Berret arrived at the specified time later in the day to fulfill Shenna's request that he take the ill Grandmaster's place as representative of the Mek-Klor-TaZ Clan when Nerri and his people arrived.
It wasn't too much of a hard favor for the Master Shrike to grant as he'd found himself looking forward to seeing his bond-mate's brother once again after all the time that had passed. Rygel had some pressing matter to discuss at the initial meeting and the ex-Enforcer assumed that Shenna thought the meeting would go smoother with Berret there seeing that he knew the Nebari rebel leader better then the Delvian. Beside, the Shrike considered, Shenna wasn't looking very well that day anyway.
After being told that Rygel was in a private meeting with the newly arrived Nerri, the Master Shrike wandered into a side antechamber to wait for the pair to finish with their debriefing. Berret wasn't overly annoyed with the delay but he was mildly surprised to find a young Nebari man already waiting in the sitting room. The Nebari youth nodded pleasantly at the ex-assassin as he nervously tugged at the collar of his formal dress suit. Berret, dressed in a combination of PK issue clothing and a comfortable dark gray wrap-around shirt felt sorry for the boy having to wear the uncomfortable attire. "Such are the consequences of politics," he thought with an inward smile, having concluded that the younger man was part of Nerri's contingent.
He took the seat to the left of the Nebari and settled in to wait for Rygel to call him in.
"It's certainly is a pleasant day here on Hyneria," the Nebari man ventured after a few microts.
"Yes, it is," agreed Berret. "Did you just arrive on the Homeworld?" he asked, feeling that chatting with the youngster was preferable to waiting in silence for the Dominar to finish briefing Nerri.
"Yes, less then an arn ago," replied the other.
"You should take a stroll through the ground gardens then," Berret said for something else to say. "I find they're very relaxing after being in space for a extended period."
"Thank you, I will take your suggestion," the young man answered, "I hope the Dominar doesn't keep my superior here long. There is somebody I'm very anxious to see."
Berret shrugged his shoulders in a human way and said, "Meetings with the Dominar have been known to last for arns. The business of running the empire waits or bows to no man's wants."
The Nebari solemnly nodded his head as he agreed with the Shrike's assessment,
"Still, I hope it's over soon. I haven't seen my Shalla-rai... or rather, what you would call my girlfriend in a very long time. She's here on the planet now and we have not seen each other for some weekens now."
Berret smiled and didn't bother to point out to the youngster that he knew what the Nebari word meant. He simply nodded pleasantly, remembering what it was like to be in love.
"I can see how not seeing her for so long would make you anxious."
The younger man nodded and pulled at his stiff collar again.
"Yes. It's an important day for us. I'm going to formally ask Chulee to Bond with me today," he announced and pulled himself up straighter in his seat.
Berret almost choked at the mention of his daughter's name; suddenly he realized he was sitting next to the mysterious Mytell. The boy was too lost in his own wandering thoughts of the future to notice the reaction of the man sitting next to him.
"Congratulations," Berret croaked out.
"Thank you, but it might not go so well. Her family is considered almost royalty here on Hyneria. They are very close to the Dominar, virtually an extension of his family. I am just an aid to her uncle who is the Proconsul of the Nebari Free States and I don't know if her family will approve of me as a suitable match for her."
The young man then turned to face Berret as if he were about to reveal a dark government secret.
"Have you heard of the Shrike Enforcer who serves the Dominar as the royal assassin to the throne?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Berret swallowed his ire at the annoying title Rygel had given him in half jest. It seemed the title was going to follow him forever... no matter where he went, or how long he was away.
"Yes. I have heard of the rumors," Berret replied.
Mytell looked right and then to the left to see if anyone was about, and then leaned in even closer.
"They're true. He is Chulee's father and was also bond-mate to my superior's sister." Mytell was seated to Berret's right side so he hadn't the chance to notice the Nebari Bonding earring in Berret's left ear.
"You don't say?" the Shrike said with a slight tone of disbelief and fake awe in his voice.
The youngster nodded seriously. "I'm a little nervous because Chulee wants me to ask her father for permission first before I ask her to bond. He's not Nebari and its one of his people's customs I'm told. They say he's a mean old bastard and would rather kill a man then look at him... some of the stories my superior told me about him..." Mytell left the sentence trail off with an involuntary shiver.
Berret lifted an eyebrow at the statement. "I've heard that too," he said with a small hint of sarcasm that Mytell missed. "They say he's more bloodthirsty then a Peacekeeper in a room full of Platorian Plague Leeches."
