required by law to report any events of irregularity to the authorities. I just need to transfer it to a chip and get my jacket and then we can all go and sound the alarm."

Two turns later, Le'ahn walked out of the coat and body salon, her feet barely touching the ground. She had never felt as wonderful as she did now.

She had spent nearly five marks nude in front of the mirror in her dressing room letting Velana see what a softening treatment could do to her coat, and Velana had been dumbstruck. Le'ahn was golden and white smoke with fur that floated in the slightest breeze and not only had her claws been gilded and polished to glasslike smoothness but the fur in her ears had been trimmed and manipulated to look like golden tufts on each ear-tip. An'kale had never been able to make her look this good--ever.

Donning her belted shift and putting the leggings in her belt pouch only accented her appearance even more. She resolved to praise Aunt Kara no matter how she looked for showing her this place and even more for letting her learn of that wonderful good smelling fur treatment.

Stepping out into the waiting room, she sat and picked up a book while she waited for Aunt Kara to show up. There were static holo-models in the windows showing what the practitioners here could do if the customer were glorious to begin with. She watched the entry to the waiting room for her aunt.

That was when one of the window models turned and asked, "Are you ready Le'ahn?" and Le'ahn stared at her aunt in utter disbelief and stupefaction as the book tumbled to the floor from suddenly nerveless fingers.

Karalan'ka an' Yere'kos' brown and tan fur was now deep forest mold brown with flowing golden highlights in it. The panels in her blouse and trousers were open, allowing her fur to flow like smoke or mist while her tail was a cloud floating behind her. Her ears had little gold colored tufts reaching out of them and her hair was a dark river flowing down her back.

Le'ahn had seen Ladies in Service who spent fortunes on treatments and gowns who were perhaps a quarter as glorious as her Aunt. Aunt Kara was stunning!

And Aunt Kara gently reached out and took her niece's unresisting hand and led her out of the salon, finally stimulating Le'ahn into thinking again.

When Aunt Karalan'ka asked hesitantly, "Do you think Artol will like this?" There was a strange note in her voice that Le'ahn realized was doubt and a little fear.

She responded with, "Aunt Karalan'ka, if he doesn't like you this way, then we better watch him with Terel because that will mean he likes men."

After a moment of confusion, her aunt smiled and thanked her; adding, "That is one thing that I know we won't have to worry about." She wore a tiny knowing smile that Le'ahn wondered about immediately.

They shopped for a few things, Le'ahn getting a set of jeweled ear tips while Karalan'ka bought an enameled brooch in the shape of a Kala leaf. It took Le'ahn a few moments to realize what it meant. House Merenkon raised Kala for the tea and one of the House's markings was a Kala leaf, although not like this one.

As they walked back toward the Commercial area, Le'ahn enjoyed the eyes of the young men as they watched her...until she realized they were really watching her Aunt. Where did she learn that walk, with the gliding feet and the flowing hips? Le'ahn began to grow a bit jealous of her Aunt.

But she would not pout. Her Aunt deserved the accolade, and she could watch and learn and copy and improve.

They were part way to the Commerce section when one of the off-duty Guardians intercepted them and asked them to come with him to see his Commander. That was back in the town in one of the better restaurants in one of the private booths.

As she entered the booth for what she guessed would be a meal (it was nearing midday) she noticed all the "off duty" Guardians were at tables sited around the room where one of the sitters could see the door and the other could see the drape over the entry to the booth. Were they really "off duty"?

She sat at her Aunt's left while Terel sat at Artol's left, making a cozy group. She had the pleasure of seeing Artol's jaw sag slightly as he looked at her Aunt and smiled to herself. This was a good thing.

The meal was good, and wonderfully different from the Estate's food. After the meal, Artol pursed his lips and then said, "When we return to the Estate, I ask each of you to pack a carry-bag with two or three days clothing and necessities. We may get orders to leave as a safety precaution, given what Terel has discovered and what I have forwarded to the City and the Guardian Council and what they sent back."

"What are you talking about?" Karalan'ka asked as soon as he stopped speaking, "there are crops to get in and I have an Estate to run. Artol, what's going on?"

Artol sighed and started explaining; "Terel found out how the Estate is being cheated and," he glanced at Terel, who nodded, "Kor'ahn traced it to where the cheat was happening. It's happening in the City, and now we know who is involved and why."

"Half the planet's grain markets are being manipulated to undercut the price of grain and other food crops and with them the planet's very economy. The value of the Commercial has dropped six percent over the past segment in the areas where this manipulation is going on. Literally the very money in your belt pouch is shrinking in value as we sit here. Both Kor'ahn, Terel, and your own accountant say that whoever is doing this could crash the planet's economy in a matter of days, and because of the way this manipulation is being set up it can affect any of eight segments of society, from farmers to transport drivers to the very price of food itself within settled areas and cities.

