Fallen Star (47 page)

Khan nodded to the pair of scarlet armored, bolt-rifle bearing
mehdja’dhyt
. The double doors opened.

The youthful councilor prince strode into the black hall, chin down and shoulders back. The lights gleamed on the rainbow-hued circlet on his brow. His pale gold hair flowed over the shoulders of his darker gold robes. He was clearly not pleased.

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet, in his customary black and scarlet, shadowed his heels with a slight smile on his lips.

Khan glanced at Fallon.
Neither one has the code.

Fallon released a soft breath. That was nice to know.

The young prince bowed gracefully. “
Ehnya’dhyt
, Prince Khansu.”

Khan delivered a bow of equal grace to the young prince. “
Ehnya’dhyt
, Prince Aden.” He turned and delivered another bow. “
Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet. Welcome to my hall.”

Prince Aden clasped his hands behind him and frowned up at Khan, apparently puzzled by something. “Prince Khansu, I would like to ... speak with you, concerning a private matter?” His gaze flicked to Fallon.

“How fortunate, as I have much to discuss with you, Prince Aden.” Khan turned to the left and held his hand out. “Councilors, if you would be so kind as to join me in my private chambers.”

Khan’s hospitality chamber was not particularly large -- his dining room was much bigger -- but it wasn’t small by any means. The walls were pale gold with dark gold carpeting. A massive scarlet and gold carpet spread under the black glass table, framed by four tall black velvet chairs. A gold kaffa service occupied the center of the low glass table.

Compared to the opulence of the rest of the suite, the hospitality chamber was austere. Except that the chamber’s back wall was commanded by an impressively broad window on space that held a gorgeous view of the local rainbow-hued nebula.

Fallon sighed as she stood behind Khan’s wing-backed velvet chair. Of course he had to sit directly in front of the window, so she had to stand with her back to the loveliest view space had to offer.

The prince stared hungrily at the window’s view from the facing chair on the left, but
Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet, occupying the facing chair on the right, had no difficulty keeping eye contact with Khan.

Then Khan began to speak. He told them what he had learned of who was trying to murder the prince, and how, and some of what they had done to uncover and prevent it from happening.

The prince focused on Khan. “I knew it! I thought I recognized you!”

Khan nodded. “I’m impressed. It’s very common for most to discount and ignore the lower-ranked.”

The prince’s mouth tightened. “I’ve had too many loyal servants save my life time and again. I would not discount the lower-ranked.” He looked at Fallon and sighed. “So she was your
rehkyt
all along?”

Khan shrugged. “I am sorry for the deception, but it was the only way to discover who had programmed her to be a sleeper assassin.”

The prince looked down. “I have ... suspected
Ehnya’dhyt
Sehnby on more than one occasion, but there was never any proof.”

“I have suspected him for quite some time, which is, of course, why I shadowed him.”
Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet drew in a breath and released it. “I had originally come to ask why Sehnby had been taken into custody, but I find that I am quite pleased that you have done so.”

Fallon stilled. She’d had no idea that Sehnby had been caught.

Khan glanced at Fallon.
He was collected only a few hours ago trying to leave the station. A certain purple feline made an appearance in my office and the necessary information suddenly appeared on my computational unit.
He frowned.
You never did tell me where that creature came from.

Fallon smiled.
The Cheshire cat belongs to Alice, the station master. She hates the Moribund Company as much as I do.

The station master?
Khan stilled.
Of Port Destiny?

The prince’s violet eyes narrowed. “So, that code, the other half that makes Isabeau a sleeper assassin, is still missing?”

Khan nodded. “Yes, this is why I wished to speak with you. Sehnby did not have it on him or among his possessions. Would you happen to know who Sehnby was associating with? Someone he might not normally associate with?”

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet leaned forward. “I believe I can be of help in this instance. There was a certain
sehn’dhyt
, a lower-level medic, with whom he seemed to have an odd amount of contact.”

The prince sat up straight. “That’s right! I remember seeing this medic talking to Sehnby right before the auction.”

Khan frowned. “Do you have a name?”

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet tilted his head. “I think it was something like ... Mor?”

