Chapter 4       I just felt that I needed to do this. The words bounced around Nara's head and absolutely refused to leave. What was it about them that kept nagging her? It seemed like something appropriate to say at the time, but after the meeting with Mandy ended, she had started to dwell on the hidden meaning in them. Hidden meaning, what hidden meaning? It seems perfectly straightforward, doesn't it? Even now that Nara was home, it was all she was thinking about. No matter what way she looked at it, the words just didn't fit the man who spoke them. Zairum was never that close to either Cy or her, yet today he had acted as if he were a friend of the family. Nara finished making her sandwich. Pickles, baloney, and onions, yet another odd craving she discovered. She poured herself a glass of milk and went over to Cy's computer and sat down. As she munched down the sandwich that was in one hand, she picked up a cord from the computer and inserted it into cyberjack in the back of her neck. The computer began to open various programs and network servers. Nara sat still a moment while contemplating what to do next. Then a thought occurred to her and she opened one of Cy's personal databases. Hmm...now this could be interesting. * * *       Mandy watched Venus grow smaller beneath the shuttle she was on. Her stomach was a little queasy, yet another reason she could never be a pilot. As the turbulence which accompanied take-off died down, Mandy began to feel better. The Vigilance loomed in the distance. Nothing more than a speck against the vastness of space. She nervously tapped her fingers on the case she had brought with her. She had been told she would have a military escort to and from Earth. And while she would never have admitted it to Nara (or anyone else for that matter), she secretly hoped that Kaz Takagi would be one of those given that assignment. I just hope I don't act like an idiot in front of him. * * *       Interesting reading but not all that helpful. thought Nara. She had read a great deal of information from Cy's database. Really nothing more than files on his various theories and interests, they did little to help Nara clear up the mystery she had on her hands. Zairum was mentioned here and there in the database, but there was very little hard data on him. Even when she went through conventional research databases, she came up empty. There was plenty of information on his political career. His role in the Eltorian War - and the peace negotiations which came afterward - was well documented. But there was nothing on his personal life - who he was outside of his position, and more importantly, what his connection was to her husband. "Well, like my father always said, sometimes the direct approach is the best approach." If her memory served, Zairum should still be on Venus. That meant she could probably reach him early tomorrow morning before he left the planet. Provided, of course, that she did a little research to figure out where he was and how to reach him. Nara shrugged her shoulders, What else do I have to do? * * *       The shuttle touched down in the hanger of the Vigilance. A small dark haired woman disembarked from the shuttle. Waiting for her were two men. The shorter of the two was wearing a brown and yellow flight suit, Mandy remembered his image from some of the photographs on Nara's desk. His companion looked familiar as well. His black and gray uniform marked him as a jumptrooper. Mandy remembered him as being a friend of a friend of Nara's. "Mandy Wang?" asked the shorter one. "Yes, and I assume you are Lt. Stan Remes and this is Jumptrooper Jared Mathison." Stan smiled lightly, "Nara told me you were a sharp one." "Well, she's mentioned the both of you before." explained Mandy. "I'm sure. I guess you know by now that you'll have an escort to and from Earth. Mathison and Takagi will help you out there." Mandy suppressed a smile. "If Lt. Takagi is assigned this duty, then where is he?" Mathison and Remes exchanged glances. "He's, um, were is he, Jared?" Mathison tried his best to come up with a good lie, but in the end he shrugged his shoulders and decided to be honest. "Probably boozing it up again." Stan eyed him hard. Mandy looked concerned, "I didn't know you could do that before a mission." Stan tried to lighten the situation a little, "Heh, heh, well, Kaz is just going through a rough spot right now. We gave him this assignment because it should be a cakewalk, no offense." "None taken." "Good, I'm hoping this will get him straightened out and flying right. More than anything, he's there for appearances. You're real help is Mathison here. He's a real wiz at computers and stuff." Mandy seemed to understand his point. "I see. So when do we leave for Earth?" Stan looked to Jared for the answer, "As soon as we can collect Takagi." "Fine." replied Mandy. "Then let's get him and get out of here." * * *       "The door won't open." stated Mathison. "Can Lt. Remes open it with some type of override?" asked Mandy. Lt. Remes had to get back to his squad and so he left Mandy in the care of Jared Mathison. "Yeah, probably, but we don't need him. I took the liberty of cracking his password the last time I was here." "If you were here already, why didn't you just bring him down with you then?" asked Mandy. "He was in no condition for that. Plus, he threw up on me and I had to change. After that I didn't feel like coming back. Besides, I thought it would just give him more time to get his act together." Jared pushed a few keys on the number pad next to the door. It slid open. The room was dark. Jared switched on the light. Kaz was in his bunk, clean - thankfully - and dressed. But he was also out cold. Jared gave him a hard nudge, "Get up!" "Is that really necessary?" asked Mandy. "Trust me when I say, 'yes, it is'" Kaz hadn't moved. Jared gave him another shake. He muttered "go away". "Wish I could, but I can't. Time to go to earth, now get up!" Jared pulled him up out of bed and onto his feet. Kaz looked about the room and fell back into bed in the sitting position. "You want me to go to Earth with you and the bumbler there? Forget it." Jared noticed Mandy's brow furrow and her cheeks turn red. "You've got orders, Lieutenant." reminded Jared. "Oh, now I'm a Lieutenant. Amazing how rank creeps back into the picture when you need something. Rita really that lonely on earth?" Jared let the comment slide, unwilling to let Kaz get the better of him. "And what's you're story? Finally screw up big enough that Nara only gives you busy work?" Mandy said nothing, though she was clearly hurt and angered by the remark. Kaz flopped back onto the bed, turning toward the wall. "I'm not going anywhere." Jared crossed his arms, stuck on what to do next. Mandy put down her case and came up behind Jared. She drew the sidearm from his right hip and fired it at the bunk. The blast hit the wall near Kaz's head. He sprung to his feet in a second. "What the hell do you think your doing!?!" "Ditto." said an equally shocked Jared. Mandy leveled the weapon at Kaz. "I'm getting the job done. Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you've got 10 seconds to put it behind you or I start shooting again. Are we clear?" "You're crazy!" yelled Kaz. Mandy pointed the weapon down and fired off another shot. This one hit near Kaz's right foot. "I said, ARE WE CLEAR?" The tone in Mandy's voice left little room for argument. "Yes." said Kaz. "Then get moving." replied Mandy. She motioned to the door. Kaz quickly exited and Mandy handed the sidearm back to Jared. "Here's you're weapon back." * * *       "Ms. Wang?" Jared looked about the hanger. But she was no where to be found. Kaz was on board the shuttle with the crew and they were all set to go. Ms. Wang had been in the hanger the last time Jared had checked, but now she was gone. He heard a shuffle behind a cargo crate near the entrance and went to investigate. She was there, sitting down, and looking at her hands. They were trembling. "Are you okay, Ms. Wang?" asked Jared. Mandy nervously rubbed her hands together. "Yes, no, I...I never pointed a gun at anyone before." "You could have fooled me." commented Jared. Mandy laughed a little. "I was just so mad at him. I didn't think. I just wanted to get the job done. Then all of a sudden, I realized what I did. I could have hurt him, killed him even." "But you didn't. And in the end, that's all that's important. You just gave him the kick in the pants he needed." Mandy smiled a little. "I did, didn't I?" "Absolutely. So you ready to go?" asked Jared. "Yeah, let's get out of here." * * *       Nara awakened before dawn, like she did every morning. It was simply habit for her. One that used to drive her husband crazy. Cy rather liked that idea of sleeping late. He had never had the option before and so he took to it rather quickly. Though, granted, his idea of late was anywhere between 7 and 9 am. But for the first few months of their marriage, he had never been able to make that goal because Nara would always wake him before then. Not that it was intentional on Nara's part, she tried to get up quietly but Cy always woke up. Eventually, Cy learned to sleep through it...most of the time. Nara finished with her breakfast and was ready to begin her search for Zairum when she noticed a blinking light on the vidscreen. A message? This early? Nara turned the screen on and selected 'read messages'. Instead of an actual message, an address scrolled across the screen. It was a local hotel, a luxurious one at that. It seemed quite obvious who it was from. Zairum.       Nara noted the room number and made her way to the farmhouse's garage. She hopped into the hovercar and started it up. She made it to her destination shortly thereafter. She was hardly surprised to find two Eltorians waiting for her at the front of the hotel. One waved her down while the other waited silently. "Yes?" asked Nara. "Greetings, Mrs. Sterling." answered one of them. "If you would follow me, my associate will park your vehicle." Yup, he's expecting me all right. thought Nara. "Certainly." Nara got out of the hovercar. The silent Eltorian quickly got into it and drove it away. The remaining one opened the door to the lobby for Nara. "This way please." Nara followed the Eltorian to a private elevator. He keyed in a coded sequence and the door opened. He motioned her to step inside. As she got into the elevator she noted he wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" she asked. "No, Mrs. Sterling. It is a private meeting." The door shut between them and Nara felt the elevator begin to climb. Eventually it slowed to a stop and the door opened. Nara walked down a narrow hallway to be confronted by two Eltorians in gray uniforms. Elite Guardsmen. Nara had tangled with a few her day, and they had consistently proven to be tough customers. Though they were clearly for Zairum's protection, Nara still found herself thinking of them as the enemy. Thanks, in no small part, to my experiences with Rodar and Darzurb. thought Nara. As she approached the door, they stood at attention with one to either side of the door. The one on the right pushed a small button on the door, opening it for Nara. She stepped through it and into the room beyond. The suite was lavishly decorated, as would be expected with someone of Zairum's status. He sat before her in a plush red chair, another empty one across from it, and a small coffee table loaded with various pastries, candies, and deserts. Nara's stomach roared its approval. Nara blushed slightly. "Sorry." "Do not be my child, please sit down." offered Zairum. "I believe we have much to discuss."       "Apparently so." replied Nara. She sat herself down across from him. "How did you know I would come here?" "Because, like your husband, you have a need for answers." "So you know why I am here?" asked Nara. "I have my suspicions." said Zairum. "Cy told me that you always had a special interest in him. He also told me your reasons for that interest." "But?" asked Zairum. "I don't buy them, not after that scene in my office." Zairum stroked his beard. "I assume you are telling me that you do not believe me." Nara patiently nodded her head. "That's right. Now lets stop with the chatter and get to the story you're going to tell me." "Excuse me?" asked Zairum. "You didn't allow me up here for tea and small talk. You suspect I know something. In fact, I don't. All I have are unfounded suspicions that suggest a stronger connection between you and my husband than you actually let on. The way I see it, you might as well tell me because I'm eventually going to find out anyway." Zairum seemed mildly amused by what Nara had said. He picked up a cup of what looked like tea, sipped it, and put it down again. "The posturing, my child, is quite unnecessary. You are right and I do intend to explain 'my story' to you." Zairum's gaze took on a far away look. "I always intended to say this to Sterling, but I could never find the right time or way in which to do so. But someone should know, and after what happened in your office I had a feeling you would want to know." "So you set me up? With the display of emotion, I mean." surmised Nara. "No, that was quite unintentional. But as you've noted, it did happen and here you are." replied Zairum. "So why did you do what you did?" asked Nara. "It seemed appropriate." returned Zairum. "But why?" asked Nara. Zairum paused before answering, as if summoning his courage for what would come next. "How can any father not grieve for his son?" On to Chapter 5