Chapter 195

"Explain yourself!" Dammen said, glaring at his longtime friend and chief military commander who was standing at attention before his massive desk.

"My apologies, Ziros," Jeiel Vernier countered, standing his ground in defense of his aides. "I can make no excuses for our laxity in strengthening our boundaries. I take full blame for the breach."

Dammen glared at the man, his fury evident. "Damn it!" He gave a loud sigh, as he tried to control his emotions. "Why did this have to happen now, with so many problems with our weaponry?"

The cambra stood his ground and waited, his expression revealing his silent thoughts. What"s done was done, and Kaanig Altair knew it, too.

Reading his thoughts, Dammen sighed again, understanding. Jeiel had a tremendous responsibility in overseeing security of the galaxy. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. There was no one to blame but himself.

Easing back on his anger, he stepped away to consider his next words. He wasted no time.

"Maximize, Jeiel. Everything."

Jeiel bowed obediently. "By your command, Ziros." He turned to leave, knowing how quickly he had to act.

"And Jeiel…"

"Ziros?"

"Do not forget to pray. And tell your men."

"I will remind the troops," he said, the adrenaline in him already pumping as he hastened to order the imperial troops to maximized readiness.

Jeiel returned to his home, Adoniah, on Planet Azor, through the ga"lif system, an accelerated method of individual space travel. Used mainly by the Altair for emergencies or by others of highest rank, the method was now of immediate necessity. Jeiel returned to his birthplace in a matter of sclair.

"Seryon Viroca," he said through his wrist com device, his d"lab"r. "Activate all channels. I want all troops on alert for my orders." Not waiting for a reply since Seryon Viroca was ever vigilant, Jeiel quickly switched channels. "Kamaya Dinar," he began, alerting his top man. "We have orders to maximize. See to it."

A clear, crisp voice responded immediately. "Aye, Cambra. It will be as you say."

Secure in the knowledge that his order would be carried out, Jeiel hastened to his chambers for a quick refresh and change, knowing the coming solarities would be long and wearisome. Still, he was about to be tested to the extreme, and he was not about to let his sovereign down. It was his job now to take back what was theirs and annihilate the invading hordes of Ajellorians, the most evil and deadly of all their foes thus far.

A short while later, he exited his conditioning chamber, slipped back through the ga"lif, and made toward his prized war vessel, Kaljha"me - the Annihilator, sitting on the huge tarmac like a giant sentinel of destruction, making sure all was in readiness there. Then he left to join his main company of warriors, those he knew were primed and ready for war.

Once at the base command, 500 koron from his residence on Azor, Jeiel was quickly sought out by several of his defense team.

"Cambra Vernier," said Kamaya Dinar, instantly by his commander"s side. "We are on full galaxy alert. All bases are at maximized readiness, as you ordered. Scouts have been readied for immediate intercept, and we are awaiting your orders."

Jeiel stopped to peruse the hundreds of thousands of men, in full battle regalia and formation, standing mercilessly at attention in the humidity of the vast, barren wasteland stretched out around them. The imperial troops were like the stars in the sky, vast and seemingly without number.

"They are battle-ready, yes," he confirmed needlessly, "but are they soul-ready, Kamaya

Dinar?"

"They are, Cambra Vernier. I bowed them before the Source myself not twenty micron ago, but I will make certain that all troops are soul-ready as well."

"Quickly then," Jeiel said. "I will take over here."

As he watched Kamaya Dinar hurry away, Jeiel immediately huddled with the others of his defense team and updated them on the situation as he knew it.

"Kenra has been caught off guard," he began, his tone solemn, "and thousands have been killed as they lay sleeping in their beds. The enemy that has landed has even gone so far as to behead even the smallest Valtorians and are already putting up idols everywhere. The Ajellorians must not be allowed to land anywhere else in the galaxy. We must keep them off the ground. It may be the only way we can defeat them because they number more than we can properly count right now, at least according to the reports from Kenra.

"We will launch one-third at a time, every fifteen micron," he continued. "From each quadrant of the galaxy we will do likewise, in synchronization. I want to be certain that we swarm the Ajellorians from all sides at the same approximate time, and keep swarming them at various intervals. I also want every corner of the galaxy covered. The enemy must not be allowed to break through our defenses. We must annihilate them within our own star system, if at all possible, and keep them from spreading. Understood?"

"Aye, Cambra," the men chimed in unison. "It will be as you say."

"I also want immediate lock down of all communities in the galaxy. All of them. Dome shield every city and get all civilians underground to their shelters immediately. This war may be long, so be certain the people have enough supplies to sustain them for at least three scalons. Cease all interplanetary travel and allow no one to leave their present location. And I mean no one."

"Grace period, Cambra?" one man asked.