Fallon stilled, then felt heat spark at the back of her skull. A memory came into sharp focus; the memory of a data jack being removed from the back of her skull as she waked, dry-mouthed and groggy, right before she’d gone to see Sobehk.

No wonder she hadn’t felt the delivery of the first half of the code. It hadn’t happened until she was on the ship and the assassin was already dead. Mohr hadn’t been anywhere near her until then.

Khan sighed. “I think I know where he can be found.”

Fallon clenched her jaw.
The
Vortex.
Tah will know where he is.

Khan glanced back at her.
Exactly
.

Prince Aden’s violet gaze focused on Fallon. “I think it would be best to ... retire him from duty. Permanently.”

Khan folded his hands together within his flowing sleeves. “I think, my prince, you may be correct. The queen has a rather strict policy about those who choose to work with the Moribund Company.”

The prince stared at Khan, his mouth open. “What?”

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet leaned forward. “Moribund Company? Are you certain?”

Khan glanced away. “Sehnby ... detained me within one of their ships until Isabeau found me and released me in a very daring rescue.”

“A rescue ...” The prince sat forward in his chair, staring hungrily at Fallon. “I envy you, Prince Khansu. I truly do. Your
rehkyt
is truly an impressive creature.”

“Isabeau has many, many hidden talents, Prince Aden.” Khan glanced at Fallon and smiled. “I am very pleased to have her.”

Fallon felt embarrassed heat creeping into her cheeks. She pleased him ...

Khan looked over at
Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet. “My detainment on that ship should be sufficient evidence of Sehnby’s ... unsavory collaboration.”

Prince Aden frowned. “Then Sehnby ...?”

Khan lowered his chin. “Yes, my prince. Sehnby engaged the Moribund Company’s services to kill you.”

Prince Aden lunged up from his chair, his hands clenched into fists. “I want him. I want to kill him myself.” His growl rumbled low.

Khan lifted his chin, rose from his chair, and glanced away. “Then I must apologize, because he is already on his way to the bowels.”

The prince abruptly dropped his gaze and his growl disappeared. “Oh.”

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet rose from his chair and moved to the young prince’s side. “If you like, I can bring up the files on the bowels and you can see for yourself exactly how much he will suffer?”

Prince Aden’s head came up, and he smiled. “Thank you. I think I’d like that.”

Fallon’s stomach clenched.
Bloodthirsty little thing, isn’t he?

He takes after his father.
Khan sighed and smiled.
A very good friend of my father’s.

Fallon carefully blanked her thoughts. She really, really didn’t want to know.

After a small amount of polite discourse, the two councilors left Khan’s hospitality chamber and headed for the suite’s main doors.

Prince Aden stopped in mid-step and turned around to face Khan. “Prince Khansu?”

Khan’s brows shot up. “Prince Aden?”

“If ...” Aden’s gaze flicked to Fallon standing behind Khan’s right shoulder. “If you should ever decide to ... sell your
rehkyt
 ...?”

Khan smiled. “You will be the first to be notified. I swear it on my honor.”

Fallon pursed her lips.
Gee, thanks.

Khan continued to smile.
You’re welcome.

Prince Aden grinned then turned on his heel and walked over to
Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet. “Ha! I told you I’d get him to promise!” He stuck out his hand. “Pay up.”

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet rolled his eyes. “Can we continue this discussion
outside
Prince Khansu’s suite?”

Prince Aden sighed impatiently. “You’re just a sore loser.”

The guards opened the main doors.

Ehnya’dhyt
Dhuet followed the prince out. “No, my prince, I am a polite loser.”

* * * * *

Sobehk parked Khan’s sleek black sportster shuttle alongside one of the heavily armored
Mehdjay
transports. He powered down the engines and the craft settled gently on the steel deck of the shadowed dock.

Directly across from them, the
Vortex
sat among its spill of landing lights. Four other intelligence transports and the full company of scarlet armored
Mehdja’dhyt
intelligence officers were arrayed all around the grounded ship.

Alice, the station master, was more than pleased to help them arrest a member of the Moribund Company by locking the
Vortex’s
release codes.