"I contacted the Council and shared notes with them, and the person who is most deeply involved in this is one High Lord Antero-Kessa, who went missing earlier this tenday along with some fake Alar mercenaries doing maneuvers on his lands in the south.

"He is the leader of the "Progressive party and his disappearance has the Parliament nearly paralyzed with infighting over his vanishing act. He was spotted on a..." he paused to think, "a sort of colony of undesirables. Yesterday, he vanished again. We think he is assembling an army, and his false Alars were a distraction that we fell for completely.

"He has the money to hire as many renegades as he needs, thanks in large part to his market manipulation. When he is ready to invade, he will signal his people here to crash the economy. That will tie up the Civil Guards, the Territorial's, the Imperials; everybody. Then he makes his move and invades. He won't need a daughter to put on the Throne, he'll have an army to put himself there after he wipes out the current Royal family. That means his forces will target the various an' Yere'kos estates unless the families in residence are already gone.

"He has a lot of forces, but not enough to waste on an Estate whose Holder is missing. The Empress he will kill if he can; either by one of his puppets or with his army. By the time the Throne's forces reorganize from managing the economic collapse to defending the Empire it will be all over. He will have won."

Karalan'ka stared, suddenly undercut by what Artol was saying.

Le'ahn asked nervously, "What about Mother? Can't she make the Parliament stop bickering? She's the Empress for the Gods' sake, can't she do something?"

Artol nodded, "She can and she will. She needs time to set things in motion, and our discovery may have bought the time she needs. It won't be a total surprise at least."

Karalan'ka found her voice and asked, "Then why are we sitting here in a restaurant when we need to be doing...doing..."

"Something?" Artol asked, completing her question. "We are, right now. I know there is a contingency plan in place for something like this, but I don't know what it is. I know what it is that I am to do, and my Guardians with me. When we get the word, you three, along with your cousin the salesman and his family will disappear, leaving your managers in control of the Estate and managing the money. You all will disappear, along with myself and my Guardians to a place of safety. Once she knows her family is safe, she will probably dismiss the Parliament and call for elections because as of now it is doing even less than when Alcys'ka died. Beyond that, I can guess that she may declare Martial Law if that is the only way she can keep the peace, and she can block the attempt to crash the economy by instituting wage and price controls."

Looking around the table, he said; "This whole usurpation scheme began during the reign of Empress Davin'ka an' Torem and has been maturing ever since. Twice, it seemed ready to move, but then backed away because of the public's support for the reigning Empress. If the current Empress has to dismiss the Parliament, institute Martial Law, and put up wage and price controls; she will have done exactly what the conspirators want her to do. Even though many will realize she is acting for the good of the whole planet, there will be a noisy minority who will call her a tyrant, an insane person, and even a usurper of An'kor's Empire.

"That will be exactly what the Conspirators want, since then when Antero-Kessa lands with his troops he will be seen as a liberator, not a usurper," the Guardian concluded bitterly.

Now shifting his focus to Karalan'ka, he said, "That is why you may need to hide. When your sister moves, she cannot afford to leave anyone in her family to the mercies of the mobs. She won't have the spare resources to protect you then, so she is protecting you now."

Karalan'ka nodded once, misery in her face. "She's right. The Estate has been accused of being specially favored by the Throne several times. The accusations have come to nothing, but still the Estate has been the target of some really ugly claims and threats. Under the situation you outline we'd be helpless targets for anyone who doesn't like my little sister."

"When do we leave? I'll need to speak to a few of my lead workers and the accountants so the Estate pays its bills," she said sadly, seemingly resigned to her fate.

"I don't know," Artol replied, "I really don't. I've already spoken to the Local Guard so all you need to do is give your representative a note with a set of code phrases on it. They'll advise your accountants to accept the people you designate under your signature."

Then he shrugged, "As to the when, it could be tomorrow, it could be in a tenday, or it may never happen; remember, this cabal has pulled back twice from acting in the past. They may be waiting for the 'perfect circumstance' and it hasn't happened yet. You just need to be ready to go, because when we get the signal there won't be time to pick and choose what you take."

"So we pick sensible and serviceable clothes," Karalan'ka sighed, "I can't say I'm surprised at that."

A little hesitantly, Guardian Artol suggested, "Perhaps you could include what you're wearing now? You look incredibly beautiful in what you're wearing."

Karalan'ka's hand went to her face for a moment, then she asked, "You mean that? You really mean that?" Her eyes were wide and her ears raked forward in surprise.

Guardian Artol blushed a little and nodded, "Yes, Kara, I do. Perhaps we could talk a bit more back at the Estate, or perhaps here, a bit later?" There was an odd note in his voice.

