The find was shocking. This mineral was rare enough, but from the initial geophysical indications, the metamorphic area was huge. The presence of the mineral hinted at extreme temperatures and pressures. Extremes that were not expected at all.

There was no impact crater found, which could have explained the temperatures and pressure required to form the mineral, but the purity of these crystals belied the ultramafic magma that had cooled and been metamorphosed.

The finding could be considered grounds for national secrecy.

The implications staggering.

The receptionist studied the man before her a moment, then she peered at the appointment book for his name.

"Yes sir, The Marchioness called a little while ago and said you would be coming to speak with her assistant, Charlotte. Please sign the register here?"

She slid the guest register across the counter toward him as she took in the brown trimmed uniform as she waited for him to sign in .

"Alright, if you will follow me?" She rose and stepped from behind the reception desk and touched the sensor on the wall beside the door into the offices of Drachen Walde Industries. The lock clicked open and she led him to the second floor, first office on the left.

The name plate on the door read "Charlotte Pearson". At the soft knock from the receptionist, the occupant of the office bade entry and Garry was admitted into a reasonably sized office where a tall woman sat behind a desk, busily typing into the computer.

She lifted her gaze and paused, "Mr. Bradstreet? Please have a seat. You have come to review the contract required to work for Drachen Walde Industries, and you understand that a Non-Disclosure Agreement is required, as well as a background check?"

She had a stack of documents laid in a neat pile facing one of the two chairs that faced her desk.

Cor gave her another grin before leaning up in his barstool and reached over the bar, poking around until he found a mug for her. Then he poured coffee from the pitcher into it and set it near Rena?s right hand. He grew a teasing smile that she couldn?t see from her viewpoint, ?Oh? Was there a special occasion??

Azjah chuckled softly as she watched Rena, but her mind was still mulling over the mineral find on Pyxis. ?It simply boggles the mind though, what pressures and temperatures had to have been achieved if I am to believe these charts,? she commented to Corlanthis.

Rena raised her head and glared at Corlanthis, ?when was my last special occasion?? Then she reached for the mug of steaming coffee and took a tentative sip of the aromatic brew.

Corlanthis had no idea when she?d last had a special occasion, and he then glanced back at the Marchioness, ?how deep were they found? The samples, I mean.? He took a drink of his tea as he rose from his stool to make another fresh pot of coffee. But this time, he sat down on the serving side of the bar as more and more people arrived.

Azjah sipped her coffee, ?the samples came up in a core sample from 2.7 kilometers down.?

He gave a low whistle, ?that?s a pretty fair distance down I should think. I wouldn?t be surprised to find some rather serious pressure that low, but I?m no geologist or anything, so make of my opinion what you will.?

She nodded, ?yes, it?s a rather deep core, but by no means as deep as we can go, and not nearly deep enough to account for those temperatures and pressures.? Corlanthis nodded as she spoke, then tilted his head and asked if she had any theories as to what caused the required temperatures and pressures. Her brows knit together slightly in concentration, ?well, a collision might have done it, but we have not found evidence of that kind of impact crater yet.?

Corlanthis? brows scrunched further and did some thoughtful sipping of his tea, ?a mystery to be sure.? He then perked up, ?does your interest stem simply from the scientific? ?Why are these like this?? Or is there more to it??

Azjah nibbled slightly on her lower lip, ?there is more to it than simple curiosity.? She regarded him a long moment before continuing, ?These minerals are very, very rare, and very, very valuable. Additionally, they cannot be synthesized in any laboratory due to the pressures and temperatures required.?

Corlanthis gave a slight grin as his mind began to work this way and that, ?So, they?re very hard to reproduce artificially, and there?s no indications they could have formed naturally where you found them. Could they have been planted?? His eyes met hers, ?and yes, I realize the absurdity of what I?m asking.?

Rena stirred then, ?It would be more absurd if you don?t ask? but knowing Azjah, you are just voicing what she has been thinking.?

Azjah quirked a brow at Corlanthis, ?Planted? At that depth? I suppose most anything is possible, but the probability is that they are naturally part of the original mineralogical make up of the magma, but this is such a large metamorphic zone as to be never before discovered. And, the oddity has me dubious as to how and why we found it.? Eclogites with such high manganese content are very scarce. She then chuckled hearing Rena, ?Are you suggesting that I am a skeptical soul??

Rena quirked a brow, ?would I do that?? She chuckled, ?knowing you, this problem has probably had you up to all hours of the night and coming here allows you to get some fresh air, and maybe a new view on things.?

She gave Rena a smile and a quick wink, ?shh, you will give away all of my secrets.?

Cor chuckled, ?if they?re part of the original strata, and given the pressures required to form them, then likely they?d remain there in that state for a looooooooooong time.? He grew pensive and did some thoughtful chin tapping, ?so you should find other examples of them, shouldn?t you? It wouldn?t be isolated to the one sample you found.?

She nodded, ?correct, we?re already setting up another core sampler a couple of kilometers away. The geophysical data suggests that we could move further from the source, but I?ll start closer for confirmation.?

Rena sipped the coffee, ?where did you get the samples??

Corlanthis shook his head, ?never asked that, just assumed it wasn?t local.? He sipped his tea again, ?so it seems to me that success or failure in finding more will answer some of the questions surrounding them.?

Azjah considered her idea a moment, ?I suppose like any economic deposit it takes a certain amount of luck to unearth new finds, but within the Empire, we?ve never found the likes before now.? Azjah didn?t believe in deity intervention, but certainly many people would see it as a gift.

Rena?s gaze met and held Azjah?s, ?You are having problems with the? geez? the name slips my mind now,? she muttered as she struggled to remember the name of the aggressors in Lacerta. Azjah supplied the name and she nodded, ?Yeah. I?m not saying everything is fated, but there has to be a guiding hand somewhere too.?

Corlanthis evoked his slightly cynical side, ?I dunno. It?s hard to believe in things like fate or destiny or even Gods and the like when you?re likely to encounter them just wandering around the city.?

Azjah gave him a quick smile, ?well, our technologically bent society doesn?t have a strong belief system when it comes to deities.?

Rena shrugged, ?every invention started somewhere, and they get improved on every day.?

Azjah chuckled in agreement. ?Well, at any rate, it?s a mystery that we will be researching, and hopefully figuring out how the temperatures and pressures were formed so we know what to look for on other locations.? The idea of being able to find this rare mineral more easily tantalized Azjah?s thoughts. Such a discovery capable of predicting where to mine would reap benefits that boggled the mind.

Corlanthis grew pensive, ?is there any danger that word of your discovery might spread and others will try to take the site??

Azjah nodded, ?absolutely. And if I thought anyone here could reach Pyxis alpha, I would not have said a word.? She already had security stationed on the planet, but word of this kind of find to the wrong technological contact could bring trouble in a hurry.

As the trio talked, the door swung open and admitted a retired soldier wearing a deep gray, wool coat. His boots came to his knees, and as he stepped through the doors, he brushed his dark hair away from his eyes. Once inside, he pulled the door closed behind himself and rubbed his hands together as he blew on them to warm the chill from his digits as he slowly made his way toward the bar with the expression of someone who wanted something hot to drink on a chill and blustery day. Azjah sipped her coffee as she took note of the stranger, ?Coffee?s on if you want some.?

Corlanthis smiled, ?you?re safe from me. Far as I know, it could be another city just down the road.? Then his attention wandered toward the soldier as he greeted the man and offered to get him something to drink.

He tilted his head slightly and a charming smile came to his features, ?thank you, m?lady. I think that?s exactly what I be needin? right about now.?

Azjah gave a soft chuckle to Corlanthis, ?it?s a might further than that.? She then motioned toward Corlanthis for the newcomer?s benefit, ?He?s the angel that made the coffee."

The cold man looked directly at Corlanthis then, ?thank you sir. Very kind of you. I?ll just help myself it that?s permitted.?

Cor laughed slightly, ?feel free friend. It?s all I?m doing, I don?t work here.?

Azjah picked up the pitcher of coffee and refilled her own cup as she turned her gaze back toward Rena, ?as for the Cepheans? I HOPE my suspicions are wrong about who is selling to them, because it would mean there is a competing market for these minerals. A black market competition at that.?

Rena lifted a brow, ?How many times have they been wrong, Azjah??

Azjah?s gaze slid toward Cor, busily working behind the bar after telling everyone that he didn?t work there, she chuckled, ?Cor? I thought you didn?t work here?? That distraction bought her enough time to rein in her humor. She then turned back to Garry, ?Military background, and what science did you favor?? She didn?t have a need for military employees, but perhaps she could get Duke Sorwind to take him if needed.

Corlanthis was raptly watching a woman step out from what appeared to be a flower that had appeared in the Inn, ?hmm? Oh! No, I don?t. Don?t tell Panther.? He then winked at the Marchioness.

Azjah laughed softly at Corlanthis? reply, ?Our secret it is.? But Rena informed him that she would require a bribe to maintain her silence to the proprietor.

Garry seemed rather taken with Rena as he smiled at her.

Rena commented that there certainly were a lot of military folks coming out of the woodwork lately and Azjah glanced between Rena and Mr. Bradstreet before informing Garry that they had just been discussing mineralogy if he had any interest in the subject.

Garry gave her a slightly embarrassed grin, leaning in closer to the Marchioness before whispering, ?lepidoptery.?

Azjah quirked a pale brow at him, ?Butterflies?? She was astonished.

He cracked up with hearty laughter, "You know!? He nearly spilled his coffee as he sought to quell his mirth. ?Now I?m truly embarrassed. I thought you?d think it had to do with wild animals.?

Azjah shook her head slightly, ?I do hope you?re not pinning those lovely creatures on boards in some stuffy room where others cannot enjoy them?? She chuckled then, ?Yes, I do know what Lepidoptery is.?

Garry was still trying to stop laughing, ?I?m sorry,? his hand upon his chest as he spoke, ?actually, that was just a hobby when I was a boy. And I happen to know a lot about mineralogy. I?m a regular rock hound.?

She studied the man closely, ?this discussion was along the lines of economic deposits of a rare mineral in a metamorphic environment.? She tossed that out there to see if he was really a ?rock hound? as he stated, or if it was a sham.

Garry raised a brow, ?this job involves a hard had and a pick??

Azjah shook her head negatively, ?right now, it?s more along the lines of deep core sampling.?

He thought a moment, ?like oil drilling??

She continued to watch Garry. Perhaps sending him to Lacerta for that job could be amended. ?Most oil cores don?t go as deeply as we are, but the concept of core sampling is the same.?

Garry tapped his fingers on the rim of his coffee cup as he thought, ?would this core sampling be done in another star system??

Azjah gave him a very small affirmative nod. ?Very good? she thought. The man had several neurons connected and in working order it seemed.

Garry nodded, looking into his nearly empty cup of coffee, then very softly said, ?I?ve always wanted to get off this planet.?

Azjah sipped her coffee, ?My trips tend to be hard on people Mr. Bradstreet, as Rena here can attest.?

Garry glanced at Rena, wondering if she would be going along as well, then he lifted a steady gaze back to Azjah, ?I can handle a lot Azjah. I would not be opposed to going if you would wish to try me.?

Rena shrugged at his question, ?it?s her trip.?

Corlanthis spoke then and interrupted her reveries ?I have to duel Tareth, any suggestions?? He was clearly nervous about facing the well known gentleman that Azjah too had great respect for ever since they dueled and spoke afterwards about weapons and the finer points of different makes.

The minstrel made light of the match, telling Cor that he?d dueled the man and won, and Azjah simply said what everyone knew, that Tareth Thorn was very talented in a fight. He had to be, given his profession. It was the night of that duel that Azjah had come to an agreement with Mr. Thorn to manufacture his very special explosives.

Rena?s conversation with Chris ended and she wandered back to the bar, musing quietly, ?interesting?. Then she gave Azjah her attention, ?so what will my job on this trip involve??

