Shades of Gray (56 page)

Raiban, mug of c’shar to her lips, almost choked as they entered.

“Welcome to Prime space, Raiban,” drawled Kusac. “I hope your trip wasn’t too boring.”

Trying not to cough, she waved the aide away. “You surprise me, Kusac,” she said, putting the mug down and leaning back in her chair. “I didn’t think you’d have the courage to come.”

“I’m hurt, General,” he said, putting a hand over his heart and a pained expression on his face. “Your words cut me to the quick.”

“Hmm. Your stance says otherwise,” she said, leaning forward to pick up one of the sheets of paper from her desk and move it closer to her while surreptitiously pressing her buzzer.

“I’m taking you into custody,” she said as the door opened again to let in four of the heavy troopers. “I have a warrant for your arrest.”

“And I have a full pardon, signed by Governor Nesul. I think that makes your warrant redundant,” he said, pulling the envelope out of his pocket.

“Let me see that,” she said, reaching for it.

Kusac twitched it just out of her reach, then hesitating for a few seconds, handed it to her. His hand then went to rest on the hilt of his Brotherhood knife.

She took it in both hands and looked at him. “This is only a piece of paper, Captain Aldatan. It could have an unfortunate accident.”

“It could,” he agreed as she slowly twisted the envelope in opposite directions, stopping short of actually tearing it. “It is only a copy, and we have Ambassador Toueesut here as a witness.”

“Then he can witness your legal arrest for crimes against the people of Shola and for stealing an alien ship from the spaceport,” she said, letting the letter drop to the desk and reaching for the warrant.

Kusac’s knife thudded into her desk, almost grazing her fingers as it pinned the warrant in place.

He had to give her credit—she didn’t flinch. Behind him, he sensed Kaid’s mental laugh as he and the other two turned to face the troopers.

“Look at my knife, Raiban,” he said quietly, moving forward to lean on her desk. “You see that bronze mark in the grip? You know what that means, right? And notice that it’s on the inside of the grip, the side not commonly seen when I wear it. That means I led a covert mission. Your warrant is null and void, Raiban, and you know it. The incident has been closed by our government as I was on a sensitive and secret mission among one of our Alien allies.”

He reached out and pulled his knife free, then stood back. “I suggest you send the troopers away and accept that I acted under orders when I left Shola. Besides, do you really think four troopers would be enough?” He let amusement tinge his voice

Cursing under her breath, Raiban ordered the troopers to leave. “You deserve to pay for what you did,” she snarled, throwing the envelope back at him. “You disrupted shipping for over three hours at Shanagi! You stole the
Couana .
. .”

“There was no theft because I had told my Clan Leader that what was mine was his, and if he be needing to borrow my ship, then it is his to use,” said Toueesut, emitting a scent of reproach in her direction. “No charge of stealing a ship there is against him!”

“I had to make it look good, Raiban,” said Kusac mildly. “You have to admit I did that.”

She snarled wordlessly, her ears going sideways and down as she looked over to Kaid. “I’ll deal with you here on K’oish’ik, Kaid, not that impudent cub! You can leave, Kusac Aldatan, and take your entourage with you! My business with you is finished.”

“I’m sorry, General Raiban,” said Kaid regretfully, hand resting on the pommel of his own knife. “King Zsurtul has chosen his advisers and I’m not one of them. Kusac is. You’ll have to deal with him.”

“Go!” she said with barely suppressed fury. “All of you go!”

“I take it you’ll start ferrying down the supplies you’ve brought from Shola for the Primes,” said Kusac.

“Indeed, General, the
Tooshu
awaits your orders as it is having lots of cargo shuttles to ship the goods down, and we are anxious to be unloading the Ch’almuthian immigrants we currently have on board.”

“Tell your people to contact the cargo officer,” she snapped.

“Thank you, General,” said Kusac, turning to leave.

“King Zsurtul will want to thank you himself tonight at the banquet,” said Kaid, sketching a bow in her direction as they left.

Once on the shuttle, Kusac pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and started to read it. Then he began to chuckle.

“That isn’t the warrant, is it?” asked Kaid, raising an eye ridge. “You took it out from under her nose.”

“Yes,” he said, passing it over to him. “It’s as real as the pardon papers I showed her. Bluff and counterbluff.”

“Ah, the ways of diplomats are strange indeed,” sighed Toueesut.

“She’s no diplomat,” said Kaid, grinning as he read the duty list for the day before. “She did all that just to give him grief, make him come all the way out to her.” He handed it back to Kusac, who pocketed it.

“She’ll have a diplomat on board, though,” said Kusac. “And you can take bets on Raiban trying to stick her nose into our rescue plans.”

“That’s a given,” agreed Kaid.

They debarked at the landing pad outside the City. On the right side of the main road up to K’oish’ik, all was activity as the prefabricated town gradually began to take shape. In what would eventually be the center, they could see a well had been dug. Even now, masons were setting a ring of stones and mortar around it.

“Who’d have thought we’d ever see this day,” said Kusac, indicating where a mixed group of Primes, Touibans, and a few Sholans were working together to raise one of the prefab buildings.

“Cooperation is much more rewarding,” said Toueesut as the rest of his swarm came dancing up to greet him.

One of the Sholans waved and called out to them. “Hey, Banner! We’re getting a catch-ball game going later this afternoon. Want to join us?”

“Sure,” said Banner, looking at Kusac who waved him away.