"Fifteen micron," Jeiel said. "I can allow them no more. Arrest anyone who is not underground in thirty. Intercept and detain anyone in air space."

"Aye, Cambra."

Jeiel fell silent as he considered their next move. Buckling his own laser weapon about his waist, he hastily scanned the rows of military units awaiting his orders. With a deep breath, he sighed with finality.

"Begin the launch," he said quietly to those around him and into his d"lab"r, knowing that an entire galaxy was depending on him at this moment. "And may the Source be with us all."

Tompkins, 24, an Earthling - a Zarcon - and best friend of Kaaniga Altair, lay on her bed, staring blankly at the beautifully ornate ceiling, a frown gracing her lovely brow. She was so bored she could spit tacks and wondered briefly how Casina had managed to survive the boredom she had endured during her tribulation period, both while at St. Christi"s Institute for the Criminally Insane as well as during her captive flight to Planet Konatha. Then later at TrCasinaar, their present domicile, then back to Earth again when Menakam M"yata, Kaanig Altair"s half-brother and chief antagonist had shipped her back home.

Kaanig Altair had promised Jenny that he would find suitable employment for her once she reached his galaxy, Valtor, but after six months, she still found herself waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. Her father, on the the other hand, had quickly buried himself in learning about Kathian botany and was already planning his future greenhouse and going through the final phase of setting up his new flower shop. He had decided upon reaching Valtor that he preferred living in the city of Zaratan, below the Palace of TrCasinaar, deep in the valley below the mountain. It made more sense to him to have a home there and to start his flower business there as well. So, at Jim"s request, Kaanig Altair had quickly purchased the perfect house for his friend and helped get him settled there.

Kaanig Altair had also surprised Jim Tompkins with a variety of seeds and plants that he had managed to bring with them from Earth, ones which Jim loved and was already familiar with, so that Jim could sell these new flowers and plants to the people of Valtor. Due to their exotic nature, both Jim and the Altair knew that he could make a killing with this new business venture, and Jim was anything but displeased with the ways things were progressing. In fact, he was completely overjoyed and grateful for what the Altair had given him and done for him.

If only Jenny could be as happy as her father, then she would have no complaints. Although she had complied with the Altair"s desire that she learn some of the Kathian languages in order to become an instructor to his people of these and the Earth – Zarconian – dialects that she already knew, the Kaanig had yet to present her with the job of her dreams. Jenny had truly thought that her life would be more different, fulfilling, and exciting once arriving in this new world, in a new galaxy, but nothing was further from the truth.

As if her boredom wasn"t bad enough, Jenny found that the alien she had grown to love, Cambra Jeiel Vernier, was never around anymore. When she had first met the handsome Valtorian, it seemed he was ever present and always by his Kaanig"s side. Once the Altair"s half-brother, Menakam M"yata, had been defeated following his overthrow from the throne of Valtor, Jeiel had left Konatha to return to his home planet, Azor, where lay the main military base. That had been months ago, and Jenny had not seen nor heard from him since. Believing Jeiel felt about her as she did about him, Jenny found this disheartening and disappointing, and she wondered now if she had only imagined his feelings for her. Jeiel certainly hadn"t voiced anything to her about wanting to see her again or discussed establishing a long-term relationship of any kind with her. This bothered her greatly because she couldn"t stop thinking about him. By all accounts, it seemed that everyone on Konatha, including her father and Casina, had forgotten about her.

She glanced over at the book lying beside her on the bed. If it wasn"t for her journal, she probably would have gone crazy by now. At least she could vent her loneliness and frustration within its private pages. Even her deepest heart"s fantasies found its way there, and it amazed even her, the depth of emotion she had for Cambra Vernier. All she remembered now were his deep chocolate eyes as he gazed down at her when he had kissed her under the mistletoe that time. Memories of how he had made her feel made her tremble with longing, and she lifted a hand to her lips, tracing their outline as she recalled how his warm lips had felt pressed against hers.

A fluttering in her gut brought a queer sensation within and, groaning, she angrily kicked the shoe off that had been dangling from her foot and listened to it slam against the wall. Sitting up, she grimaced at the black mark now gracing the ivory paint, then plopped herself backwards onto the bed again, chiding herself for making such a fool of herself with Jeiel the last time she had seen him.

She had dared to snuggle up against Jeiel at the Christmas party she had attended at the Manaham farm, on Planet Ulstra, and she thought for certain he would make his intentions known then, but…nothing. He had merely kissed her cheek upon leaving later that evening, and that had been the end of it. She hadn"t seen him since. She thought it was odd, but she also knew he was an extremely busy man.