Azjah glanced at Rena, who always remained distant on certain levels, ?well, I suspect mostly records keeping and keeping an eye on who comes and goes. We?ll need to make sure samples are prepared and shipped without drawing too much attention.? She nodded at that, and Azjah continued, ?but perhaps you have alternative suggestions for how best to direct your time and talents??

She shrugged, ?I?ll have to think about it. My confidence in myself isn?t all that high of late.? Then she gave Azjah a shrewd glance, ?You think Garry will work out??

Azjah toyed with the cup that was nearly empty, ?his background check should give an indicator. He?s confident in his abilities, now the question is does he have a reason to be confident. What did you think??

Corlanthis grinned, ?If he was just going along to sound knowledgeable, he was doing a better job than I was.? Then he sauntered back to his stool behind the bar.

Azjah smiled at Corlanthis before regarding Rena, ?well, we all suffer from moments of self doubt and self deprecations. How do you feel about keeping records and tabs on who?s onsite??

She reached for her mug, then frowned at it, ?I?m good with that,? she said as she headed for a refill on the coffee.

Azjah toyed with her own cup, ?I?m going to find your strengths if it kills me Rena.? When she chuckled and wished Azjah good luck in her quest, Azjah simply smiled, ?I?m tenacious that way.?

Rena?s eyes lifted, ?I know.? Then she refilled her cup and took a sip.

Cor was speaking to someone else, but his comment brought a smile and a soft chuckle when he said somewhat dryly, ?If AJ wants to have a baby, I?m sure she and Philippe will figure out how to manage one. If they haven?t already.? Then he muttered low, ?people mated like rabbits in this town.?

Azjah gave a quiet chuckle hearing him, and then glanced at Rena, ?it would be nice to have access to the computers on Rigel for this search.? She fell into silent musing for several long moments, the looked at her again, ?no initial feelings about Mr. Bradstreet then Rena??

?He seems alright,? she said rather noncommittally before adding that she?d seen him around RhyDin before. ?But, you shall see what your report says.?

Azjah nodded, ?he said military intelligence, yet he?s got knowledge of mineralogy and geology. Interesting combination.? She sipped the cold coffee with a grimace, ?Yes, although with an intelligence background, ferreting out reality from planted information will be a challenge.?

Without the access to the main computers on Rigel, Azjah was pondering just how many databases she could gain information from, ?Could you dig into your resources through the school Rena?? While it wasn?t likely that the school had better access than Gabriel could get for her, it was wiser to check to be certain.

She nodded, ?I?ll try another way first.?

Cor spoke up then, ?It does seem to stretch the bounds of coincidence that he should show up during our conversation, doesn?t it??

Azjah nodded, as did Rena. ?Looking for work, has just the kind of experience I can make use of, show up here, today?. Do you believe in coincidence??

Cor chuckled, ?in this city? Not hardly! Though anything is possible.?

The Marchioness chuckled, ?I?ve always believed that if it?s too good to be true, it usually isn?t what you expect.? And Mr. Bradstreet was certainly too good to be true? she shook her head. She glanced at the clock and began packing up her book, ?if you will excuse me Rena? Cor? I need to let Charlotte know he?s coming.? She then headed out the door and flipped open the cell phone to call Charlotte.

Garry picked up the pen and signed the register: Garry Bradstreet

He then followed the receptionist up to the second floor and to the left, taking in all the surroundings and people working. Garry walked in and greeted Charlotte Pearson with a ?Good afternoon,? and a ?Thank you? when she asked him to sit.

He nodded and smiled, ?I have no problems with signing any of those.?

When the NDA form was taken from a file and handed it to him, he looked it over. It had the customary naming of both parties, listing items considered covered by the NDA, the Intellectual Property Rights, on and on. It was good, but pretty standard as most are. He signed the last page and printed his name on the appropriate lines.

Garry Bradstreet

Garry Bradstreet

?Okay, that?s one down. Do you have the contract ready??

He looked about the office, always interested in what could be seen.

Charlotte made note of the impeccable manners as he signed the NDA, then she handed him the Contract for review as his gaze slid over her office space.

The desk itself was richly carved from what appeared to be mahogany wood. It was large enough to put a generous amount of personal space between Charlotte and anyone visiting her office. The carpet beneath the desk was an ornate Aubusson in a myriad of bright colors to offset the dark shade of the wood. The chairs were upholstered in a dusty blue moir? fabric, but the legs and arm rests were of the same rich mahogany wood. On either side of the desk the walls were floor to ceiling books and periodicals pertaining to legal, tax, and other business requirements for not only RhyDinian compliance, but for all customer based legal requirements.

There was a large window directly behind the desk that overlooked the front parking area of the company, but the glass itself was clearly bullet proof. A valance of the same dusty blue moir? gave the window a softer look without being frilly. In gold leaf frames on the wall behind him were photos from space of the Rigelian system and it's binary stars Rigel alpha and Rigel beta in the constellation commonly called 'Orion', and an enhanced image of the Crab Nebula, titled simply M1 NGC 1952.

"The business of Drachen Walde Industries, Mr. Bradstreet, is weapons." She watched him for any signs of surprise before continuing. "The Marchioness will expect you to spend time in the practice range to make yourself familiar with all of the products of the company despite the fact that once hired, you will be working on the project on Pyxis. A Drachen Walde employee is required to carry at all times." There in the bullet points associated with the contract was the requirement to carry a minimum calibre personal weapon.


The man's military uniform suggested that he was not a stranger to weaponry and she found herself curiously wondering just how good a marksman he might be.

As he read over the contract, she pulled a key from her desk and laid it on the desk at her left hand after recording the number stamped into the key.

"Your temporary office, Mr. Bradstreet. You will be on a six month contract pending final confirmation of your background check. In the mean time, while you are here in RhyDin, you may make use of the range, and have a place to begin preparations for Pyxis. Your initial salary is documented in the contract."

She rose after taking the contract from him, "We will go to security to get your finger and palm prints as most locks in this building, as well as on the Star Dragon operate on biometrics." She stepped toward the door way, "After you complete that, I will show you to your office and I am certain by then the Marchioness will wish to see you."

She led him to the first floor where the security officer was introduced as Eoin. While they remained on the first floor, a silver Mc Laren pulled into the parking lot, taking the space reserved for the Marchioness.

Charlotte was about to take Garry back to the second floor when Azjah walked through the front doors of the company. Gabriel walked at her side listening as the Marchioness explained the plans for the day to him.

The six foot four inch Carpathian exuded menace, and Charlotte took an involuntary step back as they walked past the hallway where she and Garry now stood.

"Pay close attention to this warning Mr. Bradstreet; you do not want to cross that one." Her gaze followed the pair as they vanished behind the elevator doors. "I will take you upstairs, show you your office area, make certain your security clearance is working, and then escort you in to see the Marchioness."

Charlotte thanks Eoin and his staff as they followed the path so recently taken by the Marchioness. "And before you ask me Mr. Bradstreet, I will tell you, that man is the Marchioness' primary body guard. His name is Gabriel. You may not always see him, but the odds are that he will always be close enough to the Marchioness to protect her from any harm, using any means he chooses."

They arrived on the second floor and paused at the third door on the right. "This will be your office for now. Please see if the locks will open with your fingerprint."

Charlotte waited as Garry tested the locks, and long enough for him to step inside the space. It was furnished with a mahogany desk, not quite as large or ornate as Charlotte's was. The wall behind the desk was predominantly bookshelves, but mostly empty for the moment. There was a window that looked out over the plant behind the offices. The carpet beneath the desk overlaid a hardwood floor, and the shades of gray, olive green and cream shown as a light spot in the space.

When Garry finished looking around, Charlotte escorted him to the office adjacent to Charlotte's own. The name plate on the door simply had the name: Azjah Telyria Danaan Caer

As they walked into the room, the Marchioness was seated at a very ornately carved oak desk. The floor was of the same shade of oak, as were the book shelves surrounding them. The carpet beneath the visitor's chairs and the front of the desk was a cream color with abstract arcs and whisps of vibrant salmon, rich teal, and a faint hint of charcoal silver-gray.

Acrylic stands, covered and sealed, displayed the prototypes for each weapon currently produced by Drachen Walde Industries. The display case on the right corner of Azjah's desk housed a very elaborately decorated .50 caliber weapon. Mounted on the wall to the left were antique weapons, now disabled, that showed off where the company began.

The trio of windows that looked out over the front parking lot of the company and the tree lined buffer to the street; were also clearly bullet proof, and standing in the shadows cast by the bookshelves stood the unmoving and completely silent Gabriel. He was nearly invisible there in the shadows, but the black clad guardian had chosen to remain entirely in the visible spectrum for this meeting.

Azjah motioned to one of the chairs; an ivory and teal pattern in watered silk cloth had been indicated. She had chosen to meet at her desk rather than the small conference table to the right where the usual board room leather chairs clustered around the glass and chrome table.

"And so Mr. Bradstreet, you have agreed to our terms I see. May I welcome you to Drachen Walde Industries?" Her pale blue gaze was unwavering as she studied him where he sat. She took note of the military dress. "I presume you are comfortable carrying?"

She smiled then, "Shall we take you down to the testing and firing range we have onsite?" She rose and only then did Gabriel move, but in the blink of an eye he had gone from the shadows to standing beside the Marchioness. His black eyes watched Garry as a shark might survey the oceans around it. No hint of emotion lit those features, only a chill sense of menace when one looked into his eyes.

The Marchioness led Garry down a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, talking as they went about the history of her company and why she'd expanded her father's company into RhyDin. About 5 minutes of walking brought them to an indoor firing range.

"What calibre weapon do you prefer, Mr. Bradstreet?" There in a locked cabinet before them were several of the current production runs. She touched the biometric lock and the top clicked open. "Please, select one you feel comfortable with in your hands."

Azjah had struggled not to smile when Garry had agreed to come down to the target range as long as he wasn?t the target. The man had a sense of humor, which was a good thing considering how much time they would spend together going back and forth to Pyxis, and setting up the mining operation there.

He studied the .45 that was the top seller in the DWI inventory for several long moments, and Azjah thought he might select that one. He glanced at Azjah, ?You people do good work?. However, he gently laid it back into the cabinet and picked up a 9 mm instead. The light weight polymer frame and the extended clip holding 17 rounds was apparently more to his liking. The tritium, drift adjustable sights intrigued him. ?I like this one. It?s easier to conceal, more rounds, and I would guess it's a bit more accurate. Let?s see what it can do.?

Azjah unbuttoned the pale blue silk jacket and withdrew a deeply blued DWI .50 AE with gold appointments, and one of a kind gold inlay. It was a custom crafted piece using a 152mm barrel. She checked the safety and then laid it atop the case. ?This is my personal weapon. The polygonal riffling is left handed rather than right, bore diameter is 12.6mm. It is accurate to 200 meters in the right hands. The grips are custom fit to the owner.? She smiled, ?7/8? dovetail rib should a scope be desired. Ambidextrous safety and tritium sights allows for production flexibility.?

She re-buttoned the sleek jacket and reached for the hearing protection and safety goggles that Gabriel was offering her. ?If you will come with me, let us see what you can do with that choice of yours.? Gabriel opened the door into the firing room.

Inside were six shooting stations. Adjustable targets hung from the ceiling and could be adjusted up to 250 yards for accuracy at distance testing. Azjah took the first station and motioned for Garry to take the second. ?I have seven rounds; please reduce your magazine to 7. We will shoot at 25 yards two shots, at 125 yards two shots and 200 yards with three shots and compare scores. You have 20 seconds from when you hear the start bell to execute your shots. Good shooting Mr. Bradstreet.? She smiled and took a firing stance, carefully aiming at the twin targets 25 yards out from the station.

Years of daily practice made the shoot routine for Azjah, but she was most curious to see how Garry weighed in as a marksman. Gabriel stood behind her, never moving, not so much as the rise and fall of his chest for breathing. The man could have been made of clothed marble, and did not put on hearing protection, nor sight protection. He simply waited.

They finished that exercise and Azjah nodded appreciatively at the silhouettes as they came toward them. ?You might enjoy the maze Mr. Bradstreet. The only difference there is that the automation will fire back at you in a match of allies? vs enemies in blind alleys and rooms. They are equipped with lasers set on stun, which will leave you no doubt when you?ve been hit."