Vibrating with tension, Fallon popped the right back door and climbed out of the sportster.

Her soft-heeled over-the-knee boots didn’t make a sound on the steel deck plates. She closed the door behind her and rolled her shoulders. Her black braid slipped over her shoulder and tumbled over her breast. The supple, gleaming leather suit was an incredibly perfect fit but a nightmare of engineering to get into. Khan had taken great delight in fastening the purely demonic number of crisscrossing straps and buckles that locked her into the suit from wrist to heel to throat.

Sobehk left the driver’s seat and came around the front of the sportster. His overlapping black
Mahfeht
enforcer armor gleamed with midnight rainbow hues under the dock’s uncertain lighting. Silver gleamed on the pommels of knives that had been tucked into sheaths down his arms and across his chest.

Khan stepped out of the front passenger seat in his scarlet and black
Mehdjay
robes of office. Beneath it he was as armored as Sobehk.

All three of them wore a pair of swords tucked in their scarlet sashes.

Fallon stared at the ship. A buzz of white lightning danced fiercely at the back of her mind. She knew what it was. She remembered it from before. But she had questions that needed answers before she could set it free.

Khan looked over at Fallon. “Isabeau, are you all right?”

Fallon averted her gaze. “I’m fine.”

Khan stepped forward and headed for the ship. Sobehk fell into step at his left shoulder and Fallon fell into step at his right.

The
Vortex’s Mahfeht
captain, in full black enforcer armor, stood waiting at the bottom of the ship’s exit ramp, with
Sehnbay’syr
Tah in his customary silver robes on the captain’s left and the ship’s
Mahfeht
first officer on the right.

Khan stopped two sword-lengths from them and bowed. “Respected Captain.” He nodded at the first officer and then
Sehnbay’syr
Tah. “My apologies for this inconvenience, but would you be so kind as to bring out
Sehn’dhyt A’syr
Mohr?”

Master-surgeon Tah stiffened and looked over at the captain.

The captain shrugged and nodded.

Tah turned on his heel and went up the ramp and into the ship.

The captain frowned. “
Mehdjay’syr
Khan, if I may ask, what’s going on?”

Khan smiled. “An inquest, Captain.”

The captain’s frown deepened. “You’re arresting
A’syr
Mohr?”

“Arresting me?”
A’syr
Mohr appeared at the top of the ship’s entrance ramp in full enforcer armor. His long pale hair had been pulled back into a snug braid. A pair of red-sheathed swords was tucked into his pale gray sash. He crossed his arms and his jaw clenched. “On what grounds, Lord Inquisitor?”

Khan lowered his chin but smiled. “You mistake me,
A’syr
Mohr. I have a question for you.”

A’syr
Mohr’s brows lifted. “A question?”

“Yes.” Khan’s smile broadened. “Just one.” He held out his hand. “If you would join us, I will ask, and then the
Vortex
will be free to leave.”

A’syr
Mohr relaxed his stance and unfolded his arms. He glanced at the scarlet armored guards all around then looked down at his captain and first officer.

The captain rolled his eyes. “Mohr, we’ve got a schedule to keep. Just get down here, answer his damned question, and let’s go!”

A’syr
Mohr scowled and came down the ramp, his boot heels thumping. He came around to stand next to the first officer, bowed, then squared his shoulders and pasted a smile on his lips though his eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched. “I present myself for your question,
Mehdjay’syr
.”

Khan lifted his hand, glanced at the black band on his wrist.
He has the code. Be ready.

Fallon drew in a soft breath and deliberately relaxed her muscles. She was ready. She was so very ready.

Khan dropped his hand and smiled. “Thank you,
A’syr
Mohr. You have answered my question.” He smiled. “
A’syr
Mohr, you are under arrest for collaboration with the Moribund Company.”

The captain jerked hard and the first officer gasped.

The guards from around the ship came running and over a dozen live-steel blades were drawn from their scarlet sheaths.

A’syr
Mohr’s mouth opened in shock. “No!” He pulled his swords free lightning-fast and lunged straight for Khan.