Diplomatic Recruit: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Empress' Spy Book 1)

by S. E. Weir

  Phina watched her mentor Greyson Wells talk beer with Bobcat. As she moved her eyes between the two men, she began to notice how friendly and open Bobcat was. He moved his hands quite a bit, his face was honest, and he had a grin on his face when beer was mentioned. He also shifted his position closer or farther away with the flow of the conversation.

  In contrast, her mentor appeared friendly but he held back. His eyes were watchful, and he leaned forward as if interested, but he sat farther back in the booth, which gave him more distance. His body language was a study in contradictions and didn’t say the same things to her as Bobcat’s body language did.

  She had heard about Bobcat, one of the founding members of Empress Bethany Anne’s group and an integral part of the research team, BMW. The team had created many of their technological advances and also held part ownership of the bar they currently occupied, but Phina had never met the man. Apparently, she wasn’t going to meet him now either.

  “See ya later, Grey. I’ll send out a tall one of that new dark for you to try.” Bobcat politely nodded at Phina and walked back behind the bar.

  Phina stared at Greyson and waited as she sipped her Coke. He didn’t appear to notice, being engrossed in his enjoyment of his tall glass of beer. He murmured a few phrases as he savored the drink, but they made no sense to her in relation to beer, having only heard them in those chick-lit romance movies Alina liked to watch. She shook her head in confusion. Maybe he just really liked his beer.

  After a while, they left All Guns Blazing and entered another place called Mac’s Tavern and Bar that was located by the docking stations on the outer rim of the asteroid Meredith Reynolds had been built on. Her irritation grew since he never explained anything about who he was, what he did, or why they were bar-hopping. As she threaded her way between patrons, nudging a few hands that got a little close to her elbows, she heard her mentor being greeted by the bartender. “Stan! Stan the Man. How ya doing? Your usual?”

  Phina frowned but remained silent. A few eye-rolling moments later, Greyson—or Stan—led her to a table near the back.

  One by one, sometimes two at a time, people from different parts of the bar came over to chat with “Stan,” greeting him like long-time friends usually, though there were one or two who seemed irritated with him over some kind of cargo, she gathered. But though they all greeted the man in some way, by and large they ignored her. Greyson appeared to drink more than his fair share of beer, but she noticed he didn’t drink as much as he acted like he did.

  The whole thing was puzzling.

  Also irritating.

  Phina grew more agitated as time went on. The surprise of her new mentor had dimmed, but being around crowds, not knowing anything of why they were here, and being ignored stoked the irritation. At one point she made to get up and leave, being tired of it all, but he grabbed her hand and pointed both with his eyes and his other hand. “Stay.”

  She would have left anyway except she felt he was trying to tell her something with that look. While she didn’t understand it, she sat back down in her seat with a huff.

  Very irritating.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Anna Elizabeth’s Office

  Anna Elizabeth viewed her chosen protege with equanimity. Jace Anderson looked the part of an arrogant young man, but she had a suspicion about him and what made him tick. She was sure she was right about Jace. So sure, in fact, that she had staked her reputation on it.

  She sat with her hands pressed together, fingers pointed up, with the tips resting against her lips as she regarded him. He tried to act casual, but beneath that air of arrogance, she could sense bluster and anger layered over despair and a hint of shame. This would take careful handling if she didn’t want the young man to blow up in her face. She dropped her hands in front of her and clasped them together.

  “So, Mister Anderson, here we are.”

  He stared at her with his lips pressed together, eyes pouting. Anna sighed and began to question her instincts on this course of action, then shook her head. This course could just as easily be the best thing to happen to this young man and the Diplomatic Institute.

  Or the worst. No pressure.

  “Jace, I understand you are disappointed to discover that Greyson Wells had chosen a student to mentor already and it wasn’t you. I realize that this may be difficult for you.”

  Blinks were the only response to her words. She couldn’t help having an edge to her voice as she continued.

  “Between your decision to be upset about the state of things, voice your opinion of them, and sit in my office sulking, did you even notice who is listed as your mentor?”

  “You.”

  Satisfied by his words—sullen though they were—that he would now be drawn into the conversation instead of sitting like a lump, she relaxed and nodded. “Yes. And do you remember how often I choose a student to mentor?”

  His eyes showed a hint of more interest as he drew his eyebrows together in thought. Finally, he shook his head just as she began to nod hers.

  “Correct. You are the first.”

  “Why?”

  His shoulders lowered as he straightened. A brief glance at his eyes showed both curiosity and anger. She didn’t think he would easily forget the dream he’d originally had, but she could give him something else to think about. Perhaps eventually he would thank her.

  “Why you, or why are you the first?”

  “Both.”

  Anna looked down and examined her hands. These hands were growing older as time marched on. Wasn’t that really what irritated her when Grey teased her about being old? She had been grateful for the life extension Bethany Anne’s blood had given her, but that extension had been wearing thin recently.

  She stood at a crossroads, and she still didn’t know which way she would choose: to grow old naturally or use the Pod-doc for another boost to her system that would extend her life for who knew how long as some of the others had. General Lance and those in the leadership barely looked thirty, but they carried twice and three times that number of years.