She cleaned the gun before once again sliding into the hidden shoulder holster. ?Shall we adjourn back to the office? I have some information on Pyxis ready for you. There are several things that need to be wrapped up here before we depart.?

She turned and left the room with Gabriel beside her. They returned to her office and she motioned for Garry to be comfortable before pulling a folder from her desk. Inside were three jump drives, labeled Pyxis 1, Pyxis Contracts, and Pyxis Team. There were several certificates authorizing exploration, the permission to use armed security on Pyxis, and landing permits for the Star Dragon and the Dragon Courier II.

?We will need you to be familiar with ultramafic intrusions, and the unique characteristics of high temperature and high pressure metamorphism of such intrusions. The mineralogy is quite unique, and we are searching for the total region where we are likely to find ultra pure crystalline phase eclogites.? She took the guest chair adjacent to the one he?d sat in earlier. ?This information is not to be discussed outside of this room for now.?

She glanced at the clock on the far wall. ?Perhaps you will join me for dinner this evening? The day grows late, and I have been going since 5 AM.? She smiled. ?Besides, Andre always prepares too much food for one.?

Major Bradstreet raised a brow when Azjah pulled out the DWI .50AE. He had seen a lot of weapons in his day, but never one like that. ?Impressive,? was all that he could come up with; a definite understatement but he could not hide the admiration from his expression.

Garry followed her to the firing room and reduced his magazine to the seven rounds to match hers, and then put on the available hearing protection. He nodded at her instructions and took a balanced stance, two hands on the 9mm and gave a sharp nod of the head to indicate that he was ready. When the exercise was completed and the silhouette targets were brought forward, his shot spread was not as tight as Azjah?s, but it wasn?t bad for being on the spot with an unfamiliar firearm. He was satisfied with the result and evidently so was she.

?I look forward to trying out the maze,? he said while clearing the magazine and putting the weapon on safety. He followed Azjah to her office and once again took a seat in front of her desk, noticing that she took the other guest chair ? a less formal posture.

?This information is not to be discussed outside of this room for now.?

?Of course,? he said while placing the jump drives into his pocket for later study and taking a glance at the eclogite phase diagram. This entire opportunity was becoming more interesting by the minute.

?Perhaps you will join me for dinner this evening? The day grows late, and I have been going since 5 AM. Besides, Andre always prepares too much food for one.?

?It would be my pleasure, Marchioness Caer.? He paused a bit and looked to Gabriel. ?Will he be coming also? I promise not to toss my food.? He had just the hint of a smile.

Azjah?s telescope remained set up at the edge of the central garden where the gentle splash of water in the fountain could be heard, but not reach the delicate instrument. The optics of this telescope are the best currently available in the C20, which is a Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain telescope. She laid the letter on the table and walked out to the telescope. If Garry had the right answers for her, she would introduce him to their destination. She took a moment to check the view through the eye piece to verify that the computer controlling the telescope had not drifted away from her target of interest.

The constellation they sought covered 22.1 square degrees of sky and included 4 main stars. The one they were heading to was Pyxis alpha, which is a spectral type star known as a B2 II. The B2 designation means that Pyxis alpha is a blue star, the II means it?s a bright giant of a star, and has a magnitude of 3.8. It is 1,300 light years from RhyDin. It is not an oddly bright or exotic system. The system had not drawn attention so far. Azjah prayed it would not suddenly draw unwanted attention.

As she awaited Mr. Bradstreet, she thought back to how the Lawsonite had been discovered.

Pyxis Discovery

Pyxis alpha is a non-descript star in a sector of space with very little traffic and very little in terms of intriguing systems, but it was between Rigel and RhyDin. A small colony of Rigelians lived on Pyxis, which was the reason Azjah had visited the star?s planet at various times. She sold weapons to the colonizers, and supplied the small contingent of Rigelian military stationed there. During one of her stops, she had taken one of the native creatures used instead of horses out into the wilderness for some respite from work and the impending invasion of Lacerta. The animals had heads and necks reminiscent of phoenixes, and the bodies of great lizards, but they were warm blooded and could race like the very wind among the rocky outcroppings on the planet. She and Gabriel had spent several days out exploring the wilds of Pyxis with three of the Phoezards. Gabriel had not particularly been enthusiastic, but he did agree that it would draw less attention to him if he rode alongside the Marchioness rather than having taken another form and followed along.

On the third day of their outing, they paused for lunch near a very large ravine. The view from astride the Phoezards of the rim, and into the crevasse was spectacular. Azjah dismounted and settled onto the ground right at the edge of the crevasse to enjoy the warmth of the blue star, and the view. A tectonic rift had separated the ground here in the recent past. The rock faces were still sharp and had no visible signs of erosion or wear as she peered over the edge. The colors exposed in this fresh fracture were startling, and that was what drew Azjah to the ravine in the first place.

They sat in companionable silence as Azjah indulged in one of her few true hobbies. She had always loved geology, the study of geologic forces, and understanding how the landscape had become what it was when she saw it intrigued her. This structure on Pyxis alpha fascinated her not only because the fracture appeared to be very recent, but it was also an ultra-mafic intrusion that had undergone metamorphosis and been exposed. This was a rare find. Ultra-mafic igneous intrusions were associated with mantle rock rather than surface rocks. Their chemistry is incredibly unique and rarely found at the surface. These intrusions they?d just found are very low silica content, heavy mineral formations that were not often visible to the surface dwellers and human types of life forms.

She left her lunch with Gabriel to peer over the edge of the ravine and into the deep gash that ran for as far as she could see in either direction. The intrusion was a large one based on the depth of the chasm and the length of the opening displaying the same rock composition. She turned back to Gabriel, ?I would like to remain here today. This is a rare formation, and I would like to explore it further.?

Gabriel nodded soundlessly, and began removing their equipment from the pack animal they had kept with them. He would set up their camp while she poked around in the dark rocks. Her fascination with rocks made little sense to Gabriel, but she found peace in poking around such dusty places in search of rare complexes. For that quiet relaxation that took the weight of her daily world from off her mind, he could overlook the strangeness of her hobby.

Azjah returned from the edge of the ravine to retrieve her rock hammer and safety glasses. She pulled a Brunton compass from her bags, and a small notepad before stepping into a safety harness. Her plans included repelling down into the ravine, and making notes on whatever she might find there. She checked the ropes and climbing gear while Gabriel established their camp.

Gabriel noted the curve of her lips as she prepared to descend into the crevasse. This was something she truly loved to do, and he doubted she even realized that she was smiling while she prepared her equipment. He watched her while he set up the tents. Rocks were nothing exciting, not until Azjah began talking to him, and then they came to life as she described how they came to the form she would hold in her hands, or why they took on the colors they did. She came to life too, he noted silently.

She slipped over the rim of the gash in the rock and began her descent toward the bottom of the exposed formation. Gabriel followed her over the edge as they slipped down the face of a clearly metamorphosed portion of the asthenosphere. This rock was strongly alkalic, almost entirely lacking the usual constituent of silica. The chemistry of the original magmas exhibited allochemical metamorphism. The rock chemistry had been altered during metamorphism by migrating fluids. This outcropping was an eclogites. There were high concentrations of garnet and omphacite in a coarse grained mafic matrix.

Eclogites crystallize from ultramafic, basaltic magmas. Generally accepted theory of formation has this kind of metamorphism occurring at a crust-mantle boundary known almost everywhere as the Mohorovicic Discontinuity. Heat flow varies depending on whether the site is underneath the thick layers of continental rocks, or at the thinner spreading ridges in the oceans. Temperature variations range from 200 degrees Celsius to over 1,000 degrees. The higher temperatures occur beneath the continental rocks, which is why finding an exposed eclogite is so very rare. The thinner oceanic crust allows for higher rates of heat flow and dissipation.

Azjah paused about 30 meters down. Crystals of Lawsonite began to show up in the matrix of the rocks. Lawsonite (CaAl2Si2O7(OH)2 H2O) and jadeite grew in abundance, which indicated the higher pressures and tectonic influences had been instrumental in forming the basement rock. As they continued down, the minerals of eclogites facies increased. Eclogites formed from basalt under very high temperatures and pressures. Omphacite pyroxene and garnet comprised a great deal of the matrix. The shock came as they descended that the Lawsonite, which usually forms at lower pressures resulted in larger, purer crystals of Lawsonite.

She hung suspended from the repelling ropes as she studied the small, but very pure crystals within the eclogite. Crystals grow in plastic and magmatic formations by first forming a tiny nucleus of their own compositions. These first crystals are the earliest process of cooling. The first crystals are unstable because they have a very large surface area in comparison to their size. As they grow, they stabilize. Lawsonite has a tendency toward twinning, but these crystals were un-twinned and very transparent. The usual surface imperfections were missing in these crystals, probably due to the metamorphic influences. These crystals were some of the rarest minerals in any galaxy. But they were showing up in great abundance, and in an un-twinned state.

Azjah went very still as she surveyed the rock face.

Azjah returned to the present. She had invited Mr. Bradstreet to dinner, and Andre was muttering as she paused in the kitchen area to find out what her temperamental chef had decided to conjure up for their meal.

One of the kitchen boys brought her the menu for that evening, allowing her time to review it before asking if it was acceptable.

Azjah nodded and retreated from the kitchen. It was never a good idea to upset a man wielding a large knife.

Azjah returned to her own book, glancing up at Antonio. ?When you have a moment, might I have a refill on the Dalwhinnie? Please??

Antonio chuckled, ?I?ve got a moment right now!? He took her glass and topped it off before handing it back to the Marchioness. ?Things are going well for you??

She smiled up at him, ?very well, how about yourself??

He rocked his hand back and forth in an half and half type of motion, ?generally good, things have been quite busy lately. Almost too busy in fact; which is unusual for me to say.? He smirked slightly. Azjah chuckled and wondered if she should ask him precisely what was making his life so busy, and he smiled his infectious smile, ?What?s keeping me busy? Business is booming, I?ve lost two of my staff, one due to accident, one due to retirement, and I?m having to pick up their loads as well as my own.?

Azjah laid her book down onto the table, ?I am sorry to hear about the accident, but the retirement must have been expected??

Xanth?s low, gravelly voice reached Azjah?s ears, ?Bah! I don?t have time for this.? With that, the black cloaked figure tucked his manual back into his robes and rose from his seat, then making his way toward the Inn?s exit.

Azjah bade him good evening and missed the arrival of the vampire, Lord Temhota, who settled onto a rocking chair out in the cold. Xanth paused at the door and turned his hood in her direction, giving a single nod before disappearing into the night.

Antonio gave her a small grin, ?It should have been. But it was my oversight. The gent in question has been with the family for his whole life, and his father worked for my father, up until the day he died. I guess I just assumed that he?d always be there. It was a bad assumption.

Azjah turned her attention once more to Antonio. ?Well, there should be someone in town appropriate to your needs.?

Antonio nodded, ?They do say that these things come in threes. My gardener, may he rest in the light, and now these two fine fellows. Hopefully that?s it.? He smiled, ?And yes, I?m sure we?ll find someone suitable. But I truly feel like my staff is part of the family, so I?d rather not rush into things.?

She took a sip of her scotch, ?I understand that point Antonio, finding the right person is crucial.? She knew from experience that hiring important retainers was not to be undertaken lightly. They have too much access and influence in our lives she thought.

Antonio nodded, ?Indeed it is. They have to mesh perfectly with those already in place. The one thing I do not need is unnecessary friction. No sense in throwing sand into the pistons, so to speak.? He chuckled then.

?Such rash actions would indeed cause more trouble than it would be worth Antonio.? She gave him a quiet laugh. ?And how is your lovely wife?? She hadn?t seen Antonio or his wife in a very long while. He told her that she and the children were all doing well. Azjah asked Antonio to give her greetings. He promised that he would pass on her salutation.

