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not have all day tosit in your outer office,” the vice-counselor said. “As you know my lady-wife…”

“Come in,” the general interrupted him. “Ihaven’t finished my briefing but since you could not wait, you can fill ColonelIphito in on the rest of what I would have given her!”

Not bothering to escort the vice-counselorand his wife into the office, Strom stomped back to his desk and took a seat.“Stay where you are, Iphito,” he commanded as Shanee made to rise out ofdeference for a high government official.

Vice-Counselor Jost held out his hand tohis wife and when the woman joined him in the doorway, Shanee was hard-pressednot to stare.

Elspeth Harmattan-Jost was a weak, stoopedwoman whose flesh bore the unmistakable stamp of impending death. Her bodyquivered with palsy as she painfully made her way into the office and to thechair to which her husband led her. Sitting down gingerly, she cast Shanee alook that belied the older woman’s apparent frailty. There was fire andbrimstone in that glance and the frosty brown eyes that delivered them werefilled with acute hatred.

Taken aback by the strength of that glare,any degree of compassion Shanee might have otherwise felt for the womanevaporated. She turned her attention back to the general whose gaze fused withher own. When he cocked one dark brow—mentally challenging his Prime’sopinion—the Amazeen almost smiled.

“How much have you told her?”Vice-Counselor Jost demanded as he took a seat beside his wife.

“She had just asked if Ensign Harmattan gota chance to speak to the man he believed was his brother on the Revenge,”Strom replied. “I did not get the chance to answer her.”

“No, he did not,” the vice-counselorstated. “Felix attempted to follow his brother but Ailyn lost him on the ship,seemingly vanishing for all intents and purposes.”

“I’ve heard you can look right at a Reaperand not see him,” Shanee declared.

Elspeth Harmattan-Jost flinched. “Please,don’t speak of my son in that way,” she said, her voice soft but threaded withsteel.

“How old is your younger son, Madame Jost?”Shanee asked.

“He is twenty-two,” the vice-counseloranswered for his wife.

“That would have made him two years oldwhen his brother went down with their father?”

“What does that have to do with…?”

Shanee interrupted the vice-counselor. “Howold was Ailyn Harmattan?”

“I don’t…”

“He was just out of Fleet Academy,” thevice-counselor’s wife answered. “He was twenty-four.”

“How is it possible your younger sonrecognized a man who disappeared when he was but a toddler?” the PrimaryRiezell Guardian inquired.

“Felix has seen Ailyn’s portrait in theGrand Hall at Harmattan Manor all his life, Colonel,” the ailing woman replied.“He says the man he saw on the Revenge was his brother and I believehim.”

“Does he believe the man on the Revengeknew who he was?”

“He says he saw shocked recognition in theman’s eyes and Felix believes that is why Ailyn hid from him,” thevice-counselor snapped.

“But you don’t know for a fact that it wasAilyn Harmattan on that ship,” Strom stressed.

Elspeth Harmattan-Jost turned a viciousglower to the general. “We don’t know that it wasn’t either. Felix spoke withmany of those warriors from Theristes and although they would not confirm theman my son had seen was indeed Ailyn, neither did they deny it.”

“What exactly is it you want me to do?”Shanee asked.

“We want you to go to Theristes and bringAilyn home where he belongs,” the vice-counselor snapped. “He is the duke ofKentsington, the rightful heir to the Harmattan fortune. He has obligations.”

“Has it occurred to you that if the man onthe Revenge is your son, he doesn’t want to be brought back?” Shaneequeried. “It is my understanding that none of the men who had been interred onR-9 wanted to return to their former lives though they were given the chance.They took the Burgon up on his offer to take them to Theristes, which they havemade their new home. It was only out of loyalty and appreciation of what theBurgon had done for them that they left Theristes to help avenge the attack onAduaidh Prime.”

“It doesn’t matter whether Ailyn wishes toreturn or not,” Vice-Counselor Jost declared. “He has responsibilities. He…”

“I am dying, Colonel,” the vice-counselor’swife cut in. “I have only a few short months to live. It would comfort megreatly to know my eldest child—the goddess help me, my favorite son—is aliveand well. I ache to see him just once more before I leave this world.” She tooka white linen handkerchief from the pocket of her coat and blotted her upperlip. “Is that too much to ask?”

“This doesn’t seem to me to be a matter forthe Guardians,” Shanee said. “Wouldn’t it be better to turn the request over toFleet Command? They have the resources to…”

“We want the best,” Vice-Counselor Jost said.“The Guardians are the best. No expense is to be spared. My lady-wife and Iwill foot the entire bill from the leasing of an adequately prepared LRC towhatever other provisions you might need in the undertaking of your mission,Colonel.” He raised his chin. “We have the blessing of the arch-counselorhimself to undertake this rescue.”

“Rescue?” Shanee questioned. “You aresuggesting the target is being held against his will on Theristes.”

“The target—as you so blithely call him—maybe my son,” the older woman sneered. “I want him home!”

Shanee and Strom watched the wife of thevice-counselor breakdown, putting her trembling hands over her eyes and sobbingwretchedly, her loud keening sharp and painful to the ear.

“Look what you have done!” the vice-counselorbarked. “I shall report this to your superiors, General, I assure you!” He hadgotten to his feet and was hovering over his wife, patting her back, speakingto her as though she were a distraught child instead of a grown woman.

Shanee’s attention shifted to the general.Strom was frowning sharply, his jaw tense, his eyes hard as ice.

“Come, my love,” Vice-Counselor Jost said,helping his lady-wife to her feet. “Let me take you back to our quarters so youmay rest. I will deal with this in your stead.”

“I need my boy home, Laverne,” ElspethHarmattan-Jost whimpered. “Please bring my boy home to me.”

“Now, now, sweeting,” the little manconsoled her. “Please don’t fret. They’ll bring Ailyn home.” He turned at thedoor and gave Strom a fierce look. “I promise you they will