 
To Forge a Queen

By

William J. Carty Jr.

Copyright 2015

# Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Other titles by the author:

Every Last Mother's Child

### To Forge a Queen

### By

### William J. Carty Jr.

# Prologue

The cadets filed into the class room. They quickly took their seats. The time for horse play and chatter was over. All of the cadets were first year cadets or freshmen of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. The academy that trained young people to become officers of the Home Guard, the Home Patrol, the Crown Maritime Rescue Service, and the Home Emergency Response Team for the Kingdom of Home. They would be officers of the militia, planetary police, the ocean rescue service, and the special extra planetary and system group that the crown used to help others off the planet of Home and in the conglomeration of star systems that was the Kingdom of Home. This class was one of several required classes for all first year cadets, and to fail this class was to be dismissed from the corps. Many of the cadets had over the course of their prior education; before being appointed to the academy; had sat through parts of this class. Every year of their elementary education, and their secondary schooling they had been exposed to parts of this required class, but not as a whole complete class on this one subject.

Most of the first year history classes at the academy dealt with the evacuation of Trena and the founding of Home. Throughout their career at the academy they would be exposed to the history of the evacuation. This course discussed how their corps of cadets came about. The lecturer would lecture on the evacuation of Trena that had brought about the creation of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets.

Sitting near the front of the class was Princess Lisa. The princess would be the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Home. She was anxious to hear the story of her great, great, great grandmother who helped to establish the corps. Sitting with her were her cousins, T'harla Atomi, Delores Green, Valerie Morgan, and her Aunt Lamile Mitchum who was all of 19 standard years old and the oldest of them all. They could all trace their linage back to the very first young people to be a cadet in this academy. All of them had heard the stories of the evacuation and the early academy years, but these were second and third hand narratives from their parents who had gotten it from their grandparents. None of them had heard it from one person who had been there.

General Jones, today's lecturer had been there. She was the oldest sentient being from that time two hundred years ago. The General who was commander of one the action teams of the Home Emergency Respond Team spent a lot of her time deployed with her Team helping to resolve some of the catastrophes affecting the citizens of the Home Star Nation. She only got to Home occasionally; but always for the Landing Day Celebrations.

It was that day, two hundred years ago, when the very first Queen had landed on the planet Home and became the first monarch of Home. This year would be the two hundred and sixth anniversary of that day when Home became a nation. She never missed the celebration.

All of the cadets waited for the general to arrive. The Princess along with her cousins and aunt had listened to the general tell various stories of the evacuation but only as she talked with her parents and grandparents. From what the older cadets had said, this lecture was something special and the General didn't do it for every class, but when she did do it; it was only the freshmen class that received the privilege of hearing the General's lecture about the founding of their academy and corps.

"Room Atten-hut!" a cadet called from the back of the room as the general entered the class. The cadets came to their feet while the general walked to the podium. It was hard to believe that the five eight, one hundred and forty pound thirty something appearing general officer was over two hundred years old. The cadets waited for the general to speak before they took their seats.

"Be seated," the general's soft voice was heard clearly in the class room.

As the general waited for the cadets to take their seats again, she observed the newest class of Home's future leaders. There were many faces she knew and many she did not; but even then she knew most of their family members. They had either sat in her lecture, or like her aid the son or granddaughter of an officer or person who had served with her through the years. She saw the Princess, and the cadets sitting around her. She had known every one of their grandparents. She had been witness to their triumphs and failures; first as cadets, then as officers. One or two of their grandparents, like Lieutenant Anderson, her aide, who was sitting in the back of the class room, the great grandson of her sergeant had become her aides over the preceding two centuries.

Finally with the cadets in their seats again, the human looking sentient being known as a humbot, gathered herself together and began to speak.

"Good day cadets," the general began, "I am General Alice Jones, Commander of Team One, of the Home Emergency Response Team. Over the next few weeks I will be lecturing about the evacuation that brought us all here to Home and the formation of your corps. As many of you know, I was part of the evacuation security team. As part of a future lecture, I will discuss how I came about, and the security issues concerning the evacuation.

"Let's start off with why the evacuation occurred then we'll move in what direction seems appropriate." The general started her lecture in earnest.

###

"It was the 418th year after landing." The general began, "And we were in trouble. We were not a sleepy little back water rinky dink independent star nation. Nor was Trena a quant tourist world. No we were at the crossroads of the galaxy. We were the one place in this part of the galaxy that many star nations, and their shippers used to get their wares and goods to other star nations such as the Republic of the Stars, and the Theocracy, and of course the Terrestrial Empire, and the Thonian Realm. At one point we transshipped over seventy percent of the goods going between the Empire and the Realm.

"We were quite prosperous," the general continued, "Although we experienced the turmoil that a crossroads could be; for the most part we were a peaceful star nation. Preferring to trade with even our most cantankerous neighbors, like the Republic or the Theocracy, instead of going to war them. When our neighbors tried to invade us ... well we made sure with our friends that their attack was beaten back. They never did learn that an unruly Trena as an occupied colony was not as good as a trading partner. Even at the end they hadn't learned that lesson. But that wasn't the cause of our trouble.

"No our trouble wasn't from our neighbors," the general continued, "but a combination of natural and man made events caused us to take refuge on Home."

Suddenly the room became a three dimensional theatre. The holo plunged the class into a space battle. It was a contest between two ships. The cadets couldn't determine who they belonged to. The general narrated what they were observing, "Although this battle occurred a full two centuries before Trena was inhabited, no one was aware that it had happened. The thonian Battleship the Peace Keeper's Challenge was involved in a running battle with a pirate, it was believed to be a pirate from what would become the Republic of the Stars, for several days. As you can see the Thonians won the day; but at great cost. They dumped their magazines. They dumped all of their weapons including a now outlawed planet buster bomb. The bomb had been made useless or so the Challenger's weapons people thought."

The holo changed to the now very familiar imagery of how Trena had died. All of the young people had seen this imagery time and time again. This time General Jones narrated what they were seeing.

"I had not been created yet, so I did not witness these events." The humbot said softly. "Everyone had watched in awe as the comet invaded the asteroid belt. It didn't have a jazzy name just a number. Trena-10. They had been knocking about the Trena Solar System for millions of years." The imagery showed two of them traveling together. "The Astros guys believed there had been two of them. That is until the larger of the two was destroyed when it had collided with a small airless world about 2 Astronomical Units out from the Trena primary creating Trena's second asteroid field." The imagery showed the creation of second asteroid field.

"The smaller of the two comets had survived the destruction of the larger." The general's soft voice filled the classroom, "Even though a chunk of the larger comet had hit it, it survived." The holo showed the smaller comet being bounced above the asteroid field that the larger comet had created, and would ensure its survival for millions of years.

"Our families watched in awe as the comet's successful navigation of the Cheryl Asteroid Field ended in a spectacular collision with an asteroid of modest size." The general's voice highlighted the collision of the comet with an asteroid of several hundred miles in diameter. It was halved by the collision. The bigger of the two rocks tumbled into another asteroid. It was like someone had set up a classic dominoes demonstration where one stared to fall and soon they all began tumbling into each other. One asteroid colliding with another and another until several large asteroids had had their orbits changed. What was left of the comet and one large asteroid were now traveling together away from Trena, and appeared to be headed out of the system.

"The authorities on Trena had been aware for months that this was going to happen." The General continued, "They had taken steps in the asteroid belt to make sure none of the mining interests that provided our late world with the metals both precious, and those needed to support our nation would be harmed. The Crown had studied several of the possible outcomes of the impact. There were a couple far out ones where the domino effect would happen. The crown authorities had taken what precautions they thought prudent for a cosmic incident. It was really a cosmic event; one that had never been recorded in any inhabited star system ever. It was widely believed that the one or two of the worse scenarios wouldn't happen. The collision itself had been highly improbable; the odds of it happening were nearly incalculable."

"The authorities felt the one or two serious events would be nearly impossible. The Queen's advisors had thought of every conceivable thing that could happen; they hadn't a glimmer of what would actually happen."

"This is one of the scenarios that the crown thought scientists might happen," The holo displayed an asteroid destroying one of the smelters. The smelters were used to reduce the asteroids to their base components. The simulation showed a fiery explosion as the smelter was destroyed. Then it morphed back into a normal unharmed state. The general continued, "Which as you know didn't happened"

"With the cosmic drama seemingly over the people of Trena went about their everyday affairs," Alice Jones voice was heard over the holos showing the resumption of the mining of the asteroids, and the loading of the large interstellar capable cargo ships their holds being filled with thousands of cargo containers in orbit about Trena. "Life went on. For many months we had no idea that a disaster was about to befall us that would impact our people and this region of the galaxy for all time. All because of the remains of the space battle and this piece of sky junk. Miraculously the pair managed to not collide with any other objects natural or manmade."

The class continued to watch as the comet and now a small asteroid, traveled through the Trena solar system. A trajectory appeared on the holo showing the forecasted path through the system. On the forecasted track it wouldn't come close to any other object. Suddenly the trajectory ended in a brilliant flash of light.

"That explosion caught the authorities by surprise," the General's voice broke into the silent class room as the holo faithfully recreated the explosion. As everyone knew sound couldn't travel in the vacuum of space, so the explosion had been eerily quiet. "Remember this little bad boy?"

A three dimensional engineering drawing of a thonian planet buster bomb was displayed in the class room. It wasn't large just six feet long and a foot in diameter.

"Although technically illegal," the general's voice continued to fill the class room, "so called planet buster bombs are owned by many star nations. This one was owned by the thonians."

The imagery changed to show a re-enactment of the comet colliding with the bomb.

"Normally," General Jones' voice still softly filled the class room as she narrated what was being shown, "Once a PB is made in operable, it can be dropped into star and still not detonate. In this case the self-destruct circuitry had failed. It had worked partially. The bomb was rendered harmless. It couldn't detonate. Or so the Peace Keeper's Challenge crew thought. But when several million tons of comet collided with the ancient bomb it was too much for its safeties to prevent its arming sequence from completing its program. It wasn't a big bomb for such a device but it was big enough.

"It was a gravity bomb, designed to alter the gravity of the planet it hit. It was designed to rip a planet out of its orbit and causing catastrophic damage. Having no planet to interact with, it vented its micro short lived black hole in such a way that its gravitational field caused the orbits of thousands of nearby asteroids of all sizes to be ripped from what had been stable orbits."

The presentation now showed the effects on the nearby asteroids, many as close as a thousand miles away. Only a small portion of the field was affected. It was enough though. The asteroids, whose orbits had been stable for millions years were no longer stable. Now thousands of once stable asteroids were in motion. A new trajectory was superimposed in the holo. It ended at Trena. Although not many, not even a tenth of the entire field would fall on the capital world, it would be enough to destroy the planet of Trena.

