His unsmiling aide was already working on his handheld. “I will make the arrangements immediately, my emperor.”
* * * *
Cissy was reading in her bedroom when Tasha came into her quarters calling her name. There was no mistaking the fear in her twin’s voice, and Cissy hurried to meet her in the greeting area.
“What’s wrong? I thought you were getting ready for a date.”
Her hair only half-curled, Tasha looked shaken. “Turn on the news vid. I think this trouble with the Royal Council is getting ugly.”
“Vid on, news feed.”
The screen came to life. Cissy stared at the huge crowd of shouting Kalquorians clustered outside and on top of the adjacent cliffs that accommodated the Imperial Clan’s home and the Government House. The furious mob faced off with thick lines of Global Security officers and Royal Guards.
Cissy tried to follow what the reporter was saying, but her Kalquorian was too weak to keep up with the speed of his natural speech. “Shit. Translation to Earther English mode,” she ordered.
The voice disappeared, replaced by electronic speech. “Crowds are demanding that the current council step down and new elections be held. This comes in the wake of the Royal Council’s pardon of Imperial Father Nobek Yuder and the vote to refuse the Galactic Council access to him. A statement by the rebel known as the Basma and threats of sanctions issued by the Galactic Council of Planets apparently spurred the protests. Most Kalquorians are saying the Royal Council no longer represents the interests of the Empire.”
Tasha’s peevish tone couldn’t mask her worry. “Great. First the Royal Council goes into mob mentality, now the rest of Kalquor is doing the same thing. Like that will solve anything.”
Cissy looked at the cliff where the majority of the protestors had gathered. “I hope Diltan is okay. No one is threatening real violence, are they?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Still, you know how these things go. Security is armed. One little misstep, and things get ugly fast.”
Cissy shivered. “No kidding. We saw it happen enough times on Earth. The difference was that our government had no problem killing those who didn’t agree with it. I don’t think Kalquor has the same mindset.”
“At least they have that going for them. Are you going to com Diltan to check on him?”
There was nothing Cissy wanted to do more, but she shook her head. “The last thing he needs is me bothering him while he’s in the middle of damage control. He’s got his hands full enough without having his hysterical girlfriend on the line.”
That gave Tasha something to snicker at. “You, hysterical. Not likely.”
Cissy ordered the vid off, not wanting to look at so many angry faces. “Quite a few of those people aren’t exactly enthralled with us Earther gals either. I think we’re better off laying low in our safe little apartments for a while, don’t you?”
Tasha nodded. “I already canceled tonight’s date. Are you going to spend the night with your clan again?”
Cissy shrugged and assumed her best damsel-in-distress look. “I assume so, but I’m not going out there without big, bad Rolat to protect me.”
“I’m surprised he’s not here now.”
Cissy waved her off. “We have plenty of security here at the complex. If I know that protective Nobek, as soon as he gets off work he’ll be with Diltan to keep the bad people away from another ‘elitist’ councilman. With Diltan doing whatever it is he has to do to calm things down, it could be a while before they show up to fetch me.”
Tasha gave her a bright smile. “It’s about dinner time. Shall we order from the kitchen or cook?”
Cissy winked. “All that I have in my cooling unit is a little bit of booze, sis.”
“That’s my girl. I don’t have much appetite for food anyway. Screw the grouchy assholes outside and break out the glasses.”
They linked arms and headed for the kitchenette. Cissy found herself looking forward to goofing off with Tasha. It felt like the best way to thumb her nose at the tension that pervaded the environment these days.
She said, “You know, even after we’re both clanned, we still will have to schedule in plenty of girls’ nights.”
“No kidding. That’s the first thing I warn my prospective harems about. I will get drunk and stupid with my sis on a regular basis.”
They laughed and continued to kid each other as if nothing bad could ever happen. As they drank, it even began to feel true. The Empire’s problems got farther and farther away from their consciousness. The apartment rang with their increasingly drunken delight.
