The Artemis Trap

by DN Farrell

  Regis immediately sat up straight, ready for confrontation and said "Give me examples Commander, I would like to see which minority groups are benefiting from widespread violence?"

  Trellon looked stressed, as he was been sucked into a conversation on politics, which was the opposite of diplomacy and would take this trip away from where it had to go. Luckily for Trellon, another courtier spoke up on his behalf.

  "Oh Regis, don't be so confrontational, our guest said he is not a politician, so why bully a navy officer into a corner, where he is neither trained nor experienced enough to fight his way out of." Stated a beautiful looking brunette haired lady, who sat next to Regis.

  With that Regis was silenced and Trellon was happy at her comments. The King then spoke up once more, but this time he brought the conversation back to the matter at hand.

  "Commander, how long will it take to distribute the vaccine?"

  "The vaccination system will be set up within twenty four hours Your Highness, regarding distribution it will all depend upon how quickly your medical personnel can distribute the vaccine across various parts of your planet."

  "I see Commander, this is very pleasing. Please tell the good doctor and the science officer to begin with members of the royal household and its courtiers first and then we will distribute planet wide, to the best of our abilities."

  "Of course your Highness!" Replied Trellon. The king then moved his conversation onto other groups, within the group of diners, and once again Trellon was to see the even minded and politically diplomatic approach, which the King gave to all who ate with him.

  Finally after an hour or so later, the meal came to an end and the king stood up and all the courtiers stood up along with him. The King looked over at Trellon and once more he addressed him.

  "Commander, Regis will show you to your rooms, we shall speak again tomorrow morning at breakfast and at that time, I will speak extensively with your medical personnel. For now I bid you and your intelligence officer a good night." Trellon and Quro then bowed to him, as he left the room and so ended their meal with the King of Artemis 11.

  Chapter Four– The Princess

  As Regis ushered out Commander Trellon and Lieutenant Quro from the Great Hall ,the same beautiful woman who had earlier interceded on Trellons behalf, came over and approached him.

  "Commander Trellon." She said, which made Trellon turn over in her direction, while she introduced herself. "I am Princess Harahan, I would like to speak with you for a few minutes, if you don't mind."

  Trellon looked back at her, a little taken aback, when he realized that she was the Kings daughter. He looked back over at Quro, to keep him in the loop, but Quro was wandering off, with an absent minded look on his face, so much for the intelligence officer!

  "Sure Your Highness." Responded Trellon and with that the princess proceeded to take him down a long corridor, which lead down to a flight of stairs and on down to the ground floor of the castle, where they were escorted outside by four body guards.

  "We will go to the castle gardens." She said and then asked Trellon. "Commander you must tell me more about your Federation and life outside of the Kolatian Quadrant?"

  "Well I don't know what to say princess, have you ever travelled outside of the Kolatian Quadrant?"

  "Once with my father we journeyed to the Qudraxa Quadrant, we had a nice time there." She said then stopped for a second and looked Trellon in the eye, "but I am more interested in hearing about your adventures commander, you must have travelled far and wide, over the course of your naval career?"

  "Sure princess." He said then thinking to himself where to start, he decided to give a quick overview of where he came from. He pointed over towards a south westerly direction and said. "You can't see it with the naked eye, but if you go that way and keep on going for ten thousand light years, you will arrive at my home world, Earth." He looked back over at the princess, who had a slight smile on her face and then he continued. "I joined the naval service fifteen years ago and so far I have been posted to six different Galactic Quadrants."

  "Wow that must be so amazing commander." She said.

  By now they had reached the gates, which lead into the gardens, and as they came into a beautiful planned garden, consisting of a wide range of different plants, bushes and flowers, she suggested, "Why don't we take a walk in the rose garden," then looking over at her guards she added, "it is not necessary to follow us, just keep a watch here please." And with that they strode down a long avenue and turned left past some tall bushes and then down some steps, into a beautiful rose garden, which stretched out as far as the eye could see.

  Once inside the rose garden, the princess quickly looked behind them, to see if anyone where following them, then she addressed Trellon, but in a completely different tone.

  "Commander, I am sorry to interrupt our conversation about space, but you are clearly in danger here."

  Trellon looked at her and a chill went down his spine, as he gave her a querying look. "What do you mean princess?" He asked and looking to either side, once again to see if they had been followed, the princess explained herself.

  "Commander, there is much intrigue at this court, the king is not in the powerful position which he should be in." She said, while indicating to a park bench, where they could both sit down. "Commander I have my spies and they tell me that somebody in a position of power wants to turn the Kings decision, to take the help of the Federation, and turn it against the King and the Federation."

  Trellon looked on, at the princess's intensity and realized that she was taking him into her confidence. So leaning forward in the park bench, Trellon asked her. "Princess I understand your concerns, but what can I do or anyone on our ship for that matter? We have come to deliver medicines, so we cannot exactly suddenly up and leave."