Karalan'ka sat immobile for a moment, then sighed a little; "We'll have to wait a little. I need to order some supplies," she explained, "and they can be delivered," she decided abruptly.

"Perhaps I could help?" Guardian Artol suggested, and at first Karalan'ka seemed ready to say no, but then she decided, "Terel and Le'ahn know where the flier is and they can be there in half a turning--can't you?" she said suddenly, turning on Le'ahn. She knew they would have escorts all the way back, courtesy of the "off duty" Guardians.

Le'ahn shrank back for a moment before nodding vigorously, "Yes, Aunt Karalan'ka, we'll be there, Terel and I." Her beauty treatment was forgotten under her Aunt's basilisk glare. Then she realized what had happened and asked, "Could we look in the shop windows on the way there?" She was hoping for a yes.

Her answer was another stare from her Aunt and an admonition; "No more than fifty Imperials for each of you;" then she turned to glare at Terel, "And do not forget those parts we need. Put them on the Estate's account. The rest comes out of your allotments."

Terel smiled, "Yes, Aunt Kara, and thank you."

As they left the eatery, Terel made a face which caught Le'ahn's attention. "Why the odd look?" she asked, to which Terel grumbled, "How do I pay off a bet I made to Kor'ahn? He bet me Artol would ask Aunt Kara to be his Companion, and I said 'no way, not the way things are now' and I lost. Now I owe him but since he's me, I owe it to myself, somehow."

Le'ahn glanced at him and asked, "What makes you think they're going to do that?

Terel, now ears-a-droop, replied; "The supplies she wanted are this way, the way we're going. They left and walked straight across the street."

"So?" Le'ahn asked, glancing back at the buildings along the street and not seeing anything that looked special. "What's back there?" she asked, turning to watch where she was going and trying her version of her aunt's gliding walk.

"He and I were there earlier," Terel explained, "where they went is the Civil Recorder's office. That's where Kor'ahn found the links to Lord Antero-Kessa and his manipulation of the grain prices, since they have a high level government connection. It's also where people go to register their Companionship declarations."

Le'ahn nearly stumbled but Terel caught her before she fell. Now it was Le'ahn's turn to be grumpy; "Velana is laughing herself silly in my head," she complained to her brother, " Your payment problems are easy compared to this."

"So let's distract ourselves with what's for sale here?" Terel suggested, which improved Le'ahn's demeanor immensely.

"Yes, lets;" she agreed, "we may need some few special things when we disappear, and I'm certain these shops have them."

Slightly more than half a turning later, two young people were waiting by the flier, surrounded discreetly by five incognito Guardians. She had several bags and boxes while he had two bags and a handful of receipts.

They weren't surprised in the least when Aunt Karalan'ka and Guardian Artol appeared walking from the town arm in arm. For some reason Aunt Karalan'ka's inner ears were pinkish and she wasn't acting at all like Aunt Kara. Neither was Guardian Artol, although they were less familiar with him. One of the "off duty" Guardians snickered.

Aunt Kara unlocked the flier and Le'ahn put her purchases in the interior cargo section along with Terel's purchases. Terel handed their Aunt his receipts, which she checked over quickly and then folded into her belt pouch as the Guardians climbed into their seating and Terel stole the window seat while his sister was staring at their Aunt and the Guardian. They were sitting side-by side, leaving enough space for another person in the front seat.

A very startled Le'ahn thumped into the seat that had been Terel's on the way to the Commerce center and sat there while her aunt lifted the flier and entered the course command that would take them back to the estate. Suddenly realizing where she was sitting, she turned her head and glared at her brother, who simply smiled at her and then watched the world slide under them as they flew back to the Estate.

Once airborne, Karalan'ka opened her belt pouch and went through the receipts for the items Terel had either ordered or arranged delivery for and nodded her head in approval. Then she looked over at Artol and smiled. Her hand found his and their fingers twined together while Le'ahn sat behind them drop-jawed with shock.

Glancing back at her niece she chuckled and explained, "Artol's orders have him with us for a very long time, thanks to my sister. When he asked her permission to seek me as his Companion, she said he might." Her inner ears were decidedly pink.

"Actually, " the Guardian said, "her response was 'what took you so long?' and my orders are now to provide permanent protection for the Empress's family and specifically her sister. The issue of Companionship is actually a side issue since I was officially 'retired' and have been working simply as an 'agent' of the Throne since before I arrived here. I've traded teaching Guardian students for learning how to farm and watching over my Empress's family."

"How long do you think it will be before they attack?" Le'ahn asked nervously.

"Given what they have to do prior to the attack on us, and assuming nothing went wrong; it is estimated we would have had about half a Cycle," Guardian Artol replied, "and today Terel and his...friend gave us a name. The Palace Guardians in the City will verify that person's connection with the Usurpation plot and when they do, the Throne will seal his finances and properties to protect him and his offspring until the question is resolved under the law."