* * * *
Diltan commed Rolat and Wal to tell them he was helping the Imperial Clan keep track of the developing protests exploding all over Kalquor and its off-planet colonies. It was difficult to stay ahead of the anger that enveloped the Empire. People marched in support of the decision to pardon Yuder and expel the Galactic Council of Planets’ ambassadors. Others surrounded officials’ homes and offices, protesting the very same action.
Rolat asked if he and Wal could join Diltan at the Imperial home. He said, “Perhaps we can help monitor the situation. Two extra set of eyes certainly couldn’t hurt.” Diltan agreed they needed the help, but he knew the real reason Rolat offered: the Imperial home could come under siege. With Diltan there, Rolat wanted to be able to protect his Dramok. Just as worried for Wal’s safety, the Imdiko needed to be kept close as well.
Thank goodness there’s a full security force at the Matara Complex, Diltan thought. Otherwise, we’d all be running to check on Cissy and her sister.
He asked Erybet for permission to have his clanmates join him. Erybet considered. “We’ve got too many protestors outside right now for it to be safe for your clanmates to pass through. As soon as I feel the situation here is under control, I’ll com Rolat to let him know to come.”
Diltan thanked him and gave the aide Rolat’s contact frequency. He relayed the message to his Nobek, who was none too happy to have to rely on others to keep his Dramok safe.
“I’m in a place surrounded by Royal Guards and Global Security,” Diltan reminded him. “Besides, the last place you need to take Wal is through an unruly mob.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Rolat grumbled.
“Have you had a chance to talk to Cissy? I haven’t been able to get through.”
Mention of their soon-to-be Matara brightened the Nobek’s mood. “I spoke to her about fifteen minutes ago. She and Tasha are busy getting drunk since the complex has gone on lockdown for the women’s safety. She said she and Tasha had raided the complex’s stores for all the bottles they could carry.”
“By the ancestors,” Diltan snorted. “I hope it’s kloq and not bohut this time. We’ll have to peel her off the floor.”
“We may as well write tonight off as far as tossing the sheets. She’ll be passed out by the time we get the all clear,” Rolat agreed. Diltan heard Wal laughing in the background over the matter.
Grinning and shaking his head, Diltan ended the conversation. Trust his rowdy rebel to party while a revolt was in the making. He got to work monitoring the more serious situation of Kalquor’s security.
He was assigned to take coms from worried territorial governors, getting their reports and sharing updates. He shared the greeting room with the emperors and Jessica, along with Rajhir and Ospar. Erybet and Korkla set up their own stations in the dining hall. The Imperial Clan’s public space had become their ad hoc headquarters.
After an hour of nonstop fielding of information, Diltan was roused from his task by Erybet and Korkla walking into the greeting room. Erybet bowed to Bevau.
“Global Security reports the lockdown of the Government House continues, though about half the crowds are gone. Everyone still inside has to remain until all the protestors disperse, which they are doing at a rather fast rate. It looks like they’re ready to go home. We should be able to clear the councilmen and their staffs out of the cliff within a couple of hours.”
/> Korkla addressed Clajak. “On an even better note, your message to the Empire has managed to deflect the population’s anger from the Imperial Clan. The crowd surrounding this cliff is almost entirely gone.”
Erybet glanced at Diltan. “I’ve already told your Nobek that he and Honorable Wal are cleared to join us here.”
“So we’re looking good? No threats against the Imperial Clan or Yuder?” Jessica said.
Korkla nodded. “Those protesting today’s decisions are placing all the blame on Terbal and his followers in the council.”
Egilka shook his head, his frown not easing for a moment. “This situation is still not acceptable. Good sense must prevail, and it cannot with this mob mentality. At least it seems some are heeding the call.”
Erybet checked his handheld. “We continue to receive reports of growing crowds elsewhere throughout the Empire. There have been clashes. Global Security is calling in a small military force to deal with some problems they’re having on the Esofu Continent. Here, however, things are looking better.”