  "I know commander, you have your duty to perform and so do I as a daughter of the King." She said while looking Trellon directly, her beautiful elegant face animated as she spoke, then turning away from Trellon and looking into the distance she continued. "You do not know the history of the planet Artemis 11 Commmander. Prior to King Kigmmon III, the kingdom was ruled by his cousins, for over a century, and they made deep ties with the Analusian Aliance. They dominated the people and abused many, but then ten years ago my father came into power and he has been working diligently ever since then."

  "So you think our coming is an opportunity for those opposing the King to put egg on his face!' Exclaimed Trellon, while the princess gave him an intrigued look, so he clarified for her. "Oh I mean embarrassed, they want to embarrass him."

  "No more than that!" She exclaimed and looking back over at the Commander, with a serious look on her beautiful young face, she outlined her thoughts on the matter. "Commander it's not embarrassment that's the issue here, the issue is that there are those in opposition, who want to overthrow the King and destroy what we have done and these same people want to go to war with the Federation!"

  "Oh I see." Trellon said heavily, as he gazed away into the distance, realizing that they had just walked into a trap of some kind, but to do anything would simply expedite things, rather than improving them. "So what do you suggest princess?" Queried Trellon as he turned his face back towards her.

  "Watch your back Commander at all times and keep a careful eye on your Federation personnel. Know what they are doing at all times, try to stick together, if possible, and prevent these interlopers from initiating their trap, so long as you are here on our planet."

  Trellon nodded and started thinking about what she had just said. He had to round up the entire away team and make sure that no one was unaccounted for or left on their own, so that the conspirators couldn’t frame them in some way.

  Just then, out of the corner of his eye Trellon noticed some movement in the next row of rose bushes, which lay in front of them. Acting out of reflexes, developed by years of training and experience, Trellon reacted to the threat, before he even fully consciously realized that there was one at h
and.

  He reached over to the princess and pulled her up from the bench and then in one quick movement, he threw her behind the bench. Just as he did so, he could see the outline of the first perpetrator, he could not see him in detail, as everything was happening so quickly, but instantly Trellon deflected the man's right hand, which held a dagger, then quickly turning him around and putting his arm in an arm lock, Trellon pulled the man's arm hard, which provoked a yell of pain and then he grabbed the same man by the neck, with his left arm and he swung him around to use as a human shield as the next man went to attack Trellon.

  The second man lunged forward with a dagger, and instead of stabbing Trellon, he ended up stabbing his colleague, in the stomach instead. The first perpetrator slumped forward and fell away from Trellons arms and fell to the ground. From behind Trellon, another man grabbed Trellon by the neck and starting pulling him backwards. While the second perpetrator went to stab Trellon once more, only to be put off by a command, from another unseen man, who yelled, "Don't kill him, stun him!"

  The two men now grappled Trellon, who kicked the first perpetrator hard in the stomach, resulting in him doubling up and keeling over. Meanwhile the guy who had him in a neck hold, was trying to put a sleeper hold on Trellon, whereby he would squeeze his neck until Trellon passed out. Trellon averted this by stepping to his left side and giving this man an elbow in his stomach. The man immediately let Trellon go and Trellon swung around rapidly grabbed him by his neck and bringing his right knee up fast, while pulling the man's head down, he smacked him hard in the nose, which made a crack, as his nose broke and the man reeled backwards with blood spurting outwards and upwards, then he fell back on the ground and rolled around in pain.

  Meanwhile Trellon looked back to see two men in black robes and black turbans, with their faces covered by shawls, as they were spraying something into the princess's face, she screamed a little and then passed out, as one of the men threw her over his shoulder.

  Trellon reached out to the second man and kicked him hard in his lower back, thrown him to the ground, then he grabbed the man who had the princess over his shoulder and he went to pull him backwards, towards himself. But as he did so he suddenly felt a thump in the back of his head, then unable to keep standing up, his legs gave way and Trellon fell to his knees, while holding the back of his head. Then one of the men kicked him from behind and Trellon fell face first against the ground.

  Over the next thirty seconds or so, Trellon struggled to make sense of his surroundings, until finally he was lying on his back looking upwards and he could see the vague outline of two men standing over him, they were the princess's body guards. For a second Trellon thought that this was a good thing, until one of the guards grabbed Trellon, turning him over, once more face pressed against the ground and he handcuffed him. The next few minutes were a blur, as Trellon passed in and out of consciousness and the last thing which he could remember, was been lifted up and carried away by two guards, before he finally lost consciousness.

  Chapter Five – Under Suspicion

  When Trellon awoke, the first thing which he saw before him was the familiar face of Doctor Caskew. Slowly he came around to full waking consciousness, as the doctor spoke to him.