"That will cut off most of his money and weaken his or his group's ability to manipulate grain prices," Artol said with a cold smile, "and since we can prove his criminal manipulation in Law Court, thanks again to Terel, we may have forestalled the attack on the Throne indefinitely, or at least we can hope we have."

He shook his head, "In a way, it's too bad that Terel broke the case, since anyone else would get both a reward and possibly a Title for their actions. However, since he's the Empress' son, it's merely 'expected of him' as service to the Empire. Sorry, Terel."

Terel shrugged, "It was both of us," he admitted, "and Kor'ahn can't be rewarded that way, so it's fair that neither of us get anything." Then, curious, he asked; "So why do we still have to be ready to hide at a moment's notice?"

Sighing, Commander Artol replied, "The plot has been slowed but it hasn't been stopped. I wouldn't be surprised if the plotters had a contingency plan for one or more of their number being found out, in fact I would bet on it. The Empress's family is still at risk, perhaps less from this specific group of people but this plan is generations old and has had time to get its tentacles into other groups unhappy with the Empire or at odds with the current Empress. We know we can't out think them all, and there are probably splinter groups of two or three people we know nothing about, so while the danger from one source is reduced, you are still at risk; hence the disappearing act."

Turning in his seat to face the two youngsters, he said bluntly, "As long as any members of the Empress's family are alive, these people can be blocked or stymied in their attempt to gain power. That is why your mother sent you here to the family Estate; you are somewhat less at risk here than in the City. The Imperial City, great K'Arrah, is full of strangers coming and going all the time. Strangers here will stand out. We can protect you here a bit better than in a city at the confluence of three rivers with a population of two million people."

"So here, we're safe?" Le'ahn asked hopefully.

"Less endangered," Artol corrected her, "As long as your mother is Empress, no place in the Empire is totally safe for you or for anyone related to the Imperial Family. You're at risk because of who you are. We reduce that risk in several ways wherever we can. That is why there are so many levels of Guardians. Trying to keep the peace and provide a reasonably safe environment for the citizenry is an endless task for us, but to honor your ancestor's vision of a better T'Kiir'ah, we continue to try to make this world a place where the Conqueror's Laws and Principles remain the guiding light for our civilization."

Then he chuckled, "I still sound like I'm teaching Guardian enlistees their first lessons in their training regimen." He shook his head and then settled himself back in his original position beside Karalan'ka, taking her hand again.

Both of the young people were more than usually quiet and thoughtful for the rest of the trip back to the Estate. They had known that being who they were, there was a degree of risk; but they hadn't realized that it was as real as the Guardian had pointed out to them.

It was unsettling, but it was a part of their life.

Tam'yn, J'sharra, and Tan'yel watched the planet flow under their flier as they traveled back to the M'Kereos, soon to be their home again. Things had changed in the days they had been on this planet; when they had arrived the Commandant had sent his personal gig to pick up Tan'yel and the Viceroy, complete with an overdressed "Commandant's aide" to see to their needs on the trip to the hospital.

Now, they were riding in a standard issue flier, the Commandant's gig was "being serviced" and was unavailable. A'sallah had been pulled away to some special meeting of the Council and couldn't fly them to the M'Kereos. He would be following them with a shuttle capable of off-planet flight and equipped with a special auto-pilot that would navigate the M'Kereos off this world and into space, piloting it automatically so no navigation data would be recorded into the M'Kereos iron log and give away the location of an impossible planet that was a Sanctuary for the Empress should some calamity make her have to flee T'Kiir'ah.

The pilot seemed nervous, glancing back at them from time to time, but wouldn't speak when they spoke to him. He acted like he was almost afraid of them.

They knew why. Shortly before they were ready to depart, a representative of the Guardian Council who ran this world had visited Tam'yn's room and had politely requested him to rescind his Appointment of a Simplistic group as his providers of clothing and leather items.

The reason given had been that this group was too small to be able to meet the requirements the Council had in place for its suppliers, and they showed no capability of filling any but the smallest of orders for clothing and uniforms.

Tam'yn had explained the Appointment was for himself, not the planetary Government and had politely declined to rescind his Appointment, explaining that as a Viceroy, it was a part of his job to reward innovation and praise development of new ideas.

The conversation had gone back and forth, always polite but as time went on, closer to drawing blood with each passage.

Finally, Tam'yn had stated firmly, "These people are people I have chosen to make my clothing when I am here. They have our measurements for several custom orders for when we return in four segments time. Simply stated, I like their ideas and I wish them to be my clothing makers, and that is the end of it. I'm not trying to tell your Council who to buy from, there are laws about that. I just want their product they produce for my own use, and that is the end of it."

