WHEEEE!! Chapter 2. This one's really long (3,500+ words!), so enjoy it! :D
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Chapter 2: Meeting the Ambassador
6:00 AM
Admiral's Office
"It's good to see you three here," the Admiral nodded from his dark corner. "Right on time: as military men and women should be. I'd like you to meet the Keronian ambassador to Sonora, Sharuru-san." He gestured toward the figure that was standing to his left.
"I'm Sharuru," he said in a pleasant, lilting voice. "You must be my bodyguards."
Sharuru was a light blue and purple striped Keronian. His left eye was blue, and his right eye was a pale purple. His hat was the standard yellow Keronian hat with normal ears. He had already lost his tadpole tail and white face, showing that he was an adult. The emblem on his belly and hat was a silver diamond. There was an air of warmth and comfort hanging around him, oddly enough. It made them feel slightly drowsy, and Zeroro stifled a yawn.
"I am Major Kilili, an assassin," Kilili bowed. "But you can just call me Kilili-san, Sharuru-dono."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sharuru replied, smiling at her.
"Thank you, Sharuru-dono," she said politely.
After all the formal greetings were done, they filed out of the office, heading to the transportation department. As they walked down the worn dirt path, Sharuru started, "You don't have to escort us to the air base, Admiral-sama. There are probably many more pressing issues that you have to attend to."
"What kind of an Admiral would I be if I didn't extend my full courtesy to the Keronian ambassador?" the Admiral chuckled. "It is an honor to be able to escort you to your ship."
Sharuru bowed, falling in step behind the Admiral. He strolled beside Kilili, asking, "Would you mind if I chatted with you on our way to the air base?"
"Not at all. You must have a lot of experience being an ambassador," Kilili answered.
"How can you tell?"
"For one thing, the energy around you is different. Most people's auras aren't like yours. It's as if the air is a bit warmer, a bit friendlier around you. There's also something about you that makes me want to hear what you have to say and comply with your wishes. This frightens me a little. Does it come of being an ambassador?"
"I never noticed," Sharuru said, looking surprised. "You have keen observational skills indeed, Kilili-san."
"It comes of being an assassin," she grinned. Sharuru returned the grin.
"Could you tell me a bit about your family?" he asked.
"Of course, sir. I have one sister. Her name is Pururu, and she's working for a civilian corporation right now."
"How splendid! What is she like?"
Kilili paused, glancing warily at him before continuing. "Pururu likes to take care of people. I remember that she always ran around with this giant syringe when we were little, and she would jab it into people to make them better. She's a smart girl, kind, and cheerful, as well. Also, she's Zeroro's childhood friend." She motioned towards Zeroro.
Sharuru nodded, taking all this in with an intent gaze. "Parents?" he added.
She tensed for a split second, but relaxed before any of her fellow assassins could notice her tension. "They were away on business for most of the time. I usually had to take care of Pururu alone while we were going to school. It's all an older sibling's duty, though," she sighed.
"You're very responsible," Sharuru complimented.
"Thank you," Kilili nodded.
"Are you married yet?"
"Heavens, NO! I'm still too young to get married!" she protested. "Besides, there's no one that I love that way."
He looked at her sympathetically. "Don't you get lonely sometimes?"
She shook her head, grabbing Zoruru and Zeroro and throwing her arms around each of them. "I've got my two best guys right here to keep me company. They keep me busy all day."
When the two started squirming, Kilili released them and abruptly started fussing over their shrouds. "Look at this shroud, it's all wrinkled!" she exclaimed, pulling on Zeroro's shroud. Turning to Zoruru, she frowned and added, "And yours! Even worse! It's covered with tears. Look at those frayed edges! Don't you ever buy a new one?"
She darted over to Zoruru, clucking as she straightened his shroud. Zoruru turned bright red as he mumbled, "Stop it, Kilili. You look like my mother."
"Didn't both of your mothers ask me to take care of you?" Kilili asked the two with a stern look on her face. "I'm your teacher, anyway. It's my responsibility to fuss over you."
A hearty laugh came from their companion. Everyone turned to watch Sharuru laughing. "Ahahahaha!!"
"What's funny, Sharuru-dono?" Zeroro inquired.
He stopped laughing, grinning at the three. "I think things are never going to be dull with you three as my bodyguards." Kilili strolled forward to walk beside Sharuru. "You seem more like their mother than their best friend," he added to her.
