Alliance Hunter

I sat there for a while undecided. I was aware of the scrutiny Joyce was giving me. Yet she hadn’t commented.

“I’m not sure I should do this?” I finally asked her.

“And leave it unresolved Gwen that isn’t you is it?”

I gave a deep sigh. Joyce was correct I couldn’t leave things as they were I had to know the reason the palace wanted to talk to me. I tapped the comms address my mother had provided. The screen showed a young man in the purple and green of the palace.

He stared at the screen his brow furrowed. “Who are you?” he demanded curtly. “How did you get this comms number?”

I was taken aback by his vehemence. “I was given it.”

“By who?” The man sounded angry.

Through the corner of my eye I saw Joyce stiffen anger showing on her face.

“Someone from the palace,” I responded keeping myself calm. “How about you ask who I am before shouting off your mouth.” I didn’t get angry but I did notice my hand opening and closing.

“I don’t care who you are you will be dealt with.”

Joyce leaned over me her hand on my shoulder clearly she’d lost her patience. “Let me handle this Gwen.” Joyce addressed the figure on the screen her words harsh. “Boy, do not get shirty with me, Lady Camelia knows who I am. So you better put me through to her.”

I gave Joyce a querying look. “Lady Camelia?” I wasn’t sure but it sounded like the Empress’ mother Lady Camelia Broaden. Or if the rumourmongers were correct and I had no doubts that they were, Constantine’s widow.

“Sorry Gwen I should have said earlier I recognised the comms address,” Joyce apologised.

“I will not!” the man practically shouted at us I could see the flush of red on his face. “We are tracking your comms and you will be arrested no matter…”

Joyce interrupted him. “I’m Joyce Neilson so you will damn well put me through now!”

The screen went blank. Joyce snorted disgustedly I looked at her shocked unable to saw anything coherent. Slowly I pulled myself together. Joyce typed in the number again. This time a different man in palace colours answered it.

“Ma’am?” This one’s whole attitude was different.

“Joyce Neilson,” Joyce said. “With a personal message for Lady Camelia.”

“Of course ma’am putting you through at once.”

An older woman appeared on the screen. I instantly stiffened easily recognising her I would anywhere. Lady Camelia Broaden the Empress’ mother.

Lady Camelia on seeing Joyce. “Joyce,” she said pleasantly.

“Hello Camelia,” Joyce replied.

I hid my shock hearing these two talking like old friends.

The smile slipped off Camelia’s face. “There a problem I’m just surprised that you called. I take it this is not a social call?”

“I nearly didn’t one of your palace staff cut me off earlier.”

Camelia frowned. “Oh?”

“It’s really nothing. But I was a bit concerned that he was a bit high handed. I know you have to screen your calls it’s just that he took his job a little too personal.”

“Ok I‘ll check the logs and get back to you?” Lady Camelia hesitated. “You are still on Melanos?” She apologised. “Sorry about that there’s been so much going on lately.”

“Of course there is much still to fix.”

I heard that wondering why the hell I came out this way I should have been there helping. Then I thought of what had happened. I saw the bigger mess had I not been where I had been to stop things. Solstrid’s death still haunted my dreams and I had to resolve that before I even thought of going home. Not that the Valkyrie or Keepers would let me do that both seemed to have plans for me. The only thing that really cut to my core was how Mouse was doing. I only had Digger’s word for that but I guess I couldn’t contact them or be contacted until I got off this world.

Lady Camelia suddenly seemed to notice me there. “Where are my manners. Sorry young lady I seem to be hogging your screen time.”

Joyce spoke before I could dig myself into a hole. “This is Gwen Hunter.”

Lady Camelia peered at the screen staring intently at me. I found it a little disconcerting. “Hunter?” Oh yes Hunter, Saros.” Lady Camelia looked over my shoulder at Joyce before looking directly at me. “Hello Miss Hunter I must apologise for my rudeness.”

“That’s ok ma’am.” I wasn’t sure how to address her so I took a neutral stance.

“Saros is a long way from Melanos?” Lady Camelia asked me.

“Long story ma’am.”

“Please call me Camelia no need to be so formal?”

Joyce chuckled. “Sandra would probably fall over in shock to hear you saying no formality.”

“Sandra needs to learn. She’s too heavy with her fists, but she isn’t there or here?” A look of horror passed over Camelia’s face. “Don’t tell me she is?”