Garry paused on the front porch of the Inn, near where Temhota sat in his rocking chair, to kick the snow and mud off of his boots. Satisfied that he was not going to tread slush unnecessarily into the Inn, he pulled open the door and entered. He paused to look about the room as he unzipped the black leather jacket. He was more than ready to have a drink and get warm.

Azjah glanced at the door as it opened. When she saw who was arriving, she smiled, ?Good evening Mr. Bradstreet.? She had very much enjoyed the dinner they had shared at the Palazzo the day Garry had hired into Drachen Walde Industries. She had not asked him any questions about his past because she was still waiting for the final intelligence reports on his background, and the evening had passed very amiably.

Azjah glanced about for Antonio, and discovered that he had stepped into the back for a moment, ?Hmm, it would seem that Antonio has vacated the bar for a moment.?

Garry started to rise, ?I?ll go get it. May I get something for you while I?m up there??

The final reports had come back, and Azjah needed to have some answers before she allowed this relationship to continue much further, so she leaned closer to Garry a moment, he voice lowered to a barely audible whisper, ?And why would they call you Norman?? She leaned back into her chair and watched him closely. She?d meant to surprise him.

His eyes widened in no small amount of surprise, but his recovery was quick as he completed rising and giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement, ?You have good suppliers of information, m?lady. I?ll be right back.? She had indeed managed to surprise him with her timing.

Azjah nodded as she caught the brief moment of surprise, and she wondered if he would give her the actual meaning, or was he even now creating a facsimile version of the truth?

Gary stood at the bar, awaiting Antonio?s return. When he did exit the back room, Antonio apologized to Garry before offering to get whatever he needed. Garry waved off the apology, ?A Dalwhinnie, Distiller?s Edition, neat, for the lady at the hearth. A Remy Martin for me? double.? He amended at the very end of his order.

The Marchioness crossed her long legs beneath the table as she watched Garry intently. She closed the note pad and laid it on top of the book to her right.

Garry handed Antonio three silvers for the drinks and picked them up. He turned toward Azjah with only a hint of the smile he?d had earlier. He handed her the glass of scotch, ?Your whisky, m?lady.? He?d even said it with the Scottish pronunciation.. ouisky.

She gave him a warm smile as she waited for him to broach the subject this time, ?vielen danke? She?d told him in her native Germanic language.

?Bittezehr, Fraulein,? he said smoothly as he sat down again and made himself comfortable by the fire as it crackled behind him, ?And what else do you know of me?? He was not going to answer her question just yet as he returned with a query of his own instead.

Azjah waited for him to settle in comfortably, ?Very little in fact, but when you told me you were Intelligence, I did not expect to find much in the public forums. You were very thorough.? She did not add that she?d paid well for the information that escaped the usual search routines.

He smirked slightly and held up his glass of fine French brandy, ?thank you.? Still, he did not volunteer any further information.

About that point in their conversation, the door opened again and admitted Lord Momus. Kairee phased through the back of the bar and solidified behind the bar. Azjah greeted Kai with a quick nod. Lord Momus on the other hand sent a smooch sailing her direction, which drew a growl from Gabriel.

A dark and ominous chill seeped into the Common Room. It came seeping through the floor and doors, rising into the space to wash over exposed flesh of those unlucky enough to be caught in it?s wake. It was the same chill Azjah had felt before when she?d come to the Inn, and she gave a quick shiver as it came again. Her eyes slid toward the door to see if her intuition was correct, and soon enough the black uniformed figure stepped in from the cold night beyond. Lord Travanix?s fingers pressed open the door, allowing him to gain entry into the Inn. He pulled his arms behind him as he stepped further inside. The door closed with a ?smack? behind him. His dark auburn eyes flashed in the light of the room as though he searched for someone or something. He?d apparently been the source of the chill that she felt when ever he arrived.

Azjah gave a quiet laugh to Lord Momus, and chuckled as she heard the snarl from Gabriel. Some things never change.

Garry shook himself free from his own thoughts, ?I?m sorry? okay? all that is past.? But the ghosts she?d raised remained to haunt his eyes as he looked into hers.

?You have my regrets for needing to inquire,? she told him. It was the best she could do for an apology. His past had required the search, and it was lamentable that so little had actually come to light until she actually asked him about the events.

He gazed into her pale blue eyes, ?It?s okay. You had a right to know.?

She wasn?t certain she had a right to bring such memories back to the surface, and she pulled the silk wrap closely around her shoulders at the chill that had invaded the room. ?I will do my very best to help you put distance between now and then.?

He smiled and reached over to touch her arm, as she?d done to him earlier, ?you already have,? he told her softly.

She was unused to anyone having the temerity to actually touch her, and she fought the reflex to pull away. It wasn?t because she disliked him, it was so instinctual that most of the time, she avoided contact on impulse or second nature. Gabriel growled low and warningly, but Garry seemed not to notice the warning, and Azjah finished her scotch quickly. ?I am glad to hear that.?

He finished his drink, ?Okay, I?ll see you at 6 AM.?

She nodded, ?Yes, the Star Dragon is docked in bay 6.? A small ripple of anticipation threaded through her being.

He broadened his smile, ?Bay 6, got it.? Then he winked, ?My flying begins tomorrow.?

Azjah gave him a brilliant smile, ?I?ll go easy on your first flight.? She shivered again, despite having assigned a cause to the phenomenon.

Garry smiled, ?Thanks.? He rose then and headed for the door, pushing it open. As he left, he had thoughts of the Sycamore Creek Campaign preying on his thoughts. Ghosts of the slain peeking from behind formerly closed places in his mind.

She?d gone into RhyDin to cheer for Bran, hoping that he would secure the Baron?s Ring for Battlefield Park. She was not disappointed. Bran secured the single win required against the spoiled child that had held it, and with the win, the Barony. Perhaps now there will be something good come of Dragon?s Gate for a change.

As she left the Arena and headed back to the Palazzo, something drew her to the Inn. She?d not planned on remaining in town tonight. There was simply too much to do before leaving. She had things that needed to be taken to Pyxis, and Garry had been with her on the shake down flight of the Star Dragon and managed the take off and landing without becoming ill. But still, something beckoned, and she slowed the Mc Laren and parked it outside of the Inn.

Azjah walked through the doors, pausing only long enough to see if her usual table was available, and then made her way through the moderate crowd toward it. She unfastened the front of the jacket before sliding out of it and draping the blue silk over the back of the comfortable chair.

The Author, Wil Savage glanced around the Inn as he leaned his back against the bar, taking a long drink of the Badsider. In his other hand was a lit cigarette. He appeared the epitome of nonchalance.

While he leaned there, a woman approached him, saying to another male, ?I want to talk to Wil for a moment.?

Azjah moved toward the bar, intent upon obtaining a glass of scotch, and as she did, Wil folded his arms across his chest, bringing a booted foot up onto a stool rail as he continued to survey the Inn?s patrons. He made note of Kacilla?s approach, and the Marchioness, whom he realized he had not seen in quite some time.

Kacilla made a direct path toward Wil, and when she reached him, she paused, tilting her head slightly, ?Hey, I haven?t seen you in a while. I, ah, this is awkward??

Azjah paused at the edge of the bar on Wil?s right side as Kacilla began to speak. She garnered Tucker?s attention, ?Might I get a glass of Dalwhinnie Distiller?s Edition when you have a moment?? She realized that Tucker may not know her well, and she added, ?Neat.?

Wil took a final draw on the cigarette and then crushed it beneath his boot before taking another sip of the Badsider and only then did his eyes land on Kacilla, and cease roaming around the room. He smiled coolly, ?Yeah, well, this entire Inn is awkward, so no problem.? He gave her a wink, and his focus was perhaps more of a stare at her, as though he liked what he was seeing.

Azjah thought that a bit odd since the last she knew, Mr. Savage was to be wed to Elessaria, and Rena was to attend the nuptials, and for that reason, Azjah had postponed the trip to Pyxis. Rena had planned on going out again with her, and that did surprise Azjah after the first trip had turned out as it had. But, Rena was made of stout stuff it seemed, and was willing to travel out once more.

Tucker gave a quick glance and a point at Azjah, ?Right away!? He then poured a generous splash of the Dalwhinnie into a rocks glass and set it on the bar with a smile. She slid several platinum coins across the bar and picked up the glass. Wil heard the order and lifted a brow faintly at the choice of an excellent whisky, but his eyes never left Kacilla.

Azjah thanked Tucker and turned toward Wil, glancing at him a brief moment before lifting the glass to her lips, pausing as Kacilla began a tentative query.

Kacilla shrugged and smiles somewhat ruefully as she pushed slightly damp hair back away from her face, ?that?s true enough I suppose.? She sighed softly, ?I haven?t seen Eless in longer than it?s been since the last time I saw you, and I was hoping to talk to her. I hoped?. Do you know where she is??

Wil?s lips twisted into a parody of a smile as he shrugged, ?yeah, well, you and me both. I?ve searched the entire damned planet for her, several times. She?s vanished. I have no idea where.?

Azjah knew she was shocked, and it took a few moments for his words to register with Kacilla. ?What??

Wil took another sip of what was left in the bottle of Badsider, his stomach knotting at the sickening feeling of having his fianc?e just disappear a week before the wedding, ?Yeah, well, she?s gone.?

Azjah leaned her hip against the bar, one arm crossed over her waist, the other holding the rocks glass. She would not say anything at this moment, but the pain she saw in his eyes was honest and genuine. Perhaps later she would have an opportunity to speak with him.

Wil?s tone was cold and dispassionate as he continued to Kacilla, ?Wedding?s over. I?m left at the altar, and life goes on, I guess.?

Kacilla staggered back a step as one hand flew up to cover her throat before she managed a quick shake of her head, ?But? Excuse me. I?m sorry. Very sorry.?

He raised a brow, ?My God! I am sitting with a woman who?s a glutton for torture!? He was teasing, and his expression bespoke it before he grew more serious, ?No, really, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed them. I?m just not comfortable being an author.?

She wondered briefly what he was comfortable with, and then she realized his biography page had listed him as a Colonel. Military background and she wondered if he missed that life.

His smile evaporated, ?Thank you. Life sometimes takes strange turns. I?ve never been lucky at love.? A brief moment of discomfort hung suspended for a heartbeat before he changed the subject. ?So, what are these large projects, if you don?t mind me asking??

She took his cue and shifted topics, ?We have some mineral developments launching, and that has kept me rather busy and away from town. Which is why I am so dreadfully out of touch on events in RhyDin it would seem.?

Wil was immediately interested, and she wondered at his interest. Would he remain intrigued once he learned one of the projects was significantly off world? ?Really?? He asked, ?Well, you are a woman who is full of surprises. First it?s the Whinnie you ordered, and now this.?

She took a slow sip of her scotch as she continued to study him, ?Surprises keep life interesting.? She smiled faintly. ?Between the Cepheans and the threat they pose to Lacerta, and the project on a small planet of interest, I?ve had time to read, and have lost touch with local doings. ? She would see if he recognized anything of the off world events. ?Would you care for another Badsider?? She was fairly certain that while he appreciated the scotch she was drinking, mixing the ale and the scotch would not likely be a wise thing to do.


He gave her a quick smile, ?Sure, I think I will.? And she motioned for a serving lad to bring another bottle of Badsider to Wil at their table as he continued, ?The Cepheans huh? Hmm, interesting. ? She could not tell whether he knew anything of that barbarian race, or not. ?And Lacerta is the planet with the geological interest??

She shook her head, ?No, the planet of geological interest is on Pyxis. It was on Lacerta that I nearly lost the Star Dragon.? Memories of that last trip flashed through her thoughts, and she hoped most sincerely that Wil was not clairvoyant.

?Ahh,? he said as he seemed to ponder, putting his knowledge of the planets of this sector to use, ?I would have never thought to have met such a? traveler? in the Tombs. Mind if I smoke??

Azjah swirled the glass of scotch a moment. Not many realized that his term The Tombs indicated not an earthly crypt, but also the stars and constellation called Taurus. He knew his skies it would seem because Lacerta was part of that very constellation. ?Not at all,? she told him with regard to his cigarette. ?Have you ever been to Cephea??