"I know," replied Mytell with an absent nod. "There's also a rumor that he has a trophy room where he keeps the heads of the beings he assassinated. Can you imagine that?"
"No... I can't," said Berret dryly. "Definitely someone you don't want to get on the wrong side of."
Mytell vigorously nodded his agreement to Berret's comment. The Master Shrike leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms in front of his chest as if he were in deep thought.
"Well, you're a very brave man. One of the bravest I think I've ever met," he finally said after a few microts.
"Why do you say that?" asked Mytell in puzzlement.
Berret allowed a surprised look to appear on his face.
"Don't you know?" he asked in an alarmed tone as he dramatically shot up straight in his seat.
"Know what?"
"Goddess, Man! You haven't heard the story about the several potential bond-mates the Royal Assassin's son went through before the old bastard approved of the wife he has now?"
"No! What happened?" Mytell's tone was beginning to show signs of distress. "What happened to the ones he rejected?"
Berret set back in his chair, a look of deep regret now prevalent on his features.
"Killed... every last one. I heard he was insulted by the quality of the brides being offered. Appears they weren't high enough in the social hierarchy, you know. The Royal Assassin went berserk and lopped off all their heads because he thought they weren't good enough for his son." Berret paused and tapped a finger against his chin as if in contemplation for a few microts. "He probably added them to his trophy room. The Dominar had a hezmana of a time trying to cover all those untimely deaths up. To the best of my knowledge, you're the first one to ever ask for the daughter's hand. I sincerely wish you all the luck in the Territories... you're probably going to need it."
Berret settled back in his chair as if he plainly considered the man beside him as good as dead but was too polite to point it out.
"What am I going to do?" asked Mytell in near panic, "He's suppose to be planet side and I'll probably met him today. Chulee will expect me to ask his permission to bond to her sometime after we meet."
Berret frowned for a moment, and then abruptly thrust a finger into the air as if an idea suddenly struck him. "There's still time to run away?" he brightly offered.
Mytell looked stricken. "I can't do that! I love her!" he cried.
"Oh... then it looks like you're in trouble. You must love her an awful lot to risk such a certainly messy demise," Berret put in.
Mytell nodded, looking glummer by the microt as he started squirming in his seat.
"I love her like nothing else in my life. She's everything to me. I would be lost without her," he said.
"Hummm," replied Berret with a sad shake of his head, not easing up on the young man. "Then I guess you'd better pray."
"DAD!" shouted an irate female voice from the doorway. Berret turned to see Chulee standing there with her arms crossed, sternly looking at him. Behind her he could see Zhara covering a wicked smile behind one hand. It was obvious the pair had caught him tormenting the younger man.
"Hi, sweetheart," Berret responded innocently.
"Dad?" asked Mytell as he jumped up and looked down at Berret stunned and bewildered.
Chulee tilted her head in the way her mother had before storming into the room.
"What were you doing to Mytell?" she demanded.
"Mytell? Me?" said Berret, "Nothing."
"Nothing my holy foot. You were teasing him," Chulee accused.
"I think torturing is more the word you're looking for," put in Zhara helpfully.
Berret smiled at the impish grin the Delvian girl gave him and Chulee spun on her,
"Don't encourage him!" she told her. "He doesn't need your help."
"Sorry," replied the blue girl.
Mytell pointed at Berret with one slightly shaky finger.
"HE'S your FATHER!" Mytell finally managed to get out.
"Unfortunately," exasperatingly admitted Chulee, giving Berret a hard look.
Mytell dropped back into his chair with a heavy thump as he remembered some of the things he said about the man. "Goddess! I am so frazzid... all those things I said, I didn't know it was you," he told the man.
"That was obvious... but on the contrary, they were very enlightening," replied Berret with a cock-eyed grin.
"Stop it!" Chulee hissed as she slapped at her father's arm. She went to one knee if front of the crestfallen Mytell. "...'Tell, I'm sorry for my father. He has a strange sense of humor that's hard to explain. He's not angry with you for anything you said," she glared back up at her parent and continued on, "In fact, I can assure you... he's having a very good time right now."
"Oh yes, that's for certain," Berret put in offhandedly. Chulee bared her teeth at him in reproach.
Mytell moaned and hid his face in the palms of his hands in embarrassment. Zhara took pity on the young man and discreetly pulled the Master Shrike off to one side to give the younger couple a bit of privacy.