"If Trena had been as much as four days further along in its orbit." The general began to wind up the lecture. "It would have been impacted a thousand years later, one day the other way and most of the fragments would have missed it. However, Fate or the Gods conspired against our small independent free world of Trena. When DefConnie put it together we found out or beloved Trena would come to a spectacular end in less than a standard year.

"This is how the great diaspora from Trena to Home was caused." The general finished the meat of her lecture as the holo presentation ended and the classroom's lights came back on.

"General," one of the cadets raised his hand when the general paused, "Why didn't they try to clear the asteroids?"

"They did," the general replied, "The Thonian's feeling responsible for what happened tried to detonate a smaller planet buster in the hopes they could destroy or possibly change the course of the asteroids. The thinking being that if they could be slowed down they would miss Trena altogether. The bomb went off prematurely because one of AIs at the Mountain, Trena Defense Headquarters, had somehow gotten into its program and caused it to go off in the wrong place. The bomb, when it went off seemed to consolidate the asteroids into a tighter pattern and pushed them towards Trena. Before the bomb went off, many of the asteroids would have missed Trena. Even so the ones that the Crown knew were going to hit would cause catastrophic damage to the planet. After the bomb went off most if not all would now hit Trena."

"General," Princess Lisa asked, "Why didn't our ancestors build a refuge in orbit? Why come here? We had the resources of the entire Trena solar system. We could have built habitats on McKay, in the asteroids. We could have built habitats in and about Trena's off world territories. Why didn't we?"

"There were seventy million souls on Trena perhaps another million or so AIs planet wide. It was thought at the time that there was no way we could build enough space habitats to hold that many people that quickly. Also we were a planet based society and culture. We go to space, work in space and some of our people lived in space; but loads more didn't and we didn't know if our people could all adapt to living in space."

Lieutenant Anderson cleared his throat a bit getting his general's attention. General Jones nodded and said, "We don't have much time left today, so I best get on to your assignment. By the end of this session you are required to turn in a paper on how the Queen's Own Corps of Cadets and this academy came about and who the important players were and what events transpired to bring your corps about. Read chapter one of your texts.

I plan to lecture on one chapter of the text every time we meet."

The class bell rang and the ranking cadet spoke, "Class Atten-hut!"

The cadets came to attention, and General Jones ordered, "Class dismissed."

The cadets filed out of the class room, leaving the general and her aide alone. As Alice packed up her things a startling black cat jumped up onto the desk. Alice petted the animal and asked, "What have you been up to Bugs?"

The cat purred a bit as his owner picked him up. The semi intelligent robotic cat looked and acted like a cat, only other cats knew he was a robot. They avoided him as they couldn't figure him out.

"Was I that young General," Lieutenant Anderson took his general's briefcase for her.

"Yes," Alice said, "But you turned out." He chuckled as they left the class room.
Chapter 1: That's Where You Went.

The cadets began to file into the class room for the next week's class. While they waited for the general to arrive they talked among themselves.

"What I don't understand," Georgia Hawthorne commented, "Is why Queen Jill was on Mars and not with Lord Wilson. That isn't discussed much in the reading from last night."

"When Great Grand Dad Mike left the empire," Princess Lisa replied, "he had to do so in a hurry. Great Grandmother Lisa was wanted by the Company. Seems she was an escaped biowoman. So the company wanted her back. But Great Grandfather Mike was not going to let that happen. He had lost her once and he wasn't about to lose the woman he loved disappear again, so he put his, 'papers' in," she put air quotes as she papers, "and left the Imperial Marines.

"With Grandma Lisa in tow, he left Earth and the empire Trena. Leaving Grandma Jill with Grandma Joyce," Princess Lisa finished up. Sometimes when she talked about her grandparents there were just too many grandmas in the story. Especially when she added the greats! Keeping those straight could be a challenge! "So leaving Queen Jill on Mars, with great, great, great, great, Grandma Joyce was the only viable option he had or so he thought. It was only when Queen Jill found out Grand Dad Mike and Grand Mom Lisa were on Trena did she leave for Trena."

"But how did she find out they were on Trena," T'harla Langtree one of many great, great nephews of David and Mylea Langtree asked, "Everything I have ever read about them had them trying to stay under the radar. So the company wouldn't come for them?"

"The company was indeed hunting for them," General Jones had quietly entered the room and was listening to the cadets before making her presence known.

"Room..." Princess Lisa began but the general interrupted her, "As you were cadets."

The cadets who were struggling to their feet stopped and sat back down.

"Yes the company was indeed trying to capture Lady Wilson and her husband, the Marshal." The humbot general took a seat among the cadets, "They had been living on

Trena for several years when the emergency began."

"General we all know that Queen Agatha reached down for Granddad Mike," Lamile Mitchum commented and then asked, "But how did Grand Mom Jill find out they were on Trena?"

"Didn't you read the assignment Cadet Mitchum," The human looking robot asked an eyebrow rose as if in accusation. To look at the 200 year old sentient computer, one would never think she was anything but a human!

"Yes ma'am," the young cadet replied, "I guess I just don't get it. It seems strange that our great, great grandmother would at seventeen be doing things like that search she was doing."

"If you had known Queen Jill you wouldn't be asking that question." The general replied. She pondered if she should speak of her association with the first queen of Home. In the end she decided not yet. Instead she decided to begin the session by lecturing on how young Jill was informed of the evacuation and where her father was.

###

Jill Wilson had been studying in her room in her grandmother's home, on Mars, when the computer beeped for attention. The teenager quickly turned from the homework she was struggling with to see why the computer was clambering for her attention. Although she could use the distraction, her homework was especially tedious tonight, she hoped it wasn't one of her friends wanting to chat without their parents knowing they were goofing off. She really needed to get the report for her interstellar history class done. She should have done it a week ago! She had been procrastinating for the whole term! When she saw what the expert system was trying to get her attention about, all thoughts of homework vanished.

Years ago when one of her classes required her to research current events on something, (she had forgot what after all these years,) she realized she could set up a search for her father. True it was only public news media data bases, to her young mind she thought she might find him. Her initial data mining turned up the two Imperial Medal of Honor he had been awarded; his knighthood; and his non classified military service record. Stuff she already knew about. She left the program run. Over the four years her expert system had been running she had forgotten it was still running. Now the terminal in her room was reporting that the data mining had finally found something on her father.

"Girl Friend sho0w me what you have found," Jill addressed the computer.

"Sure thing," a teenage girl spoke from the terminal.

She wondered what the computer had found about her father. Her father had left the empire five years ago, just left with someone she knew about; but hadn't met. For years she had thought that it had been something she had said or done. But later, she had received a letter from her father that explained why he had left the empire. It had answered some of the mystery of his abandonment of her. He had explained why he felt that he had to go away. Not where, but why. It had been barely enough to make her feel better or at least less guilty. Although she resented his treatment of her, she still loved him and longed to have him back in her life. Since her mother had died giving birth to her, she only had her grandmother and her father. Grandma was great; but she wasn't dad. There was nothing in the letter that told her where he was. It was hand written! Finally after all these years, the computer was reporting that it had found something about her father!

When she told the computer to display what it had found, a royal crest floated in the air over the teenager's desk as the computer presented it as a holographic display with music filling the room. As the image faded she realized that the crest was that of the Kingdom of Trena; a small independent star nation between the empire and the realm. The crest faded to show a young woman who appeared not much older than herself seated on the edge of a plain white desk with few accouterments. She stood up and seemed to walk towards her. The woman was dressed in a plain business suite. Once standing in the middle of the room she began speaking.

"Good evening," The Queen began, "I am sorry to interrupt your evening, but it cannot be helped. I too wanted to see the Royals smash the Manglers in the finals." She gave a smile that seemed sad. "But my people I have a message that cannot wait much longer to share with you. I wish I could give you time to get use to what I am about to share with you, to feed the news to you in small edible bites, or to sugarcoat it, but I am forced to be blunt. "

"A terrible tragedy is about to befall our beloved home world. By the winter holidays Trena will have been destroyed by the remnants of a couple errant pieces of sky junk. The imagery now playing on your receivers shows how Trena will die." The sound continued but now the woman's image was superimposed by a map of a solar system and a video that showed how the disaster started and what was expected to happen. A time line was superimposed on the images showing when things had to be done. The last scenes showed asteroids impacting on the planet.

"This information was reported to me a while ago," the young woman said softly, "At first I couldn't believe it and had to have it rechecked and confirmed. The comet that we all watched in awe invade the Cheryl Asteroid belt then after being assured that it was of no further danger to us, thinking, we were safe from any further disaster from the comet as it appeared to be on its way out of the Trena Solar System we turned to other more important things in our lives.

"How I wish that were true. How I wish that was true." she repeated. "When I was informed of the disaster about to befall us I was stunned. Wanting to make sure that what I was being told was correct I had various authorities look at the data. The presentation that you are now seeing is the consensus of what they believe will happen to our lovely world. Yesterday I became convinced that the simulation I just shared with you will come to pass.

"Many of you, just as I did, will not want to believe this." She continued, "Some of you will seek to deny that our home world; which has nurtured us from our birth, or has given us a haven from danger, is doomed. Many of you may choose not to be evacuated, believing we are exaggerating the scope of the disaster. Some of you may even take actions that are totally unacceptable to your family, friends, and to me, your sovereign. I have authorized and commanded that the data that I have presented to you this evening be made public. It is now available in the Royal Library and can be reviewed by the people of Trena at any time.

"To answer one of the questions surely to be asked; can the militia do something about this? They have tried and failed, making matters much worse. For that you can blame me as I asked our friend's, the Thonians, to try to blow the asteroids out of the sky. Instead of clearing a path that Trena could glide through. It had the opposite effect of making the asteroids denser and now impossible to eradicate safely. My advisors have assured me that any type of clearing action now will make it much more disastrous.

"We must evacuate our world," The Queen said softly, her voice filled with tense emotion. "As much as I wish there was another way; there isn't. Today I have had to make a decision on how to accomplish this. In consultation with my government," The imagery had gone back to the office setting and showed the Queen standing with several people "and my trusted advisors; I have found an individual that is capable and willing to lead our evacuation effort."