He reached into a breast pocket and took out a half crushed pack of cigarettes, and tapped one half-way from the package, ?Thanks.? He put that cigarette to his lips, pulling the pack away and leaving the cigarette dangling as he slipped the pack back into his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and flicked it open and lit the cigarette within a cupped hand, deftly flicked the lighter out and slipped it away before answering about Cephea. ?Yeah, a long time back.? He gave her a long look, ?That?s ?NOT? where you?re from, is it??

She quirked a pale brow at him, ?thankfully, no, but those barbarians are threatening one of the Kaiser?s colonies. They have destroyed my satellite station.? She didn?t want to go into a lot of detail, but if he would ask if she hailed from Cephea, she wanted no misunderstandings about where she stood with the brutes.

Wil waved to Rena as she dropped her money onto the counter and picked up her mug with a nod to Tucker and Panther before she turned and moved in their direction. ?Am I interrupting?? She inquired as she drew near enough to speak.

Azjah smiled, ?Not at all Rena.?

Wil smiled at Rena, ?Hey, come and have a seat.? Then he looked at Azjah, ?Okay, that sounds like a good ship. I?m glad she?s repaired.?

Azjah nodded at him, ?she is. She?s fast, she?s comfortable, and elegant. What more could I ask for??

Rena sat down and crossed her left leg over her right, ?How are you two doing??

Wil gave Azjah an honest smile, ?well, maybe I could see it sometime?? He was silently hoping he wasn?t being too forward, some people were very sensitive about their ships, and he knew he was in no rush to show off his vessel.

Azjah canted her head at him, ?I would be happy to show her to you. Rena has even gone flying with me.? She glanced at Rena then, ?I am well Rena.?

Wil sobered somewhat at Rena?s query, ?I?m making through day by day Rena.? He looked again at Azjah, ?Yeah, I?d like that. I could use a break from here.?

Rena glanced at them both, but her eyes fell a bit longer on Wil before she responded to Azjah?s comment, ?it was an interesting flight.?

Azjah colored slightly, ?For which I do apologize.?

Wil glanced at Azjah, ?Azjah, you didn?t do the famous two words to Rena, did you?? He mistook Azjah?s apology to Rena with light hearted good humor. ?The famous two words that every passenger hates to hear?. ?Watch this!??

Rena?s gaze fell then onto Azjah, ?Apologize for what? Am I complaining?? She then smiled, ?Wil took me flying too.?

Azjah shook her head, ?well, if nearly getting you killed, or crushed, or frozen without a way off that archipelago?.? Her words trailed off. ?No, you have not complained.? She then lifted a brow at Rena, ?Indeed?? Apparently Mr. Savage either maintained an aircraft here, or he leased one. Interesting.

Wil winced, as though his ship was supposed to remain a secret, or left unmentioned.

?Well, it wasn?t a pleasure flight, and Piper threw me in the second seat.? Rena told her, sipping her Irish Coffee and clearly avoiding any description of the ship flown by Mr. Savage.

She regarded Wil a long moment, ?I am leaving Sunday for Pyxis, and am considering making a trip home.? She then turned her focus onto Rena, ?And so what did you think of Mr. Savage as a Pilot??

Wil?s brow rose fractionally, ?No kidding?? He flicked the ash into the old bottle of ale that he had just finished, then glanced at Rena.?

She sipped the Irish Coffee, ?He makes a good one.? Her answers were even shorter than usual.

Wil winked at her, he had been very safe with Piper in the prototype Class VI fighter, but would not say a word now.

Azjah did not miss the unspoken exchange between Wil and Rena yet again. Something was amiss about this flight, but now was not the time to inquire. She swirled the remaining scotch, it was getting late, ?Besides, who can miss Spring on Rigel?? She asked Wil.

He dropped the cigarette butt into the empty beer bottle, eyeing Azjah a moment before smiling, ?Are you trying to make me jealous Azjah??

She wanted to ask him whether he rented or owned, but decided against it, ?Would it work?? She inquired instead.

?Yes, it just might,? he smiled, as though he?d guessed her questions, but continued to remain mute about his own vessel.

She would ask him for a reciprocal tour when there were no others about, and finished her scotch, sliding the glass to her left, ?This time of year should see the salmon quince in bloom, and the Royal gardens will be a riot of color now.?

Wil slid his glance toward Rena, ?So, what kind of pilot is Azjah? Would she be able to take me safely to Rigel and back?? His grin said he was teasing, but Azjah?s heart skipped a beat as she waited for Rena?s reply.

Rena glanced between the two pilots, ?Yes, she would? she told Wil

Wil turned back to Azjah, ?well, if you need a co-pilot, I work very cheap.? He opened the Badsider that had been delivered earlier.

Azjah colored slightly, ?I am certain Gabriel would not object to sharing the right seat.? Gabriel would mind, and he?d not much care for a strange male aboard ship, but the Carpathian would accede to her wishes and keep his objections between the Marchioness and himself.

Wil?s brow rose fractionally, ?Sharing? Unless it is an extra wide, I?m guessing it will have to be one or the other.? He winked and finished off the Badsider and set the bottle down.

Azjah had to laugh at that mental image, ?I very much doubt that Gabriel would allow you to sit on his lap.? As Wil laughed and admitted that he liked Gabriel already, Azjah gave him a meaningful smile, ?How much of a sense of adventure do you have Mr. Savage??

He blew air out of his mouth and leaned back, ?If you only knew Azjah. Someday I might tell you. Let?s just say you?d have to go some distance to test that limit.?

Azjah canted her head with a smile, ?If you want that tour of the Dragon, perhaps you can join me for a quick run for supplies tomorrow. I will be departing at 6:00 AM.? She would see if his words were bravado, or could he back them with actions.

He ignored her offer a moment to down the remainder of his beer, bringing the bottle to settle on the table, only then did he look at her, ?Okay, I?ll be there.? He winked and rose, ?I better be on my way now.?

Azjah rose with a nod toward Rena, ?Take care my friend.? She then glanced at Wil, ?Wonderful, as must I.? She had things to do before calling it a night, and if she was to be ready at 6:00 AM with the preflight filed and check lists completed, she needed to return to the Palazzo.

Wil helped her with the chair, and gave her a sketch of a bow before saying, ?it?s been a most pleasant evening.? Then he bade Rena a good evening, and a greeting to Aaron before he moved back up the stairs at a rather quick pace and disappeared.

Azjah slid into her jacket with a nod to Rena and left the Inn. She?d file the flight plan from the Palazzo, and break the news to Gabriel.

Colonel Savage was up at 0400, ground the coffee and got it brewing. He was wondering what kind of trouble this day was going to bring. As long as it?s not boring, he thought as he slipped into the shower. Azjah doesn?t seem the boring type. A personal craft built for speed that can hold six? I?ve seen some of those ?speedy? craft. You can die of old age before they make it to the next star system ? damned planet hoppers. That?s all they?re good for.

He showered, dressed and had his usual breakfast of coffee with a few fried eggs, ham and toast; and then some more coffee. By 0500 he was out of the apartment and heading off to see this ?fast, comfortable and elegant? ship. He?d be satisfied if it just held together and brought him back safely. Then he started wondering what king of pilot Azjah would turn out to be. He wasn?t a male chauvinist by any means; he knew that women often made excellent pilots. They generally multitask better than men, and nowhere were multitasking abilities more critical and put to the test then in the left seat of a spacecraft.

At 0520 he arrived at the guard house and was giving his credentials. They were evidently ready for him and all went smoothly as they pointed in the direction of the ramp and the ship that was docked at the end of it. Wil was dressed comfortably in black flight pants, a deep green shirt, enviroboots, and a black leather flight jacket that concealed his p-blaster which was holstered near the left armpit. His shades were tucked into his inside coat pocket.

Savage walked down the ramp and began to wonder what the hell was shining at the end where the ship was supposed to be docked. When he got closer and recognized the shine was coming from an all-too-familiar J-Type craft, he stopped and put his hands on his hips. ?What the hell? Son-of-a. . ." his words trailed off as he stared at the chromium hull. ?She?s got a damned stealth system going,? he mumbled to himself. "That woman is just full of surprises."

By 0530 he walked up the ramp and heard the last of the preflight checks going on. He recognized Azjah?s voice, but not that of the man.

?Good morning,? he said to announce his presence. He was always early for a flight; even one that he was not in charge of.

It was just his habit.

?Welcome aboard my vessel, Mr. Savage. May I introduce Gabriel Daratrazanov. Gabriel, this is Wil Savage, he will be flying with us today to Enceladus.?

Just great. Gabriel Daratrazanov, a Carpathian who has to be at least 6?4? and not very talkative - just the kind of payload every vessel can do without. Aren?t these guys supposed to stay planet-side and bend steel with their bare hands? Savage?s thoughts upon the introduction to Gabriel were kept to himself, and instead it returned the nod with a brief, ?Morning.? He didn?t offer his hand. Carpathians didn?t shake hands. Besides, if you were unfortunate enough to be introduced to one who did, it could turn out to be a very painful experience and Savage preferred to keep his dexterity just a little longer.

The second rather unpleasant surprise was that they were going to Enceladus. He hated moons to begin with, but freakin? cold ones were the worse of the lot; well, except for the boiling hot ones, but we don?t go there (literally). Enceladus averaged -330 deg F, and that required special precautions.

?Do come and take the right seat Mr. Savage. Perhaps you?ll consider taking her out??

He was quite familiar with J-Type craft and except for slightly different instrument layout from model to model, they handled basically the same. Why the designers felt they had to change the instrument layout when they upgraded the ship every year or two, was beyond him. His only guess was ?job security? ? gave them something to do. The Star Dragon was definitely different than most when it came to navigational aids and armament, but a quick perusal of the instruments and controls enabled Savage to put the basic layout to memory. He quickly scanned down the checklist, his hands touching each control and dial as he did, then Wil looked at Azjah and nodded with a bit of a smile, ?Sure, I'd love to fly this baby.?

After Azjah contacted the Tower she said, ?We?re going to Enceladus, it?s fairly chilly there.?

?Yeah, so I?ve heard. And here I was worried all night about going to someplace where my Tasty Freeze would melt.? He gave her a wink, got the clearance from the tower, and grasped the throttle system and eased the ship out of its berth.

The ship was a dream.

He was very impressed with the responsiveness and could tell right off that this was not your run-of-the-mill J-craft. There were modifications ? the kind that make a difference. This was the way the J-Types were supposed to be if the manufacturer hadn?t been pressed to stay within certain budget restrictions. He turned to his left and smiled at Azjah, ?Hey, I could get used to this baby. You might find me hanging out at the ramp with a ?Will work for flight time? sign hanging around my neck.?

?You handle her as though you?re familiar with J Types Mr. Savage.?

?Yeah, I?ve flown a few in my day, but none this nice.?

?Would you care for a quick tour??

?Would love one,? he replied and flicked on the autopilot and waited just a bit to be sure it had taken effect.

The ship?s layout had a familiarity, but there were enough upgrades here to make the tour quite interesting. In some ways it reminded him of his own ship, although the military fighter had no wing area. He noted the private areas, and took note at her pause at the door closest to the main body of the ship. He wondered if that was her private quarters, but he just ignored the pause as if he hadn?t even noticed.

When they returned to the flight deck she said with a smile, ?Ready to take on the debris field??

That was the third surprise of this trip.

His brow raised and he gave a nod of willingness, but behind that nod was the realization that he was not just flying her personal ship ? she was testing him!

Furthermore, she trusted him.

No pilot would unnecessarily risk their own ship by taking on a debris field when it could be avoided. Azjah trusted him enough that she was willing to give him the most stringent test other than being in an actual battle. The implications of that could very well have something to do with the Cepheans. Wil suspected that she was evaluating if she wanted him at her wing when she decided to take the Cepheans on to protect Lacerta. She was definitely an impressive woman.

