Voices by M J Marlow (most popular novels TXT) 📖

was allowed anywhere near the planet.
While they were here, he decided; he might as well let his men
have some fun.
“Consider this a training exercise,” he told his men. “You
will find the nearest Federation patrol ship and test their resolve.”
He leaned back, remembering his own skirmishes with Federation
starships. They were some of his fondest memories from his youth.
He saw the eyes light up on younger men’s faces and knew he’d
chosen correctly. “Call the other vessels and tell them: tease but do
not truly engage. The Cha’rok is to remain in orbit for now. We
can not leave the Emissary unprotected on this primitive world.”
Tal had just settled into his quarters; impressed with how
well they had followed his instructions. The Infirmary was every
bit as sterile as all such places were. The quarters assigned to his
‘guests’ were quite pleasant. They were just children, Tal frowned;
the boy just nineteen, his betrothed, only fifteen. For a moment he
questioned pinning his household’s freedom on children. But it
was time. They had been planning their escape for several
generations now, and nothing was going to prevent him from
seeing this happen. He was wondering what he would do if we
proved reluctant to honor our betrothal when a message came
through to him. He turned to the screen and pasted a welcoming
smile on his face.
“Rhianna!” he smiled warmly as he sat down to take her
call. “Your Uncle told you not to contact me.”
“My uncle is not a person I listen to at the moment,”
Rhianna pouted. “How could he send you so far away? I am bored
without you around, Tal.”
“You exaggerate, Princess,” Tal had to keep from laughing.
“You have young men hovering around you every moment.”
“But they are not you, Tal,” Rhianna frowned. She looked
at him suspiciously. “You aren’t forgetting me now that you have
been exiled?”
“I am counting the days until we are together again,” Tal
said the words he knew the woman was hoping to hear; “sweet
Rhianna.” He heard a chime and a bored expression showed on his
features. “I must go now. The first of many interminable meetings
is about to begin.”
He closed the channel and Rhianna’s spoiled child
expression died. Her eyes were quite cold and calculating as she
turned to look at her brother, prince Sa’vek. He was standing by
the windows with a glass in his hand. He saw her nod and his
expression went dark. He had hoped that he was wrong. He quite
liked Tal, but his spies had been quite insistent. The prince was
planning something that the Emperor would not approve. He went
to the terminal and made a call.
“You are to keep watch on the household of Jo’rek e-
Remus,” he ordered tersely. “I want every message they receive
from the prince or his uncle copied and sent to my office.” He
hung up and turned to his sister. “You are looking rather put out,
sister.”
“I was fond of him, Sa’vek,” Rhianna replied. She
accepted the glass he handed to her. “He nearly had me fooled with
his manner.” She took a sip and her eyes went even colder. “I am
looking forward to making his life a punishment.” She put on her
shallow face again and simpered up at her brother. He was not
fooled; he could see the hunger and violence in her mind and it
made him shudder. “Tell me, brother dear,” she purred as she
stroked his cheek; “if I cry enough, do you think our Uncle will
give him to me?”
“You still want the prince,” Sa’vek frowned; “knowing he
is most probably a traitor?” He shook his head. “Your choices of
amusement puzzle me, sister.”
“If we work it right, my brother,” Rhianna laughed and
became her true self; “you will have all that is his; including this
little alien princess he has been sent to make a wife of the Hazri
heir.” She laid her hand on his chest. “Imagine it, Sa’vek. You will
be an Emperor!” She saw his mind. “I thought that might intrigue
you.” She sat down then and beckoned him to her side. “Now,” she
pondered the matter; “how best to approach this matter so that our
dear Uncle believes it is all his idea.”
I walked aboard the Solace with the other interns at the
beginning of the next week and blushed as the five men who
comprised the medical unit looked at me with open regard. They
gave the appearance of men who had not been close to a pretty girl
for quite some time. I didn’t know whether to be amused or
uneasy. But the way they deferred to my guardian told me that they
would not be a problem, and once we got to work, they were
completely professional. I followed along with the other interns as
they explained how everything worked. In our free time, we
wandered back to the planet. I made several new friends and I felt
like I almost belonged. But not completely, I realized. Would I
ever feel like I was meant to be somewhere? I talked to the head
Counselor and he agreed with my belief; I would not until I knew
why my parents had been murdered.
“It is right to be concerned,” he continued as we watched
the recording of my nightmare together. “You believe the words of
that man to be a promise. He might come back for you, Melaura,”
the man nodded; “but I would not let that threat color your life
now.” He laid his hand on my shoulder and locked eyes with me.
“You have a true gift, Laura. You are meant to be here on the
Solace. I am certain of that.”
“You would not be here,” a warm voice filled the room
from behind me; “if that were not truth.”