  However she eventually chose, Anna Elizabeth had grown tired of dealing with the issues surrounding her position as dean as well as the role she fulfilled as Head Diplomat. It would take years after Jace graduated for him to be ready, so she needed to start now.

  She finally brought her head up and looked at Jace directly in the eyes. “Because Greyson Wells and I hold two of very few positions that take a recruit for one reason only: to train our eventual replacements.”

  His eyes went wide with shock. She nodded at what she saw within the young man, then mentally shrugged at the description. Jace was eight years older than Phina, but he still seemed young to Anna.

  “Why me?” His voice sounded unsteady, though his eyes were now clear and focused on her.

  Anna smiled, satisfied she had him hooked. “Because you are still relatively young, but you are respected by your peers—something I think you have come to realize this last week, I believe. You are smart, stubborn, possess leadership qualities, and can usually remain calm when under pressure.”

  She raised her eyebrow and his face flushed, no doubt thinking about how he had responded to Phina and Greyson Wells not that long ago.

  “You also don’t yet have the preconceived ideas current diplomats possess as to what my job entails. They would take the Institute in their own direction, so I need to make sure the person who steps into my shoes not just accedes to the vision I’ve put in place under Bethany Anne’s direction but believes it with their whole being. The future of the Diplomatic Corps demands it. The Empire depends on it.

  “Throwing your whole self into what you believe is something you do naturally. In short, you’ve shown flashes of being exactly the kind of person I need in this position. Now I need to make sure you do more than flash.”

  Anna leaned forward, eyes intent on Jace, trying to impress on him the importance of what he would be doing as well as ascertain where he now stood.

 
“Make no mistake, it will be a lot of work, but it can be very rewarding to know you are doing your best to expand and protect the Empire as well as your fellow diplomats. Does leading and guiding the direction of the Corps sound like something that you can put your heart into? Can you see this work as equally rewarding to what you perceived to be Greyson Wells’ role?”

  She waited and observed the various thoughts and emotions flitting over Jace’s face, which were much as she expected. Disbelief, amazement, yearning, regret, hope, pride, and appreciation all coalesced into determination. She nodded even as he spoke.

  “Yes, Dean Hauser.”

  “Good.”

  She smiled, and a knot of pressure inside her eased. Now to help that attitude adjustment he’d just made become permanent.

  Star System Near the Edge of the Empire, Tluedor, Planet of the Gleeks

  Braeden sat with his eyes closed, meditating on top of the tallest rock formation outside of the largest commune on Tluedor, the planet of the Gleeks. It was small compared to other planets, but the Gleeks had made sure the planet could sustain life and provide for their needs.

  If he were to open his eyes, he would see the commune below him, surrounded by the large fields and vineyards the brothers harvested to supply food and drink for their commune as well as to ship to other planets. Since the brothers brought back seeds and samples of plants from every planet they explored, their produce selection had grown exponentially.

  The harvest always proved bountiful, thanks to tech the Gleeks had developed several hundred years ago to convert the gases the plants emitted. Those were pumped into the buildings, then circulated into another reservoir that mixed with the moisture in the air and additional minerals to become the best nutrients each plant needed. Nature and technology in perfect balance. If there was a code for how the Gleeks interacted with their environment, that statement described it perfectly.

  Braeden’s mind remained aware of everything in front of him, even with his eyes closed. He sat on top of this particular rock formation often, letting his mind relax, open to his world and what it contained. It seemed to help since his mental reach had grown exponentially larger than that of most of his brothers, and not even they knew just how far.

  Which was how he knew when a ship entered the atmosphere to descend to the spaceship landing pad some distance to his right. He also knew there were only twenty-two Gleeks aboard out of the twenty-four who had left. Not to mention that he hadn’t expected these Gleeks back nearly this soon. They still had eight years left of their time on the Balderian planet.

  He reached out with his mind to the leader of the Gleek party that had returned. What has happened, Brother Traekor?

  “It is terrible news, Brother Braeden.”

  “Proceed to the main commune area, please. I will meet you there.”

  “Of course. We will all be there.”

  Though he had yet to open his eyes, Braeden could see in his mind the tiny figures who exited the spaceship and traveled along the path. When they had reached the halfway point, he knew it was time for him to join them.

  Braeden opened his bright green eyes and stood up on his long slender legs. He stepped to the edge of the rock with his long feet that ended in four toes, then used his telekinetic abilities to lift and lower himself down. He landed on the hard rocky ground with his staff outstretched in his hand, brown wraparound shirt and knee-length shorts fitting his body well but loosely, his cloak fluttering around him in the gentle breeze.

  He walked along the path until rocky ground turned to soil and then to the rich fields, pulling a few grapes off a vine as he passed the vineyard and popping them into his mouth. As the tart juice from the fruit spurted, he mentally connected with the other leaders of the commune and asked them to join in the meeting.

  Braeden used the long walk to soak in and establish a peaceful balance in his hearts and mind. Since his telepathy had become so much stronger than most of his brothers’, he already had some understanding of what had happened through connecting with Traekor’s mind. His hearts grieved even as he processed his thoughts and emotions. He would do his brothers no good by allowing grief to blind him to the best course.

