Solarian Down

Daroon and Cailhem sat in a booth at the back of the establishment.

“And how have you two been?” She asked sweetly as she sat down across from them.

“Yeah. Yeah. We are lovely. Have you seen the news?” Daroon asked.

“I -have- and I was chewed out by the High Warden when I tried to investigate.”

The server came by to drop off finger food and drinks. They thanked her before she left and Cailhem commented, “I was chewed out as well.”

“I was not.” Daroon smiled. “He called and stated he could not prove I was investigating. But due to my being a Left he assumed I was just better at hiding it. I thanked him for the compliment and he continued on to say if he DID catch me then I would be fined.”

“Lovely.” Lenaga smirked. “So are we thinking he is trying to keep us away?”

Daroon smiled with a distant look on his face. “Oh, if only it were that interesting. Some secret conspiracy to slander our good friend. Who only wants good things for the little elves of Luthiel.”

Cailhem laughed. “We think he is just insisting we rest for now. He believes we have earned it. Nothing more.”

“But that does not change that I ‘have’ done some digging.” Daroon smiled. “And it -is- odd.” Lenaga nodded for him to continue. “There were four guards on that location where the theft occurred. All four were killed with silent weapons.”

“No.” She blurted out.

“Our thoughts exactly.” Cailhem commented.

She shook her head. “What is going on then?”

“Not sure.” Daroon said. “I know Blackwell has been working with the Morindi. I do not know how this is known but the Seekers claim it is irrefutable. They are jerks but I trust them. I think it was Morindi who killed the guards so maybe…?”

“Maybe our people are assuming because it was Morindi it must be John.” She stated.

Cailhem said, “Which leads us to IF it was Morindi and it is NOT Blackwell then there could be a schism in the Morindi.”

Lenaga took a sip of tea. “Daroon, I know your mother is Caladi. Will this put you at risk if you go talk to your Morindi friends?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Mother was a Left in the neighborhood. That is why they live there. She is family to them.”

“Good. Do not push but see what they are willing to give. And if they ask, ...it is because I cannot believe my boyfriend would do this.”

Her men laughed.

Daroon had been in worse places. “Siltar’s Drinking House,” rough though it may be, was still a place where people brought their families. He could see a group of about five men standing near the door. He looked to see if he recognized any of them as he approached. Before he could see properly in the night a hand was pressed to his chest.

“Not sure you have the right place, brother.”

Daroon looked at the man. “I am hung out for a couple months and suddenly everyone forgets who I am.”

“Not everyone, DarDar.” Came a deep voice from the dark recess next to the door.

The others stepped away as the mountain of a Luthiel stood up from his chair. Daroon smiled as he recognized who had used his childhood name.

They clasped arms in greeting. “Little Regali. How have you been?”

The big man looked to the others and patted his left shoulder as a sign. They nodded and stepped a little farther away. “Very well. I heard you were trapped on an ice planet for a month?”

“I was in a coma for most of it. So it was not that bad.”

“Best way to do it.” He nodded with a smile. “You here to talk to Bremisda?”

“Yes. Is she in?”

Regali opened the door. “All the way in the back. Same as always.”

“I am grateful. I will see you around?” When the big man nodded his reply. Daroon went inside to find his friend. He made several greetings to old friends and more than a few perpetrators he had apprehended. Most of them inquired as to how his family were doing. Most of them cared. He had forgotten how hard it was to cross a Morindi bar.

Eventually he made it to the back suite where a series of small offices were housed. He walked to the last one and knocked. When the door opened a tall blond haired man smiled down at him.

“DarDar, long time. Come on in.” He said as he opened the door and stepped aside.

“Thank you. Jirava.” They shook hands. Before a beautiful dark haired woman in a long blue dress stood up and all but ran to him as she pulled him close in a hug. “Bremisda. How have you been?” He said with a false stiffness to his voice.

“Stop it.” She said as she held him at arm’s length. “Which eye was it?” He raised his hand to touch his right cheek. She leaned in trying to inspect it. “It looks good. How does it feel?”

“It feels wonderful.”