"I'm so sorry, 'Lee. After going through all the trouble of getting permission from your Uncle Nerri to court you and passing Ka'D'Argo's scrutiny, I go and make a fool of myself by insulting your father," he told her.
Chulee cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. "Relax, uncle D'argo was the hardest test you had to pass," she replied with a smile to ease his discomfort. "Dad was probably as surprised as you were to find out he who he was sitting next too. He was just teasing you, everything will be fine so don't worry."
"I hope so. I would hate to start out on the wrong foot with your family," Mytell said.
Chulee's smiled widened, "You've done alright so far."
Mytell shook his head. "It was just with all those stories about him and the others... and he doesn't look old enough to be your father. I never would have suspected it was him I was talking too."
"I'll have to explain about his looks later, and as for the stories some of them are true... JUST not the ones he was just telling you," said Chulee. "I've seen my father do some unbelievable things but one thing he is not is the blood-thirsty assassin Papa Rygel likes to paint him as. And he does that just to annoy Dad. He's a very warm person and he's gonna love you. I'm sure of it."
"How do you know that?" asked the Nebari man.
"Because I love you. That will be enough for him," Chulee said and then gave him a long kiss.
"Welcome back," she said with a loving grin when they parted.

"That was really bad," said Zhara with a low giggle as she escorted Berret across the room away from Chulee and Mytell. Berret suppressed a smile at the young Delvian's comment.
"I didn't want to disappoint the boy," he said. "It's all Rygel's fault really for spreading those silly stories around. Mytell really shouldn't believe everything he hears."
Zhara politely coughed into one hand. "Correct me if I'm wrong... but you did remove a Peacekeeper commander from action by filling his private latrine full of Prowler fuel and then detonating it when he went to use it?"
"Okay, I did do that... but it was only because his private security was too tight to take him out a conventual way," admitted the Master Shrike.
"An ignoble way to perish," answered the girl dramatically. "Then there was the Scarran General who you..."
"I get the point!" Berret cut in before she could go on. "So I've done some questionable and underhanded things in my life and in Rygel's service. You don't have to rub it in."
"I'm not," said the girl. "I'm just pointing out that you and the rest of Moya's crew have done some extraordinary things to free the Territories and put the Dominar back on the throne... whether you meant to or not. Your crew's fearsome reputation has served Rygel almost as well as your deeds."
"Yeah, but nobody ever talks about Crichton blowing somebody up in his restroom," Berret answered sarcastically.
Zhara gave him one of her dazzling smiles. "If he had, I'm sure they would," she said. "You can't blame Mytell for being a little nervous and in awe about meeting you. The only things he knows about you is the stories and what Chulee has told him. Unfortunately, he thinks 'Lee sees you through a daughter's eyes and is more incline to believe the tall tales."
Berret turned back to glance at his daughter and her beau. Zhara caught the look on his face and said,
"He's a good man. You needn't worry, they are good for and too each other."
He turned away from the pair and gave the Delvian woman his attention again.
"Its not that. D'argo already told me Mytell passed his inspection and had his approval," he said in amusement. "If the boy can survive that and win his respect, he has to be a exceptional man indeed. I'm just glad that she found him and she has moved on with her life. I thought she'd wait forever until I left for Earth."
Zhara settled her headscarf around her slim shoulders like a shawl. "It was hard for her when you left but she soon saw why you had to go, that you couldn't stand her passing by chances at happiness because she thought she needed to take care of you. Now she understands."
"I hope they have a good life. Her mother and I did the best we could to give them one. I hope it was enough," Berret said as he stole a sidelong glance at the young couple, who now had their heads close together and were giggling over something. The pair having momentarily forgot the rest of the people in the room didn't notice when Zhara lead Berret further away toward a balcony.
"I'm sure they will be fine," she told him as she turned to gaze out at the palace gardens below them. She smiled up at him and said, "I haven't had a chance to ask you how your time on your homeworld was? Perhaps later today we can take a walk in the gardens and you can tell me what it was like?"
Berret became uncomfortable at the invitation knowing how the Delvian girl felt about him.
"Zhara... I..." he started to say when the throne room attendant appeared and interrupted them.
"Lord Shrike, the Dominar bids you to please come to the throne room if you will," said the old Sebacean. Berret looked back at Zhara and saw she still expected an answer to her invitation, though she looked completely relaxed, he could tell she hoped he'd accept. Sighing inwardly, he thought it might be a good time to talk with the young woman and straighten out this situation that his daughter and Zhaan had started with Zhara attempting to keep him company.