"These boys always manage to get into some kind of trouble," she shrugged. "Someone's got to care of them."
"We're here," the Admiral announced.
They gazed up at a large metal warehouse. The panels making up the walls and ceiling were riveted and welded together at the ends. The building was windowless, and the only entrance appeared to be a large titanium door.
"It may look frail, but these walls are made of the strongest space metal there is," the Admiral elaborated. "The security system on this building is so strong, that if anyone were to try and cut a hole in the wall, they would be burned to a crisp in a matter of seconds. There are invisible Keronian guards on each side of the door, and aircraft patrolling every inch of this sector."
"All this security has to be for a reason," Zoruru said. "What's inside?"
"Only the most technologically advanced spacecraft in the universe," the Admiral replied. "This security is also for another reason: since the ambassador is here today, the whole base is on high alert for anything suspicious."
After hearing this, the group hurried inside. The guards closed and sealed the doors behind them. Kilili whirled around and rapped on the door. "Sealing spell," she commented. "And not too badly done."
The entire door gleamed with silver runes and inscriptions in the assassins' vision, but only looked like an ordinary titanium door in the other two's eyes. She uttered a whistle of approval before continuing with the others.
Around them, bizarre and wonderful spacecraft were standing on the floor, clamoring to be noticed. There were fat, thin, tall, short, small, big, colorful, grey, glowing, dull, and many other varieties of spaceship in the bunker. One resembled a helicopter, but had the enormous helium sac of a blimp. Even stranger, it had tiny wings sticking out of the side of the cabin. Nearly all of them had Keronians in white lab coats clustered around them, making notes on their clipboards. Once or twice, the assassins glimpsed the silver glow of magic on the spacecraft, walls, and ceiling. All were spells of protection and defense and, as Kilili said, "Not too badly done".
Eventually, they came to a halt in front of a sleek, black spacecraft. The wings were elongated and cut to a thinness that could cut meat cleanly in two. Their tips were pointed, and the wings curved back after the tip. The tail of the spacecraft angled back, and it was pointed, as well. The nose of the ship was sharp and extended to the tail without any curves. A door, barely noticeable against the black, was set into the side of the ship. "It's very . . . pointy . . . and black . . .," Kilili remarked.
"This is one of our latest models, RWB-275. We based the design on jets from other planets, since this design seems to work well for speed and discreetness, which is just what you'll need if you want to get to Sonora before next month. Your cabin boy will show each of you to your rooms. There is enough food to feed you all until next year, and emergency supplies, should you require them, are in the living room next to the hallway leading to the cabin. Have a safe trip, and report back to the commander as soon as you get to Sonora, Sharuru-dono," the Admiral explained. "Watch out for hijackers, as there may be many on the way to your destination."
Sharuru's bodyguards nodded. "Yes, sir."
"One more thing," the Admiral continued. "Protect Sharuru-dono at all costs. You must be willing to give your lives for his. Do you still wish to take this mission?"
"Yes, Admiral-sama," the trio replied, saluting him.
"Good."
The door opened with a pneumatic hiss, and a set of stairs extended from the floor of the ship. A tadpole looked out at them, bowed, and said, "I'm Haroro, and I'll be your cabin boy on your trip."
The four nodded in Haroro's direction as they ascended the stairs. When the last Keronian stepped in, the stairs rolled back up and fit themselves snugly into the floor of the space jet. The door slid shut with another hiss, and as it clicked shut, a vibration ran through the floor. The engine purred quietly as a voice over the intercom said, "Lady and gentlemen, I'm Captain Tururu of the Keron Air Forces, and I'll be your pilot on your trip to Planet Sonora. We will be taking off shortly, so please be cautious with any items that you've brought on board, as they may fly around in the second before artificial gravity is introduced. Cabin boy Haroro will show you to your rooms. It's an honor to be able to serve you, and thank you for choosing the Keron Air Forces."
The voice buzzed out as Haroro ushered them out of the luxurious living room that had a huge flat-screen TV with a state-of-the-art sound system, couches and chairs made from the finest imported thread, a plush floor, and even a miniature restaurant stuck in a corner.
Down the hall, Haroro was just finishing explaining the safety regulations on the space jet. He had showed the four where the kitchen was, and was bringing them to their rooms now. A sudden boom rocked the jet. "Don't worry!" Haroro shouted. "We've just broken the sound barrier!"
