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Chapter 51 – The Paneling of Bassiano

The Doctor, Lewis, and Pete walked into the conference room onboard the Doctor's ship. Bassiano stood up on the opposite side of the table. The glowing blue earth illuminated the room through the windows behind him.

Pete nodded and they all sat down.

Lewis began, "And this is a formal panel to discuss how your Primary, Jackie Tyler, the matriarch of the Tyler family, was found in a safe. John says she was deprived of oxygen, which is essential for human survival. You have explained this to me, but for formally sakes, let's start from the top."

Bassiano nodded, "Yes, Primus. Well, Jackie and I were together at the mansion. I heard of the fight in Florida and the call of all available to go. I was the only one with her, so I remained."

The Doctor nodded, "Acceptable. Continue."

Bassiano leaned on the table, "A man, came to the door and I answered it. As per protocol. A primary should never answer a door."

Lewis nodded, "Yes. Continue."

"He pushed his way in and held a gun to us. I shouted for Jackie to hide, and he shot me."

The Doctor spoke, "It was blaster fire. Not from Earth."

Lewis nodded, "Why didn't you alert the guard? Ask for help?"

He shook his head. "I thought I could handle it."

Lewis leaned on the table. "Thought you could handle it?"

"Everyone was….speaking all at once in Florida. I knew that was taking a lot."

Lewis pointed out. "You were with a Primary. You needed assistance that you didn't call for."

"We got away. I took her to the room with that large safe. My intentions were to let her out as soon as I had, sorted the problem."

Lewis asked, "How did you get into the safe?"

Pete answered, "It's coded to Jackie's handprint, too. She would have had to open it."

The Doctor asked, "She couldn't open from the inside?"

Bassiano sighed, "I told her that I would let her know when it was safe to exit."

Lewis nodded in understanding. "I see. And then, you were shot again."

"I was shot. I told the intruder that Jackie had been transported to a ship and he wouldn't find her anywhere in the house. He scanned the area, and agreed. I don't remember anything after that."

The Doctor glanced back at Lewis. "Well, Bassiano. I have to admit. Your quick thinking did save your Primary in this case, but also may have killed her. Why didn't you pop to the island with her?"

"I worried he would follow us. Find the location of the others."

Lewis asked the Doctor. "Could that happen?"

"If he had a scanner with the correct channel. Yeah."

Lewis nodded. "I see. Have a word with Stark about that."

The Doctor agreed, "I have. He's working on it."

Bassiano rubbed his shoulder.

Lewis continued. "Do you know the identity of this intruder?"

"No, Primus. He was a large, almost, Vesuos. But, I realize he wasn't. He would have killed me had that been the case."

The Doctor added, "As far as he knows, he did. A Vesuos prefers to do it with their bare hands, though. Unless you have one with a flavor for blaster fire. I don't believe it was a Vesuos in this case."

Pete nodded, "The Space Port picked up a signal of a small ship that departed shortly after this happened. It's keeping an eye out."

The Doctor sat back. "Good. But, it won't be back until the price is raised on Tony and Soli's heads."

Lewis asked, "Did he ask for anyone?"

"Yes, Primus. He demanded to see Tony. He said he had traced a transmission to that location with his name."

Pete leaned up and spoke, "Poltious had rang Tony Tyler, the youth, earlier that day."

The Doctor groaned, "And apparently, it was traced. Brilliant. Now, every bounty hunter in the galaxy knows where to find the Tyler family."

Pete groaned. "And so much for Jack's party. She'll be cross."

Lewis shook his head. "Let's get back to this Bassiano. I still have a hard time believing that a bounty hunter would simply walk up, ring the bell, and you allow him into the house. It's just….very unlikely of a thing to happen."

The Doctor looked back at Lewis in surprise. Was he calling Bassiano a liar? He decided not to say anything at the moment about it.

Lewis continued. "I need to…impress upon you how serious this could have been. How badly this could have ended. Jackie Tyler will no longer be your Primary. And you seem to require a bit of, refreshing on your defense. So, I'm reducing your rank. Instead of a fourth level Quauhtin, you are now a third. You will report to Legate on the island of New, New York to receive training from him and assist him in anything he asks."

Bassiano sighed. "Begging your pardon, sir. But, I had planned to return to the homeworld-"

"And you would need my permission to do so." Lewis sat back and crossed his arms. "And you do not have it. I'm not going to send you to protect the homeworld, nor my King-"

"You don't trust me-"

"I find many holes in your story."

Bassiano rose his eyebrows and sighed. "Primus Lewis, I would like-"

"I believe we're done here." Lewis insisted and stood up.

The Doctor and Pete both stood up.

Bassiano looked up at them and sighed. "Yes, Primus."

They watched as he walked out of the room.

Pete grinned, "Wow. Lewis, throw the book at him, huh?"

Lewis groaned, "The last thing I need is a damn Quauhtin in my Guard who is trying to impress me by playing the hero. Damn it."

The Doctor sat back down and propped his head on his fist. "That's what you think it going on here?"

Lewis pointed at him as he sat back down. "I bloody know that's what's going on with him. He asked just last week to enter the Trials to become a fifth level Quauhtin. And now he wants to ask to return to the homeworld. Ha!"

Poltious stepped into the room. "And based on his face, that went as I expected. Lewis, you're getting a reputation."

Lewis crossed his arms, "Worse than Summus?"

Poltious grinned, "I'm not going to say that. You still outrank me."

