The young security officer walked calmly and assuredly down the hall with
quick, even, steps that betrayed none of the worried thoughts racing
through his mind.
As he reached the elaborate doors that stopped him from continuing, he appeared calm and at ease. The only hint of his extreme apprehension was how his hand trembled slightly when he reached up to key in the codes that would allow him passage to the chambers within.
The correct codes having been input, the doors slid aside to reveal the home-away-from-home to the Nubian Ambassador, Ledell. With his shoulders back, he walked proudly into the room looking confident and not at all out of his element. A quick glance around as the doors shut behind him, and Jovan Megal had the entire room mentally mapped out.
A few meters in front of him were several steps that lead to the dais on which stood the Ambassador's desk. To the left of the desk stood the doors beyond which contained the Ambassador's private quarters.
After locking the doors behind him to lessen the chance of interruption, Jovan glanced around the room again before cautiously making his way to the desk. He knew that this room was full of booby traps to discourage any unwanted guests, but Jovan's high level admittance codes temporarily deactivated them, so that he could take a step without worry of being vaporized, or losing some important body part.
A sound behind him made his heart skip a beat. Whirling to face whatever threat had been overlooked in his careful planning, Jovan drew his blaster and dropped into a crouch from which he could easily attack or, if needed, dodge any unfriendly advances.
Scanning the dark room, Jovan slowly straightened, a puzzled scowl on his face. There was nothing there. Shaking his head, and knowing he shouldn't let his imagination run away with him, even knowing the Ambassador's track record with the other guests sent by Jovan's employer, he refocused and continued to the desk.
Once at the desk, he accessed the computer terminal and used his security codes to gain admittance to all of the Ambassador's files.
He sorted through the abundant data, until he found what he was looking for. The location of the next meeting place of the Ambassador, and the unknown rogue whose knowledge could prevent the brilliant plan hatched by Jovan's employer from succeeding.
Quickly memorizing the coordinates, his gaze traveled to where he knew the Ambassador slept peacefully. How had the Ambassador prevented so many others from gaining this knowledge? Jovan thought the process had been relatively simple.
The coordinates firmly implanted in his memory, he headed towards the door with his head held high. All those others must have truly been fools, to have failed so simple a task. Jovan, young though he was, had completed harder tasks before in his short career.
"Leaving so soon?"
Jovan whirled to face the owner of the voice that had startled him so much, but there was no one else in the room. The voice had been feminine, and somewhat amused.
Shivering, Jovan hurried towards the doors, eager to leave the room that now seemed haunted. He had almost reached them when a sound behind him made him realize that he was not alone. His spine straightened and he turned to face Ambassador Ledell.
The Ambassador seemed like a statue, so still she was, with her face ornately painted and, therefore, disguised. Jovan could almost feel her emotionless gaze penetrate his exterior to regard the secrets in his heart.
He barely noticed the two shadows behind Ledell that could only be her handmaidens, watching him carefully from the depths of their dark hooded robes. Jovan started to draw his blaster, but if shot Ledell, the handmaidens would immediately sound the alarm and any chance of escape would be shattered.
Her eyes noticed his movements and a light of amusement seemed to spark in her eyes. She knew as well as he did that shooting her would condemn him to whatever punishment Queen Jerica thought fitting for the death of her trusted colleague.
"Give me your weapon."
Her command seemed to wipe any trace of resistance from Jovan's mind, and he soon found himself sliding the blaster to her. Though Jovan had seen no gesture made by the Ambassador, one of the handmaidens quietly stepped forward to obtain the discarded weapon.
"Sole," Jovan heard the Ambassador's regal command as though from a distance, "please fetch Captain Tynan."
The handmaiden who had retrieved the blaster stepped forward and, with a curtsy to Ledell, moved past Jovan to the doors. As she moved by him, Jovan thought to stop her from calling reinforcements but found himself arrested by the Ambassadors emotionless gaze and could make no move to delay the handmaiden, Sole.
The doors behind him slid open at Sole's command and the Ambassador's head of security, Captain Tynan, stepped into the room followed by several of his security officers. With a start, Jovan realized that Tynan had been waiting outside the doors when Sole had opened them. The security officers didn't look at all surprised by Jovan's presence. In fact, they looked as though they had expected him to be there.