“Governor Dav!” the Counselor smiled and rose to his feet.
“I did not know you were coming to see us off. Your
granddaughter and I were just discussing repressed memories.”
“I hope it helps her,” Natan smiled at me as he nodded to
the man. “I would like a moment alone with my grandchild,
Counselor.” The Counselor left us alone and Natan took his seat. “I
needed to speak with you before you leave, child.”
I watched the tall, silver-haired man as he settled himself
behind the desk. He took over with a quite assurance that wherever
he chose to be was where he belonged. I envied him that assurance
and wished I shared it. His dark blue eyes met mine and I saw his
worry and his concern. He was as certain as I was that the man
who had murdered my parents was going to make a move on me.
“Why do you wait until I am leaving Jarusian,” I asked him
bluntly; “to tell me that, Grandfather?” I saw his assurance slip just
a fraction. “I am sorry,” I looked ashamed at prying. “I am letting
myself grow too anxious…”
“There is another matter that I came to speak to you about,
child,” Natan broke in; not wanting me to feel uneasy. “I wanted
you to be aware of this matter, so if he approached you; you would
understand what was going on. ” He saw that he had my full
attention. “According to Betazoid custom, you were betrothed to
Prince Aden of the Hazri when you were born.”
“I was what?” I looked at him in confusion. “My parents
did this?”
“The Emperor Leonid was a very close friend of your
grandmother’s and mine,” Natan told me honestly. “He stood for
Lienna’s father at our wedding. When you were born, it was
Lienna’s wish that you and Leonid’s grandson be betrothed. Your
mother and father saw no reason to refuse.”
“But I don’t know this prince Aden,” I protested. “I can’t
marry a complete stranger. How can I be a princess for a race I
don’t know anything about?”
“Leonid sent me several data files so that you can become
acquainted with the Hazri.” He nodded to someone I had not been
aware of behind me and a young man came to the desk and set
down a box. “This is Danel Noris. He will be going with you as a
bodyguard.”
“Do I need a bodyguard?”
“I sincerely hope not,” Natan replied fervently. “He is
listed on the ship’s crew as Head of Security. He, and his team,
however will keep a special eye on you. Think of it,” he said to
me; “as your doting grandfather’s whim.” He got to his feet. “He
will explain everything to you as you go.” He came over and
kissed me on the cheek. “I wish you good journey. When you
come back to Jarusian, we can spend some time discussing this
matter further.”
“I would like that,” I told him as I rose to my feet. I heard
the door close behind him and looked at the dark-haired man still
with me. “You’re his son, aren’t you?”
“That is not common knowledge,” Danel told me. “And it
is something I do not wish you sharing with anyone else.”
“I am not the type to speak others secrets,” I told him
firmly. I went to the box and opened it. Inside were at least thirty
data disks. “What is on these?”
“The history, custom, language, arts, and culture of the
Hazri,” Danel told me. “Your future husband’s people.” He saw
my expression. “You look worried, Melaura.”
“Laura,” I insisted and he nodded agreement. “Is anyone
else going to know about this betrothal?”
“Only you and I know the truth of things; and I will not
speak of it to anyone.” He looked at me then and smiled. “You
look a great deal like your mother, Laura. She and Alric would
have been quite proud of you for taking this step.”
“Which step?” I bit my lip to keep from crying. “Getting a
berth on the Solace, or marrying the prince they betrothed me to in
my cradle?”
“Aden is a fine young man,” Danel said to me; his eyes
giving away nothing. “You should reserve judgment until you
know more facts.” He looked at the chronometer. “You should
stow the data files away in your quarters and go to your duty
station. We’re about to leave Jarusian.”
I nodded and picked up the box. He had left the cabin
already and I watched him disappear around a bend in the corridor.
My uncle! Illegitimate or not; that cold-eyed man was my family. I
felt like a part of me that I had not even known was missing had
come back to me. I was smiling as I entered my quarters and put
the disks in the cabinet beside my bunk. I hurried to the Infirmary
where Doctor Scotti; the head of the medical crew was just settling
everyone down to give them their assignments. I listened as he
went through everyone and settled them into groups of five for the
Away teams: two medics, one telepath/empath, and two security
men.
“You will get to know your fellow team mates,” he finished
as he looked at us all. “These are the people who you are going to
have to depend on if something happens and you are stranded on a
colony without our support.”
“Does that happen often,” Brad Landers, one of the medics
on my team, asked him the question we were all too afraid to ask.
“Often enough,” Scotti replied; “this it is mentioned in
briefing, Doctor Landers. He looked at me and smiled
encouragingly as he saw me shudder. He was one of those who had
known my parents and knew my history. “Your team will be going
out first so you will all remain. The rest of you may go to the
Observation Lounge to watch the departure. When only the five of
us