“And no problems with it? It works well?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “It feels and works just like the original.”

“Yeah, well, forgive me for being skeptical. But sometimes those doctors do not do their best work when it comes to the Morindi.”

Daroon nodded. “I find that when you are a Warden, they kind of do.”

She smiled. Satisfied that he was fine. “Come. Have a seat.” She motioned to one of the four chairs around the small table. “Are you hungry?” She asked as she sat next to him.

“You know, I -AM-!” He stated as if he was surprised.

Jirava laughed and left the room to get the food.

“I am going to assume that with your bosses promotion you are not here to talk of old times.” She said.

“As she put it, “She cannot believe her boyfriend would do this.”

“Yessss. I thought so. The Morindi raid.”

“We know this is a touchy subject so she asked me not to push. Just see what could be given. From the way the raid was handled and knowing Blackwell, it appears these “raiders” were not led by him.”

“No. These young men… I do not like these young men. They think the Morindi have suffered enough. Something I can agree with. But they think because of this that all Caladi should be killed and that it is time for the Morindi to rule.”

“So, they are fanatical.”

“Well, they would not make exception for your mother. Or -you- for that matter. So you tell me.”

Jirava came in and closed the door. He set a platter of sandwiches and their drinks on the table before taking the next seat.

“Any idea on what they are planning?” Daroon asked as he took a sandwich.

“No. They have gone silent. But they are angry and armed so whatever it is, it will be bloody.”

“Any idea on how to find them?”

She shook her head as she took a sip of tea. “We are looking. -Blackwell- is looking.”

Daroon looked at her with surprise. “He is here?!”

Bremisda’s eyes became huge with fear as if she could not believe how badly she had just screwed up.

“Rules of the Left.” Jirava said calmly as he took a sandwich.

“Yes!Yes!Rules of the Left!” She exclaimed so happy to be saved from her mistake.

Daroon hung his head knowing the rules. He could not share anything his informant didn’t want shared. It was how things had always been done. When he got over his disappointment he looked back at his friend. “While we are well within the realm of things I cannot share, why has he not contacted her?”

She shook her head. “I do not know. I am not his confidant, DarDar.”

He nodded. “Alright. Any idea how many fanatics we are talking about?”

“Roughly fifteen. I think.”

“Do - you - know - who - they - are?” He held his breath.

“Mm hm.” She nodded with a smile.

The next day Daroon insisted they meet at Lenaga’s parents home.

“Why?”

“Because we are on forced vacation. Your father is not.” Daroon had said.

She hadn’t believed they’d need to get her father involved and she made excuses about how she couldn’t ask him. That is until Daroon told her what he had found and handed her a list of suspects.

“This should only take a moment.” She said as she left to call her father at the office.

Soon she was back and all they had to do was wait. - Until he got home. - That evening.

“This is going to be a long day.” Cailhem commented.

They helped her mother around the house. They completed the “honey do” which had been incomplete for seven years. They helped with lunch. And they watched the Flyers face off against the Talons in the hurling playoffs. They were about to help with dinner when, thankfully, Father came home early. A cheer went up from the three friends.

“Not so fast.” He said. “Of the fifteen names, eight have a criminal record. Most of it is harmless kid stuff but it will take time to go through.”

“What are we even looking for?” Daroon asked.

Lenaga shrugged. “When you are a child you like to explore places. As you get older you forget about them until you need a place to hide a hard-light repeater.”

“So, any charges of trespassing.” Cailhem commented.

They stopped long enough to help Lenaga’s mother with dinner. Eat. And then went back to pouring over the files. They were able to come up with four locations.

“So, what now?” Lenaga asked.

Her father laughed. “Now, I take this to my friend, Guisal.” He looked at his daughter. “You know? The ‘current’ Mid Warden of Melloreth?”

That was the last they heard of it. She did ask her father if the man was taking it seriously a few days later. His response was stern. “He has four dead servicemen, He is taking it very seriously.”

Her first day of work finally arrived. Lenaga and her team showed up at the High Warden’s complex eager and early. They were met by a Maviel Siv. Who wore the black skinsuit of the Warden’s arm but with white forearms denoting her as an administrator. She informed them that she would be their assistant.