“She not here as well you know?” Joyce admonished Lady Camelia.

Lady Camelia had the breeding to look chastened. “Sorry Joyce.” Lady Camelia turned her attention back to me. “Now Miss Hunter I want to know how a citizen of the Empire has been given a Confederacy medal?”

Which I wasn’t technically a member of the Empire anymore. Xenai had seen to that with her idea to help me. It seemed to have backfired spectacularly. That and her idea of making me a lieutenant in the Alliance. I did note Lady Camelia kept calling me miss and not lieutenant. Another had seen through Xenai’s ruse.

I glanced to Joyce seeing a querying look in her eyes. I wasn’t sure myself I didn’t know what she meant. “What medal ma’am?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know?” Lady Camelia said to me.

“I’m sorry ma’am?”

“Did I not give you permission to call me Camelia?”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied. “But I seems too disrespectful for one of your status.” I felt uncomfortable treating the Empress’ mother as a friend. It didn’t stand easy with me.

“See Joyce this is how Sandra should be?” Lady Camelia gave a sad sigh. “I can’t help it you know worrying about her.” She shook herself. “We seemed to be going off track. So you have no knowledge of receiving the Star of Saros?”

I had to admit I’d never even heard of the Star of Saros. “No ma’am. I haven’t heard anything from Saros.” I made a mental note to contact Ljufu and find out if she had tracked down Vanessa yet. That would be a weight off my mind if she had. Vanessa had to be somewhere she couldn’t disappear without leaving some trace.

“That could be a problem,” Lady Camelia said to me. She nodded to Joyce. “I’ll get someone to look into it. I’ll consider the matter closed until then.”

“Closed?” Joyce remarked.

“Poor choice of words.” Lady Camelia paused and nodded to me. “Good luck Miss Hunter in all your endeavours. The Empire pins our hopes on people like you. We will be watching your career with interest.” Lady Camelia looked to Joyce. “Bye Joyce and Miss Hunter we hope to hear from you soon.”

“Take care Camelia,” Joyce said with fondness.

“Thank you for your time ma’am.” I added it sounded lame. Then I didn’t know what else to say. This was beyond me.

The screen went blank and I stared at Joyce none of that made any logical sense to me. Then with the way my life was going at the moment not that much different to what had happened to me lately.

“That was unexpected?” I said I wasn’t sure whether it was talking to the second in line for the throne or that Saros had awarded me a medal.

“To your ears perhaps,” Joyce said to me. “I think she was just glad to be diverted from worrying about the state of the Empire.”

“Are things that bad?” I worried about that another to add to my growing list of things. A wave of homesickness washed over me. I felt so alone in that moment but I shook myself I had to go on.

“Better than when Constantina first took over. The war with the Commonwealth is still on everyone’s minds. It is people like you that the Empire needs, shining examples of what we can do to make the galaxy a better place. I mean you.” Joyce looked away suddenly confirming she was more enmeshed in Imperial politics than she pretended she wasn’t.

I frowned seeing nothing but my long list of failures. “I haven’t done anything I’ve set out to do. I’ve just stumbled along.”

Joyce snorted. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve prevented the murder of millions and stopped two potential wars a significant achievement in anyone’s books. Not everyone can claim that?” Joyce’s words were reassuring but I still had my doubts. She spoke again before I could voice them. “We should head back, I to study the rod you gave me.” She gave me a smile. “And you need something to eat. I can hear your stomach from here.”

She was right about that my stomach had been making noises. Together we headed back to the habitat trudging our way through the rapidly melting snow.

The rest of my team were already in the mess hall seated as I walked in. I could see their expectant faces. I pulled up a chair next to Jervic just being here with him was calming the sick feeling in my stomach.

“Where have you been?” he demanded.

I winced hearing the harshness in his voice. I feared I was slowly losing him. “Long story,” I replied not looking in his direction.

“You have plenty of time?” This time he moderated voice. I guess the daggers both Kelli and Miri were shooting at him with their eyes was a clear indication of their anger with him.

“I was talking with Joyce.”

“You mean Joyce Dayton,” Al mused.

“Dayton?” I asked him glad of the disruption.

“Yeah Lizzie Dayton to be factual,” he said. “Joyce Neilson reminds me of the images of Lizzie Dayton. The trouble is I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. I’ve been wracking my brains over it.”