"Yes," said the handmaiden who had yet to move or speak until that moment. "We have been expecting you."
As he reached the elaborate doors that stopped him from continuing, he appeared calm and at ease. The only hint of his extreme apprehension was how his hand trembled slightly when he reached up to key in the codes that would allow him passage to the chambers within.
The correct codes having been input, the doors slid aside to reveal the home-away-from-home to the Nubian Ambassador, Ledell. With his shoulders back, he walked proudly into the room looking confident and not at all out of his element. A quick glance around as the doors shut behind him, and Jovan Megal had the entire room mentally mapped out.
A few meters in front of him were several steps that lead to the dais on which stood the Ambassador's desk. To the left of the desk stood the doors beyond which contained the Ambassador's private quarters.
After locking the doors behind him to lessen the chance of interruption, Jovan glanced around the room again before cautiously making his way to the desk. He knew that this room was full of booby traps to discourage any unwanted guests, but Jovan's high level admittance codes temporarily deactivated them, so that he could take a step without worry of being vaporized, or losing some important body part.
A sound behind him made his heart skip a beat. Whirling to face whatever threat had been overlooked in his careful planning, Jovan drew his blaster and dropped into a crouch from which he could easily attack or, if needed, dodge any unfriendly advances.
Scanning the dark room, Jovan slowly straightened, a puzzled scowl on his face. There was nothing there. Shaking his head, and knowing he shouldn't let his imagination run away with him, even knowing the Ambassador's track record with the other guests sent by Jovan's employer, he refocused and continued to the desk.
Once at the desk, he accessed the computer terminal and used his security codes to gain admittance to all of the Ambassador's files.
He sorted through the abundant data, until he found what he was looking for. The location of the next meeting place of the Ambassador, and the unknown rogue whose knowledge could prevent the brilliant plan hatched by Jovan's employer from succeeding.
Quickly memorizing the coordinates, his gaze traveled to where he knew the Ambassador slept peacefully. How had the Ambassador prevented so many others from gaining this knowledge? Jovan thought the process had been relatively simple.
The coordinates firmly implanted in his memory, he headed towards the door with his head held high. All those others must have truly been fools, to have failed so simple a task. Jovan, young though he was, had completed harder tasks before in his short career.
"Leaving so soon?"
Jovan whirled to face the owner of the voice that had startled him so much, but there was no one else in the room. The voice had been feminine, and somewhat amused.
Shivering, Jovan hurried towards the doors, eager to leave the room that now seemed haunted. He had almost reached them when a sound behind him made him realize that he was not alone. His spine straightened and he turned to face Ambassador Ledell.
The Ambassador seemed like a statue, so still she was, with her face ornately painted and, therefore, disguised. Jovan could almost feel her emotionless gaze penetrate his exterior to regard the secrets in his heart.
He barely noticed the two shadows behind Ledell that could only be her handmaidens, watching him carefully from the depths of their dark hooded robes. Jovan started to draw his blaster, but if shot Ledell, the handmaidens would immediately sound the alarm and any chance of escape would be shattered.
Her eyes noticed his movements and a light of amusement seemed to spark in her eyes. She knew as well as he did that shooting her would condemn him to whatever punishment Queen Jerica thought fitting for the death of her trusted colleague.
"Give me your weapon."
Her command seemed to wipe any trace of resistance from Jovan's mind, and he soon found himself sliding the blaster to her. Though Jovan had seen no gesture made by the Ambassador, one of the handmaidens quietly stepped forward to obtain the discarded weapon.
"Sole," Jovan heard the Ambassador's regal command as though from a distance, "please fetch Captain Tynan."
The handmaiden who had retrieved the blaster stepped forward and, with a curtsy to Ledell, moved past Jovan to the doors. As she moved by him, Jovan thought to stop her from calling reinforcements but found himself arrested by the Ambassadors emotionless gaze and could make no move to delay the handmaiden, Sole.
The doors behind him slid open at Sole's command and the Ambassador's head of security, Captain Tynan, stepped into the room followed by several of his security officers. With a start, Jovan realized that Tynan had been waiting outside the doors when Sole had opened them. The security officers didn't look at all surprised by Jovan's presence. In fact, they looked as though they had expected him to be there.
"Yes," said the handmaiden who had yet to move or speak until that moment. "We have been expecting you."