Cassandra's Challenge (71 page)

“There were attempts made against Barek? The
Regulians were trying to kill my son?” Jotham stares at William.
“And you didn’t tell me.” William stares at his friend saying
nothing. Cassandra knows how he struggled with this.

“Majesty. Tibullus, sorry Prince Barek. Let’s
sit down, there’s a lot you need to know.” She gestures to the
sitting area.

As they sit, she goes to pour four glasses of
Carinian Ale. They’re all going to need it before this is done.
Setting them on the table she sits next to William.

“You believe this Glitter Man, this Carinian
traitor who is trying to stop Cassandra’s Challenge, is also trying
to kill my son.” Jotham asks William.

William looks at his long time friend. How does
he do this to him? How does he tell him? Cassandra gently touches
his leg.

“No, no he’s not.”

“Then who?” Jotham demands.

“You think there’s a second traitor.” Barek’s
mind is racing.

“Yes.”

“One interested in the House of Protection.”

“In who will be King, yes.” William
confirms.

“If you knew this why didn’t you bring Barek
back with you on the Retribution!”

“Because at the time, I believed all the attacks
were aimed at Cassandra. She’s the one who uncovered the
transmissions, discovered the attacks against Barek, against the
Sentinel.”

“You have transmissions?”

“The Retribution has been recording all
transmissions since the first one was found from the Regulians to
Carina concerning Cassandra.”

“That’s weeks’ worth of transmissions.”

“Yes.”

“No one person could listen to them all.” Jotham
accuses.

“You don’t have to listen to them.” Cassandra
speaks up. “You just have to find similar senders and receivers.”
William is amazed at how simple she always makes it sound.

“That’s impossible you would have had to break
Coalition coding.” She just raises an eyebrow to the King.

“You broke the codes?”

“Depends on your definition of breaking, I
understand what the codes are saying. They really weren’t that
difficult.”

“What do you mean?” Jotham demands. Cassandra
looks to William wondering how much she should reveal. With his nod
she turns back to Jotham.

“Coalition transmission codes have basically
three levels. The first is comprised of sixteen lines of coding.
It’s your basic transmissions. Ship to ship, news reports, nothing
of major importance. The next is eighteen lines of coding. This is
your more secure information. Orders from High Command, normal
fleet locations ect. Then there are your nineteen lines of coding.
Highest security. Used during battle and for the highest ranking
members of the Coalition and Royal families. At the second and
third levels of security either the sender or receiver must enter a
code to open the transmission.” Cassandra pauses to see if Barek
and Jotham were following her.

“Go on.”

“I can tell you what personal code was sent to
another and how many. In some cases I can even tell you who one or
the other is.”

“But not all?” Barek asks.

“No. Once you hit nineteen lines, you have to
have the personal code.” Cassandra looks at Barek. “And then there
are the twenty line transmissions.” She lets that hang.

“What! There’s no such thing.” Jotham tells
her.

“There were two recorded by the Retribution,
sent from Carina to the Sentinel, each lasting just over two
minutes. Within ten minutes of each, the Regulians received a
transmission that contained only numbers.”

“The fleet’s location.” Barek’s eyes are
hard.

“Yes.” The Admiral confirms.

“Who.” Barek wants to know who’s responsible for
the death of his friends.

“You tell us.” Cassandra speaks so William won’t
have too.

“What do you mean!” Barek demands.

“You received both transmissions.” She stares
back at him.

“Fuck that!” Barek surges out of his chair.
William puts himself between him and Cassandra. After last night
he’s taking no chances.

“That’s impossible!” Jotham agrees, watching
William’s defensive move.

“Prove me wrong.” Cassandra stands, touching
William’s arm, stepping around him she moves to the comm center.
Typing in a series of commands she pulls up the search results she
wants. “This is your personal transmission code is it not?” She
turns the screen so it faces Barek and Jotham.

Barek eyes widen as he sees his code. “How did
you know this was mine?”

“I compared the twenty line transmission
signatures to all other signatures the Retribution had recorded.
Colonel Tar contacted you to transfer to the Retribution regarding
the Falco matter. The signatures matched.”