“There are still bound to be stragglers, hardliners who will not give up,” Bevau said. “Have you sent out the warning that martial law will be enforced if all the protestors do not leave the Government House’s location?”
“Yes, my emperor. You’re right about the stragglers. A fair number are still choosing to ignore the order to disperse.”
Throughout the aides’ report, Rajhir and Ospar kept monitoring the news vids. To their irritation, the local feeds had been interrupted from time to time. Technicians had found a short in the receivers of the Imperial House, leaving them to often rely on stations farther away until it had been fixed a few minutes ago. Rajhir and Ospar were playing catch-up on current events.
Rajhir’s sudden exclamation got everyone’s attention. The Dramok waved them over to join him. “My emperors, you need to see this. The local news vid is replaying a new message from the Basma to the Empire. It seems to have received this message before the rest of the broadcasters.”
The group left their posts, hurrying to join Rajhir and Ospar. The vid was enlarged, though all that there was to see was a still of a bloody boot, the Basma’s calling card. The electronic voice issuing from the sound system had been electronically altered to mask the speaker’s real voice. Diltan thought it made the Basma sounded utterly inhuman.
“...these men who have turned their backs on the Empire ... on you, my fellow Kalquorians ... they all have one thing in common. Take that thing away, and you will reclaim Kalquor. Whether you believe in the foul mixture of Kalquorian and Earther or not, it is the one tool that will bring these despots to their knees. The Earther females are their badge of tyranny. They claimed the first of these women for themselves, guaranteeing their legacies while the average clan goes without. Their lines will live on while yours die out.”
Jessica took Egilka’s arm. “Oh, I do not like where this is going.”
“They know the secret: control the Mataras and you control the Empire. Hold these women hostage and the despots must fall. So what are you waiting for, Kalquorians? Take what you have just as much right to, what these councilmen and the elite have kept for themselves. Take them and do not let them go until the Empire is returned to its people.”
Clajak’s eyes narrowed. “You said this is a replaying of the message? When did it originally air?”
Rajhir said, “It must have been when the signal went out. The reporter said it first broke into their transmission half an hour ago.”
Suspicion filled Bevau’s tone. “When did the protestors at the Imperial and Government Houses begin to leave?”
Erybet checked his handheld. “About 25 minutes ago.” His startled gaze met Bevau’s.
The Nobek emperor said, “Erybet, get Nobek Breft from Global Security on the line. Tell him to check on the Matara complex. I’ll com the complex on the Esofu Continent to make sure they’re all right.”
Erybet moved to a quieter corner as he spoke into his com. Bevau did the same. Diltan’s heart froze. When was it he had tried to reach Cissy? Had his com not gone through because of planned interference?
He dug his com out of his pouch and tried her frequency again. “Com failed,” the device told him in its bland, disinterested voice. “Wave pattern blocked.”
Earlier, it had told him the system was overloaded. Blocked was an entirely different matter.
He looked up to see Jessica watching him from nearby. Her face paled. She knew who he’d just tried to reach.
He told her, “We’re too late. They’ve been cut off.”
Bevau’s yell came on the heels of his announcement. “Esofu Continent’s Matara complex is under siege. If one complex is under attack — Erybet?”
The Dramok aide nodded, his expression grim. “Breft says he and several squads are on their way there now. They heard the complex was under attack just seconds ago. They can’t get a signal through.”
Diltan thought his heart might stop. “Cissy. Cissy and Tasha.”
Bevau and Erybet had been in ground troop-issued armor the entire time Diltan had been there, the former soldiers ready to go into battle at a moment’s notice. Now they moved towards the door. Bevau looked at Jessica and Diltan as they went. “We’ll get our cousins and bring them back here.”
Jessica had the presence of mind to yell, “Be careful. Oh, what the hell am I saying? You’re a Nobek. Erybet, make sure you both come home to your Mataras!”
Erybet sketched a wave as Bevau snorted. “As you command, my empress.”