?I?ve been taught that you always have to be ready for a debris field if you want to live to see the pilot old age home. It?s not a matter of if you?ll be in one, but when. Let?s take it on.? He strapped himself in, clicked off the autopilot, and flicked the switches that brought up long and short-ranged Lidar, defensive procedures, and hi-res monitoring. He made a quick test of the yaw, roll, and pitch controls to be sure they were fully functioning, then with a hand grasping the throttle tightly, they zipped into the debris field.

Wil was now in his element with total concentration, controlling the ship by feel rather than by through and analysis. If you had to think and analyze, your operation of the controls would be too slow. The Star Dragon whisked through the debris field with Wil giving as wide a berth as possible to the "debris" This was not a time when you tried to be a hot shot with close fly-bys. Those who did that wound up dead with the loss of a perfectly good ship. Wil was good, very good, and he had no need to show off or take unnecessary risks.

They came out of the debris field unscathed and he came on final approach to Enceladus. ?You have a particular freezer you want to land in?? Wil asked, looking over to Azjah, finding her as beautiful as she was brilliant.

As Wil negotiated the approach, he was completely focused on the task at hand. But he was also clearly in his element. Here was a man who?d flown a great deal, despite his joke about the old age home for pilots. She watched him bring the vessel through the thin atmosphere of Enceladus, and he touched down with a faint bump onto the designated docking bay.

Moorings were set, and Azjah rose out of the left seat and returned to the storage for the suits. She reached for her own, which had her company logo on it and simply her first name. She was ready to put on the head covering when Gabriel materialized and assisted her with that task and the gloves before he donned his own suit.

At last they were ready, and Azjah tested the comm links before unsealing the exit ramp and taking her first step onto the icy moon. At the bottom of the ramp, they were met by four colony officials and escorted toward a low building. Saturn hung in the dark sky above them. Its rings of debris scattering the light from a much more distant Sol, but the gaseous giant planet was stunning to behold. She paused and took in the sight before Gabriel gave her a gentle reminder that they were falling behind their escorts.

They entered the building and were led into an office like room where Azjah removed her gloves and hood. She smiled as the base commander introduced himself, and she produced the documentation chip to verify who she was and the quantities of material she had come for.

He slid the chip into a computer, and several moments later he looked up from the screen.
?Ihre Bescheinigungen sind und im Auftragsmadame korrekt.? He handed her back the chip. ?Wir lassen 8 Kilogramm verpacken und bereiten vor, damit Sie mit Ihnen nehmen. Haben Sie die Zahlung??

Wil watched as Azjah pointed to the environmental suits that they would need to survive on the moon. ?One should be workable, and we are not staying long. Unless you would prefer to remain aboard the Dragon?? He gave her a ?yeah?sure? look and took the suit that looked like it would fit him.

When the time came, he put the suit on as if he did it every day. There was a time when this would not have been an exaggeration. When the ship?s door opened, they would have died in a few seconds had they not been inside their suits. The temperature of Enceladus is similar to the temperature where liquid nitrogen boils (-321 deg F) and where it freezes (-346 deg F). This is partly because Enceladus reflects so much of the sunlight it receives, rather than absorbing it.

Wil walked alongside of Azjah and gazed upon the giant rings of Saturn. He had been to countless planets, but there were few that could compare to the beauty of this one. He followed her into the building and watched as the base commander introduced himself and took her documentation chip. He approved her documentation and said that an 8 Kg package was prepared and wondered if she had the money. Savage listened as Azjah mentioned that she also requested food, some supplies and a generator. This was evidentially not some haphazard checkout of her ship. Then she smiled at him and asked the base commander if they could go see the volcano.

For the first time the base commander looked critically at Savage, obviously curious who he was. ?Und Sie haben auch Dokumentation??

Wil nodded and removed a small, black leather folder and opened it to the base commander. He watched the eyes of the commander widen when the I.I.S.C. agent badge was revealed and he was identified as ?Colonel William Samuel Savage, Agent 541, Interplanetary Intelligence and Security, Sector H-42?. The commander just handed the documentation back saying, ?Nur eine Vorsichtsma?nahme, Sir. Vielen Dank.?

Wil actually enjoyed the ride in the transport that was designed to navigate such terrain. It was a refreshing change to the life in Rhy?Din, and made him realize how much he had missed his work. The ice volcano was magnificent. Wil sat there and stared out the large windows of the transport vehicle. ?Absolutely amazing, isn?t it, Azjah? I never get over the incredibly diverse worlds in this universe. Every one is unique; it like the mold of creation could be used only once, and then destroyed.?

When Azjah jumped at the explosion, he placed a hand on her arm, but he was not smiling. It was a concern for him also. No one in their right mind would be nonchalant about such explosions that threatened to put an end to the insignificant technology that protected one?s body from a quick death. He was momentarily caught between the mesmerizing attraction of the display of power and the need to get back to safety.

He was not disappointed to be back inside the Star Dragon. These moons were fun to visit, but you didn?t want to stay if a long life was something that was important to you. Once he removed his Environ-suit he returned to the right seat of the ship.

?Are you any good at target shooting??

Wil turned his head and looked at Azjah, and he just had to smirk as he admired her. He knew exactly what she was referring to, as would have any I.I.S.C. agent. Planetary rings and asteroid fields were notorious hangouts for space pirates. He would have been a lot happier being in his fighter craft that was specifically designed for taking out other ships, but the Star Dragon seemed well-equipped.

He gave a closer look at the weaponry systems, then looked back to Azjah with a grin, ?I think I might be able to whack a few ducks.?

A blip came on the screen that was obviously different than the blips from the debris field of Saturn's ring system. Then three others materialized on the screen, all obviously ships - ships with an intent to take what wasn't theirs. Wil listened to Azjah speak to Gabriel, but unlike the German that was used on the moon, this was a language he was not familiar with. He could tell that Azjah was straining to not interfere, as he would have if the situations were reversed. He watched her put up the shields while he was already taking defensive maneuvers.

A smile came to his face as training and reflexes kicked in and his movements became automatic. The pirates were not unlike street fighters who surround a victim and then begin to swing their fists wildly. The technique might be effective against someone who?s untrained and hampered by fear, but if the ?victim? happens to be a well-trained boxer, the poor street fighters would soon find themselves outmatched.

?Ready for that duck hunting?? he heard Azjah say.

He grinned and replied without taking his eyes off the blips and the view through the window. ?I think what I need to do is get all our pretty little ducks in a row.? The first blast was at the Star Dragon?s engines, but the shields held as he anticipated they would. Pirates used fast and maneuverable ships, but their weapons were seldom of a type and power to be immediately effective against a shielded ship.

?Get ready to hold on,? he said as he tightened his grip on the controls and timed his maneuver. ?It?s time to play follow the leader.? Damn, but he wished he had a cigarette between his lips. Somehow that always helped, or at least that was his impression. Wil made a sharp turn to port, made even sharper with a 60-degree roll. Just as he suspected, they turned and followed, the single ship first, and then the three others lined up further back, making them look like a ?dot dash-dash-dash? of the old Morse Code.

?They're about as dull as a draw full of hammers,? Wil muttered as he readied his next maneuver. ?Notice that only one can fire on us, the others are blocked by their own ships.? And the one (the ?dot?) did fire, but once again the shields held. ?It?s time for the hunted to become the hunter. Hold on.? He pitched the ship up full, feeling the forces vibrate the ship as it began its tight arc. In an atmosphere, the g-forces would have exceeded the stress levels of most ships, but the vacuum of space was more forgiving and allowed such maneuvers. The Star Dragon began a 180-degree loop, and with the ship ?upside down? from its original orientation, the three ?Dashes? were in full view as the ?Dot? past by beneath.

Wil?s thumb flipped up the trigger cover, engaged the head-up display symbolics, and locked on the first two ships that were still in a line of three. The grid of the symbolics lit up red and as the target was locked on and Wil fired. He had time to take out the first two ?dashes? before slipping beneath the last and heading in the opposite direction. He rolled the ship and flicked to ?Rear Screen? to see two fireballs rapidly disappearing from view behind them. The other two blips of the two remaining ships did a right angle back to the more dense area of the debris field. Soon the blips were off the screen.

?Pansies,? Wil muttered as he put the trigger lock back in place and turned off the weaponry symbolics of the heads-up display. ?I guess our duck hunting is over already,? he said, turning to Azjah. ?Nice ship you have here,? he added as he removed the shields to relieve the drain on energy resources.

They were soon far enough out of the range of the rings that they could relax. Wil set a course to return home and leaned back in the right seat. He looked at Azjah, grinned and shrugged playfully. A fire fight was like sex . . . good sex, and right now he needed a cigarette. Badly.

The tension that had stiffened her spine during the attack eased, and Gabriel gave Wil a long look before giving Azjah a bow and vanishing. No verbals were exchanged and that left her alone in the cockpit with Colonel Savage.

?You handled my ship with more competence than I expected Mr. Savage. Thank you. I rather like this vessel, and the thought of losing it always distresses me.? She took a look at all of the read outs before un-strapping herself from the left seat. ?I could use a cup of tea. Scotch would be better, but somehow I doubt you?d care for a pilot sipping something that would impair reflexes. Would you care for something??

Azjah moved out of the cockpit and into the common area before giving a barely audible sigh of relief. Then she made herself a cup of cranberry tea, and leaned one hip against the counter as she sipped the steaming brew.

They had several hours before they?d need to return to the cockpit, and as she prepared Wil?s drink, she decided to take him to the small observatory. Perhaps he would speak about his experiences, and after seeing the way he handled her ship, she knew he was field experienced Colonel, and not some desk jockey.

?We have some time, would you care to rest, or perhaps do some star gazing until we are needed?? She remained in the doorway between the cockpit and common room. Perhaps he?d prefer some solitude, and she couldn?t blame him, not with everything he?d been through of late.

He agreed to join her in the observatory, and as the two left the cockpit, Gabriel materialized in the right seat. He would keep watch over the systems, and for potential attacks. He?d done what he could to warn Azjah about the male in her company. Unless or until he did something dangerous, that was all he would do.

Azjah let him to the small space in the left wing. The viewing ports were well placed and showed a great deal of velvety blackness that was punctuated by the most beautiful images she?d ever seen. A Schmidt-Cassegrain compact telescope was mounted to the floor. The catadioptric telescope employed both mirrors and reflectors in its design. It was a very powerful telescope housed in a very small package. The eleven inch scope has a limiting magnitude of nearly 15. For pleasure viewing, it is a wonderful set up, and Azjah did not turn on lighting as they moved into the room. No point in continuing to ruin their ability to see into the universe by having excessive background lights. She did turn on some floor markers that glowed faintly. ?Do watch your step Mr. Savage, there is not much in here besides the telescope and some seating, but I would not wish you to bruise a shin.? She gave a light chuckle as she led him toward the scope.

As she set about activating the systems, she glanced at him, ?It?s not research grade, but it is capable of 660X highest useful magnification, and will resolve to 0.5 arc seconds with an angular field of view of 0.6 minutes. ? She gave a moment of consideration before asking him if there was something special he would like to view.

Before she could garner Wil?s reply, Gabriel?s voice intruded, ?We are being hailed Marchioness, by someone identifying themselves as belonging to the 209th Kestrals, Long Range Surveillance unit. They are requesting our reasons for entering their space.?

Azjah?s brow rose. There had been no space defense around RhyDin before. She glanced at Wil, ?Have you ever heard of the 209th Kestrals??

?I could use a cup of tea. Scotch would be better, but somehow I doubt you?d care for a pilot sipping something that would impair reflexes. Would you care for something??

?Tea would be great, thanks,? he said as he released himself from the right seat and stood and stretched. He really wanted a cigarette and a cold beer, but that wouldn?t look very professional.

?We have some time, would you care to rest, or perhaps do some star gazing until we are needed??

Wil took a sip of his tea and smiled, thinking she just wanted to get him alone in the dark. ?Nothing like a little star gazing,? he said. He was surprised, and almost disappointed to discover that she really meant star gazing when she had said ?star gazing.? He recognized the catadioptric telescope immediately and just grinned and shook his head. She seemed to never ceased to amaze him. He was glad she didn?t turn on the lights. Being this close to Azjah in the dark and detecting her fragrance was making this trip a whole lot more pleasurable than he had anticipated.