Sharuru's room was, of course, the most lavish. It was filled with a huge bed, wooden desk and dresser, a nightstand made especially for short Keronians, and lamps on every surface except the bed. A computer sat on the desk, and a large flat-screen adorned the wall in front of the bed. The wallpaper was light blue, with golden decorations on it that looked like they were painted with gold leaf. Sharuru's eyes popped as he sat on the bed, taking in everything around himself.
"This is more luxuriant than I've ever had before," he murmured, clicking his bedside lamp on, then off.
"I'm glad that you like it, ambassador-dono," Haroro nodded. "Please enjoy your stay here as I show your companions to their rooms."
They filed out of Sharuru's room as Sharuru turned the television on. Haroro motioned for them to follow him to the next room over. It turned out to be Kilili's room.
Her room had light blue and green wallpaper, with a cozy bed that had clean white sheets on it. Her nightstand had a crystal clock on it and a lamp. The dresser stood to the side of the enormous bookshelf beside her desk. A small window hung above the desk, showing the grey of the bunker wall currently. Kilili smiled in bliss as she hopped over to the bookshelf, and her expression of delight grew even bigger as she read the titles of the books there.
"These are my favorite books!" she exclaimed, picking The Tadpole Tail: the Untold Story of Today's Youth up and leaping onto the bed. "How—"
"The Admiral asked us to prepare this room for you," Haroro explained. "He wanted you to be comfortable here."
"He always was little nicer to me," Kilili shrugged, opening her book and leafing to the first page.
Zoruru's room was grey and black, 'the most depressing colors in the world', as Kilili called them. His bed was the same size as Kilili's with the sheets dyed grey. The walls were utterly unremarkable, and the same could be said for the furniture. Zeroro and Haroro quickly departed after sensing that Zoruru wanted to be alone.
Zeroro's room was simple, yet exuded an air of calmness. There was a bamboo mat on the floor, and the walls were a plain cream color. A scroll on the wall read 'Balance'. The bed in the corner with light blue sheets didn't seem to fit in this scene, but the air staff couldn't let him sleep on the ground. "Very nice," Zeroro complimented, and then sat on the mat. He closed his eyes and arranged his body in the meditation position that Kilili had taught him. Haroro quietly closed his door, not wishing to interrupt Zeroro's meditation.
During the next few days, the flight proceeded without incidence until the fifth day of travel. They were entering the galaxy that Sonora was in and would reach their destination in two days, at the most. The Sonoran sultan had sent a communication to them, telling the group that they had organized the quarters that had been set aside for the Keronian embassy and that the welcoming party was nearly complete. After the communication was sent, Sharuru and his bodyguards lounged around for a while before the captain's voice came over the intercom. "We appear to be followed by a spacecraft," Tururu reported. "They've been following us for an hour now, and so I feel that they might be hijackers. I will attempt to send a communication to them."
His voice faded off as Tururu tapped a code into the keyboard, launching the communication system. A large, transparent screen popped up on the window, displaying a fuzzy black and white background. He typed some more commands, and an image of a person wrapped in cloth appeared. The cloth was embroidered with gold swirls, the sign of wealth on Sonora. A sash tied it all together and held the cloth up while a headdress, also embroidered, hid the Sonoran's face from view. The Sonoran looked up at the screen and jumped to see Tururu gazing at him.
"I would like to inquire why your ship has been following us for the last hour," Tururu began. "My passengers and I are unsettled by your behavior."
The Sonoran glanced down at the control board before him and pressed three glowing red buttons. "Die, Keronian scum!" he rasped in a voice parched by the dry air of Sonora.
Tururu quickly closed the communication and opened the view of their pursuer. Three missiles painted with red arrows dropped out of the bottom of the ship and shot after the Keronian vessel. Their pursuers sped away from them, vanishing in a few seconds. They gained swiftly on the Keronian jet. "Damn!" Tururu cursed as he gripped the steering wheel and lever. He pulled back on them, causing the jet to rise sharply. The missiles followed the jet up, getting closer by the second. "They're heat-seeking!" he muttered, diving into a downward spin. He curved around a chunk of space debris that one missile was unlucky enough to hit. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the other two off.