"His name is Lord Michael Wilson," the Queen said as the image dissolved to show a tall husky man in the navy blue uniform of an Imperial Marine being invested as a Knight Commander of the Terrestrial Empire. As images showed this same marine being awarded the Imperial Medal of Honor, The Thonian Service Cross and presented a brief resume. The Queen's voice overlaid the imagery, "He is a peer of the House of Lords of the Terrestrial Empire. His is not a hereditary title. His title was earned through dedicated hard service and sacrifice to the Terrestrial Empire. He emigrated to Trena, where he quickly became a valued instructor at the Trenaport Mounted Police Academy, and at the University of Trena, where he teaches emergency management, law enforcement tactics and moral leadership to our planet's police officers. He is by far the most knowledgeable person on Trena, or off to help get every last mother's child off Trena. He may not have been born on Trena, but he has my confidence in his loyalty to us and our need. My people, and visitors to the Free State, I present to you the Marshal of the Trena Royal Constabulary, Lord Michael Wilson, our Commander of the Trena Evacuation Force."

She heard her father's name and saw the tall imposing figure of her middle aged father, the same man seen in the holos marched to where the Queen stood, taking his place beside her, He towered over the Queen at nearly six foot six. As soon as he was in place, a woman took a position beside him. The woman was a delta clone. One of the top of the line models from EBio. Jill knew who she was, the woman who her father had left the Empire with. The camera zoomed to show an older man in a black flowing robe standing before a large rock set on an ornate table set before the Queen's party.

The old man turned to her father who, was dressed in a scarlet uniform jacket and black trousers. There were five stars surrounding a crown on his collar. The man in the flowing robe indicated the rock that she could see had several names inscribed on it. "Lord

Wilson, place your hand on the Rock, and raise your left hand." Her father did as requested.

"Lord Michael Wilson, do you solemnly swear to protect and defend the people of Trena from all threats, against her and her people, whether they be foreign, domestic, natural or other?"

"I do," her father's baritone softly filled the room as he took the oath with one palm on the "Rock" and the other held in the classic position of oath taking.

"Upon your sacred honor, as you take this Oath of Duty and Fealty to the people of Trena, do you further swear that you hold no other commitments or reservations upon your time, including commissions in any foreign governmental or military organizations that would hinder you in serving the Kingdom of Trena and her people?" "I so swear!" Mike Wilson's voice boomed filling the room.

"Your Majesty," the justice turned to the sovereign, and then the assembled government officials, "Your lordships, Mr. President," then facing the camera the solemn man continued, "People of Trena, I give you our new duly installed, Commander of the Trena Evacuation Force, Marshal Lord Michael Wilson."

"Thank you, your Honor," He shook the official's hand and bowed to the sovereign, "Queen Agatha." then turned to the camera himself "People of Trena I will make this brief, as we don't have a lot of time for things like this.

"Our Queen has selected me to manage this Herculean task of getting every last one of you off-world. I promise you all that this task will be my only objective. I make this promise to you; that those of you on Trena today I will see that you are safely gotten off-world before it is too late. It is not going to be easy. There's going to be hard times. Some of you may not believe what is happening; others may believe that you have a better way to get things done.

"That is quite normal." He spoke calmly almost softly, "What I ask of you today is to continue on with your everyday affairs. Our world needs you at your jobs. Your families still have to eat and your landlord still needs his rent, and creditors need you to pay your bills so they can feed their families. Simply because we're going to evacuate Trena doesn't mean it's going to happen tomorrow. We all have to work together. Our farmers have to transport their goods to market, and our factories have to build what we will need to evacuate all of us. Without you we can't make the evacuation happen!

"But more importantly, it will take us all working together to get every last mother's child off Trena. So before you ask what the crown can do to help you, ask what you can do to help the crown get us all off world. That's all I have to say at this time, I'll be in touch over the next few weeks."

The air in the bedroom sparkled as the holo faded Jill ran out of her bedroom and to the spa where her grandmother was relaxing as she normally did in the evening after their diner.

"Grandma," The seventeen year old granddaughter of the retired admiral broke into spa. The teenager knew that when her grandmother was in the spa-bath at this time of night that it was her quiet time. It was the time of day when her grandmother Joyce could let her hair down and not be bothered. This was usually after dinner and she was generally alone, with only her thoughts for company, this quiet meditation time was a tradition her grandmother had begun when she had been appointed as the commander of PriFly, the Interstellar Rescue Service base that trained pilots for its Rescue and Hospital Patrol Ships. She had needed the quiet time to review the day and get her head straight. It was the only place in the house where there was no communicators, holosets, or computers. Only a small audio player in the corner that played music was the only electronics in the room. And it wasn't even hooked to house network. It was a place of solitude that was suddenly broken by Jill. "I'm sorry to disturb you; but Dad's in the news!"

"What!" The seventy year old woman shot up in the whirl pool bath, dripping water on the floor of the spa. She quickly climbed out and threw the robe around her that Jill handed her. Then she accompanied Jill to her bedroom where teenager replayed the whole video.

They looked good; the retired admiral thought. She hadn't seen her step-son since he had left the empire. But that didn't mean she didn't keep tabs on him. The current ambassador to the Court of Trena was her old academy roommate. Amanda always forwarded what news she had of Mike and his family. She knew she had another grandchild. She even had pictures; but she didn't share them with Jill, as she knew Jill would be all over her to go to her father. She also didn't want to give him away to the people who were chasing him. It was one of the really few secrets she kept from her granddaughter.

"Do you think he's been on Trena all this time?" Jill asked. Her father had just picked up one day and vanished. She had been terribly hurt; it was only her grandmother and time that eased; but not totally resolved her hurt feelings.

Joyce Wilson was quiet for a while; pretending to focus on the news report she was seeing. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings. They had developed a close bond and while Jill could be a handful, she trusted her grandmother. This could break that trust. She pondered how she could tell Jill what she knew and how much she should tell her.

"It's the news media Admiral," French, the house AI called from the speakers of the holoset interrupting her thoughts "They are requesting that you make a statement about the situation on Trena."

"No comment," Joyce said, "Any news media representatives are to be told that there will not be a statement of any type. Have Louis set the perimeter security to: hard on. Then put on the beacon that we are not accepting visitors. The Wilson family is not accepting calls from anyone that is not on you're A list. Unwelcome visitors will be dealt with as harshly as the law permits."

"Yes Ma'am," The computer said. "I am posting the notice now."

The retired admiral who had commanded landing craft wings in battle was scared to death to come clean about how long she had known her step son was on Trena.

"French," The admiral called, thinking she had way to delay the inevitable. "Please record the following!"

"Recording," The AI droned.

"Message to Marshal Wilson." Her grandmother began, "Care of General Delivery; The Kingdom of Trena."

"Congratulations, on your posting as Marshal of Trena. I thought you were trying to maintain a low profile? Did you forget?

"You and Lisa look great! Some company you keep! Your boss looks beautiful.

Leave it to you find a beautiful woman to be your Boss!"

"Hi dad! It's Jill! I miss you! I love you and really want to see you! Can I come and be with you." She wanted to say more but she wasn't certain that her grandmother wouldn't edited it out of the message. She would send one later that was more personal.

"So do I son. Hurry home when you can! And bring your family!" Jill threw the camera a kiss, and Joyce said, "French; send it!" "Done," The voice said.

"Grandma, let's go to dad's," The teenager asked, then pleaded, "Please!"

"Jill," the retired admiral looked at her granddaughter, "This isn't the time to visit him. I am not even sure we could get clearance into Trena Space right now. That has to be an exit only area. It's not going to be a good place to be."

"But where will he go!" Jill asked, "Maybe now I can be with him!"

It was tempting to take the Traveling Lady, her yacht, to Trena and see her son. Jill was right it had been too long since Jill had been with her father. Jill was also right in another way though, she needed to be with her father. With every passing day her grandmother understood why young people were blessed with the adventure of raising children. Their younger minds, spirits, and bodies were better able to deal with the adventure of raising children. She had never raised children of her own. By the time she had finally married at age forty, she still had years of space duty she had to endure, and then Michael's father died the second year of their marriage; never giving her the chance to raise their children. Michael was a young marine when she had first met the young man who would become her son. She had raised Jill. Joyce had raised the girl as though Jill was her own child. The retired admiral was the closest thing to a mother that Jill would ever have, as Jill's mother had died in childbirth. Although rare, it still happened.

Knowing that he still had years of space duty, Michael had helped her buy the large estate on Mars that she retired to. Letting everyone think he had helped her buy it when in fact he had purchased the old property and then went on to update the property. By the time they moved in, only EmpQuar, the home of the emperor was more secure. When her son, she never thought of him as a step son, had non-dependent tours, where he couldn't have his family with him, Jill stayed with her grandmother. For most of Jill's toddler years her father had many no dependent tours with the Black Guard. Even when he later joined the

MPs he still had few dependent tours. As such Joyce had mostly raised her granddaughter.

A few years later when he had been injured he had been assigned to the Capital Marine Barracks as the Chief MP for the capital. With the new assignment he had been promoted to Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant. He had received the new position based on his second Imperial Medal of Honor and being bestowed a Knight Commander of the Empire. For a handful of years he had been home to help raise Jill. She hadn't realized that she needed the help. Unfortunately that didn't last.

"No Jill," Grandma Wilson said sadly, "as much as I would like to; now's not the time."

The next morning Jill was gone. She had left a note that simply said, "Gone to dad's

I'll write!"

She never did write her father a more private note thinking the sooner she got there the better. Then she could have it out with him.

By the time Admiral Wilson found the note, the girl had been gone nearly eighteen hours, and had already cleared Earth space.

# ###

The end of class of bell rang and the cadets began to file out. When they were gone the princess who had been hanging back while the others filed out was noticed by the general.

"Yes princess," the general asked.

"General," Princess Lisa asked, "I have been trying to find something about grandma Jill's real mother, not grandma Lisa, can you give me any place to look?"

"Not much is known about the Queen's birth mother," the general replied, "We know she was an only child. We think her parents were part of a free trader crew. Lord Wilson met her on the Bella station when his Hospital Patrol Ship was docked. He was part of the Special Forces unit assigned to the ship. For about a year the two ships were on the same schedule and they began their romance. The best we can tell Killeen's parents were pacifists and strongly objected to their daughter's romance and marriage to an imperial marine. They objected to the point of shunning her when they married. They never knew they had a granddaughter."

"I see." the young princess commented softly, "The other thing that has got me bugged is that when one of my friend's father was posted MIA, she was very angry. She's still not over that business. Yet there is little mention of how Queen Jill felt about her father abandoning her and discovering him on Trena."

"Have you read her diaries?" the General asked.

"I didn't know she kept any diary," The future queen of Home commented, "Would they be in the library?"

"Yes," the humbot said as she made a call to Librarian AI. Within seconds she had found the diary, "See the Librarian. He has a copy for you. They are all hand written. And the queen's handwriting was never the best. You might find the information you seek in them."

