The Imperial Palace of Her Serene Radiance, Empress K'non
Height: 2.3 km • Area: 1.8 sq. km
Buildings: 114 • Rooms: 10,423
Gardens: 3 • Landing Bays: 2 • Courtyards: 15
Servants: 5,000 • Security personnel: 1,200
~.~
They spent the next hour going through the four security checkpoints that monitored space traffic coming to and from Tenkigh. It was a tense, lengthy process, even with the codes provided by the Empress, and Gadget decided he was never going to complain again about the shipping checkpoints that he and Shaw had to deal with. When they finally cleared the fourth checkpoint, Kai laid in the coordinates for the Imperial complex. "This should take us to the landing bay at the rear of the complex," he said. "Normally, it's reserved for use by the Empress and high-ranking members of her staff, as well as the Council, so it won't be too crowded."
Gadget craned his neck to peer at the landscape below them. Tenkigh—this part of it, anyway—was beautiful, with lush forests and rolling hills of green as far as he could see. Far to his left he could see the misty outline of mountains, and to his right, the hazy blue of an ocean. A few minutes later he saw the white spires of the capital city appear ahead of them, and Gadget thought it looked like something out of the stories the nicer ladies used to read to them when he was small.
They waited another half hour at a final checkpoint, just outside the city.
"Not too far, now," Kai said, as the security guard cleared their entrance. He indicated a walled section of the city. "That's the Imperial complex, which is built around the Empress' palace. I've heard that the trees there have been modified to bloom all year around."
Gadget looked where Kai was pointing, and his breath caught at the sea of pink-blossomed trees that dotted the palace grounds. "Wow," he said. He glanced back at Gen, who had a peculiar expression on his face. "Do you recognize this place, Gen?"
"I… think so," Gen said. He stared out the window at the sea of pink and green beneath them.
Kai reduced speed and banked to the right, taking the Hakuryuu around the palace and toward the rear landing bay. As they flew over the palace gardens, Gadget recognized the large pond beneath them as the same one that Kai had shown to Gen the day before.
The rear of the complex was drab and utilitarian, and the landing port dominated the smaller buildings that flanked it. A dozen circular, sunken bays honeycombed the main landing area, and all but one of them had their metal mesh covers in place. The edge of the open twelfth bay glowed green, and Kai headed for it, carefully slowing and decreasing altitude until the Hakuryuu had completely descended inside it. Moments later, they touched down on its landing pad.
"Well, gentlemen, here we are," Kai said. They all undid their restraints and headed for the starboard access port. Kai paused in front of the hatch. "Just follow my lead," he said, and he held up his datapad. "I have our remaining security clearances here, as well as a map of the route we are to take. Unfortunately, we will be not be permitted to carry any weapons, so we might as well leave them here."
"Shit," Shaw said, and he unbuckled the holster that held his blaster and hung it up in a nearby alcove.
"Gadget?" Kai pointed at his multi-pocketed pants.
Gadget took out the pocket knife and multi-tool that was his constant companion. "Like I can do anything with this."
Shaw poked him. "Bro, I've seen what you can do with that knife when someone pisses you off. Put it with my holster."
"All right," he grumped. "What about Kai?"
"I don't carry weapons, Gadget," Kai said.
"That's because he is a weapon," Shaw said.
"Now, Shaw, one mustn't repeat rumors," Kai said, and he opened the hatch and descended the small set of metal steps that had extended beneath the doorway.
"You notice he didn't deny it," Shaw said as he followed Kai. Gadget let Gen go next, and then he exited, pulling the hatch shut behind him, and then he fell into step beside Gen. As they walked out from under the ship, Gadget could hear the slowing whine of the Hakuryuu's engines, and when they stepped into the bright sunlight that streamed into the bay Gadget raised a hand to shield his eyes while he peered ahead, searching for the exit.
Two men were standing by a wide, open doorway. The taller of the two was dressed in long, heavy robes of rich red fabric that was embroidered with golden thread. A thick chain of hammered gold hung in front of his robes from shoulder to shoulder, and the chain links clinked as he and the other man walked over to where Gadget and the others stood.
"Good afternoon," the tall man said. "I am Litou Tenn, Chairman of the Imperial Council. The Empress informed me of your arrival and asked me to personally escort you all to her private chambers. Would everyone come with me, please?"
Litou! Litou was one of the bad guys! And what he was saying was different from what Kai had said was going to happen. Gadget opened his mouth to say something when Kai gave a sharp shake of his head. He saw Kai glance down and when Gadget followed his gaze he watched Kai pat the back of his datapad with his fingers.
'We are the only ones with the encrypted instructions,' Kai had said earlier.
Gadget suddenly realized that the verification worked both ways; Litou meeting them was wrong, and so was the place Litou said he was taking them to. The Empress wouldn't have changed things, Gadget thought, so all this is a lie, a trap. Gadget gave Kai a small nod to show he understood.
This was bad. He had to figure out a way to get Gen away from Litou.