As well as being commander of the imperial forces, the second most powerful man in the galaxy, Jeiel was continually by his sovereign"s side, at his beck and call, it seemed. Still, after Menakam"s defeat and after Casina had finally accepted her place beside the man she loved, it was as though Jeiel"s role there had ended, too, and so he had returned home. He left with no explanation and not once had he made any attempt to contact her. So clearly, she was just a passing fancy, someone to pass the time with while he was performing his duties at TrCasinaar or elsewhere. Still, she couldn"t believe that Jeiel did not love her. She saw it in his eyes and felt it in her heart. So, what had happened to make him forget about her like this? It was driving her crazy, trying to figure out the man"s behavior.

"I have to get out of here," Jenny said aloud, sitting up to bounce to the edge of the bed and reach down for her shoe. She picked it up from the floor and slipped it back on. Grabbing her journal, she then moved to hide it behind the dresser, to a pocket she had made behind the back of it, where no one would find it. Then, grabbing a light jacket she had brought with her from Earth, she quietly left the room, happy to discover that the guard normally posted outside her door was not there. She knew that a supply unit was leaving the palace in about fifteen minutes, so she hurried to sneak a ride down to Zaratan.

Not wanting to tell anyone of her plans because she knew Kaanig Altair would stop her from going off alone, Jenny knew she had to act quickly. She easily managed to leave her room unnoticed and hide inside a dirty linen tumbler that was just big enough to accommodate her. The tumbler had been sitting near the convoy unit on the supply dock six floors below where her room was located. Fortunately, no one had been around to see her crawl into it. Her only fear was that someone might peek inside the container. But such was not to be the case. Within moments, she heard two male servants talking, who had come out to begin loading all the awaiting tumblers inside the convoy unit.

Apparently the men had noticed nothing amiss. They had hoisted the tumbler into the unit without a problem, not even noticing Jenny"s extra weight, then jumped inside the cab and began their descent back down to Zaratan. It was a twenty-minute drive down the steep road leading away from TrCasinaar.

Half dozing by the time they arrived in the city, Jenny was startled into full wakefulness by the jerking movements of the unit as it came to a stop, somewhere in the center of Zaratan. She heard the men"s voices as they approached the back of the unit and unlocked the outer door. One man began pulling the tumblers out and set them on the ground, but his companion stopped him.

"Let"s get a bite first, shall we, Devo," he said in Kathian. "This laundry isn"t going anywhere, and who would want to steal it?"

"Right you are," the man named Devo agreed. The two ambled off, leaving the door wide open and the tumblers sitting on a roadway in the heart of Zaratan.

Certain the men had gone, Jenny couldn"t believe her luck. Pushing the cover off the tumbler she was in, she peered about, pleased to discover that she was in a vacant alleyway.

There was no one about so, grinning, she quickly managed to climb out of the tall tumbler.

Straightening her wrinkled outfit, she smoothed out her jeans and western-style midriff blouse. She tied her jacket about her waist then casually walked away, trying to appear normal. A twinge of conscience at her audacity caused her to pause momentarily, but it didn"t deter her from her plan to seek out some excitement. Since no one paid her any mind these days, she knew that no one would probably miss her either. She had been cooped up too long and needed to explore more of the planet she had heard so much about. Later, she would find her way to her father"s house and perhaps spend a few days there before returning to TrCasinaar. Kaanig Altair would no doubt reprimand her for sneaking out, but she knew he would come to understand why she had. Perhaps it would force him to fulfill his promise to her. Faith, she needed something to do with her time. She had been quick to pick up some of the alien dialects, but she couldn"t be expected to be learning all the time, could she?

It was fortunate that no one paid her any mind as she wandered about the immaculate city streets, peering into shops, wandering among street vendors. So many Zarcons had arrived in Valtor during the last year that it was just assumed that Jenny was one of the new women selected by one of the Kaanig"s H"San as a life mate. Had anyone known who she really was and that she had been staying at the palace, it was certain that someone would have alerted the Altair to her presence in Zaratan. Usually only the favored of the Altair were permitted to stay at TrCasinaar and were under his watch and protection as well. Jenny, however, didn"t know that and was, in fact, enjoying her afternoon in what she believed to be a cultural section of the city. Knowing enough of the Kathian language, she easily conversed with artists and other vendors selling their wares along the street and about the main square, learning what she could about Valtorian crafts and artisans.

After an hour of strolling, Jenny began to feel an annoying gnaw of hunger in her belly, and she regretted her hasty impulse to escape TrCasinaar without bringing any form of currency or nourishment with her. Not wanting to beg or steal from the many vendors, mostly male, who ogled her with great interest as she passed by, she decided to move to another area of the city and hoped she might find a coin or two lying on the ground somewhere. She wasn"t really sure how things were purchased in Valtor and hadn"t given it much thought until now.