Suddenly, flashes of silver appeared on his rearview screen. The missiles that had been pursuing them stopped and fell into pieces that were sucked away by the vacuum of space. Tururu stopped the jet and gaped at the spot where the missiles used to be.
"You could say thanks, you know," Kilili said, scowling at him on his rearview screen. "And please don't start moving again until I get inside." She abruptly disappeared, climbing back on board the ship. Kilili fought with the current of space to get the door shut for a minute, but managed to pull the door closed. Sighing, she plopped back down on the couch. "Well, that was the most excitement that I've had for days. Why didn't you help?" Kilili glared at Zoruru and Zeroro.
"We shouldn't be fighting," Sharuru chided. "Please calm down, Kilili-san."
She shot Sharuru a quick glare before getting up and clomping off to her room. "Next time, you two help protect the ambassador, too!" she called behind herself.
Zeroro shook his head and sighed in his mind, 'Kilili . . .'
The rest of their journey passed without event, and on the seventh day, they saw Planet Sonora looming in front of their space jet, which was minuscule in comparison. Sonora was a swirl of reds, oranges, dusty yellows, browns, and whites. There was almost no green in sight amongst the desert colors except for tiny patches of green. The patches were most likely oases. The capitol city was sighted after they passed through the murky atmosphere. It had its very own patch of green surrounded by rustic shades of brown and gold that made up the buildings of the city. The Sultan's palace stood out from the brown and yellow by being a shining star of silver. The towers were silver-encrusted white marble that had elaborate gold designs on the sides. They totaled too many to count. The huge, shimmering glass dome that rested on the top of a marble tower standing in the middle of the palace oasis was the Sonoran sultan's famous 'Illusion Chambers', renowned for their beauty and mystery that few had ever gazed upon. The Keronians could see small black figures hurrying about below, busy with their errands, look up at the sleek black spacecraft. As they came even lower to glide just above the city, they could make out some Sonorans that were drawing triangles in the air. Others seemed to be smiling at the jet or waved before continuing with their tasks.
"Why do they draw that triangle?" Kilili asked.
"It's part of Sonoran customs," Sharuru explained, popping up beside her as he gazed out of the window at the city. "Drawing a triangle in the air means, in the more polite translation, 'Begone, demon!'"
She nodded as she observed more Sonorans either drawing triangles in front of themselves or waving. The majority were drawing triangles. As they entered the airspace of the palace, however, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed as the jet passed by. "The Sultan probably told them to do that," Sharuru muttered. "Otherwise, they'd be drawing triangles right now."
A large, flat space of the lush green field had been cleared to make room for the jet to land. As the jet circled around the oasis, Tururu announced, "Lady and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into the Sultan's palace. Please make sure that you take all of your baggage, if any, with you. In addition, please take one of the moisture stabilizers on your way out. The stabilizers will need to be refilled with water once a day. It has been a pleasure serving you, and I hope to see you again on your return trip to Planet Keron. Thank you for choosing Keron Air Forces."
Sharuru picked up a stabilizer, which was a blue, belt-like contraption. It had a dial on the side and a small percentage reading next to the dial. He strapped the belt on around his waist and adjusted the dial so that the percentage read 100. His companions passed over the belts. When Sharuru noticed that they weren't wearing the belts, he asked, "Won't you dry out?"
Zeroro shook his head. "We are part of an assassin troop that has been trained to be able to move around in any condition. The Sonoran humidity level will feel the same to us and have the same effects as the humidity on Keron Star."
Sharuru nodded, replying, "You're lucky. This belt is rather cumbersome."
"Are you ready, sirs and madam?" Haroro inquired, standing by the door with Tururu.
"Yes," everyone said.
"Again, it has been an honor to serve you," Tururu bowed. "Please come back safely at the end of this month."
"Thank you, Captain Tururu," Kilili answered, inclining her head.
The Keronian embassy marched up to the door, the assassins standing behind Sharuru. The assassins' heads were bowed in the Sonoran way of servants' behavior in the presence of their masters. Sharuru had told them about this behavior, saying, 'It is extremely rude for a servant to look anyone else besides other servants in the eye. They may only look someone who is a higher class than them in the eye when their master tells them they may.'
Haroro slid the door open, and the Keronians filed into the burning Sonoran sun.
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And that's all for Chapter 2. I'll try to update soon, but I might be busy in the next few days. Until then, please review!
