Voices - M J Marlow (i can read with my eyes shut txt) 📗

had no business thinking about.
He watched the guards take me to the elevators and made his way
to the Admiral’s Office.
“Lieutenant Wainwright,” Kur smiled as he stepped in front
of David. “I hope you are not thinking of telling tales on certain
important Ferengi officials.”
“What I do is no longer any of your business, Kur,” David
snapped at the man. “Step out of my way.”
“And let you miss your chance to save the little princess?”
Kur laughed. He saw David’s reaction. “I thought that would catch
your attention.” He laid his hand on David’s arm. “She is a
glorious female, is she not? The thought of her being in Nagus
Wesh’s hands sickens even me.” David said nothing and Kur
shrugged. “You can not pretend you did not know the identity of
my employer, boy; Zun saw you speaking to Durn.”
“And you expect me to believe that you would betray his
interests, Kur?” David laughed; glad now that he was recording
everything he was hearing. “You are not stupid. So what is the real
motive here?”
“We have taken another employer,” Kur’s smile widened;
“whose interests coincide with those of our current one. They
believe another hostage,” he nodded imperceptibly to someone
behind David; “say the grandson of the Admiral acting as
Federation spokesman at the Tribunal, may tilt the verdict in their
favor.” David whirled a second too late and fell as he was shot by
Zun. Kur laughed as his men tore off the ident badge and left it on
the decking. “This is Kur,” he said as he laid his hand on his own
com badge. “Four to beam up.”
Alarms went off the second the Ferengi attempted to beam
off with their prisoner. I looked at the men with me and one of
them went to find out what was going on. When he did not come
back, the remaining guard and I followed. We saw David and the
guard lying unconscious on the decking and Tal standing over
them. He and his guards backed off as the guard with me raised his
weapon.
“It was not our action,” Tal said stiffly. “We came around
the corner just as the Ferengi,” he nodded to David, “were moving
in on the Lieutenant.” The guard went to call for back up and Tal
approached me, stopping just close enough not to alarm me. “I am
here to accompany you to the Tribunal,” he explained his presence.
“Until we leave, I have hopes you will allow me to spend time with
you and your husband.”
“So you can convince us,” I snapped at him; “that we
should drop our protests to this forced marriage and allow a union
to stand?” I shook my head and backed away from him. “No.” I
told him coldly. “You will stay as far away from me as possible.”
“She’s serious, lord prince,” his lieutenant smiled as I
stormed off with the guard that had been assigned to me hurrying
to keep up. “What a female!”
“The Emperor did not realize what he was doing when he
included her in this plan,” Tal smiled. “She is the kind of woman a
man would willingly sacrifice life and property for. We may not be
able to control our young prince as easily as we had hoped.” He
saw the Security coming towards them. “We are the lord prince Tal
Jo’rek e-Remus,” he informed the Major. “We have an
appointment to speak to Governor Natan Dav and Admiral
Wainwright.”
“You want me to what?” I looked at my Grandfather as if
he had lost his mind and he frowned. I had been called to the main
room a half hour after I had left prince Tal and I was leery as I
came down and found him there. “Grandfather, you can not be
serious.”
“It is the only way that the prince will agree to the
Tribunal,” Natan told me; to which Tal nodded from where he
stood near the windows. He saw no lessening of anger. “Prince Tal
has given his word that he will make no attempt to coerce Aden or
you…”
“And his word is suddenly good enough?” I broke in;
glaring over at the offending personage coldly where he waited
after stating his demands. I looked over at Admiral Wainwright,
who was watching me calmly. “And you agree with this, sir?”
“If there is no Tribunal, Princess,” the Admiral told me
calmly; “then your claim of force is not valid. You will be turned
over to Prince Aden and the Federation will no longer be involved
in what becomes a domestic dispute between a man and his wife.”
“But…”
“That is how it will be, child,” Natan nodded his head.
“The Tribunal will be held on Vulcan, so your time with him on
the station will be short; two, three days at the most.” The chime
sounded and he got to his feet. “Until we are ready to leave, you
will allow Prince Tal to spend time with you and your husband.”
I got to my feet as the Romulan took my hand in his and
kissed it gallantly; then he put my hand in the crook of his arm and
took me away. There was no speech, only the look on his face of
insufferable triumph. He thought he had won and that only made
me angrier at the situation I was in. We went to the Merchant
Level and shared dinner with Aden. I sat in silence as he told us
about Remus; as if he fully expected us to ever see it.
“I believe those are sona-crystals, Princess,” Tal smiled as
we strolled along the Promenade later and enjoyed the stars. I
followed his eyes to a group of musicians who had gathered
around a large crystal; as they sang the crystal changed shapes and
colors. “They come from Jarusian; do they not?”