"All right. If there's time later we can see the gardens and talk," he responded, emphasizing the word talk in his statement.
"I look forward to it then," she said with a bright smile as they re-entered the chamber and headed for the throne room. Inside, Berret met Mytell and his daughter. The half Nebari woman gave her future bond-mate a parting kiss and to his surprise, stopped and stood on tip-toe to kiss her father's cheek. Berret had thought the girl would still be annoyed with him for toying with Mytell. She showed him he wasn't far off the mark as she silently shook her forefinger at him in warning after the goodbye kiss and then joined Zhara in heading out of the antechamber.
Mytell regarded Berret nervously as they started for the throne room door.
"Master Shrike," Mytell said politely with a slight bow and indicated that Berret should proceed him entering the single opened doorway and into the Dominar's presence. Berret tried not to chuckle at younger man trying to make up for his earlier remarks with an over-abundance of manners.
"Jared, boy," he said in good humor. "Call me Jared and for Goddess sake... relax. You think you accidentally killed my pet gromlet."
"Yes, Master... er, Jared, sir. As you wish," Mytell stammered.
Berret rolled his eyes and smiled, "Honestly, Mytell... how do you expect to live bonded to my daughter if you don't have a sense of humor?" The Shrike walked passed the Nebari man and entered the chamber.
Mytell stood stunned for a few microts as he digested the older man's comment.
"You mean you are giving your permission?" he called to the ex-assassin. Berret stopped and turned back to the man and then waved him forward to join him. The young Nebari apprehensively went to the man's side.
"...'Tell," Berret said after a microt as he laid one hand on the younger man's shoulder. "It was never my decision to make. Chulee is very much like her mother. She's stubborn and strong willed, but she's smart and she knows what she wants. She chose you and you chose her... as long as she's happy and you treat each other well, that is all I can ask for. Do you understand?"
Mytell, not trusting himself to speak, simply nodded his head.
"Good," said Berret. "But if it means that much to you... you both have my blessing and I thank you both for the consideration."
"You mean that?" Mytell finally asked. Berret gave him a small smile and nodded.
Mytell broke out into a huge grin and grabbed Berret's forearm and pumped it wildly in excitement.
"Thank you, that will mean so much to 'Lee," he said. "You won't have cause to regret it."
"What are you telling me for?" asked Berret mischievously. "If there's cause to regret anything... you're the one who has to explain it to Ka'D'Argo."
Mytell's smile faltered as he remembered his experience with the huge Luxan. Seeing the look, Berret said, "It was a joke, Mytell! Loosen up," Berret rolled his eyes at him once again. "And my wife use to say I didn't have a sense of humor."
The young Nebari nodded but he didn't look too reassured.
"Never mind, lets go meet Rygel and Nerri," the Master Shrike said.

The servant led them to a small room off to one side of Rygel's throne room. When they entered, they found the Dominar and Chiana's brother settled in chairs casually facing each other.
"Ah! Jared, so glad you could make it," said Rygel. He indicated that the newly arrived pair should seat themselves in any of the vacant chairs around them. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No problem, Rygel," replied Berret. "Master Shenna sends his apologizes for not being able to attend himself. He's feeling rather poorly today." Berret turned his attention to Nerri. "Hello, Nerri."
The Nebari man smiled warmly at the ex-assassin and stood up to greet him.
"Greetings, Brother," he said as he held out a hand for Berret to grasp forearms with. "I trust you and the children are well?"
"They are, and looking forward to seeing their uncle again," Berret said as he pumped Nerri's arm.
The pair took their seats and after Rygel inquired as to Shenna's exact state of health, the Hynerian got straight to the point of the hurried meeting.
"The reason I called you all here so quickly is that I wanted to inform you that I have arranged a meeting with Chancellor Lerris of Nebari Prime to discuss signing an accord acknowledging the Nebari Free States as a independent sovereignty," said the Dominar. "He will be arriving here on Hyneria tomorrow morning to discuss the treaty."
"Lerris will be coming here?" growled Berret, leaning forward in his seat in agitation.
Rygel held up a hand to halt whatever the Master Shrike was going to say, "Hear me out, Jared. I know how you feel about Lerris after what he and his people tried to do to Chiana and your children all those cycles ago, but we still need the Nebari as part of the alliance. Now more then ever with the threat of the New Syndicate. The Nebari Free States have several strategic planets under their control that can be used as staging bases for strikes against suspected Syndicate's holdings, but they can't be freed up as long as they have to defend against incursions from Nebari Prime. Getting Lerris to sign the peace accords will open them for our use, plus give us a half billion Nebari personnel who aren't mental cleansed Bulvurian sheep."