“How did you listen to it?”

“It was initiated as a sixteen line
transmission. No personal codes are needed to listen to it. The
Admiral verified you were the receiver.” She slides the keyboard
over. “If you want to know who wants you dead, whose responsible
for the destruction of the Talon, enter your code.”

Barek looks her in the eye. She sees his rage
that people died because of him. That someone wanted him dead, that
badly. She of all people understood. But she also knew for him it
isn’t a stranger.

Walking over to her, Barek looks at the keyboard
and enters his code. There’s silence for several moments then….

“Tibullus.”

“How’s life on the border big brother.” She
grips Barek’s arm as he pales, hearing his brother’s voice. William
watches Jotham, wishing they’d been wrong.

“It’s going fine. What do you need Dadrian.”

“Can’t I just call to see how you are?”

“Sure, you just never do.”

“Look, I know we’ve had our differences, but
you’re still my brother.” Silence greats his statement. “Okay, yes
I do need something. You see there’s this girl.”

“Fuck Dadrian, what did you do.”

“She was a piece of work Barek. Built. She led
me on then acted all outraged when I took it to the logical
conclusion.” Barek looks at Cassandra’s arms.

“I don’t want to know this Dadrian. I’m done
baling you out. I’ve told you that. You’re on your own.”

“Wait! How do I tell dad? What do I say?”

“That’s up to you, leave me out of it.”

The transmission ends.

“No.” Is all Jotham says.

Cassandra looks up at Barek, knowing she has to
finish. “That makes this,” she points to the screen. “Dadrian’s
signature.”

“That doesn’t prove anything.” Barek is
grasping.

“This,” She points, “is the twentieth line of
coding. It’s what on Earth we call a Trojan. It’s a program that
activates when the transmission is opened. It takes two minutes for
the program to gather data on the receiver’s location and transmit
it back to the sender. That transmission lasted two minutes and ten
seconds.” Cassandra pushes on. “Ten minutes later the Regulians
receive a sixteen line transmission containing only numbers. This
is the signature.” Cassandra pulls them up side by side. They are
identical.

“It’s a coincidence.” Jotham looks at
William.

“He contacted Barek again Jotham, right before
the last Regulian attack the one that destroyed the Talon.” He
looks to Barek for confirmation.

“He did.” He looks to Cassandra. “You have that
one too.”

“Yes.” Barek walks over to the window, staring
at the garden.

Picking up Barek’s glass, her eyes meeting
William’s conflicted ones. Touching his leg she gives him all the
support she can than picking up her own glass walks over to
Barek.

“Your mother designed a beautiful garden.” As
Barek looks at her she hands him a glass. “The girls have
especially enjoyed it.”

“Girls?”

“Michelakakis’ are with us. They have a daughter
Amina. She’s Victoria’s age.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Barek’s eyes are
angry.

“To give you something else to think about, if
only for a minute, when your world suddenly changes it’s the small
insignificant things that help you through. Like knowing two little
girls like to play in your mother’s garden.” Cassandra’s eyes let
him know she’s been there.

“It’s not the same.”

“No its not, I don’t know who wants me dead. You
do. Over fourteen hundred people died because of you.” She sees the
pain that causes him. “Nearly seven billion died because of me.
It’s not at all the same.” Looking at her Barek sees she
understands like no one else can. He takes a sip from his
glass.

“Will, I know Dadrian has problems. Always has.
But this….”

“Jotham…” William doesn’t know how to help his
friend, to help him when one son wants the other one dead. And they
haven’t even told them about him wanting to be King. Suddenly they
hear the outer door to the suite burst open, hitting the wall.

“Father!” William stiffens at Dadrian’s voice.
He immediately rises to stand between him and Cassandra.

Storming down the hallway Dadrian enters the
private area. “There you are. Look I don’t know what the Admiral’s
telling you about last night, but I can promise you it’s not
true.”

“Last night….” Jotham suddenly realizes were the
bruises on Cassandra’s arms have come from, why his friend stands
between his second son and his life mate.

“All I was trying to do was stop her from
embarrassing herself. I wasn’t interested in what she was
offering.”