“She seems -very- nice.” Daroon smiled as she led them on the tour.

Lenaga and Cailhem rolled their eyes at each other.

The orientation took up the first half of the day.

At lunch Maviel smiled as she asked, “What do you think of the Capitol so far?”

Lenaga thought the girl was what John would call “a happy little elf.” She smiled at the thought. “I think it is wonderful.”

After lunch they returned to the office and reviewed the files of the Wardens under her and the open case files. As well as any pertinent closed files and the history of the district. She discovered the previous Mid Warden had taken early retirement. So she contacted her father and asked if he could arrange a meeting for her and her team with the former Mid Warden.

In the morning Lenaga and the three members of her team met at the Railhead for a trip to Niossae. It was a small farming community a short distance from the city. They watched as their rail pulled into a picturesque little town.

“This is lovely.” Cailhem commented.

Maviel replied with a smile. “It does seem the kind of place one would retire to. Very peaceful.”

Lenaga nodded before leading them on to the home of Former Mid Warden Guisal Lon. Guisal owned a cottage in town with a flower garden. Low flowering bushes hemmed in the property with no gate. Lenaga continued on to the front door where she knocked and waited.

An old gray haired scrapper of man answered the door in baggy pants and a sweater. “Mid Warden Dloc?” He asked.

She nodded just before he invited them in. Once she had introduced her party he led them to his back porch for tea and breakfast.

“When I learned of your early retirement I was not sure of what sort of reception you might give.” She stated as she sat down.

“Worried I was forced out to make room for you?”

“Well,..” she thought a moment. “the entire promotion seemed a little odd to me so…” She said as she cringed.

“Hm. I have heard of sleeping your way to the top but admittedly you are the first to accomplish it with a Solarian.”

His face was stern but there was something in her gut that said… “You must admit, it takes more skill to do it my way.”

He barked out a laugh. “Very well said.” He smiled. “No. No, I was not forced out, Mid Warden. I had planned to stay on until the end of the war but that wasn’t a personal goal. I just assumed we would not have the manpower to cover the position until then. When I learned the High Warden wanted you for the job and had a chance to see your history with the Arm. I was more than happy to go. I have carried the office through three wars and any number of emergencies. I am finished and you are welcome to it.” He smiled.

“I am very pleased to hear that. I was hoping to talk with you about the job. Any peculiarities about the position or is there simply some advice you could give?”

“What do you mean by “peculiarities?” He asked.

Daroon answered, “Why Melloreth?” They looked at him. “It is very high profile. I have no doubt you had to work hard to get the position originally, but they just hand it to her?”

Guisal smiled again. “Let us say she went back to patrolling as a Low Warden.” They nodded. “Out in the back of “never been” with no visibility.” They all nodded again. “How would anyone know if Blackwell approached her there?”

“Oh.” Lenaga said flatly. Then she shook her head. “But that is preposterous! John is -not- going to contact me until this war is done. He…” She shook her head again. “He just will not.”

“From what I have read of the man I doubt it as well. And I doubt the High Warden thinks he will.” They all looked a little confused. “And I doubt the Seekers, who made this request,..” Now they really were confused. “...seriously believe he will either.”

“Then why?” Lenaga asked.

“Because there is a chance. A small chance. But a chance, none the less. And thankfully, the woman playing the role of “bait” just happens to be a promising young Warden. So even if it never happens we at least have someone competent in the position.”

“I am flattered but you cannot know if I will be competent.”

“Can I not? It is your first day and you are talking to the man who held the job for fifteen years? That is the mark of someone who succeeds.”

“It is our second day.” Cailhem corrected.

“Oh! My apologies... She will be a complete failure.”

“Well, that -is- a shame.” Cailhem stated flatly as the others laughed.

They continued to discuss the job and finished breakfast. Guisal made sure she knew where the “Raiders” files were that he had left for her. But it was almost lunch and Guisal said he had a date with a farmer’s daughter so they needed to go. They helped him clean up, made their goodbyes and left.