"The accord will also give us time to fortify our positions and perhaps expand them outward," put in Nerri. "We have more and more Nebari joining us every solar day. With the treaty, even more might decide to unite with us."
Berret snorted. "So once again, Lerris' hide is more valuable alive than dead is what you're telling me?"
"I'm afraid so," said Rygel.
The Master Shrike shook his head and sighed, no wonder Shenna had wanted him to go to this meeting. If anyone could make him cooperate with letting Lerris live - it was Rygel. Berret guessed that he trusted the Hynerian's reasoning more then he would admit in public after all the cycles they've known each other.
And Shenna knew that Berret would be more incline to do something Rygel asked him to do.
"I guess we better inform the others of his arrival tomorrow then. He's probably not forgotten their part in the battle in the sublevels and they should be warned."
Rygel nodded in agreement. "I'll see to it right away," he promised, also remembering a promise Aeryn made to him twenty-some cycles ago about a serious ear twisting if he ever withheld information about a serious threat from her again.
"It might also be a good idea to discreetly advise Lerris what will happen to him if he or any of his people go near my family," put in Berret. He had given in without a fight to what the Dominar wanted without really having to be asked, but he wanted Rygel to know where he drew the line at cooperation.
"I will see to that also," said Rygel.
Satisfied, Berret set back in his chair. "So? Is that all you wanted to discuss with me?" he asked next.
"There is one other small matter," continued the Dominar. Berret tilted his head in curiosity but didn't say anything further. "Shenna thinks it would be best if you also attended the meeting tomorrow in his place as representative of the Mek-Klor-TaZ clan. It would be good training for when you take over as Grandmaster."
Berret rolled his eyes. From his chair, Nerri tried to suppress a grin at the Shrike's annoyance with having to deal with bureaucratic functions, something he found himself having to bear more and more of as the cycles wore on with his fight for freedom for his people.
"I'm not a diplomat, Rygel," Berret protested.
"Yes, I know," replied the Hynerian with an exasperated frown. "You've successfully fought off and defeated every attempt I've ever made to teach you anything useful."
"And I haven't said for sure I want to be Grandmaster," Berret added.
The Dominar waved one small hand as if dismissing the Master Shrike's comment.
"You don't really have to do anything. You're only be there to show Lerris that I have the support of the Clan in this matter. You'll do fine tomorrow at the conference," Rygel continued as if Berret hadn't spoken at all.
The Master Shrike's face fell in a look of disbelieve. "Why do I get the feeling you're not listening to a word I say?" he asked.
Nerri chucked, "That's the first rule of being a bureaucrat - Hear only what you want too."
"I'm glad you're having a good time," Berret told Nerri sourly. "Now, not only do I have to let the frelling bastard live... I have to be in the same goddess-damned room with him."
Nerri shrugged his shoulders and Rygel called for his attention again.
"Jared, this is important. Shenna would like for you to do this tomorrow... and I need you there with me tomorrow," said the Hynerian. "I trust you and I require your support now more than ever."
Defeated, Berret slumped back in his seat. "All right," he replied grudgingly. "As long as I don't have to smile and pretend to be nice to the bastard," he grumbled.
"Oh no," said Rygel with a huge grin. "I want you to be your usual charming self."
The glee in which Rygel said his reply led Berret to believe he had something up his sleeve so he began to consider it might be worth hanging around the boring summit just to see what it was... and Lerris' face when Rygel sprung it.
"All right, I'll be there. I won't be happy... but I'll be there," Berret promised.
"Excellent," said Rygel. Now, if you'll all excuse me I have some other matters to attend to before the meeting on the morrow." The Hynerian got up and hopped from the chair into his nearby thronesled.
'That's okay," Berret told Rygel as he settled an arm casually around both Nebari men's shoulders. "Nerri, Mytell, and I have some family matter's of our own to discuss. It seems Mytell is asking my daughter to bond to him."
"Yes, I know. Congratulations," called Rygel as he went out a doorway.
Berret frowned and then turned to the pair left in the room with him.
"Tell me... Is there anyone who doesn't know about this? Or am I just naturally the last to know?"
Mytell shot him an apologetic look, while Nerri wisely said,
"No comment."