"Thank you ma'am," Princess Lisa left the class room. During her free time that evening she went to the library and began to read her great grandmother's diary.

# Chapter 2: Journey to Trena

It was a week later and Princess Lisa was hurrying towards Marshal Langtree Hall where their history class was being held. She had been reading Queen Jill's diary, trying to understand more about her great grandmother when time had gotten away from her and she was late to class. She was almost to the hall when a voice yelled, "Raw Meat!" "Yes Sir," She came to attention.

"I didn't give you permission speak," the second year cadet yelled, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Yes sir!" she answered wondering if she was getting more grief because of who she was.

"Why," the second year cadet asked, "aren't you?"

"I was studying sir and time got away from me," The Princess answered.

"Let me see your butcher bill," the cadet asked, "You have to learn how to better use your time wisely."

The cadet knew what bill he was talking about; she uncovered and took her demerit book out of her hat. The Princess handed the book that held her demerit record to the senior cadet.

"One demerit Cadet!" the senior cadet said entering the demerit in her book, "for being late!"

"Yes sir," the young woman responded. The Princess recovered her book and put her cover back on and saluted the cadet until he saluted. When he was gone Princess Lisa visibly slumped and hustled on to history class.

"Glad you can join us cadet," the general called as the young girl entered the classroom. "Take your seat."

She had been looking out the window as the class assembled and had seen the upper classman hand out the demerits and had decided to not add salt to the wound. She smiled a bit remembering when she had been first assigned to academy two centuries before. She always thought it a miracle there were so few resignations over the way the senior cadets tenderized the raw meat, as they called their hazing of the first year cadets.

"Now that we are all here," the general began, "We're going to talk briefly about Queen Jill's journey to Trena.

"Being a security officer in my early career it has always amazed me how easy it was for Jill to get to Trena," the general continued, "But she did."

As the general began speaking the young Princess settled down to listen to the senior officer.

# ###

She had been surprised at how easy it had been to get a ticket to Trena. She had her military dependent's ID and what appeared to be a letter from her father requesting that she join him on Trena where he was supposedly part of the permanent MP unit stationed with the Imperial Marine contingent at the Imperial Embassy on Trena. She had spent most of the night working on a set of forged documents that supported her trip to Trena. The Empire even paid her fare. As the daughter of a serving enlisted man, going to join her father, on his current assignment, were dependents were allowed, they paid for the fare. Although her ID showed her current status as the daughter of a marine enlisted man; the cloned human who was the shipping lines ticket clerk recognized the name. The girl's documents were plainly forgeries. The clone thought for a second and allowed the girl to travel. As the girl went to the waiting area, the Beta biowoman quickly created new documents for the nervous girl.

"Miss Wilson," the bioengineered woman came up to the girl as she waited to be called to board the shuttle to the liner, "I need to see your papers again. I think I messed up on the bookings."

Jill nervously handed the ticket package back to the clone, afraid that she had been busted. She looked around nervously expecting to see her grandmother or the MPs to take her back to her grandmother's home. But no, the clone handed her the ticket package back. Jill didn't notice at the time that the clone had switched her papers out. It wasn't until she was on the shuttle did Jill realize the ones she had been handed back looked more official than what she had started off with. In fact what she received from the clone were the official forms filled out with all the official seals and documentation to accompany them.

Unknown to Jill she had stumbled onto one of the station masters of the Biopeople's Underground Railroad. Biopeople escaping their indentures sometimes needed help to get to safety. The railroad modeled after the underground railway of the 19th century or 3rd century before empire that helped to get the slaves of that era to freedom. The Imperial Bureau of Justice knew of the railroad and some of the station masters on the road, the bureau made no effort to shut it down. This was not the first time this station master was breaking rules, the Beta bioperson had done so for others less deserving souls than Sergeant Wilson's daughter. She was not to allow norms, non-bioengineered humans, to use the railway. Although the girl wasn't on the railway, the biowomen let the station masters down the line know Jill Wilson was on her way to Trena, to be with her father.

Like many of her brothers and sisters the beta biowoman would do anything they could to help this marine, including seeing that his daughter could join him. The girl's family had sacrificed much for the biopeople. This girl's grandfather had been killed trying to infiltrate an EBio world. As Jill's shuttle launched to the liner, a fast mail boat was taking a piece of innocuous mail to the other stations on the Trena route of the railroad.

Once aboard the Star Mist, Jill found herself in a cabin that was considerably tinier than any room she had ever slept in. Although she would have preferred something larger, as a marine dependent she couldn't ask for any special privileges. Jill caught the aroma of fresh cooking, feeling suddenly ravenous she went in search of the dining room and found the line for breakfast. While waiting in line for breakfast, she saw a man who she recalled as having been in her father's MP unit at the Marine's Capital Barracks on Earth, noticed her. He had obviously left the marines and was now one of the security officers on the liner.

I'll have to greet him before we land, she thought to herself.

John Gordon recognized the young woman standing in line for breakfast. He was pretty sure he had seen her with his Sergeant at the capital barracks when she had visited her father. Sergeant Wilson's, his sergeant, had displayed holos on the back of his desk in Sarge's office at the Capital Marine's MP headquarters. She was older, but John could see that this was the same girl. Sarge had helped him get his stuff together and now although he had left the Marine Corps, he was still in law enforcement, at least generally, and he felt he owed his old sergeant a favor or two. John had been on duty the night Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant Wilson had left the barracks with a prisoner, who it turned out that he owned. On arrival at Aeries Station, he decided to send a message to the girl's family, to let them know that Jill had gotten that far safely.

At Aeries Station, a Captain from the Interstellar Rescue Service, who had dined with her grandmother quite often, saw Jill as she left the Star Mist heading for her next connection. The Captain, who was in route to his next duty station, where he would become the Commander of the Space and Air Group on board the attack carrier War Spear, offered to buy her dinner.

Jill felt fortunate that her grandmother's friend would offer to treat her to a meal. She didn't leave home with many imperials and was wondering if she would have a vending machine dinner of a nutrition bar and a cup of water, this would be much better. She eagerly accepted his kind offer. Over dinner as they spoke, Jill was surprised. Jill had thought it would be the typical conversation of a friend of her grandmother's making nice to her. It was far from that.

"Where you headed Miss Wilson?" the man asked as he held her chair while she sat.

"Trena," Jill said, "Grand mom wants me to be educated at the Trenaport Boarding School."

"What you do? Tick off the Iron Maiden so she's sending you away?" the captain used her grandmother's nick name.

"No! Grandma Wilson thought that getting off Mars for a while to go to a school outside the Empire might be good for me." Jill replied, "It was my choice to go to Trenaport

Boarding School."

"I have heard of that school," The Captain said, "It is very good. They have a lot of our service kids there, even a few others, including some Thonians. It's a great melting pot. My wife spent some time there. It's in Trenaport isn't it? Will you be boarding at the school?"

"Yes," Jill replied.

"Trena's a beautiful place." The captain continued. She had little or no idea what Trena was really like. So she settled back and listened to the captain.

"My wife grew up on Trena," The captain said, "Her father was a member of the Marine contingent at our embassy there. I've been back with her a couple of times. It's a beautiful world. If you get a chance you should go over to Princess Falls. It's a water fall that is breath taking. It's a horseshoe that drops into the ocean on the west coast of Main. The thing has got to be three or four miles across. Getting there about sunset makes the water sparkle as it catches the spray and causes rainbows all over the area."

"It sounds beautiful," Jill remarked. Jill had learned a long time ago with all the military officers that frequented her grandmother's table that they often saw sights and things that were not always the horror of war, or of human suffering.

"It is," the captain said, stopping long enough to order their meal, "But you'll want to check out Trenaport Beach. There is one section that seems to stretch on forever, pristine sand that just goes on and on. The crown has prevented any housing or development on it so there is nothing on it. You can walk for miles without seeing another person. It's just like it was when James McAllister found it four hundred years ago."

She listened to the officer talk about Trena. He suggested that she go to the north of Trenaport to see the ice caves. Surprisingly it was an enjoyable dinner with the captain.

Never once did he ask how she was doing in school. He treated her as an equal not the granddaughter of a senior officer.

As they finished diner he commented, "I hope you enjoy your time on Trena!" It was obvious the captain hadn't heard about the Trena disaster.

Jill would remember this all her life. He escorted her to the ship that would take her on the next leg of her journey.

The Captain, in a letter to his wife that night wrote how he had stumbled across the admiral's granddaughter, and how the young woman had carried herself. Commenting that for a young lady of her upbringing, her manners were better than half the young supposedly officer material candidates that were coming out of the academy.

###

The station master for the Underground Railroad on the Rio Lobo space station was an old prostitute known as Thunder. Through the imperial mail boat that made the trip from Earth Space to Rio Lobo in a third of the time Jill's liner did, she had received word that the daughter of Sergeant Wilson was on her way to Trena via Rio Lobo. Trena was one of the final destinations on the railroad for biopeople fleeing EBio and the empire. When she later learned that the girl had ran away from her grandmother's home on Mars, she was torn between helping the authorities to return the girl to Mars, or helping her on her way to Trena. Thunder was pondering what she was going to do when the beat cop for the neighborhood where her bar was located, came in for a cup of coffee. She tried to hide the photo of the girl from the cop; but she wasn't fast enough.

"What do you have there, Thunder?" the cop asked as she poured him a cup of coffee. He picked up the photo of Jill. "Pretty girl, is she one of yours?"

"Did you ever hear about a Sergeant Wilson in the station's MP unit?" Thunder asked knowing she wasn't going to be able to get around this young cop's questions, nor did she want to as he sometimes, though unwittingly, helped her get her passengers along the railway.

"No," the cop replied.

"He was before your time. He was a Marine MP," Thunder continued, "who helped me out years ago when one the officers off an IRS hospital ship had raped me. He made sure that sorry piece human offal was sent to Dungeon."

The young cop nodded he knew of Dungeon. It was a prison world where the empire and other star nations sent the very worse of their criminal element they convicted.

"Anyways that's his daughter," The old prostitute continued. "You haven't seen her have you?"

"No." The young man asked, "I haven't, why?"

"Her ship is due today or tomorrow," Thunder answered. "Could you keep an eye for her? I owe it to Sarge that she is looked after on her lay over." "What do you want me to do?" the young man asked.

"Let me know if you see her." Thunder asked. She had decided that since the girl was going on to Trena one of the destinations on the railroad that she couldn't risk blowing her cover and return the young woman to her grandmother. But there was no reason why she couldn't put the fear of god into her old friend's daughter however. She was going to look after the girl just not in the way the young cop thought.