I glanced over to see Miri go pale. I guess she’d just heard another name on her list. “She on the list?” I asked her.

She just nodded.

“List?” Jervic said looking away quickly when Al glared at him.

“Families the Valkyrie are interested in,” I said to Jervic.

Jervic turned his attention to me. “You on this list?”

“Yes but from two different sources so it appears.” It seemed that Miri words had been about me when she had over heard the Elder’s statement that two lines had joined as one.”

“Sources?” Jervic said. I don’t know why he was being difficult.

“You know I have Martin blood in my veins. It appears that my great grandfather might have been Valkyrie. I’ve seen the image, he has all the markers.”

“The hair, the eyes, the pale skin?” Kelli asked.

“Exactly,” I told her. I turned back to Al he seemed to be waiting for me. “And Lizzie Dayton?”

“Came from Ralfhiem a Valkyrie colony world. Many of the crew of the Marco settled there.”

The door slid open and Joyce entered she looked worried. I wondered if she had overheard our conversation. She headed straight for me. “Gwen we have a problem and I need your help.”

“Of course,” I said waving the other back down. “What’s this about?”

“I can’t tell you here it’s better if I showed you.”

That had me really worried. I was more worried that she was about to chew me up about the conversation in the mess. We entered Joyce’s office. In the centre was a desk and on it surface was the case the rod had been transported in. She strode over and flipped the box open. For a horrible minute I thought it would be empty. I had neglected to tell Joyce the last time I’d seen the rod was in Mouse’s hands when she confronted the Guardians moments before I’d been locked out.

“Joyce?” I asked her. I could see the rod still nestled within the box and wondered why she was showing me it.

“I didn’t want to alarm the others but this isn’t the rod you gave me.” I guess she was talking about the other archaeologists rather than my team.

“It looks the same?” I stared at the rod trying to see if I could see any differences. I couldn’t tell, then I hadn’t examined it too closely. I had handled enough of them when the Keeper’s computer had me trapped. The rod was the last thing I wanted anything to do with.

“I grant you that,” Joyce replied as she picked up a hand scanner she had on the desk next to the rod. It was a small palm sized block with a probe on one end and a small screen in the middle. She swept it over the rod and looked at the screen. “The crystalline structure is different.”

I had to take her word for that I was out of my depth here. Instinctively I reached out to touch the rod. I don’t know why but I felt drawn to it. Taking my history with the rods I was the last thing I wanted to do. My fingers brushed the surface. Green symbols blazed into life covering the rod. I leapt back my heart pounding like a drum, fear wracking my gut. I glanced to Joyce staring at the rod in fascination. I recognised the symbols as the same as the ones in the Keeper’s cavern. I was confused none of the ones I’d handled before had lit up like this one.

“I’ve handled rods before but they’ve never done this?”

“Yes I remember you telling me about the exosuit and being forced to pick up the rods.”

“More like an exoskeleton than a suit.”

Joyce pointed to the rod. “That symbol is glowing brighter than the others?”

Before I could stop her she touched the symbol. Something shot through her finger and rose rapidly towards the ceiling there it halted and expanded. I stepped back shocked my breath bated. It unfolded into a 3D image of the galaxy.

“Fascinating!” Joyce uttered her eyes’ glittering.

“Not really,” I replied watching the image carefully. “It scared the hell out of me when it emerged from the rod.”

Joyce reached out and touched the holo it folded around her finger then expanded again to show an unfamiliar system with a sun and several planets. “Interesting an interactive holo?” Joyce mused thoughtfully. “This is more than I had expected.” She flashed me a smile and waved her hand and the system vanished to be replaced by a holo of the galaxy. “Oh I’ll have to be more careful.” She muttered and flashed me a rueful grin.

I stayed out of it, it appeared Joyce was having fun I didn’t want to spoil it with my doubts.

Joyce stared up at the holo and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder?”

“Wonder what?” I asked her and cussed myself for repeating her words. I had been trying to get myself out of that and from the looks of it I was failing.

Joyce looked at me. “I was wondering if it reacted to vocal commands?”

I wasn’t sure about that. I had heard Mouse speak in her own language I seriously doubted it would work. If it did work no human voice could vocalise the command phrases. “I’m not sure it will work?” I told her honestly.

“Let me try them we can commiserate together.”

Despite my fears I was beginning to like Joyce’s easy going nature although I was sure it would change if she had to make hard decisions. “Ok give it a try?”