Diltan’s frozen body found its way through the shock to chase after the two men. “Wait! I’m going—”
Jessica grabbed his arm as Korkla, Egilka, and Clajak moved to stand in his path, blocking him from following the two warriors as the door shut behind them. Ospar and Rajhir took positions in front of the door, also preventing him from leaving.
Jessica said, “No, you are not going. Cissy is one of the few people I’m afraid of having mad at me, and she will be mad if you put yourself in harm’s way.”
Korkla gripped his shoulder, his expression compassionate with understanding. “I know your very being cries out to rescue your beloved. You are not a warrior, however.”
Clajak added, “Plus I don’t want to face your Nobek if he shows up and discovers we let you go into harm’s way. I won’t tell you to not worry, because that’s an impossibility. Be assured though that Bevau and Erybet will get Cissy and Tasha out.”
Diltan’s fists clenched. A million arguments rose to his lips. His heart screamed that he must run to Cissy now, that he had to snatch her from the jaws of danger. But he also knew the men before him would never allow it.
He’d have to wait, at least until Rolat got there. And meanwhile, the clock was ticking against his Cissy, facing who knew what dangers.
* * * *
After the alarms went off, an announcement blared that the complex had been overrun and all Mataras must lock themselves in their rooms. A drunken Tasha grabbed Cissy’s arm with one hand, a freshly opened bottle of bohut with the other, and tugged her out of the apartment.
“Let’sh go,” she slurred. “We’re coushins of Jeshica. We’d make good hoshtaches – hostashes – mustaches.”
Cissy smothered a bray of laughter that tried to escape. She lurched unsteadily after her twin, following her to a door that led to service corridors. The complex’s staff used the back utilitarian hallways to carry out their work and stay out of the way of the Mataras. Cissy had never been in these areas.
“You know your way aroun’ here?” she asked as Tasha navigated turns with staggering confidence.
“Yeah. There are lotsh of good places to have fun with the guards and staff.”
Cissy boggled at the knowledge her sister had been carrying on with the complex’s personnel rather than her dates. “It’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for,” she said, feeling the greatness of her wisdom.
Tasha tossed her an unrepentant grin and t
ossed back a swallow of bohut. She made another turn that led to a narrow set of steps. Cissy thought about being cautious, but her sister’s confidence made her toss that notion aside. She followed her into an empty hallway that seemed long deserted.
“Whirr are we goin’ anyway, you wild, back-hall harlot?”
Tasha took another swig and handed the bottle to Cissy. “There are milesh of tunnels behind – I mean, beneath the complexsh and markesh – marshest – marketplace. No one but a few of the higher up military guys know about ‘em. They lead out to the beash. We’ll come out practically in Jess’ front yard.”
Cissy blinked at her twin, impressed. “No shit. Glad you been fucking the right ranking people and not humping the privates of privates.”
Tasha adopted a haughty tone. “Only the men with at least four barsh on their uniforms.”
She stuck her nose in the air to affect snobbery. With her eyes off the floor, her bare feet tangled together. Cissy grabbed her, barely preventing her from falling. For a few moments they clung tight together, smothering their giggles on each other’s shoulders.
When they got going again, Cissy asked, “So what are the tunnels for? Besides naughty getaways, of course.”
“In case something like what ish happening happens. If there are riots or terrorists in the marketplace or anywhere underground, the military can rush in and surprise the attackers.” Tasha put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “It’s s’posed to be top secret. If we run into anyone, act super surprised, like we found it by accident.”
Cissy raised the bottle to salute her sister. “Well, of course. I’d hate for your pet cocks to get into trouble.” She giggled, sipping bohut. “You really are a thug under that sweet smile.”
“You have no idea.”
They turned a corner and there was another flight of stairs. At the bottom, Tasha stopped. She shoved at a wall panel in such an ungainly manner that Cissy thought her sister had lost her balance again. She gasped and reached for Tasha ... then gasped again as a portion of the wall swung out to reveal the circular mouth of a tunnel behind it.
Alien Indiscretions Page 45