# ###

The next ship of the journey was not as spacious as the first one. To Jill's astonishment she found that they could fit a room in an even smaller space than the last one. It held just a bed, a wall light and two drop-down shelves which would have to be raised at night in order to sleep without banging into them if she got up in the night to go to the toilet down the passage. Lucky me she thought, that I didn't bring much with me. Food wasn't as available either. The crew on this ship wasn't as pampered as the last one either, and Jill found that because she was on a dependent fare she had to eat in the crew mess. After she got used to the hours though; she really liked the crew meals. The crew was generally friendly and easy-going. One of the purser's crew had been very helpful, showing her where everything was located on the ship. They kidded and joked with him about adopting a mascot. She didn't care as it made her feel a little less lonely so far from everything she'd ever known before.

His name was Memo, as he a very good memory. He was a conductor on the railroad, and a sometime stringer for the Corps de Chameleon, the imperial intelligence service. He watched the youngster leave the mess room, which was the third shift's gathering spot, to head back to her room. He mentally checked his memory and realized that the girl was the person he was to conduct on his part of the railroad. The crew knew he was one of the purser's office staff, but had no idea he was a conductor on the railroad. Only a few biopeople knew about the railroad and fewer non bios did. He had helped many people including one legendary bioperson who he had seen a couple of weeks back standing next to Sergeant Wilson. Now here was his daughter traveling to Trena. He had to get to get her on to Trena. Safely!

By the time the ship had reached Rio Lobo, Jill was going stir-crazy. With no room on the ship to stretch her legs, she had to get off the liner for a bit. It had been over a week, a week of sitting around and hardly getting any opportunity to see the passenger level where the passenger gym was located. The crew wasn't allowed to use it. As a "freeloader" according to some of the more snobby crew members, she deserved the bare minimum of privileges. She was thoroughly bored and felt cooped up. The stop at Rio Lobo was a transfer point. But she would have to stay overnight on the station. Having no money for a hotel she thought she would wander the station. She found a plaza after a bit of wandering the station. After enjoying the freedom of being able to walk more than fifty feet in any one direction, she sat down at a table in one of the outdoor cafes around the plaza.

Although she didn't notice him, Memo was watching Jill, as she left the ship. He was running an errand for the ship's purser, to pick up some packages waiting for them at the station's drop shipment office. This had given him the opportunity to escort the girl around without the girl knowing about it. He was surprised when she had sat down in a restaurant patronized by the working boys and girls of Rio Lobo. She couldn't have known that she had. When he realized that it was Thunder's place, he smiled a bit, wondering how Thunder would handle things. Thunder was the next station master in the line to get Miss Wilson down the line and owned the bar she had sat down in front of. She had likely picked it because it had a casual relaxed feel about it, with people strolling among the tables and chatting, then wandering away with someone. The naive girl had no idea what looked like a friendly atmosphere, was the local meat market for this part of the space station. It was the wrong place for a sheltered naïve girl to be sitting around in.

He watched her as she looked around and appeared to be a little self-conscience as the strolling men and even a few of the women gave her admiring glances. She hadn't realized yet that the regulars who worked this stretch along the plaza were starting to act like they would like her to just move on. If they started feeling that Jill was trying to steal their business, it might get embarrassing or even dangerous for the girl. Memo was wondering how to let Thunder know that the girl was her next passenger for the railroad when he spotted his old friend.

Thunder, saw Memo and nodded. Since he had business to conduct and Jill was at the next station on the railroad he went on about his business. He chuckled when he remembered how the old prostitute had received her nickname. Before she had gotten out of the business a long time ago, she use to tell her clients she felt like a thunderstorm had washed through her after they had finished. It had a novelty that boosted the ego of most of the one-shot customers she had worked then. The locals thought it a clever tag line. She had given the business up and now ran one of those cafes that surrounded the plaza area. Her place was unique, as it offered small private rooms behind her bar. She didn't run a crew of "workers" anymore as they were all pretty much independent on this part of the station; but she was quite willing to make a profit on their labors in her room rentals. Of course if someone just wanted to sleep during a layover in a clean, fresh smelling room that was just fine with her. Memo thought there had been some trouble she had been in once where she had gotten hurt badly, but he hadn't ask her. It was her story to share. She was past her prime now, but was still able to work crowd control when things got too rowdy. Memo never saw the cop approach his old friend.

Jill startled as an older woman sat down next to her.

"Going loner can be dangerous in this neighborhood, I can protect you" The woman said softly, looking suggestively up and down Jill as she sat at her table.

Jill looked at the older woman bewildered not knowing what the woman was asking. Unsure of what the woman was even talking about and wondered why the woman was unable to stop staring at her chest. Even the boys at school had not given her the look like this woman was giving her, "Pardon?"

The woman leaned forward so that her chest was right in Jill's line of sight, putting a hand on her thigh, and purred, "I can help you make a lot of imperials entertaining some of my clients." Thunder bit her cheek to keep her face straight as she saw a new idea flare to life in Jill's brain.

"I... you mean... No way!" Jill finally got the message, "Get away from me before

I call for help!"

As if on cue, the young cop appeared at Jill's side. "Is this woman bothering you

Miss?"

"Yes!" Jill answered seeing that the young man was a cop.

"Thunder you need to move on," the young cop said helping Jill get to her feet.

"Just trying to grow my business," Thunder, acted put out as she stood up though she thought with a hidden smile that twinkled behind her eyes, "There you go Sergeant Wilson. You went against your own to make sure that the marine who raped me years ago was brought to justice, I've just paid you back."

"Where you headed miss?" The police officer asked.

"I am headed to Trena to join my father," Jill answered, "I have a ten hour layover until my next ship."

"This is no place to layover," the police man commented. "I know of a place that you can stay and they will make sure you get to your next ship." "I don't have much money," She answered.

"Not a problem," The young cop replied, "It is run by the Red Cross."

"Oh," Jill said picking up her small bag of things. "Then I guess I should take them up on the offer."

"This way then," The young police officer pointed the way.

It took a few minutes to walk the distance to the hostel.

"Big Sue," The young cop greeted the large black haired intake worker, "Got room for another?"

"Sure!" the young woman replied, "Who do we have here." "Jill Wilson," Jill answered.

"Alright," the woman replied as she took out her data pad, "Let me get some information and..."

The young cop left and went back to Thunder's place. When he got back young cop asked the old prostitute, "That what you wanted?"

"Perfect," Thunder said and kissed him on the cheek, "Just perfect!"

"Found out who she is Thunder, or at least who her father is." The cop continued.

"I am impressed how he helped you and others."

"I still owe him," Thunder commented, "This was only partial payment!"

"I'll catch up latter," he went on along his beat. He didn't want the Sarge to know he had done a favor for this woman. Some of the older cops had problems with the old prostitute. He had always found her decent to him. To his knowledge she had not been afoul of the law in years. She was always well behaved around him and if she was involved in anything he could not find any evidence of it. He had of course heard that she was a station master on the Underground Railroad but couldn't prove it.

# ###

A few hours later the Red Cross worker escorted Jill to her next ship a little better one. The Rover was a midsized liner that routinely went from Rio Lobo to Trena Station. Thankfully, it was only another week to Trena. Every time the ship popped out of transit space, she was the first one in the ships tiny library, to see what had transpired on Trena. The asteroids hadn't fallen on Trena, but the news media was filled with the current happenings there. When she read the Op-Ed piece that a Lord Rammer wrote condemning her father's lack of a concise plan she was blistering mad. Although it had been years since she had seen her father, and didn't really know exactly what he did now, and still in high school, and not really aware of what all was going on in the Empire or especially on Trena; she felt that even she could see that after three weeks that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to have a coherent plan other than to just get off world as best you can.

Jill decided to train herself to be useful to her father. He wouldn't have time for fancy welcome home parties and getting to know her all over again, so she had better just make herself an assistant that would know what to do and do it before it was needed. She felt that her father wouldn't just send her back to Mars if she was his right hand. Using the ships limited library she researched the Trena system and everything that was printed about asteroids hitting a planet. It sometimes got really dry and technical, but she struggled through the information, glad she had taken advanced science courses back home.

The Trena system had only one habitable planet, with several smaller planets around a G class star. Other than two asteroid belts the only other spectacular thing in the solar system was the gas giant. It had one or two small moons but nothing other than Trena was habitable. Jill sat back, as the news stories finally really sank in, there was no place in the Trena system that the evacuees go to. They would have to leave the system. The space habitats were not large enough to hold the planet of Trena's population of nearly seventy five million people.

Jill spent some time learning about Trena herself. If the planet was going to die, she wanted to be able to remember what its own special places had been like. She wanted to be able to replay in her mind what the ice cave and other places the Captain had talked to her about looked like, because she now realized she might never get to see them. She started out learning the typical text book facts that anyone doing a school report would find; that Trena had only about nine tenths of an earth standard gravity, it was little farther from its star than Earth was from the Sun, and it had only a few continents. There was the big one that straddled the mid-portion of the planet that was simply called Main and the others smaller ones north and south of Main also simply called North and South. The main continent was temperate with mild winters and gentle summers, but there was also a desert of sorts in the southern half of the big continent. Most of Trena's industry was in orbit. At least the real heavy industry was in orbit or scattered through the system, closer to those cursed asteroid belts, where the metals found in the floating rocks that industry used were closer and cheaper to get to. There were a couple of exceptions. Boeing Space Works had a light space craft yard in northern Trenaport, and there was a furniture factory in the north of the main city of Trenaport.

There wasn't much about what the birds sounded like wheeling over the gentle sea winds, what the ice cave reflecting sunlight off their icy exteriors looked like, what Trena's fields of flowers smelled like after a rain. Only the people that lived there could tell her that. After exhausting the library on anything about Trena she could find, she went on to research what would happen when the asteroids struck Trena. What she had found out was not good at all and explained why the world had to be evacuated. A single big rock coming in at thousands of miles an hour would crater the impact area and splash dust into the atmosphere. The dust would obscure the star and prevent the necessary warmth and sunlight from reaching the surface of Trena. That might be survivable as she understood it; but Trena wasn't going to be hit by just one or two asteroids; it was going to hit by several thousand of all sizes. One or two wouldn't cause the evacuation of the planet, or make it unlivable. Thousands would. One of the articles that had found its way to the ship was a science piece on what would happen when all these rocks hit Trena. The piece written by three scientists concluded that it would not be a good thing to be on Trena when the rocks fell. They compared it to a nuclear winter that the ancients had feared would happen should the pre empire nations of Earth had ever launched their nuclear weapons at each other. They concluded that with the planetary damage life would be nearly impossible on the Free World. She now fully understood why Trena had to be evacuated.