"As you say, your Radiance," the Council representative had replied and then departed the room stiffly and obviously unhappy.

J'sharra had returned a little later after visiting with Tan'yel and had commented on the change she had seen in the hallway.

"What?" Tam'yn had asked sourly.

"The Guardians," she said, "They're all over the floor here, and the street fair from yesterday is gone. I thought they were here for another few days."

Tam'yn had frowned and finished his packing, speechless.

"What happened," J'sharra asked. Tam'yn gave her a brief synopsis.

"They couldn't be that petty," she said after the shock of his words had worn off. "They are Guardians! They are made up of the best people on the planet, all sworn to uphold Imperial Law and to protect the public!"

Tam'yn remained silent a little longer, then; "They are operating under a Charter that even I can't gain access to with this," he said while pointing to his Viceroy's bracelet. "Unless that Charter is renewed by each successive Empress, it dies when its maker does. Remember how one of their 'Special' officers told us that Imperial Law is an option here, not the fact? I'm beginning to wonder just how this world is being governed, since I can't get a straight answer from any source I ask unless I factor in 'the Council is running this world as it chooses'. Even that would be alright, since the Empire accepts and respects democratic governments. I'm beginning to worry about how really 'democratic' this government is, though."

Then his frown deepened, "J'esa, I just spent an unpleasant half-turning with a Council flunky who wanted me to rescind my appointment of the Simplistic group as my clothing makers. He gave me all sorts of reasons of why they were unacceptable to the Council, and couldn't --or wouldn't understand that these Appointments are things Viceroys are supposed to do to stimulate growth and reward innovation."

"So, did you?" she asked, looking concerned.

"No, although it got a little angry at the end," Tam'yn admitted.

She grew worried, "Do you think the Council will take it out on those Simplistic people?"

Tam'yn shook his head, "No. I really don't think they are quite that petty. They may not buy any of the Collective's products, but the Appointment will stick and the public should be willing to try something the Empress's representative likes."

J'sharra had nodded and they spoke of other, less stressful things until it was time to return to the M'Kereos. Tan'yel arrived with four packages in his chair pouches and a look of restrained anger on his face but wouldn't say anything. When the three of them entered the hallway, every door to every room had a Guardian standing in front of it, blocking entry. The message was obvious. Unescorted, they had gone to the landing stage they had previously used and instead of the Commandant's gig, a standard flier was parked there with a worried looking pilot standing beside it.

They had loaded in without a word being said, and when J'sharra had tried to converse with the pilot, he remained mute.

Both Tan'yel and Tam'yn were patiently waiting for the pilot to enter the cockpit while J'sharra tried to get a response from him to no avail. As he passed Tam'yn, he made a tiny gesture towards the ceiling and things fell into place. The flier had listening devices in it outside of the norm, possibly even vid units. The pilot was afraid.

Thus, when they sighted the M'Kereos standing on the semi-deserted landing pad, the ship was a haven for them.

When the flier slipped into the upper flight deck and the doors opened to let them out, the pilot followed them out and into the hangar bay. Looking around, Tam'yn could see people working but the First Officer, Captain Or'mate, was nowhere to be seen. One of the Engineers on the flight deck was talking to someone on a ship's communicator, but that was all. There were the usual noisy sounds of work being done and vessels being maintained, but obviously they had arrived unexpected by everyone.

Word had not been sent of their departure to their ship.

Furious, Tam'yn was ready to blister paint when he saw J'sharra speaking to their pilot in hushed tones well away from the aircraft that had brought them there. Her ears and eyes indicated her worry, and the more she spoke, the more worried she became.

Hurriedly, Captain Or'mate showed up, along with the Second officer and Engineer Rintallan, all at a run while the pilot nodded to J'sharra and returned to his aircraft.

First Officer Or'mate saluted Tam'yn who returned his salute with his own.

"What happened?" First asked, "we got no word of your departure from the hospital, in fact communications with everyone have gone sour and we can't get anything in or out. I apologize, your Radiance, for not being here to welcome you aboard."

After a few beats, slumping and staring at the floor, Tam'yn replied, "I may have misjudged the loyalty of this world's government, seriously so. I just hope people don't get hurt as a result."

Then, turning to face the First officer and Captain, he saluted and then asked, "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"

First Officer Or'mate saluted and replied, "Granted, your Radiance. Welcome back."

J'sharra and Tan'yel repeated his request and were made welcome aboard their ship again. They were all home.

Shortly, up in the conference room, Tam'yn and J'sharra explained what had happened to their Captain while Tan'yel looked on with a measure of embarrassment and anger on his face.

Captain Or'mate asked, "So, because you wouldn't revoke something, this planet's Council started acting like spoiled children?"