  "That's it Jacky, come on now you'll be alright." Trellon heard the friendly voice of Doctor Caskew, calling out to him and with that he slowly pulled himself up from the plinth, which he had been lying on, with the help of the doctor.

  Trellon looked around him and saw the away team all assembled in a small room, Science Officer Jebelt had a vacant expression on her face, the doctor looked a little concerned and Intelligence Officer Quro appeared irritated.

  "Where are we?" Queried Commander Trellon, while he gently stroked the back of his neck, and the back of his head.

  "We're in a small room in the castle commander." Spoke up the doctor. "And you have a nasty contusion on the back of your head, although the concussion is more or less cured thanks to sonic therapy," the doctor said while waving his sonic healing tool around with his right hand, "but you will have a sore neck and head for a little while and maybe a bit of a headache too, although I have given you a shot to help with that too."

  "Thanks Doctor." Replied Trellon, only to suddenly have to deal with an angry Intelligence Officer Quro.

  "Commander what have you been up to, we're now in a tough situation thanks to you, you're supposed to leave the exopolitics to me!"

  "Leave the exopolitics to me!" Trellon repeated Quro's phrase, while smiling a wry smile as he massaged the back of his neck, then looking over at Quro he addressed him directly. "Quro, the princess pulled me to one side after our dinner, I tried to intimate to you to tag along, but you were in your own world as usual."

  "Well Commander!" Exclaimed Quro, who felt offended by Trellons comment. "I think that's a bit heavy handed, don't you?"

  "Quro, you're the Intelligence officer, but where's the intelligence in your actions, you're always wandering around in a daze." Trellon commented, while staring stony faced at Quro.

  Quro just looked off into the distance, not wanting to engage in a conversation, which revealed his many weaknesses as an officer.

  "So what are we going to do now Commander?" Queried science officer Jebelt.

  "I don't know." Declared Trellon. "But I will fill you in as best I can, and that includes you intelligence officer." He said while raising his voice. And although Quro didn't want to look over in his direction, from a professional perspective, he had no other choice than to listen in to what Trellon had to say.

  "The princess told me that the Kings position is tenuous and that there are those who conspire against him, who want to use our medical assistance as an opportunity to destroy his tenure and also set up the Federation, for a fall along the way."

  "That's not good." Quro responded. "But how was the princess kidnapped commander?"

  "I dunno, she wanted to go for a walk and when we got to a garden, she told her body guards to wait outside, probably for secrecy sake, but obviously someone was observing us and they had been planning something like this all along, or maybe they were just opportunistic, I don’t know." Trellon replied and then elaborated. "She suggested we stick together, so it's obvious that they want to frame the Federation in some way. "

  Trellon then gave the room a quick look over and continued. "I don't see how they can hold all of us, based upon our involvement in the kidnapping, as I could hardly hit myself in the head, so hopefully we'll get out of here, but this will not be the end of it."

  "So stick together and keep our noses clean." Chipped in the doctor.

  "Yes doctor exactly, that is if we get out of here of course. " Replied Trellon.

  The next fifteen minutes went by slowly, as the members of the away team just sat there and waited, but finally there was the sound of the old styled door lock been opened and before them stood a stern looking Regis, the chief minister.

  "The King would like to see you." He said and with that four guards walked them out of the room and down a series of corridors, until they came to the Kings court room.

  When they came in, they could see a despondent looking King, who was staring at the court room floor. After the herald introduced them, the King looked at them with a serious expression and then looking over at Trellon, he asked him. "Commander Trellon, in your own words please, tell me what happened."

  "Well Your Highness," Trellon responded, "after our meal today, the princess asked me to join her for a walk and once inside the garden, she asked the security guards to stay outside. We then spoke for a bit and then several men attacked us. One of them ended up been stabbed, so surely you have caught him."

  The King gave an absent minded expression and then looking over towards Regis he asked him, "Regis we didn't pick up any prisoner's, did we?"

  "No Your Highness, but a pool of blood was present on the ground."

  "So Commander it looks like you are correct, but the men who did this awful act, took their crony a
way with them." The King stated in a sombre voice. Then he added, "So someone hit you on the back of the head I believe." The King continued.

  "Yes Your Highness." Trellon replied.

  "Your Highness," Regis spoke up, "how do we know that this man was not part of the abduction, that the Federation is somehow behind this."

  "What Regis!" Exclaimed the King, as he turned to face his chief minister. "He kidnaped the princess and then hit himself on the back of the head!"

  "But sire," Regis continued, "he might have gotten one of his co-conspirators to hit him, so to throw us of the scent."

  "Regis you have a wild imagination." Stated the king with an irritated expression on his withered aged face. "Clearly only a fool would beam down to a planet and kidnap the princess in broad daylight, within a few hours of arriving, and then hit himself on the head!"