As she got closer to Trena she began to worry about her father. It had been five years since she last seen him. That could be a long time for people. She had changed a lot in that time, growing up from a twelve year old ruff-neck, smiling with her pigtails, and skinned knees to a near adult who had begun, who, according to a few boys at school, was attractive enough to ask to some of the school dances. He might not recognize her. She had changed in temperament too. She had been a bit of an air-head when she had last seen her father, but she was much more mature now, certainly. Being a blond was cool but being a smart blond was fun. The look on people's face when she answered stuff in school or talked to others and they found out she wasn't an air-head but smart and intelligent to boot was something she rather enjoyed. Her father was in for a big surprised when he saw her. She wondered how much he had changed.

She also wondered how much he was going to yell at her. She realized that what she had done may not have been the smartest thing she could have done. Traveling on her own had been fun even though it had gotten much more boring after the first ship's relatively spaciousness and until she had met that woman on Rio Lobo, she had been maybe just a little homesick, but not scared. That memory was why even when the ship later docked for an eight hour layover at another stop, she didn't leave the ship. Her father wasn't much of a yeller; he could or had been able to make his point without talking any louder than you would in normal conversation. But he had always been fair, and even when he punished her he had not been too extreme. At least that was what she remembered when she was little, now that she was supposedly more grown-up, it might be different. If Grandma had heard she'd been in hot water at school, or on the base like the time she was in that training area and got hit by accident from a stun grenade, she would lower the boom! Knowing the Admiral, which is what Jill thought of her grandmother when she was being 'all-business', there would be yelling with her. As the ship approach Trena Station, she wondered how much trouble she was really in.

What actually happened was beyond her wildest expectations.

# ###

It was almost lights out and the cadets were lounging in the Princess' dorm room. From 2100 to 2300 the senior cadets were not allowed in the freshman dorms. The cadet sergeant who was the barracks chief, a second year cadet, would stay in his room studying and generally out of the Raw Meat's hair until lights out. It was the only time of the day when the cadets were not under the rigorous discipline of the upper classmen. The princess, her aunt and cousins had made it a habit over the last few weeks to meet in one of their rooms to go over the day and to sometimes study together.

"Do you remember when Sylvia's dad left a few years ago," Lamile asked, "He just left for no reason at all."

"Yes," The princess said. Sylvia was a class mate of theirs. Her father had run away with another woman leaving Sylvia, her mother and brothers and her sisters to fend for themselves. "Why?"

"Remember how mad she was?" Lamile asked.

"Yes," T'harla replied, "I still don't think she has cooled out!"

"Yeah," Lamile continued, "In this last section we read that our grandmother was concerned about seeing her father after five years, but that's all. I would imagine she would be feeling like Sylvia."

"Well this biography mostly tells about how grandma became queen, so they kept a lot of the negative stuff out of it." Princess Lisa replied, "I have been reading her diaries, and she was indeed a little angry about not being with him. Being left behind when he left Earth and the empire really did a number on her for a couple of years. But later she seemed better able to deal with it. One entry as she got closer to Trena showed a little of her confusion over the situation."

"From what everyone said," Lamile commented, "Grandma Jill was not that confused about anything."

"Here let me read you a little," Princess Lisa responded taking out some of the pages she had copied earlier in the day.

"Tomorrow, we will arrive at Trena Station," the princess read, "I need to get a message to Dad when I get in to let him know I am on Trena. I am just not sure now how he will respond. He left without telling me why, or where he was going. I still wouldn't know where he was if it hadn't been for the announcement of the disaster. I don't know how I really feel about Dad right now. I am still a little angry how he left me. Even though the letter he sent explained a little I still feel that I could be with him. I just want to see him and hope we can work things out though. Maybe after I hear more of his side of the story I'll understand more. Over the last few years I have gotten over the worse of my anger over what he did. I just want to know more of the why?

"I am a little concerned about his reaction when I show up on his door step." The princess paused to take a sip of water, "Come to think of it I am not certain I know where he is living. Will he let me stay or will he tell me go back to Mars and grandmother.

"Grand mom must be mad as hell at me." The room giggled a bit, each knowing what would happen if they took off like their ancestor had, "I wonder what she'll do when she catches up with me. I wonder what Dad will do when he sees me.

"I am also concerned about this Lisa. Grand mom talked about her as if she was a saint, and walked on water. But grand mom hasn't seen her in over 20 years. People change a lot. Some of my friends have a step mom or dad, and they either get along with them or don't. There seems to be no rule as to how my friends reacted to having step parents. I wonder what this Lisa is really like."

The lights flashed twice and the school's AI called softly, "Five minutes to lights out. All cadets report to their rooms please for bed check."

"See you in the morning," Princess Lisa called as T'harla left.

A few minutes later the dorm sergeant poked his head in and cleared the room.
Chapter 3: Arrival on Trena.

"When Queen Jill arrived at Trena Station," The general began her lecture the next morning, "The station was not the zoo one would expect. Marshal Wilson had prevented mass departures of people from Trena, but he was allowing people from other star nations to go to their home nations, and some Trena citizens whose families were with them and had a safe place to go were allowed to leave. But the space station was not the main departure point for a lot of people. Many people were smuggled off world leaving their families and businesses behind never going through the space ports or the stations. This was a big problem that the crown never got a handle on until the very end.

"No," the general continued, "the real issue was at this time a lot of people were still coming into Trena. They were either coming home to help their family get ready to leave Trena; or to help close the Trena branch of their company. Security on the station was getting tight. Most people just couldn't step off a liner or ship and go down to Trena. Customs was getting tough. Queen Jill's paper work would allow her off the ship but barely and customs could have prevented her from going down to Trena.

"If she had been anyone but the daughter of Marshal Wilson she might have been sent back to Mars," the General lectured. "Let me set the scene for you."

# ###

Now as she waited anxiously for the crew to open the hatches, so she could get the reunion with her father over, she wondered what was taking so long for the crew to open the hatches. Finally the liner's doors opened and people began to disembark. As she signed off the ship she heard a couple of ship's officer talking.

"If the owner's and the authorities had not guaranteed our safety I am not certain that the captain would have opened up." The assistant purser was saying as he checked her off the ship.

"I was talking with Sparks a little while back," another officer who was standing next to the assistant purser. "He was telling me of the rumors he had heard. There was a Theocracy flagged bulk carrier that was telling everyone on the ship to ship that the authorities were confiscating ships and press ganging crews. It was an out and out lie and only after the Queen came on the net and set the record straight did the captain decided to open up."

"Well let's get our people safely off the ship," the other officer said.

When she stepped off the ship, she considered returning to its relatively quiet safety. Outside her ears were assaulted by the din of many voices. They all seemed to be shouting and Jill wished for the sanity that her little room on the liner had provided her. Jill set her face in determination and went forward into the chaos. She saw that many people were doing their jobs as best as they could, moving baggage, keeping the docks secure and checking paperwork. Other crowds of people seemed to be lined up behind a fenced area, where their faces showed a variety of emotions, grief, fear and anticipation being the most obvious. They looked hungrily at the ship she had just left, as if it were a five star meal. That made Jill nervously move a little faster away from it. The thought of being between the ship and them frightened her.

As Jill Wilson waited anxiously for the gate to the dock to open so she and her fellow passengers could enter the station proper; she reflected on the two week trip from Mars to Trena. It had been uneventfully monotonous. Except for when that old prostitute on Lobo had tried to recruit her when she had been laying over to catch her next ship, she had, had no excitement. After Lobo she had stuck to the ship. The crew and everyone were talking about the situation in the Trena System, and what it meant to them. As the gate opened Jill Wilson gathered up her one small bag and went through the gate.

Jill quickly moved to follow the few others that were disembarking toward a row of tables and desks. Jill had traveled with her grandmother and been through customs at various places. None had looked this shakily put together. This set up struck her as having been slapped together with whatever was handy including the security fences. Most of the people at the table looked very official and closer to the crowds of tense people behind the fence. Jill saw one thin man jump the line and try to run towards ship she had been on. He was tackled and drug off to another area.

As she approached customs she thought she saw a tall thonian woman that she knew. She towered six foot six and was very muscular looking. Although humanoid looking, her light gold skin, and grey hair speckled with black, and her six fingered hand did little to hide she was a non-earth human female. When she got closer she found that she did know her. She was a friend of her father's. Commander Atomi. She had met the thonian and her husband several years before when her father had been assigned to Andrea's World, an independent world that her father and the commander had been assigned to be the joint MP unit for the liberty port.

Jill had almost been a fixture in their home. Not only was the Commander a close friend of her father's, the commander's daughter, Lamile, had become a close friend of hers as well. On Andrea's they had been nearly inseparable. Then over the years when they could, both sets of parents had served on joint assignments. Seeing the thonian, Jill was relieved to spot a friendly face. She wished she could turn time back to those days of her young childhood, playing with Lamile joking with her 'Aunt'. Aunt Mylea always insisted that Jill refer to her that way, saying that 'Commander Atomi was much too formal for family and Jill was family!'

"Aunt Mylea?" Jill approached the thonian, wondering why the tall huskily built alien was there. She tried to remember the last letter from Lamile, but it had been over three years ago. Then it didn't mention anything about a change of duty station for her parents. Then it hit her surrogate aunt was not dressed in the dark gray of the Thonian Space Service but dressed in a scarlet tunic and dark black slacks with a red stripe on the seams. On each shoulder was a single star. On her left sleeve was a gold patch. The patch was that of a horse wearing a crown, around the patch were the words Trena Royal Mounted Patrol. Not that of the Thonian Space Service's 83rd Military Police Battalion which she commanded. Her father, in that last precious year he before he had left her, had helped the Thonians to stand that unit up and no one had really been surprised that her Aunt and her lifemate had been chosen to be the inaugural command team of the unit. When she and her father had returned to Mars and the Empire it had broken her heart to say good-bye to Lamile.

"Hi Jill," the older woman said seeing her old friend's daughter for the first time in years. She had filled out standing almost five feet eight inches tall. The pig tails had been replaced by shoulder length blond hair. The youngster, although obviously nervous with all this commotion, still stood with a poise that Mylea thought some of her younger officers could have learned when she was still in the service.

"Aren't you in the wrong uniform?" Jill asked. Her friend looked haggard and tired. "No. I had to leave the space service. The TMP hired me." Her aunt replied.

"Are you a General now?" Jill asked pointing to the star on her aunts shoulder boards.

"Sort of; I am a deputy chief for the Mounties," Her aunt replied.

"Why are you here?" Jill asked suspecting that she knew why. She was sure that she was about to be turned around and marched back to Mars.