J'sharra nodded, "I spoke to the pilot once we were far enough away from his flier for him to speak and not be overheard. He had orders to literally dump us on the ground outside the M'Kereos and then return to his base. He broke orders bringing us inside. He said something about spoiled brats with braid on their shoulders and then apologized for being silent on the trip here, but again he was under orders."

First worried, "Do you think we'll be able to find our way back here when we've completed the first section of our mission? We are supposed to transmit a specific r-f signal and within half a day a guide ship will couple with us and guide us back in. All this world would have to do is not reply and we'd be in trouble."

"Within half a day?" Tan'yel commented dryly, "well, that tells us how far away we are from their system, or at least gives us a working idea of the distance, and this ship is well equipped for finding double stars in a certain color range."

Tam'yn asked, "Has A'sallah arrived yet?" and First shook his head.

"Then the resolution is yet to be met," he said cryptically, "One K'iir's honor can redeem a world's shame."

It was three turnings later when A'sallah's shuttle landed in the M'Kereos' hangar deck and discharged J'ina T'keron and the robot T'oko. Their personal things were already aboard and the Second officer escorted them to their quarters near Tam'yn's and J'sharra's suite in the after section of the highly protected' blast egg' area of the upper hull.

While that was happening, A'sallah had re-entered the shuttle and exited the hangar deck and moved the shuttle to a specially designed airlock on the top of the main hull, docking there and so creating a data interface with the M'Kereos' flight computers that would allow the special autopilot in the shuttle to navigate both vessels to a point well away from the solar system containing "Home" before turning over control to the M'Kereos flight systems and returning to the planet on its own.

Once the docking was complete, T'oko exited J'ina T'keron's quarters and sped through the ship, taking the Transporter system to the docking hatch where A'sallah was waiting for him. Rolling into the shuttle, T'oko attached a light cable to an access port on the shuttle's main console and then plugged the other end into a port in his side.

He was silent for a moment, then told A'sallah, "I have integrated myself into the shuttle's navigation programs so that I may make copies of them as they are generated by the navigation system. This will be easy."

A'sallah was less certain, asking, "Are you sure? There could be security programs in the autopilot that could cause you harm. I don't want you hurt."

T'oko buzzed, his version of a chuckle, "Officer A'sallah, this system is a simpler version of myself. It thinks I am a part of it, and is happy to have an upgrade in power and processing."

Then, turning his head to the officer, he added, "Your precaution is wise, though. Once takeoff is initiated..." he paused, then asked, "Who is supposed to return this shuttle to Home once its mission guiding the M'Kereos is completed?"

"Isn't it programmed to detach and return on its own?" A'sallah asked curiously, "That's what I was told would happen."

"No," T'oko replied, "There are no return instructions at all. I have downloaded the departure course, but there is no return course. There is simply a nav-pack dump command which will erase all the navigation data in the shuttle's navigation system."

Worried, A'sallah asked, "What is the time stamp on that command? Is it old or recent?"

T'oko answered, "The time stamp is two turnings, ten marks ago. It is the last command and was entered today. Why?"

A'sallah's voice was low and angry; "Can you remove it? I know who did it now, and he's one of the Council's agents. He was in this shuttle when I entered it and asked me if I really wanted to trash my career by doing this. He offered to take my place as a 'favor'. He laughed when I told him to get out."

T'oko remained silent for several beats before saying, "It is gone, although it would not have worked in any case. The syntax was incorrect. The primary shell would have rejected it."

That brought a snort from A'sallah, "He never was any good with computers. All he managed to do in school was--" he paused, then asked, "T'oko, run a malware check on the navigation system. The only thing he was good at was making malware."

T'oko nodded, then went silent for several marks while A'sallah paced back and forth in the shuttle's cabin. There was a knock on the hatch frame and First poked his head in and asked, "Is something wrong? We're getting questioned as to why we're still here, and whoever is asking doesn't sound happy about it."

A'sallah turned to face the ship's First officer, then looked away, ashamed.

T'oko broke the silence by saying, "Yes. There was a specific attack program intended to cripple the M'Kereos' navigation computers. It was loaded two turnings, twelve marks ago, two marks prior to the dump command which would have erased it. I have sequestered it in the system's security file. There are no other harmful programs in active access."

Now angry, A'sallah turned to First and said, "Launch. Use your own navigation systems. They won't know it's you, since the navigation system in this shuttle would do the same thing. Take the ship into space at a standard flight angle. Forget the 'deaf and blind' order."

First nodded once and vanished back into the ship.

A'sallah stared out the forward screen of the shuttle fists clenched and extended claws digging into his palms. Slowly, his anger abated.

"A'sallah?" T'oko asked, "I have copied the data within the navigation system. What do you want me to do now? I need to assist mother with her midday meal soon."

"Go on, T'oko," A'sallah said in a quiet voice; "I need to see the Viceroy, and then..." he looked around the shuttle; "...and then, honestly, I don't know."