“There was a cavern system near my home,” I said softly as
I approached the display; “filled with them. I used to spend my
free time in there.” I sat down on a bench nearby and watched in
delight. Aden stood behind me and I was so wrapped up in the
shifting shapes and colors that I did not note his hand on my
shoulder. “May I?” I asked the musicians as I rose to my feet,
drawn to the crystals.
They backed off and I smiled and laid my hand on the
crystal. I began to sing in the language Grandmother Franka had
taught me, pouring all of my emotions into the words. Aden took
my hands in his and his warm baritone joined my mellow contralto
in the song. The crystal rose off of the deck and began to spin. It
broke into seven smaller crystals; those seven spawned three more,
and then a final crystal hung over our heads. The light pulsed from
them bathing us in shifting colors. When the song ended, the
crystals had rejoined and a statue of Aden and I was left. I
collapsed and Aden was there to catch me in his arms.
“That was incredible,” one of the musicians said as he
came over. “Is she all right?” he asked as Aden picked me up in his
arms. I was conscious, but I had a faraway look on my face. The
man looked worried. “Her mind is not here with us.”
The other musicians gathered around me and their minds
came hunting for mine. They found me in that cavern on Jarusian,
dancing in the old temple hidden there. They remained there with
me and watched as I danced and sung with my eyes shining with
delight. They almost wished they could leave me there, but they
knew it could not be. When they pulled away, they brought me
with them. I was frowning as I rejoined my body and I pushed my
way out of Aden’s arms and turned to face them.
“You had no right!” I sobbed. “I was safe there.”
“The only way to deal with difficulties,” the oldest of the
group said to me in my mind, “is to face them, Princess.” Aloud he
said as he shook his head and beckoned the others to go: “You do
not realize the danger you were in, Your Highness. You could not
remain where you went.”
“Counselor Aitli?” I blinked as I suddenly recognized the
man. He smiled and I felt joy flooding through me. “I didn’t know
you could wield crystal.”
“It is a talent we Betazoid have been exploring for some
time,” Aitli told me. “Maya is much more gifted. You will have to
see her wielding crystal some time before you go.”
He bowed his head to Tal and followed his companions,
carrying the crystal form Aden and I had made under his arm.
They took it to the chapel in Aitli’s quarters and examined it in
wonder. I did not know it but the emotions Aden and I had used to
forge it were locked away in the crystal for them to read. “It is as
rumored; this little princess is facing decisions that are terrifying
her.”
“It is not going to be an easy path for her, Father,” Maya
said. “She has a block in her memory that is keeping her from
being whole.” She saw something in Aden’s expression. “He has
lost his heart to her. She has her champion.”
“Then we shall have to see what we can do to help them,”
Aitli nodded. “I have already been called in to take her testimony
regarding this ‘union’ the Romulan forced on them. It should be
easy enough to assist her with the other matter.”
“Is that entirely ethical?” One of the younger members of
their band of healers asked. “Without her permission, are we not
interfering?”
“In this case,” the Counselor replied; “if we do not interfere
the little one will be left weak in a time when she needs to be
strong.” He looked at the young man who was just entering the
room. “Do not worry, Prince Aden,” he continued; “we shall do no
harm to your wife.”
“I had no thought that you would, Counselor Aitli,” Aden
replied. “My concern is merely as a loving friend.”
“And your concern does you great credit, Prince of the
Hazri,” Aitli bowed his head. He saw Aden’s frown. “I know, my
lord. What you and Melaura have been forced to share is hard on
both of you.” He closed his eyes a moment. “You are right to be so
cautious. There are many storms gathering around you and your
young wife. She will need your oversight.”
“Did you see what she did?” Aden asked as he remembered
my display. “I have never seen such talent with the crystals. Not
even with you, Aitli; and you are quite gifted for a non-Hazri
wielder.”
“Her emotions are at war inside of her right now and closer
to the surface,” Aitli replied. “Calm does not a crystal shift,” he
quoted one of the wielder sayings. “But you are right. Your bride
has a great deal of talent inside of her. Properly guided, she would
be an Empress the Hazri will be glad of.”
“But not if the marriage is not her choice,” Aden frowned.
“I know the Federation. They will hold their Tribunal and there
will be the appearance of concern, but they will not risk war to
keep us out of that one’s hands.” He remembered Tal’s face as he
had watched the man watching me. “He will not let us go easily.”
“Nothing worth having is ever easy to obtain,” Aitli
replied. He looked at the others. “We all know what we must do
from this point.” They nodded. “Then see to your tasks.” He held
Aden back. “Be honest with yourself, boy.” Aden looked at him
sharply. “You love her, don’t you?”
“How I feel is not the issue,” Aden replied. “I will