Mylea paused before she answered her young friend being distracted by an older man sweeping up some liter. Mylea thought she knew who the man was. Kellogg, a notorious one time closer with EBio that was the bane of the police authorities and the occasional EBio security officers who were closing fleeing biopeople's files on Trena. She was wondering if she should park Jill for a moment and arrest the man but when she looked from Jill back to where the old man had been working he was gone. Rumor had it he was not part of EBio any longer, so he wasn't one of the people who she was up there to protect Jill from.

"I am here to escort you to down to your father," Mylea said surprising the teen.

Then seeing Jill's small bag she frowned before she continued, "Is that all you have?" Jill nodded.

She was surprised that she was travelling so light. Then her frown softened as she remembered her friend had left in the middle of the night and didn't want to let anyone know she was running away home.

"You mean that you aren't going to put me on a transport back to Mars?" Jill asked.

"No! Lisa talked your father out of it," The thonian replied and almost giggled, "I guess I should say we. Your father has never been able to resist us, when Lisa and I tag team him."

"This Lisa wants me to stay?" Jill asked dumb founded. She had thought that it had been Lisa who had convinced her father to leave her behind.

"Lisa never wanted to leave you behind Jill," He aunt said, "that was your father's decision. He was concerned for your own safety."

"Why are you here and not them?" Jill asked suspecting the thonian was lying to her.

She saw the look on the earth girl's face and said, "Both Michael and Lisa would be here if hadn't been for their security detail. Their detail doesn't like the station. They feel it can't be secured enough for your family. Even the Queen is discouraged from coming up here right now."

"Oh," Jill said looking around at the commotion. She thought she understood.

"Their security detail thought that it would be better if someone you knew came and picked you up. Since I knew you, they thought I was the right person to get you to them. I was also likely to be someone you would trust. Your parent's detail thought that there might be a closer team following you. We got word that there was one heading this way."

Jill didn't know what to say. She felt dizzy. She had been all set to argue her case before this Lisa, thinking she would have to be the one she needed to convince not to send her back to Mars. Now trying to keep what she privately called her adult face on, she wouldn't cry, but she knew she was close to it. All the relief she had felt just seconds ago at the sight of a familiar face, was gone. It was part of a new internal struggle of emotions; relief at finally arriving, worry about what would happen now, love mixed with anger for a father she had been without for far too long, and now this "closer" team who was following her; whatever that was; that she needed to be protected from. It was almost too much for her to deal with.

"Is this all you have?" Mylea asked again seeing the single bag the girl was carrying.

"Yes," Jill said.

"Let's get you through customs." Mylea tried to sound stern; but was having a hard time of it. As she now took the girl's shoulder and pointed her in the direction of the entry gates, she tried to avoid looking at the child that was almost another daughter to her as the girl's lower lip was beginning to tremble and a glisten of a tear was beginning to stream down her check. She was supposed to give Jill the 'Treatment', taking her through the regular customs procedures for a person attempting to enter a secure border during times of crisis. This would include several embarrassing scans and interrogations to ascertain exactly whether she was who she said she was or wasn't. All it just to make sure she was not a security risk to the kingdom. Looking and listening to this girl on the verge of womanhood, trying to act mature and grownup, willing to do whatever was necessary to enter the kingdom to be with her father, Mylea couldn't do it. She knew that Michael, the girl's father, wanted to let his daughter know how a runaway could be treated; but she just couldn't do it. Jill wasn't her daughter; but she remembered bandaging up her knees, and watching late night holo flicks with her and her daughter. There were other ways to get her father's message across.

As her Aunt Mylea escorted her to their shuttle, three people seemed to move with them. A tall thonian lead the way, with a husky thirty something brunette fell in beside her, with a young man on the other side of Mylea.

"Aunt Mylea," Jill asked seeing the three people, "are they with us?" "Yes," Her aunt replied, "They are your escort." "My escort," Jill asked.

"Yes," her aunt replied as they made their way to a small car that was driven by a man in the same uniform as her aunt. She and her aunt along with the woman agent got into the car. Jill looked around for the others and didn't see them. They were driven quite a distance through the crowded space station.

Everywhere she looked there were people. There were families, single adults and large groups of people; all intent on going about their business. There was a heavy police presence. Everywhere she looked there was either a police officer standing a post, or several police officers walking or patrolling either on foot, or in a patrol car. All of the police officers wore the same uniform as her aunt.

After a journey of fifteen minutes, they pull into a large open hatch. There the station police checked their identities, ensuring not only who they were; but were they allowed beyond the check point. They were allowed to pass as well as another car behind them.

Once through the hatch, Jill saw that it was a large hangar chalked full of ground to orbit space craft. There were small and large vehicles many of them military. Several of the large craft were easily able to carry a thousand people in one lift. In contrast to the docks, the hanger was almost quiet, and orderly. It made her feel less anxious.

Shortly they pulled up before a small boxy ground to orbit shuttle. It was not more than fifty feet long maybe all of fifteen feet wide and maybe ten high. The small vessel, called a landing craft, its boarding ramp open, was waiting for them to board. As soon as they pulled to a stop, the Mounted Patrol officer standing at the foot of the ramp came up the car and helped them out of the car. As they boarded the landing craft, Jill noticed that the car that had followed them through the check point was now parked behind them and its passengers were following them into the small landing craft.

Once aboard and seated in plush very comfortable seats, the ramp was closed. Their escorts had taken seats near the main ramp giving them what privacy they could. Soon the landing craft was in motion, taxiing to the active launch pad.

Mylea turned to the young woman and said, "Who did your papers? They look good for forgeries."

Jill looked at the woman not knowing what to say. She had realized immediately that papers that the beta bioperson on Mars had given her were not the same ones she had made prior to leaving Mars.

"Never mind," Mylea continued, "You will be getting new papers anyway." "I will?" Jill asked, "You mean if Dad doesn't send me back."

"Well your father is furious with you." The thonian replied. "But Lisa and I have cooled him out a bit. But only a bit! He won't be sending you back."

"Oh really," Jill wasn't convinced she expected nothing less from the man who left her years ago. She was not convinced it wasn't this Lisa who was calling the shots. She still needed him. She missed him terribly. "This Lisa will actually let me stay?"

"Yes," Mylea replied, "Lisa! Right now she is your biggest advocate! She's always wanted you with them."

"Really," Jill didn't believe the thonian.

"Yes really," Mylea replied. "Your father did want to send you back; but he can't now! The political repercussions of sending you back home would cost him and the Queen too much. So for now you won't be sent back to Mars."

"Oh," She looked at her aunt feeling a bit better. She looked away from her aunt to the front of the landing craft where the three escorts were sitting.

"Why do we need escorts," Jill asked.

"We don't need an escort," Mylea responded "you do!"

"Me?" Jill asked, "Why?"

"A couple of reasons," her aunt responded, "The biggest reason is only the Queen has more authority than Mike. Because of that all of you, Lisa, Abby, you and Mike have been given protective details. The other reason is that EBio wants both he and Lisa dead. I don't know all the details. It has more to do with Lisa than Mike. One of the reasons he was considering sending you back is he doesn't think he can protect you."

"He doesn't think he can protect me?" Jill asked bewildered. "Why?"

"There is am EBio Closer Team gunning for them," Mylea responded. "That was why they left the Empire."

"Gunning for Dad?" Jill asked.

"Yes," Mylea said, "but because of Lisa. I don't know the entire story; but it has something to do with who Lisa is, and what she knows. From what Lisa has told me, it's why she was on the run for all those many years. When your father lifemated Lisa he became one of their targets. Because EBio wants them dead, he wants you off world and on Mars, where you'll be safer. He feels it is safer for you on Mars, at the Admiral's estate than here. It's going to get crazy here and while the Queen gave him her protective detail, and they are among the best I have ever seen, your father just doesn't know if they are good enough to stop a Closer team from harming all of you."

"Closer team," Jill asked bewildered, "What's that?"

Mylea thought for a minute not sure she should tell the girl. Closer became a fact of life when she became a deputy chief of the Mounted Patrol. Every once in a while the Mounties had to deal with a closer team trying to pick up or assassinate a bioperson living on Trena.

"Jill," she turned to her friend, "what do you know of EBio?"

"They make the clones or the Biopeople as they are sometimes called." Jill answered.

"That's right." Mylea confirmed, "EBio and their engineers spent quite a few decades developing the Biopeople. Taking the very earliest research files and going from those early trials developing sheep and cats, and finally creating the biopeople. I understand there was quite a commotion when EBio first announced that had created humans in the lab! Many theologians and devout people believe that only a deity can create life and that for mortals, to play with their deities' creative rights is sacrilege.

"The empire finally allowed their creation," Mylea continued, "Since they were patented they allowed EBio to sell their finished product. It's complicated. But in the end run EBio sold not the biopeople themselves; but the cost of creating them as an indentured servant. That got them around the Galactic Council's rules on selling sentient beings."

"Many worlds started to allow the biopeople to have their contracts bought and sold. Mostly those world that were still in phase one or pioneering stages and there was a need for large amounts of manual labor. Some worlds like Trena here didn't allowed the biopeople to be indentured servants. In fact if a bioperson transients through our space with their contract holder and wants to leave their owner all they have to do is go up to any

Mounty and ask for help."

Jill nodded remembering what she had been taught about the biopeople.

"EBio has sunk planets full of money on the research and development of the bios and they see that tech as theirs. They have ruthlessly protected their patents and trade secrets. If they don't, they won't have a company. That's where the Closers come in! EBio executives use closers to make sure no one steals their product and competes against them. You can't blame them for that!"

"Now back to the question you started with," her Aunt brought her back to their conversation. "EBio's Closer Teams."

"A Closer Team is how EBio takes care of escaped clones and company renegades," Mylea continued. Although she had known about closers for maybe four crimens, it wasn't until she became a Mounty did she really learn about EBio. She had learned the biopeople were charged for their creation, education, and very life. When they were developed, EBio sold the bioperson's charge sheet to anyone needing the bioperson's skill set. Often the bioperson never was able to redeem their charge sheet, dying in bondage. If that wasn't slavery she didn't know any other way to describe it. She also learned about the closers.

"They are trained to recover property or to eliminate threats to EBio. Usually they kill the bio or person; thus closing their files. That's why they are called Closers. People look the other way; Closer sounds much nicer than murderers or assassins."

Jill stared at the thonian. The angry face bore no resemblance to her loving Aunt Mylea. She had never seen such a face on the woman before. She started to say something, when she realized that she couldn't put her thoughts into words. Her mouth hung open as her brain rushed to catch up.

"Aunt Mylea I have never heard any of this," Jill slowly said as the landing craft launched out of the space station.

"That doesn't surprise me," Her aunt replied. "EBio never publicly called these teams Closers. They call them special security teams."