After T'oko had departed, he went into the center section of the shuttle, opened a supply cabinet and got out a sprayer. He sprayed his palms with wound seal and waited for the bleeding to stop. Then he took a disposable wiper from the same cabinet and wiped the blood off his hands. He closed the cabinet door after putting the wiper in the trash container under the first-aid supplies.

His younger brother had been in the shuttle when he had arrived, wearing a smirk on his face that generally meant "trouble" for someone. He had offered to take the shuttle himself and "boost the vagrants" off the planet with it. A'sallah had told him to get out or be thrown out.

"Be it on your own head then, idiot," his brother had laughed. Then, sneering, "I promised Father I would leave the family alone, but you chose to ignore my kindly offer. Falos'ka may be dead, but his organization and ideals live on. Remember that out there, brother. The Black Jackets live on, and we will keep the planet secure from all troublemakers, no matter what, and no matter who."

As he stepped out, he laughed, "Have a really nice trip!" Then the hatch closed on his retreating back as A'sallah pushed his Anak' back down into control. He had to stay in control now, since he was about to commit a terrible crime by betraying every trust his family and the Council had put in him, with the Viceroy as his focus.

It had gnawed at him on the way to the main spaceport but he had managed to pass it off as nervousness about the coming flight when he landed at the Guardians office to get his off-planet nav-pack for the shuttle. It had chewed on him on the way to the M'Kereos as he brought J'ina and T'oko to the starship.

Subverting T'oko had been the first part of it, and in a way a safety system for his plan. T'oko now could get the ship back to Home, given the data in his memory.

Now he was committed to the second part, the one involving the Viceroy. He slid his fingers over the compact heavy stunner in his belt pouch. It was only good for half a dozen shots at the power setting he'd set it to, but he should only need one.

He got into the Transporter and told it to take him to the Viceroy's residence aboard the ship. Less than a mark later, the doors slid open and he stepped out into a surprisingly lush hallway with the set of fancy doors in it that led into the Viceroy's suite. He felt a slight shudder and a slight sideways movement, meaning the M'Kereos was in flight and headed offworld and the compensators weren't working yet because they were still in the gravity field of the planet called Home.

Swallowing his fear, he stepped smartly to the doors and knocked.

A moment later, the doors opened and Tam'yn looked up and smiled to see him.

"Come in, A'sallah," he said in an obviously relieved tone, " we're finally moving. After the treatment we got at the hospital, I was afraid we might have to lift off on our own. Since you're here, apparently we aren't."

"No, your Radiance, the M'Kereos is navigating itself off this world on its own," he replied, "the deaf and blind' order was rescinded."

"It was?" Tam'yn was surprised and now a bit worried. "Who lifted it?" he asked warily as he gestured A'sallah into their cabin and out of the corridor, closing the doors.

"I did, your Radiance," A'sallah replied, starting to tremble a little. He turned to face Tam'yn. Clumsily reaching into his belt pouch, he put a data chip in Tam'yn's hand, "Here, sir. These are the stellar coordinates of the Home system and the challenge responses you need to get there. You don't need to ask permission now, not that you would get it. I was at a Council meeting earlier today and the majority of the Council decided not to respond to your signal when you returned as it posed a threat to the safety of Home and potentially violated their Charter. They decided it would be better to pretend they never received your signal than deal with the potential of discovery of this world. They would have left you to find another colony world or die in space."

Then, suddenly, he felt calm. He had done it. While the Viceroy stared at the data chip in his hand, he took out his stunner, was about to raise it to his own head and pull the trigger when a reddish blur kicked it out of his hand and across the room. He dropped to his knees, grabbing his forearm as he did.

J'sharra landed beside him, balanced on one foot, eyes wary and ready to strike again. There was no trace of the Priestess in her eyes or stance now.

He stared at her, then down at his arm (which was beginning to hurt). He looked up again as Tam'yn knelt in front of him while J'sharra copied her Companion's move to one side, the wariness leaving her eyes, to be replaced with concern.

Tam'yn sighed, "My friend, you committed no crime; your Council did. Once I got back on board, I used the ship's database to check on a few things. Your planet is under Imperial law, not that damned Charter, and has been since Imperial Cycle 1155 when Empress Relana'kora died. The Charter was so secret that it was never renewed by her successors. They didn't know about its existence! With its originator's death it became invalid since no other Empress has put her seal on the document to continue it.

"Home has been under Imperial law for a hundred twenty Cycles and nobody in the population there knew it. I suspect that the Council knew they were operating on their own, but of course they were in a position to make sure nobody else knew it and they were willing to commit Treason to keep it that way. That will be dealt with when this ship returns to Home and we have landed on top of their damned Council building."