  He entered the main commune building, simple and plain to provide no distractions in the Gleeks’ quest for knowledge and understanding, and nodded at his brothers as he passed. Upon entering the room, the buzzing of conversation in his head as everyone strove to understand what had happened rushed full force to the forefront of his mind.

  Peace, brothers.

  His mental voice sounded quiet but carried an inflection everyone noticed, so one by one, they fell silent. He beckoned them to the circle some had already begun and they all sat together, joining their thoughts into a conscious whole. Present in the circle were the twenty-two Gleeks who had just returned, as well as the ten leaders of the commune.

  Now, Brother Traekor, please share what has happened. We give you the circle.

  Thank you, Brother Braeden. The news is the worst I can remember in recent history.

  Thoughts began to buzz around the circle at that statement.

  Please, my brothers. Let us hear the whole of the events that occurred first before we react. Brother Traekor, please tell us the facts. Later we can hear your thoughts on the facts you have presented.

  Though Braeden felt his brother stiffen slightly, Traekor assented and related his news. In the end, they were all stunned, concerned, and outraged.

  Peace, brothers. Please, let us confer and decide what must be done in recompense for this dishonor done to us. Braeden opened the circle to include the full commune in their mental conference, briefly explaining the facts as he knew them. He strove to keep his brothers calm and on task, an effort that seemed to fail worse with every voice that spoke.

  Brother Traekor’s mental voice broke through the rest, filled with fire and indignation. I can see only one course to remedy this dishonor to us all.

  Only now did Braeden remember the reason Traekor had been sent out in one of the delegations instead of remaining home. His ability to balance viewpoints left something to be desired.

  Should we send out investigators to ascertain the information that was lost? Perhaps we may not need to administer retribution to the fullest extent.

  Braeden felt relief at Brother Kroeden’s calm words. At least one person tried to think this through instead of reacting. Some voices reduced their intensity as they debated over the next hour, then began to rehash viewpoints already given.

  Let us call the vote.

  His earlier relief proved very short-lived.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, All Guns Blazing

  Finally, “Stan” made his goodbyes, throwing a wave here, a smile there, and a nod every so often. As they exited the bar, Greyson Wells, AKA “Stan the Man,” walked off, throwing over his shoulder, “This way, my little apprentice.”

  Phina thought about just going home. However, since he was her mentor…

  She pinged ADAM after having a thought and waited for him to get back to her as she followed the perpetuator of her irritation.

  >>Hello, Phina.<<

  “Hi, ADAM. Would you mind checking out the guy in front of me? I want to make sure he actually is who he says he is.”

  He responded after a brief pause. >>Who did he say he was?<<

  “My mentor.”

  >>Ah, yes. The man in front of you is your mentor.<<

  “ADAM, is there something going on?”

  >>There is always something going on, Phina.<<

  “Haha. I see through that very obvious deflection, ADAM. That’s fine. If it’s not something you can talk about, then I won’t push you.”

  >>Thank you, Phina.<<

  “You’re welcome, ADAM.”

  Phina followed her mentor, who was meandering in what appeared to be no particular direction. By the time she realized the man was trying to determine if a spy had followed them, they had reached a hall off the more public areas. They walked in
to an office complex and turned down a side corridor. Her mentor pulled out a key card and swiped it on the reader to the side of the door.

  After they went in, Phina was surprised by the upscale furniture scattered around the office. Down the hall, they reached a door with another key card access. Phina’s eyebrows rose at the stairs they needed to climb and again at the complicated password exchange at the top.

  Phina grew more excited as all signs pointed to some secret, mysterious place. What could it be? All sorts of speculation ran wildly through her head as they walked up the stairs. After pushing a few buttons and some whispered conversation, they finally entered the room, that oh-so-secret location, which was….

  Another bar?

  Phina’s gaze darted around the room to ascertain if her eyes were deceiving her. Her shoulders slumped when she realized that she was really standing in another bar, one that had been hidden in a secret room. There were several other patrons in the cozy room, which was large enough that her classmates could all have seats, but not so large that it felt too open. The distance between the booths ensured privacy.

  Various aliens and humans sat scattered around the room. A Yollin spoke to a human at a table on her left, his mandibles clicking. At another table, she noticed a Karillian speaking to a Torcellan, eyestalks waving about during the rather intense conversation. In the back of the room, an alien of a type she had never seen before sat looking straight and dignified as he waited. His light-green skin, though very different from that of the Shrillexians, made the red necklace he wore stand out in contrast. One large stone dropped to the middle of his chest, with smaller stones of some kind extending up toward his neck on either side. The strange thing was that all these conversations were completely silent. There must be some sort of technology keeping the conversations private in the booths.

  Her eyes moved again and found…Greyson? Stan? He was standing by the bar, though his eyes remained on her. He raised an eyebrow, and she could practically hear him telling her to come over. Phina did so, though she remained quiet so she wouldn’t interrupt the conversation that developed as she walked over.