“Kitra’s found something she likes in the town market that she wants me to see,” said Dzaka. “Are we done here?”

“Yes. Go have fun,” said Kusac as he and Kaid began walking up through the bustling throng on the roadway to the Palace.

They wove their way through the crowd until a Sholan bumped into him.

“Watch your manners,” Kusac began. The next moment, he was fighting for his life as he dodged a flurry of knife strikes, looking for an opening.

It came quickly, and grabbing his assailant’s knife arm, he twisted it aside and then dived in close to palm-punch him in the face.

Kaid danced behind to deliver a couple of blows to the attacker’s kidneys. There was a loud snap as the male’s arm broke, and with a high-pitched yowl of agony, he fell to the ground.

“What the hell . . . began Kaid, as he and Kusac reached down to haul the now disarmed Sholan to his feet.

“He’s dead,” said Kusac, looking at Kaid. “He shouldn’t be.”

Banner skidded to a stop beside them. “What happened? I saw the fight.”

“I was attacked,” said Kusac.

Kaid knelt down to examine him as Kusac looked around for any more trouble, but everyone was giving them a wide berth. He saw the discarded knife a few yards away and went to fetch it.

“He took poison,” said Kaid when Kusac returned. “He’s dressed as Forces, but he’s no papers on him.”

“The knife looks like one of ours, but it isn’t,” said Kusac, kneeling down beside him. “He was trying to kill me,” he said, his voice sounding a tad shaky even to him.

“Definitely,” said Kaid. “He has to have come on the
Khalossa
, but how did he get down here so fast? Dammit, I thought we’d gotten all the dissidents long ago!”

“I don’t think this was a dissident,” said Kusac slowly. “I felt his mind—this was a paid job for him, an assassination.”

“It can’t be the Brotherhood,” said Kaid. “I know they made contracts against us illegal because it risked more than one life because of our Leskas.”

“I don’t know,” said Kusac, activating his wrist comm to call a squad of commandos to get the body. “I’ll certainly be talking to L’Seuli.”

“Let me handle it,” said Kaid. “I’ve had more experience at this than you. Ghezu used to send an assassin after me every other year.”

 

“She’ll be here in a couple of minutes,” said M’kou as ZSADHI updated him through his headset.

“Why she couldn’t have remained here overnight,” muttered Kezule, getting to his feet with the others.

“She did it to keep us off -balance,” said Kusac. “Are you sure you’re up to this meeting, Zsurtul? You’re looking pale.”

“I’m fine,” said the young King from where he remained in his seat. “Just tired.”

Raiban swept in, followed by someone Kusac knew well, Falma from AlRel.

“Good morning,” she said, frowning a little when she saw Kusac and Kaid.

“Good morning, General,” said Zsurtul, inclining his head. “Please be seated, and we can introduce our advisers.”

“I didn’t expect to see you two,” she said. “The Brotherhood has no right to be involved in this meeting.”

She was surprised to see them, but Kusac could sense none of the reaction that he’d expect from someone who expected him to be dead, or at least seriously wounded.

“They’re here as my advisers, General,” said Zsurtul as the others resumed their seats. “General Kezule you know, and this is Prime Counselor Shyadd.”

“I have to protest at their presence,” began Raiban.

“They are my advisers, and they will remain,” repeated Zsurtul firmly, staring unblinkingly at her. “Introduce your aide, please.”

“Falma, from Alien Relations. He’s brought the Treaties from the Alliance and Shola for you to sign.”

“Hand it to Shyadd, please. He’ll read it through and give me a report on it.”

“They’re an exact copy of the ones your father signed,” said Raiban as Falma withdrew the documents from the case he carried and passed them across the table to Shyadd. “All you have to do is sign them.”

“I am not my father, General Raiban,” said Zsurtul quietly. “I will study this first, then listen to what my advisers say before I sign anything.”

“Signing comes later, Raiban,” said Kusac. “First it has to be studied, then negotiated, and finally signed when both sides agree on it. Falma knows this as a member of the Diplomatic Guild.”

“Indeed, Captain Aldatan,” said Falma with a slight smile of relief. “We members of Alien Relations understand the niceties of such things. By the way, I have a message to pass on to you from your father when the meeting is over. All is well at home,” he added hurriedly seeing a worried look flit across Kusac’s face.

“The treaty negotiations are none of your concern, Raiban. Since when did you become a Diplomatic representative for either Shola or the Alliance?” asked Kaid.

“I’m here from a military standpoint, to advise on the situation here, especially considering the youth of the new King,” said Raiban blithely.

Zsurtul froze in the act of reaching for a glass of water from the decanter in front of him. “I don’t remember asking for such aid. Did you, General Kezule?”

“No, Majesty. You have me and your Sholan advisers.”

“The situation here is quite volatile, as I see it,” said Raiban, obviously settling into her seat for the duration. “You have refugees pouring in from Ch’almuth and a potential war brewing there if you don’t give this M’zullian ship the tribute it expects. Level-headed experienced military leadership is needed.”

“General Raiban,” Falma interrupted quietly. “This is neither the time nor the place for such discussions.”

“It is exactly the right time and place,” said Raiban.

“They aren’t refugees, General Raiban, they are immigrants,” said Shyadd looking up from the treaties he was reading.

“Immigrants, refugees,” said Raiban airily, waving an expansive hand. “They are still fleeing from the M’zullians. It would be best if you let that shipment go ahead as normal so as not to arouse them, and give us more time to prepare to meet them on a more equal footing.”