“And just what was that Dadrian.” Jotham asks in
a neutral voice, watching his son.

“Herself in exchange for my influence on you in
support of her Challenge, she’s tired of the Admiral and is ready
to move on.” There’s a gleam in Dadrian’s eye as he looks at
William.

William wants to wipe the floor with Dadrian’s
face. The little foabhor standing there, insulting his life mate,
after he attacked her last night, the woman who carries his
child.

Cassandra can feel William’s rage building. That
Dadrian would slander her, to his face, how much is a man supposed
to take.

William knows what Dadrian’s doing, and he’s not
going to give him the satisfaction. The Admiral stares him
down.

Realizing he’s not going to get a rise out of
the Admiral, Dadrian turns his attention to Cassandra. The little
bitch was going to pay for last night. He’d ruin her. Suddenly he
realizes it isn’t only Cassandra standing behind the Admiral.

Barek turns away from the window to stand at the
Admiral’s side.

“Barek….” A myriad of emotions cross Dadrian’s
face. “You’re alive! You’re here! Why wasn’t I told!” Dadrian
demands of his father.

Barek walks to the comm. Watching his brother,
he replays the transmission. Dadrian pales as he listens, his eyes
flying from his brother to his father.

“What is this?” Dadrian turns on the Admiral.
“What lies have you been telling them. What is that
bitch
telling you, you stupid old man!” Dadrian is starting to lose
control. “They’re making this up father.”

“What are they making up?”

“That I would try and kill Barek!”

“Who said you are?” William asks quietly.
Suddenly Dadrian realizes what he’s admitted too. He sees that
everyone in the room knows it too. Turning he flees from the
suite.

Jotham goes after his son, William following
close behind. He would protect his friend, his King, even from his
own son.

“Dadrian!” Jotham voice booms through the
stairway.

All hearing the King come running, Lucas and
Kyle from the other suite, Marat, Deffand, and the King’s guards
from downstairs. On the stairs Dadrian freezes. Turning he looks up
at his father, then to Barek. Spinning back his foot catches on the
runner.

“No!” Jotham tries to grab Dadrian, but it’s too
late. In horror they watch as he tumbles down the stairs, his neck
making a sickening crack. For a moment no one moves, then
chaos.

“Aunt Cassie!”

“Victoria!” Cassandra turns to see her staring
at the bottom of the steps. “Lucas!” Quickly he grabs her, taking
her back into the suite.

“Stay here.” William orders her.

“Maybe I can help.” She looks at him.

“There’s nothing to help with. Stay here.”
Nodding she steps back.

Dadrian is dead. The second son of King Jotham
is dead. The Palace is in shock. The planet is in shock. He died in
a senseless accident while visiting the Royal Suite. It was
witnessed by not only by the Challenger but the King himself. All
Royal functions have been cancelled. The Challenge postponed.

Cassandra sits in Lata’s garden watching
Victoria and Amina play as William approaches. Standing she walks
into his arms.

“How is he?”

“Royal.”

“William….”

“He’ll do what he has to do.”

“And Barek?”

“Blaming himself, knowing it’s not his fault but
still blaming himself.”

“I understand.”

“Yes you do.” He gives her a hard look. “Have
you eaten?”

She gives him a slightly guilty look.

“Cassandra.”

“I did.” She looks him straight in the eye. “You
just won’t think it’s enough.”

“You
will
take care of yourself.”

“William,” She looks to the girls. “It doesn’t
do me any good if I can’t keep it down.” Her eyes plead with him.
“I ate as much as I could.” She puts a hand on his cheek. “I
promise you, I’ll eat, I’ll take care of myself, I’ll protect your
son.”

“What?” His arms tighten around her.

“What?” She looks at him.

“You said son. You can’t possible know. Not
yet.” His bore into hers.

“You’re right.” She finds herself
backtracking.

“Cassandra…” He grips her chin. “Tell me.”

“I….William I have no proof, just what I’ve been
told by my Gram’s.”

“Tell me.” He thumb caresses her cheek.

She looks back to the girls. He understands her
concern. “Wait here.” Minutes later he returns with Lucas and
Javiera.