Pete chuckled. "Wise move."

The Doctor smiled, "How did Stark take the news, Poltious?"

Poltious put his hands in his pockets. "As you predicted. He said he understood, and calmly went back to his work."

Lewis looked back at the Doctor. "Uh-oh."

The Doctor nodded. "Yep. I'll keep an eye on him. Don't worry."

Lewis shook his head. "I worry I'm leaving you with too much, John. The Guard, the children, Stark-"

"I can handle this."

"Have you apologized to Genie, yet?"

The Doctor groaned, "I've been busy-"

"Do that, or I'm paneling you." Lewis insisted as he stood up.

He held his hands out in surprise. "Panel me over our daughter-"

Lewis nodded, "You heard me. Get this done."

"You're not paneling me over this."

Lewis considered, "You're right. I'll just mention it to Rose."

The Doctor groaned, "That's fighting dirty, Lewis."

Poltious chuckled. "Wow. Lewis. What has you so annoyed?"

Lewis looked at Poltious. "Do I seem annoyed?"

The Doctor, Poltious, and Pete said together. "Yes."

Lewis grinned. "I'll see you in a few days, John. Pete."

The Doctor watched as Lewis left with Poltious.

Pete grinned at him. "What's with Lewis?"

"Arles is…..making him mental."

Pete sat down and propped his feet in the chair in front of him. "Older? Younger?"

"Both. And Sam. And Genie. And….the Guard….and…..I think he needs a bloody holiday."

Pete grinned and rested his hands on top of his head. "Maybe he can get one soon. Is he leaving little Arles here?"

"Yeah, Rose has him." He smiled, "She says that Samuel is sitting on a blanket, telling him about the dog."

Pete laughed, "Samuel loves Zeus."

"And Henry. I asked your younger son if we could keep Zeus at our house on the island. He has agreed."

"He did?"

"He said as long as he still was his, he was fine with him living with his brother. How about that? I have a dog."

Pete chuckled. "First time for everything, huh?"

He grinned, "Madness."

Pete laughed, "I remember this mad dog of Howie's when we were younger. He was a German Shepherd, like Zeus. Howie's family lived on a farm. A proper, working farm with a dairy, beef stock, all of that. I was there one summer and his father had a bull in the field, just out there. In a fence, of course. That dog, for whatever reason, thought that the bull was out of the fence."

"What did he do?"

"He…..jumped through the fence. Electric fence. Electrocuted himself, right there in front of us to protect us from that bull. I can still see it in my mind happening. I didn't know what to do."

"Damn. Is that why-"

"Oh, hell yes. If my son was going to get a dog as a protector, I wanted one that fearless. I've never forgotten that."

"Geez, how could you?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "About Arles."

"Baby, or-"

"No, my older grandson. Who is this Kelly? Is he out on his own?"

"He can speak to us in his head-"

"And that makes it okay? He's no different than Samuel. Why are the rules different?"

The Doctor sighed. "She doesn't know who he is."

"Genie says she met all of you lot at the funeral. She does. Can we trust this girl?"

"I'm having Jake do a background on her."

"You're just now doing that?"

The Doctor groaned. "You all keep telling me how these children are all adults-"

"Yeah, whatever. He's to have someone with him. I'm not happy about this shit at all."

The Doctor rubbed his face. "Alright. I have to go make peace with my daughter. I need to go check on Ashena and Logan."

"How are they?"

"I'm going to let them both go to a suite. They are fine. There is still no sign of her ship or wreckage."

"Quauhtin onboard?"

"They've gone silent."

Pete groaned. "I worry this is going to get a lot worse."

The Doctor held up his finger. "Hang on, Lance is getting a transmission."

Pete turned with the Doctor to see an odd looking alien, with blue skin, on the screen that hung on the wall. He spoke in some odd language that the Universal Transmitter spoke over. "Greetings Andromedans. It is I, Kapral of Iota Zealae. In the service of the King of Luminar. For the revenge of his son's death, I have now destroyed the Royal Cruiser that carried your beloved Queen Ashena. I have assurances that she has perished. Because of the Andromedan and Quauhtin partnership, we have declared war on both worlds. The Andromedans are all infected with plague and deserve to die to prevent the spread of war. The Quauhtin have brought this on themselves as they have spread their lies and planned one of their own Warriors in most noble homes of the galaxy. King Lartius. This is to inform you that your heir, Prince Legate-"

The Doctor groaned, "Oh, he hates that."

"….has also perished at the hands on my men."

Pete looked up at the Doctor, "What?"

The Doctor shook his head. "He's fine."

Pete's attention went back to the screen. The blue man continued to speak. "Andromedan Oen. King Lartius. Do not attempt to approach any of the following worlds or you will be destroyed. The time for negotiations has passed! The time of your dictatorship is over!"

The screen turned off.

Lance asked over the speaker in the room. "Get that?"

"Yeah." The Doctor sighed, "We saw it. Assure Oen's Quauhtin that Ashena is in perfect health, and I'm sending her back to the island for her protection."

"Doing it now."

The Doctor looked back at Pete. "You were right. It's worse."

Pete rolled his eyes. "Should have put some money on it."

The Doctor grinned and stood up. He pat Pete's shoulder as he walked by him. "$10 grand that we win."

Pete grinned as the Doctor walked out of the room. He sighed and spoke to himself. "I won't take that bet. I hope we do, son."

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