When she asked if there was anything in particular he?d like to view, he was about to say, ?Yeah, but I don?t need a telescope,? when Gabriel intruded about the 209th Kestrals. ?Damn,? he thought to himself, ?just my luck. Can?t a guy get a moment of peace in space anymore??

?Have you ever heard of the 209th Kestrals?? Azjah asked.

Wil shook his head, ?Can?t say I have.? Before he could say more they were heading quickly back to the flight deck. ?Wasn?t that the girls marching band at Oberon High. . .? he just mumbled while following Azjah back through the ship. He slipped back into the right seat and immediately began a mental checklist, turning on the scanners that brought the blips of the ships onto the screen.

?Inbound vessel on approach zero-two-nine mark four, this is Epsilon Flight Lead of the 209th Kestrels Recon and Early Warning. You?re entering designated Rhydin space. Please identify yourself, your destination, and stand by for a standard cargo scan.?

?What the . . .?? Wil looked at Azjah, then back at the blips. ?When the hell did Rhydin actually get designated space? It always happens this way. You?re gone for a day and return to some crazy crap that proves a vacuum will always want to be filled.? He contemplated getting on the radio and informing them that he?s Colonel Wil Savage of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission and to get their butts out of the way, but this wasn?t his ship or his decision. He would defer to Azjah and see how she would handled this intrusion.

?You?re pilot in command, Azjah; you better take it. I?ll be ready if you should need a little backup.? He gave her a wink, regretting he lost his star gazing opportunity for this.

Casey?s left VDU flashed as the incoming IFF codes flooded her systems with information about the vessel, quickly followed by a warning beep as the Star Dragon raised shields and armed its weapons.

She uttered a curse. So much for easy.

Presumably, someone on the Star Dragon had already scanned her trio and informed its captain that their ships were lightly armed. She had no idea how hard of a punch the Star Dragon could throw, and she didn?t want to find out.

Switching channels, she spoke to the pilots on her wing, knowing they were seeing the same things. ?This isn?t starting out so promising; there should be an SWACS close by. Let them know our situation and get the Vanguard to dispatch a wing over here; we?re not geared to fight this thing. Don?t arm your weapons yet, I don?t want to provoke anything more; if they open fire, cut and run toward Nav Three. We?ll regroup in the asteroid field and lose ?em in the rocks if we have to.?

Without waiting for a reply from either Darconum, she re-opened her wide-beam channels, trying to keep her nerves in check ? she hadn?t engaged in combat for over a year and hadn?t counted on today being a reintroduction to the art form. ?Star Dragon, this is Epsilon Lead. You?ll have to talk to Governor Simon about who has authority over what; our orders as part of the new Rhydin Air And Space Guard are to gather data on inbound traffic. If Rhydin?s your destination, we?ll need a scan or cargo manifest; if you refuse and continue on, you?ll be escorted in.?

She had no idea what would happen after that escort, but such things weren?t her concern at the moment. Right now, she needed to diffuse whatever tension might set off the trigger-happy tactical officer on the Rigelian ship.

Gabriel remained behind Azjah, then he spoke quietly in his rich baritone, ?They are not prepared to take on the Dragon.? They had closed the distance and Azjah slowed from 0.062 down to 0.035 as they approached the triad of ships that no one had expected. Their course remained zero-two-nine mark four.

Azjah nodded, thankful for that bit of information. If they were not prepared to fire on them, they probably were not pirates, and then Epsilon Lead?s voice broke the silence, ?Star Dragon, this is Epsilon Lead. You?ll have to talk to Governor Simon about who has authority over what; our orders as part of the new Rhydin Air And Space Guard are to gather data on inbound traffic. If Rhydin?s your destination, we?ll need a scan or cargo manifest; if you refuse and continue on, you?ll be escorted in.?

Azjah?s brows wing upward as she glanced at Wil as he burst into laughter. He thought she?d set this all up?? His mirth had bubbled over into full fledged hilarity, ?You set this up, didn?t you? You?re testing me! It?s either a RhyDinian April Fool?s joke, or you?re checking out my dismal diplomacy tendencies. I?m not falling for it.? He told her through gales of laughter.

Gabriel snarled low and dangerously as Wil wiped tears of mirth from his cheeks.

Azjah maintained a sober demeanor, ?I am very sorry to disappoint you Mr. Savage. I am absolutely shocked by this turn of events, and I certainly have not arranged any of this for your amusement. It was however Matt Simon?s campaign promise to provide improved security, but I hadn?t heard that he?d make this change this quickly.? She gave the comm. link a dubious look, then replied, ?Epsilon Lead, please repeat your authorization contact.? She didn?t want any mistakes regarding just whom she needed to go talk to when they were back in RhyDin.

As Governor Simon?s name was repeated, Azjah gave a soft chuckle. ?It would seem that I need to have a discussion with the Governor.? She glanced at Gabriel, "have they penetrated the hold shields?" He shook his head negatively.

Clearly Wil wasn?t convinced that she hadn?t arranged this as a test, and when he said, ?Okay, what the hell, Azjah; let?s let them scan our cargo. What are they going to find, anyway? Tea bags? A month?s supply of toilet paper? They can have their fun and we can get back home and perhaps go to dinner. How does that sound??

That shocked her into a moment of utter speechlessness. ?There is no question of scanning my cargo hold Colonel. My cargo would simply raise too many questions. Between the Germanium clathrate, and the weapons scheduled for delivery, I am not prepared to discuss them with an unknown group. And I suspect, more questions than you would like to answer as well.?

She opened hailing frequency again, ?Epsilon Lead, we are bound for RhyDin spaceport, but after our recent attack by 4 vessels at Saturn just a few hours ago, you will forgive us if we do not comply with your request for scan pending verification of your stated mandate. No scan, no boarding. Star Dragon out.? She turned and glanced at Wil, despite the fact that he still thought she had complicity in this whole turn of events. ?Do you think it?s possible he could have pulled this together in such a short amount of time??

She would keep the weapons warmed up as a precaution. She noted that the three ships had not armed weapons, so just maybe they were legitimate. Maybe, but she wasn?t prepared to trust just yet. And she wondered, would they really seek to follow?

Then she glanced at Wil, ?However, once we do land and get this cleared up, I believe dinner would be an acceptable end to this journey.? Then she gave him a quick smile as the Epsilon Leader spoke again.

Casey rolled her Ferret as the trio approached the Star Dragon, sliding the throttle to lower her speed to 100kps as she spiraled slowly upward and away from the Rigelian ship. Her right VDU indicated an incoming transmission from the SWACS as she replied to the female voice.

?Stand by, Star Dragon.?

Altering frequencies once more, Casey keyed in a code so the computer would decrypt the inbound message.

?Epsilon flight, this is Alpha One from the one-oh-third. Two wings are inbound to your coordinates to assume escort and should be there in less than five minutes. Please advise as to your status. Alpha One out.?

Good. The Vanguard fighters would take the escort role and leave her to do something much safer. Like examine space rocks for minerals.

?Alpha One, this is Epsilon Lead. Inbound has weapons armed and claims to have recently left a firefight. They?ve refused cargo scan and are asking for further verification of our legitimacy. Looks like the Governor didn?t share his plans with the rest of the universe. I?ll let the bogey know you?re going to provide escort back to Rhydin; I don?t think they?re looking for a fight but stay on your toes. And you better get someone on the ground to clean up this mess when these people land. Transmitting data on the vessel now. Epsilon out.?

With the SWACS playing middle-man, the Vanguard fighters should receive her encoded message and details on the Star Dragon in seconds. She loved having SWACS support; responses came and went much faster than if they had to solely rely on relay beacons. It also made her feel a sense of comfort; as long as SWACS were out there, they were tracking her. If trouble broke out, anyone who needed to know would know immediately. And out here, seconds definitely mattered.

Halting her lazy spiral, she led the two Darconum on a wide left-hand bank and assumed a position parallel to but several hundred kilometers starboard of the Star Dragon. Taking a moment to look over the foreign ship, she searched for visual evidence of damage that might help confirm the Saturn combat story. Moments later, streams of light poured through the cockpit glass and obscured her view; she lowered the glare-shield on her helmet as their course brought the ships in line with the system?s sun, bathing everything in a blinding yellow-white glow. Squinting at her VDU?s, she re-established the communications channel, improvising what she hoped would pass as diplomacy.

?Star Dragon, your concerns are noted and have been relayed. These security procedures are a new undertaking for everyone involved and you?re one of the first to arrive under the new directives. Four heavies from the 103rd are en route and will escort you the rest of the way in. Please maintain your current course on zero-two-nine mark four. We?ll stay with you until the Vanguard arrives and then be on our way.?

Glancing to her left, Casey swept her eyes over the patch of space from which the 103rd should be approaching, thinking they couldn?t get to her soon enough.

?Epsilon Lead, this is Alpha One, we?ve got visual contact. Anything new??

Casey smiled as four ships broke through the glare; a half-second later, her eyes widened in surprise.

?I?ll be damned.?

She recognized all four fighters, but seeing them paired together would take more than just a little getting used to. The lead pair flew Confederation F104A Bearcats, followed by another, older Confed. ship, the F-57 Sabre. The sight of the fourth fighter, a Kilrathi Vaktoth, rattled her. She?s spent too many years trying to dodge Kilrathi patrols and knew that particular class all too well. It could down her Ferret with one or two well-placed shots and though she could easily outrun the heavier ship, she found little comfort in the thought.

Blowing out a sigh, she opened the communication channel and replied. ?That?s a negative. We haven?t tried getting close enough for a detailed scan and they don?t seem the like the idea of being shepherded into port.?

?Roger that. Your team can cut loose. Enjoy your rock hunting, Moonshine.?

Casey?s hand froze midway through sliding the throttle forward and she could see the smile plastered on the faceless voice. Nobody called her Moonshine. At least, nobody in a good long while. The voice clicked inside her head, and she laughed. She should have recognized it before.

?Major? That you, Barclay??

?Ex-Major, Casey. Good to see you out here.?

?Same here. So you joined up with this bunch, too? And you?ve got a cat on your wing. Never thought I?d see this day.?

?A lot?s changed since the war ended, Casey.?

?Yeah.? And maybe not all for the better, she silently thought. ?All right, I?m splitting off, this is your show now. I have a date with a rock.?

?Understood. Good hunting, Casey.?

?You too.?

Pushing the throttle forward, Casey lit the Ferret?s afterburner and began an upward loop, placing her back on course toward Nav Three. The pair of Darconum followed suit, leaving the Star Dragon and its new escorts behind.

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

Inside his Bearcat, James Barclay cycled through all the data his computers held thus far on the Star Dragon. He?d overheard enough of the back-and-forth between its spokeswoman and Casey to sense something was slightly amiss. He could understand their surprised reaction at the sudden changes in policy regarding security but they were just a bit overeager to avoid a simple cargo scan and maintain a solo approach into Rhydin.

He opened a direct-feed relay into the SWACS. If things went sour, they?d have a record of everything that took place as well as quickly direct reinforcements to help.

?All right, boys and girl,? he spoke to the trio behind him as he slid into the same position Casey?s flight had just vacated, ?keep your weapons on hold but be prepared for anything. I?d like to avoid incident reports on day one, if you get my drift. If they try to run, let ?em go and follow at a safe distance until we can determine their destination. Baker, nar Caxxi, you take their starboard side. We?ll stay on port.?

The Vaktoth and Sabre split away, moving toward a similar position to the Bearcats on the other side of the Rigelian ship as Barclay began to address its crew.

?Star Dragon, this is James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard Space Defense Squadron, Rhydin Air And Space Guard. It?s my understanding that you?re refusing a cargo scan. My records show you?ve docked here several times so I?m sure you?re aware of the recent troubles and the need for increased security regarding inbound traffic. We?re here to escort you into port if you?re still intent on making entry. And we?ll handle any pirates that come our way if you attract another set. You?ve probably had enough fun for one day. I?ll take the lead. And I?d feel more comfortable if you?d return your weapons to standby. If we wanted to jump you, we?d have done it already.?