Standing, he offered his hand to A'sallah, who took it and shakily stood up.

"So that was why the Charter was kept under crystal in the Council Chamber," he replied shakily, still in shock. "I was always told it was a protective measure."

Tam'yn admitted, "This isn't the first time something like this happened. Go look up the story of the K'Gonra Garrison, it happened then, too. The Empire has always been at risk of forgotten garrisons or hidden planets and people taking the law into their own hands. With An'kor, he forgot the garrison was up there until the caravans stopped coming. With K'Moro's island, the charts were misplaced and the settlement there broke down into barbarism. There are over a dozen instances where some error caused the loss of Imperial law or worse. We're always misplacing things in this Empire of ours. So far, we've been lucky."

A'sallah had been led to a chair and made to sit in it. Tam'yn and J'sharra faced him over a low table, standing.

Tam'yn turned and paced for a moment before he turned back to A'sallah. "The Empire is shamed in that it accepted 'good enough' from its limited contacts with your world for so long. A'sallah, you aren't a traitor. You are someone who exemplifies the best in what Guardians are; like my father, Tan'yel. I would be honored to call you my friend," he added, extending his hand.

Nodding, tears streaming, A'sallah took his Lord's hand with the Warrior's grip. A red furred hand covered both as J'sharra added her blessing to their pledge to each other.

A'sallah was stunned at what he was feeling. This Viceroy was younger than he was by over a decade, but he seemed greatly older and much wiser, somehow.

This young-old K'iir was a conundrum to him and stirred feelings within him he didn't understand; old feelings, strange feelings.

He also knew he would follow this young-old K'iir anywhere, even to death.

Ch. 14: Questions and more.

Not so much later, in Healing, A'sallah was still trying to figure out what had happened to him, there in the Viceroy's Residence.

Healer J'nero finished the scan of his arm and asked, "How ever did you manage to crack that bone in your forearm? Did you hit something with it?"

A'sallah shook his head and replied, "Not really. I've asked J'sharra to start teaching me what Pyri's temples teach their Dancers in the way of self defense. I've never seen anyone move that fast, and I'm a Guardian."

J'nero stared at him and muttered, "Tam'yn. He's contagious." Then the Healer asked cautiously, "Generally, ahhh, what did you do to make this happen to you?"

"I gave him something to protect this ship," A'sallah replied, not wanting to admit his suicide attempt.

"Right," J'nero said, rolling his eyes, "and this is what he did to you?"

"No, it was his Companion, J'sharra. She saved my life, and I found a friend in both of them," A'sallah replied, still amazed, "I was going to do something stupid but she stopped me. Then they accepted me as a friend to them."

Shaking his head, Healer J'nero said, "I'll give you some pain pills and put your arm in a light splint for a tenday. Whatever it was, don't do it again, please. I looked up what the Dancers can do in the ship's database when Tam'yn asked about learning some of the moves and yes, they are really fast when they need to be."

Then he added, "You see Counseling, too. I'll get you an appointment."

Tam'yn stared at the data chip in his hand. A'sallah had risked death getting it for him. He had gone against every oath he had taken to do it. Then he had brought it to him as a gift? An apology? Why? Because his Council had committed Treason against the Empire? He didn't know, but he felt he should, somehow.

If J'sharra hadn't been there, A'sallah would have killed himself while he stood there dumbfounded. She had saved A'sallah's life and perhaps injured his arm. It had obviously been hurting him when he left to see the Healers after taking Tam'yn's hand and J'sharra's blessing.

Tam'yn walked to the navigation repeater that was a part of the decor in the room and stared at the hologram there. The M'Kereos was a dot in the center, as always. Behind and beneath the M'Kereos and slowly drawing away was a dot lacking any identification. That was Home. At the right edge of the display, two moving stellar indications were adding data as they moved. By the time the M'Kereos was ready to go superluminal, the ship's navigation and science scanners would have identified the two stars, making it possible to find them again. Ahead--was nothing. Those scanners were still calibrating and outside of masses to avoid and energy fields that were dangerous, the navigation display would show nothing until those scanners were fully calibrated.

They were going there, into that nothing, to find a people who had built a robot and sent it into space. Somewhere out there, now better defined by the navigation update he had received, was their destination; a world that circled a single star not unlike the one that lit T'Kiir'ah.

The M'Kereos, the Swift Arrow, had just been launched at a target out in the dark of interstellar space.

They would find their mark and then return to Home and contact T'Kiir'ah from orbit if necessary. They would find allies out there in the dark, according to the ghost of the Empire's founder.

His hearts began to beat faster as he felt the subtle change of vibration under his feet that meant the M'Kereos had jumped to superluminal velocity. The numbers began to scroll across the navigation display; Lumen 1, then 2, then 4 then 7 and higher.

They were on their way at last.