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#Post#: 1527--------------------------------------------------
scene from one of the books in the same universe as the Terran-N
umerian War
By: Haegan2005 Date: August 20, 2013, 7:53 pm
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John Carter’s com chirped in his office. That in and of itself
was not unusual. The fact that the ID it was presenting was from
the Commonwealth Embassy was also not unusual. What was unusual
was that it was Aerobhin D’Suchen, Sarochia’s Second. Aerobhin
almost never contacted John while he was on duty. Unless it was
relating to Sarochia.
John tapped the button for accepting the call. “What can I do
for you Aerobhin?”, he began automatically and then stopped as
he saw the expressionless mask Aerobhin was wearing. This could
only be bad, he thought.
“John Carter, she is in need of you. It would be “ Aerobhin
paused, as though trying to find the best word then continued,
“recommended that you clear what you have for the rest of the
day. It is possible that you may receive an unwelcome education
in Commonwealth politics.”
He was stunned, but not for long. “What has happened? From your
face it’s serious.”
“I do not truly know my friend. Only do I feel her distress.” He
paused for a moment. “And I know with whom she was speaking. I
shall await your arrival.” Aerobhin signed off abruptly.
John contacted Eric while walking quickly out of the command
center. “Clear my docket Eric. Something has come up at the
Commonwealth Embassy.”
Eric responded with a dry voice, "What did they do THIS time?
And do I need to get Gregor to prep his medi-bay again?" It was
a not so subtle prod at what had happened just a few days ago.
John snorted with laughter, "just clear my schedule Eric, and no
talk back."
Aerobhin met him at the Ambassadorial suite and escorted him
down the hall to her meditation room. It was a room that she
often spent a good deal of the day in, presumably dealing with
her superiors. It was not, however her office that she used to
deal with her fellow diplomats. That room was made to present
the power of the Commonwealth, and did so effectively, he had to
admit.
Aerobhin gently squeezed his shoulder and stepped back. No
Numerian would enter that room without an emergency or an
invitation issued by her. It simply wasn’t done. Now John
understood why Aerobhin had called him here. John could go where
Aerobhin could not yet tread.
“How long?” he asked with dread in his voice.
“Most of the day, John Carter. But what I felt, began less than
an hour ago.”
Carter looked at him in surprise. This was extremely personal to
his friend as well. Knowing Numerians as he did, someone was
going to regret what was happening.
John stepped into the low lit room and strained to see her. The
room was filled with dark colored furniture hand carved by
master craftsmen. Deep red drapes covered the walls except along
one that held a view screen that lined the length of the wall.
She often would use it to display environmental holos from
various Commonwealth worlds. Included in the experience were
scents, sounds and even mild breezes. All in all, it was almost
like being there. Of course, the Monday night football games it
could show from earth transmissions were really like being
there. He was not sure how it knew what scents to use, but it
was effective.
The view screen flashed and changed pictures drawing his
attention to it. It displayed a Numerian male in black naval
uniform, with several paragraphs to its right and below it.
While he understood quite a bit of spoken Numerian now, the
language was still confusing for him to read. What happened
next prevented him from worrying about it. The screen spoke, and
proceeded to identify the man it showed as Hanon d’Orly. He
listened with slowly growing confusion as it identified the
marriage status, his 2 children and their ages, his noted
hobbies, and what his dreams had been. The last entry was a date
of death one week ago in the Souril System.
Another image, this time of a woman, came up. The computers
voice read out the biography of this one as well and it too
ended in a death date. So did the next one and one thereafter.
It was with a shock that he realized that the dates were all
recent and all from a battle with the dark ones that had
happened less than a week ago.
His eyes looked about the semi-darkness and quickly located her
curled up on the couch he had bought for them both. She was
facing the screen, her eyes open and tear tracks shown
glistening on her face. He touched her shoulder gently to get
her attention and she did not respond other than to blink.
Carter understood now. He knew she had told the Council that she
would not pass the lists of the dead to the confederate
Captains. Their punishment for the disobedience, evidently, was
to have her view them instead. And she had obeyed them. Damn the
Numerian psyche. They had to have known what it would have done
to her.
“Computer, close program.” He said angrily as he went to her and
gently picked her up in his arms. “No more dear one, no more.
You’ve paid enough,” He murmured into her hair as he held the
rigid form that was his mate.
It would be more than an hour before she began to cry. By then
his anger at those who had caused this knew no bounds. His only
limitation was that he could not reach out and punish those
beyond his reach. Yet.
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