Barclay spoke like a man who?d commanded before; a veteran of several campaigns, he?d had more than his fair share of practice. He kept his tone even and firm, not relaying direct orders but also not making the escort sound like an optional choice. His reasoning in moving his Bearcat forward and in front of the Star Dragon was twofold. First, placing his own ship square in the sights of the foreign vessel would hopefully show a sense of trust to its crew regardless of whether they kept their weapons active or not. Second, any shots going his way would mean that many less directed at the other three Vanguard who could quickly move into a triangulated attack position.

He pulled far enough ahead to feel comfortable that he?d have enough time to react if the Star Dragon opened fire; he wasn?t out here to die after all.

Gabriel gave the read out another look, ?Marchioness, we have two Confederation F104 Bearcats, one F-57 Sabre, and one Kilrathi Vaktoth moving into position. We are strongly out gunned and will have little choice but to accept escort back to RhyDin.? Gabriel always maintained an air of detachment, even when faced with situations such as this. In that moment, Azjah wished she could do the same. Her first instinct was to put a great deal of distance between these new threats and her ship, but with an innocent passenger on board, she didn?t dare risk getting blown out of the heavens.

Gabriel?s elaboration of just what had joined the stand off elicited a very soft groan. ?Where is that kind of fire power when we?re dodging Cepheans?? She hazarded a glance at her co-pilot for the day. He toyed with the firing controls, but thankfully did not actually fire on any of the vessels around them, even with the addition of the four heavy fighters, which had begun to seriously concern Azjah. They were not prepared nor equipped for a serious fight, and she truly did not want one. She had hoped that having the weapons warmed up would get Epsilon Lead to back off.

Then, the three vessels they had initially encountered lit their after burners and vanished into the blackness, leaving behind the four bigger craft. Azjah watched the screen as they moved into assorted positions, two on either side. The com link came to life, ?Star Dragon, this is James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard Space Defense Squadron, Rhydin Air And Space Guard. It?s my understanding that you?re refusing a cargo scan. My records show you?ve docked here several times so I?m sure you?re aware of the recent troubles and the need for increased security regarding inbound traffic. We?re here to escort you into port if you?re still intent on making entry. And we?ll handle any pirates that come our way if you attract another set. You?ve probably had enough fun for one day. I?ll take the lead. And I?d feel more comfortable if you?d return your weapons to standby. If we wanted to jump you, we?d have done it already.?

The man spoke as though abruptly he were in charge without giving actual orders, and Azjah?s temper rose several degrees. She reined back her initial reaction and took a deep breath before opening the channel, ?James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard, This is Star Dragon. You are correct on two points, I have docked here many times, and I am refusing cargo scan. Given my established history in RhyDin, perhaps you will understand that I have no need of escort.? It was a futile hope, but she was unwilling to escalate further.

It was a cold day in hell that she?d downgrade weapons to standby. This whole thing could still be an illegitimate ploy, and she wasn?t about to be caught unprepared. She touched the link again, ?And Mr. Barclay? Most pirates don?t jump vessels they are intent upon stealing from with the weapons you are sporting. None the less, until your mandate is validated, I will maintain vigilance.? The mere fact that they hadn?t blown them to kingdom come was no proof of anything.

?Damn.? Wil spit out the curse then pressed his lips together and took a breath. ?Time for Plan B, Lady Caer.? He opened up the line of communication. Azjah was startled by his change in demeanor. Gone was the man willing to leave it to her to resolve, and present was a man who seemed more than at home taking command of things.

Nearly simultaneously, Wil responded to Mr. Barclay?s message, ?This is Colonel William Savage of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission. James Barclay, you haven?t identified your rank or position??

Azjah?s eyes widened slightly as Wil spoke. She had an agent for the I.I.S.C. aboard? It was no wonder the Commander on Enceladus reacted the way he did when Wil showed him ID. Well, this was getting more and more interesting as the day went along. As Wil put weapons into stand by, Azjah nearly argued the point. She didn?t like not being ready to defend her ship and her cargo, but something in Wil?s expression made her change her mind.

She glanced at Gabriel as Wil sought feedback from Mr. Barclay , ?Any luck finding Matthew Simon??

He shook his head, ?No, they are still seeking the Governor; however, Dyson has arrived at the port with appropriate documents. I suggest we land quickly.?

Tense moments passed as the four heavy fighters surrounded the Star Dragon. Gabriel?s black velvet whisper caressed the nape of her neck, ?Lucien has located the Governor. He was walking in Rhydin with a Lt. Cowrie near Ariel?s shop. The Governor has been advised of the situation.?

Azjah nodded as she followed the Bearcat toward RhyDin?s docks, wondering how to advise Matt Simon without advertising the contents of her hold.

Lucien had located the man who had recently been elected Governor, and advised him of the return of the Marchioness? vessel, and the actions of a group of ships intent upon scanning her cargo. While the Governor and the Marchioness were not on close terms, the fact that Drachen Walde Industries was registered with the Governor?s Office should help defuse the situation and allow the Star Dragon to dock without the series of inquiries that were bound to arise given this trip?s cargo. Lucien faded out of the visible spectrum and advised Gabriel that the Governor was already speaking to his own people.

Gabriel kept his focus on the four new vessels, ?The Governor has been apprised of our situation, Marchioness.? The only question in his mind was would it matter? Would the Governor intervene?

About then the com cracked, ?Star Dragon, the scans we?re requesting are no different than any other InSystem Security sweeps for which the I.I.S.C. and a host of other bodies have authorized on more than one occasion??

Azjah?s brow lifted as this Barclay suggested that his mandate was perfectly logical. She glanced at Wil, uncertain whether he had been bluffing, or if he was truly I.I.S.C. She?d successfully avoided those kinds of scans based on her clientele and her home world connections. She wasn?t eager to submit now to them, and to divulge the entirety of her cargo.

?I do not believe either of us are going to convince him that this is unnecessary.? She spoke to Wil, but her attention remained focused on the read outs. The other vessels had weapons also on standby, and maybe Wil had been right to back down on that point.

She touched the com switch, ?Mr. Barclay, your recommendations are noted. The Governor has been contacted, and our destination remains unchanged.? She switched off the link before glancing up at Gabriel, ?Koy would never forgive me for strangling Matthew for this, if he truly did implement this as they are claiming. But I do confess; I may be tempted.?

An incoming message alerted Azjah as they were now hailed by someone claiming to be from the Governor?s office. ?This will prove interesting.? She opened the channel for the hail.

The com came to life, ?Star Dragon, this is SWACS EWR-Thirteen-B from the 209th Kestrels. Stand by for transmission intercept on secured channel two-two-nine. Governor Simon?s on the line.?

Azjah glanced at Gabriel, at least the Governor was quick about getting back to them as they continued their path toward her bay at Star?s End. She switched to secure channel two-two-nine, ?Star Dragon, this is Governor Matthew Simon. I understand you?re giving my people a hard time up there. How can I help?? The familiar voice of Matthew Simon came across the speakers in crystal clarity.

Azjah?s brow quirked at that before opening the channel for reply, ?Governor Simon, I would suggest that it is your people giving me the hard time, but I do appreciate your quick response to Lucien?s request. I have had my share of pirate activity so far today, and was not looking for another encounter.? Well, that settled that question. Apparently this new system was truly one implemented by Governor Simon as one of his campaign promises. She pondered that a moment. Now, how to land without submitting to the scan? In the past, she had simply re-routed and arranged other means of pick up or delivery. But now, she had a non-Drachen Walde civilian aboard. One she?d thought was an innocent bystander, but now, one who might just be a plant.

She studied the com link a moment, how could he help? She considered with a smile asking him to call them off. Then she reached for the channel link, ?Governor, perhaps the best help you could be would be to send them to Enceladus for the remaining two pirates who jumped us earlier? My cargo is proprietary. A scan is not acceptable. Star Dragon out.?

Gabriel remained focused on the four vessels surrounding them, ?Marchioness, another vessel has lifted off and is heading our direction. Sensors indicate a Raptor. Departed Star?s End 4 minutes ago, intentions are unknown at this point. Intercept time at current speeds, approximately ten minutes.?

That meant the Raptor was matching their own speed on an intercept course, slightly more since they would slow down somewhat for re-entry and landing.

Azjah frowned and glanced at Wil, ?A Raptor, at the bare minimum, it?s got an MK 40F Neutron gun, and an MK 30A Gatling Mass Driver Cannon, not to mention the missiles. And that?s assuming it hasn?t been upgraded, which; knowing my luck, it has had significant modifications.? Azjah gave the view port a long look, despite the fact that she couldn?t actually see the approaching Raptor just yet. ?Five to one; those are not precisely great odds Colonel.? She?d never stood her ground quite this firmly before with determined ?authorities?, but this time she was carrying materials that to anyone not knowing her company business and clients, would raise way too many questions. Questions she was not in the mood to answer to an unknown and unrecognized system that hadn?t even existed when she?d departed RhyDin.

?Are you really a Colonel with I.I.S.C.?? Pale blue eyes locked onto Wil. That revelation had roused a whole hoard of suspicions, but some of what he?d said was beginning to fall into place if he truly was I.I.S.C. Along with the manner in which he dealt with the pirates at Enceladus, she was now faced with two agencies who would expect explanations.

Gabriel paused as the Governor?s message came through. ?That message is from the approaching Raptor. It would seem that the Governor himself is coming out to ?greet? us.?

Azjah dragged her attention away from Wil a moment. ?Indeed?? She was surprised. What would drag the Governor out to meet them rather than simply talking to them from the surface?

Azjah glanced at Wil as he muttered. She thought she heard him say ?easy come, easy go?, but it had been said so quietly she couldn?t be certain, but Gabriel whispered to her then, ?that is what he said, the question becomes, what was easy come, easy go.?

Azjah?s pale blue gaze continued to study the viewer before her, it shouldn?t be too much longer before the Raptor would be visible without instruments. It was making steady progress directly for them.

Wil?s next words were meant for her to hear, ?They?ve got a point.? For a moment she thought he would say more, but he kept his own counsel at that moment.

Azjah frowned. ?I haven?t had trouble like this in ages, and I certainly did not expect it on a return home flight. Had I thought Governor Simon would act so quickly, I?d have come with proper documents to deny the scan.? Her fingers toyed with the shields that currently kept out any attempted forced scan.

When she told the governor that he should probably send the warships off to Enceladus, she caught a hint of a smile on his features, and fleetingly thought that she liked how it transformed his face.

But the approaching Raptor, along with the Vaktoth had her immediate attention. Either one of those ships could take out the Dragon with a well placed blast, but that was a price she was not willing to pay. Her shields were not designed for the kind of firepower that Matthew had flying over RhyDin.

Wil?s voice broke the moment as she considered how badly out gunned they were, ?Captain, I do believe you?re right. Seems our new governor knows how to travel in style. I just hope my taxes aren?t paying for that thing.?

Azjah gave a wry smile, ?Perhaps it?s time to add a couple of fighters as escort when I go out.?

Gabriel?s brow lifted slightly at that.

Then she asked if he was truly with the I.I.S.C. Wil turned and gave her a level look, ?Colonel Savage, Agent 541 of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission, Sector H-42 at your service.? And then he followed it with an unexpected query, ??So, Captain. What are your plans? Do you know this governor well enough to, well . . . you know, have him go to bat for us and dismiss his hounds??

Azjah held his gaze a suspended moment as a thousand questions ripped through her mind. She was cursing herself a thousand times for not having checked him out before inviting him to fly with her. Had she simply been taken with a handsome face and forgotten the first order of business?

Slowly she dragged her eyes away from him as Gabriel advised that the Raptor was now visible and approaching fast. ?I do not know Governor Simon that well. His wife, yes. Matthew Simon, not enough to ask him for such and expect that he would. Perhaps I should have sent Lucien for Koy instead.?

?Governor Simon, how nice of you to come out to greet us.?

Now she would need her diplomacy skills more than ever.