“Map!” she commanded. “Show me Earth in the Sol system, the City of New York.”

I was shocked seeing the perspective on the map changing. It was like seeing a speeded up image as the holo drew in on a planet. It stopped hovering over something that was extremely familiar to me my home. A wave of homesickness washed over me. I swallowed hard regrets filling my mind.

“Ok map,” Joyce said to the holo. “Switch back to galactic view.”

The holo instantly switched back to a map of the galaxy.

“I could play with this for days,” Joyce said wishfully. “We really should get more serious I want to know how much this thing can do.” She picked up a shuriken on her desk.

Despite my initial fears I couldn’t help but be encouraged by Joyce’s enthusiasm.

“Map,” Joyce said as she held up the shuriken in her hand. “Show me all wormholes accessed by this?”

As much as I expected something to happen nothing did. Joyce just shrugged and put the shuriken down.

She took a deep breath picking up the shuriken again. “Ok map show me all routes that can be accessed by this key.”

This time something happened the map was sprinkled with yellow lines.

“That’s interesting,” Joyce said putting down the shuriken and picking up a datapad lying next to the rod on the desk.

“What is?” I saw the lines but was confused by the significance of them. I had heard her say about wormholes but was still in the dark about it.

“There are more routes here than we’ve got from the Guardians Index. I had a feeling that they were holding back, this proves it.” She looked at her datapad. “Now we see how clever you are.”

I did wonder who or what she was talking about.

Joyce tapped her datapad flicking through the screens. She tapped an icon on her screen and a holo of the galaxy appeared above it. Similar to the larger model above our heads it had lines on it in red instead of yellow. “Ok this is going to be harder and I will get to see how sophisticated this data rod is. I don’t know if this is going to work?”

“But you will try anyway,” I said to her.

Joyce gave me wink. “Of course. I learned that from both my nieces.” She turned her attention to the holo map. “Ok map, match the holo from my datapad to your map of the galaxy.”

The holo shifted changing to match the datapad holo. Even I could see a number of the red lines overlaying the yellow ones. I began to see where she was going with this.

“Oh I didn’t expect that?” Joyce muttered surprise strong on her face. “Now map delete any lines that match my datapad.”

I could see dozens of lines remained. I found myself staring at the holo as much as Joyce was doing.

“I’ll need to download this to my datapad.”

Joyce’s datapad suddenly went blank. She vainly tapped it in hope it would start up. “Oh no all my data has been wiped!” She glared at the rod anger flashing in her eyes. Years of work has gone!”

I felt sorry for her. “You do have back ups?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “But it’s the personal data that’s gone with it.”

“Is there anyway we can get it back?” I was no tech but I was sure Denassi could work his magic I had a lot of faith in the little Ezaran.

Joyce just looked accusingly at the rod still nestled within the box. “You did this where is my data!”

I stared at her for a moment thinking she had lost the plot. I wasn’t sure about the rod I’d set my money on the Guardians spoiling things. It was then that I noticed another glowing symbol on the rod brighter than the symbols surrounding it. “That’s new?” I said and pointed to the symbol.

Joyce glared at it. “Is this your way of saying sorry.”

She was talking to the rod like it was a living being. I began to worry about her sanity. But before Joyce could touch it the holo of the galaxy disappeared to be replaced with the icons normally shown on a datapad.

Joyce took a deep breath her eyes narrowed. “I see. So there is no need to touch you again once was enough. I’m now certain you can hear what I’m saying and anticipated my commands.” She put both hands behind her back. “I won’t touch you again but show me the holo of the galaxy?”

It appeared as she asked. I looked at her shocked. None of the rods I’d handled had ever done that.

“Thank you that will be all.”

At first I thought she was talking to me but she was talking to the rod. The holo vanished and the symbols faded. Joyce glanced at me I probably looked a total idiot standing there.

She frowned her face grim. “This is too valuable to leave lying around. And far too dangerous.”

I guessed what she meant. “So what are we going to do?” I cringed at saying ‘we’.

“Gwen get Lieutenant Jervic I want him in full armour and armed. I want a guard stationed here 24/7. Don’t worry I want him here long enough for me to get at team from the Elafi.”

“You can trust this team from the Elafi?” I asked her.

“Oh yes,” she replied glancing at the silver bangle on my wrist.

At that point I began to get a bad feeling.