"Oh," Jill said softly. She did remember hearing about EBio's specialty security teams. "And one of these teams is hunting my Dad and Lisa?" "Yes," Mylea replied.

Jill pondered what her surrogate aunt why saying as the landing craft cleared the space station. Jill looked out the window and saw all of the ships, waiting to be loaded or unload to continue on to their next port of call.

"Why do they want Dad?" She asked.

"It has something to do with Lisa." Mylea answered truthfully. She and Lisa were very close; but her friend had never discussed why EBio wanted her so badly.

"Oh," Jill replied, "Lisa again. Is she going to get Dad killed?"

"I am not really sure," Mylea respond, "There is some danger. Even without the closers, Michael's position as the Marshal, he is only second to the Queen in authority. That makes him a target for some of our nut cases. So he automatically got a protective detail as did your mother and sister. You've got one also." She nodded to the where the three agents sat, "Jill, this very important. They are there to ensure your safety. So don't try to get away from them, or deceive of them your whereabouts. It could mean your life."

Jill looked to where the agents were seated. "Are they my ... team?"

"Yes," Mylea answered, "Jenny and her team will be your shadow."

She looked the young girl in the eye and spoke to her young friend, "They are there for your protection, and your family's safety. Don't try to ditch them, or get away from them. Between the people who are not too happy about the evacuation and the Closers it could get very ugly."

She didn't quite understand; but Aunt Mylea had always looked after her as if she was family. She finally nodded her head, "I understand I think."

Mylea knew her young friend didn't really understand it all. Only time would help her understand the realities of her situation.

Jill looked over at her aunt. Then it hit her. Aunt Mylea had picked her up. Not only had picked her up but was wearing a uniform that Jill didn't expect. Her aunt and uncle were Thonian Space Service Military Police Officer, not a Trenaport Mounted Patrol Officer. What was she doing in that uniform and more importantly why was she on Trena?

She started to ask when her aunt excused herself to go to the lavatory. When her aunt returned the young man who had driven them to the landing craft, spoke to Mylea.

"Chief," the Mounty spoke to Mylea, "We're not going to land at Serenity they want us at Fletcher."

"Okay," Mylea said. She wondered why they were not landing at the palace.

"It seems that Duke Horton, Lord Ramsey, and Lord Wallace are meeting with the

Queen," Her driver answered her unasked question. "They have the palace pad tied up." "Thank you Tony," the thonian replied.

"Aren't those three people causing Dad a lot of trouble?" Jill asked distracted from the questions she wanted to ask.

"More grief than trouble," A surprised Mylea asked. She didn't expect that question from the girl, "I am surprised you know those three nobles' names let alone that they were giving the Queen and your dad so much grief."

Jill shrugged, "There wasn't much to do on the ship except read the news, when the ship dropped out of hyper, and made contact with the universe."

"I see," Mylea commented. "Duke Wallace isn't too bad. Neither is Duke Charles. They just want to make certain that we're doing the best we can for our people. Lord

Ramsey," Her aunt paused for a moment before she continued with some exasperation, "Doesn't believe the evacuation is needed. He thinks we can shelter in place and can survive the bombardment."

"If it was one or two asteroids," Jill injected remembering everything she had read on her way to Trena, "that might be possible; but not from the thousands that are going to hit the planet. Lord Ramsey has been on Dad's case ever since he was appointed marshal!" "Yes he has," Mylea agreed.

Then Jill realized with her father being the Marshal of the Trena Constabulary, her aunt now worked for him. He was after all the top cop for all of the Kingdom of Trena. Her Aunt Mylea had always been the unit commander and her father worked for her aunt. Then she remembered that she had read where her Aunt was his second in command for the evacuation.

"So you're Dad's second in command," Jill asked. "What's it like working for

Dad."

Mylea looked at the girl before she answered, "I didn't know I was in the news!"

"Only once when you accepted the appointment to be Dad's deputy," Jill answered, "And executive officer."

"I see," Mylea responded. "It's a challenge for both of us. I am so used to being in command; it is sometimes hard to let Michael be boss. I was his commander every time we have been together. Even here on Trena I was both a higher ranking officer as a deputy chief, higher grade officer as a chief. Up until now he was not even in my direct supervisory chain. Now I am in his direct chain. We're making it work."

Jill was about to say something when the landing craft came in over the Princess Falls. It took her breath away! It a dark line filled the horizon. It was almost like this was the place where the world ended, and there was nothing else beyond it. Then suddenly they were over it and they could see the ocean and the water falling into it a heavy mist obscuring the base of the falls. Jill wished she could see the falls from the ocean in a boat so she could witness the awesome display of nature. As the landing craft made its approach to the sprawling base they were going to land at Jill felt fortunate to have seen the falls that created Princess Bay.

The landing craft settled to the ground and taxied into an open hanger. That surprised Mylea. She figured they would go to the flight line and leave the small space ship out in the open. When the landing craft was secured and the ground crew opened the main hatch, the agents sitting near the hatch disembarked first. Making sure that it was safe for them to leave the landing craft. Once out of the Elsy Jill noticed there were a lot of people in the hangar. None of them were working on the landing craft that had their sides open. It looked as if the work on it had been interrupted. None of the people except her aunt were in any type of uniform.

"This way Chief Atomi," a striking red head showed them to the door where the two plain clothes men were standing watch. The door was labeled, "1st Lt. Jerry Hooper, 3rd Landing Craft Maintenance Squadron Production Team Leader."

Inside the crowded office her father waited for her. She hesitantly took a half step as she entered the office as realized her dream of being with her father was no longer a dream.

"Marshal," The red head called as she opened the door, "Chief Atomi, and Miss Wilson."

"Thank you Georgia," Her father said, "Tell the team we'll be moving in a half an hour or so."

"I'll tell Mac," the protective agent replied leaving.

"Michael," Mylea said, "I didn't notice anyone watching us at the station. Well, I thought I saw that closer Kellogg; but he disappeared before I was certain. We sailed through customs with no hitches."

She could tell that her old sergeant was mad at her. His posture and expression said that he was more than a little upset at her. She recalled, she had not seen that look on his face since the then staff sergeant Michael Wilson had read her beads that first time on Gregory's World when she had rushed that drunk with the laser riffle. She was about to say something when he began to speak.

"Chief Atomi," Mike said icily cold, but the look from his old friend had told him he had better not start. It dawned on him that Mylea instincts about how to handle people were often much better than his. Also Jill had been part of Mylea's family since his child was a toddler. She couldn't give Jill the treatment if she had been ordered to. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he continued, "Mylea, thank you very much, for picking up Jill."

"You're welcome Michael," Mylea replied wondering if becoming her old friend's deputy was a wise thing. She turned to Jill, "When you get settled look me up I'll take you to dinner. We have some catching up to do. I'll tell Lam that you're here. She'll want to see you!"

"I don't know when that's going to be!" Jill said dejectedly, "That depends on what

Dad's going to do. If he doesn't send me back to Mars I may be grounded forever!"

"Close," Michael said, "Not quite that long; but you may be old and grey before I let you out of someone's sight! Thanks again Mylea. Lisa wanted me to ask you come to dinner tonight."

"Sure!" Mylea replied, "I'll bring Lamile! She'll be happy to see Jill!"

Mylea left then and Wilson turned towards his daughter, the two of them alone for the first time in years. He marveled at how much she had changed and wondered if she really still thought of him as her loving father. "I promised both Lisa and Mylea I would not be a hairy beast with you. I agreed with them that I couldn't turn you over my knee and tan your fanny like I did when you were very little. I am also aware that while you may be the age of some of my youngest recruits, I can't treat you like one."

"Jill," He ran an exasperated hand through his greying hair, "it's a good thing for you, that people owe your grandmother and me some favors. You were never alone. Once we knew you were headed here, there was someone from imperial security with you the entire time. Even on Rio Lobo where I understand old Thunder got you a little excited!"

"Are you talking about the hooker that tried to set me up in business, that might be an understatement," Jill said, "I never knew her name. Did you ask her to do that?"

"No." her father a smile crossing his face, "Thunder is a professional associate of mine. She propositioned you on her own. I heard about it later. She sent me a message saying she was sorry if she had frightened you too much, but she needed to convince you to skedaddle to safety."

Jill looked at her father not certain what to say. She looked in his deep blue eyes unflinchingly, taking stock of him. Almost forty eight years old graying at the temples, he had kept in shape. As he stood up, she suddenly remembered how tall her father was; nearly six foot six, and not an ounce of fat on him. He came to her and hesitatingly hugged her. He stepped back and lifted her face to look at him. There was seriousness in his eyes, but there was nervousness about him also, that suggested to her, that she might just get through this in one piece, and get to stay here on Trena.

"You scared the crap out of me." He said, "Don't you ever run away like that again! Once we knew where you were going we had things under control, but there are people who would take obscene pleasure in kidnapping you, and using you for any number of purposes. You are old enough to understand that not all the people you meet are who they say they are. You scared the crap out of us."

"I am sorry," the girl apologized, "I didn't mean to worry you!"

"I know," her father replied looking down to her as he towered over her. His expression softened as he spoke, "It is time that you learn some things, before you make any other foolish decisions"

She wondered what he was going to tell her. What her aunt had told her was causing her some turmoil. Now her father was going to explain even more things to her. She wondered when she would ever get the chance to think about the things Aunt Mylea had told her. She quickly sat herself down on a nearby chair, looking up toward her father.

"Jill," Michael sat down on the couch. "I asked that your grandmother not tell you some things until I felt the time was right. We never talked about your other grandparents; you were only told they weren't around and couldn't be a part of your life. We also never brought up my mother. My mother, my birth mother, we were estranged before you were even thought of. She was rich beyond your wildest dreams. I didn't know I was rich! I didn't find out until shortly before I retired. I inherited all her riches. Shortly before I discovered Lisa in my brig I found out that I was the sole living heir to the Hazelton fortune. The Judge Advocate General requested that I meet with him. Not sure why I was being called into the JAG's office, I talked to one of the sergeants who worked in the office and found I wasn't up on charges.

"Still wondering why I was being called in the JAG spaces I went to the meeting." He paused for a moment then continued. "I was surprised that not only was the JAG there; but so was the commandant, General Alphine. The JAG put it quite plainly. He suggested that I should retire from the Marines. I had enough time in, and with my injuries I could take a medical disability I could retire any time I wanted. I asked why? It was the commandant who explained, that with my recent inheritance I could be a disciplinary problem. They were politely telling me I had to leave." He paused as if he was gathering his thoughts.

"I asked how long I had to make a decision. General Alphine said they were in no hurry; but they weren't going to wait forever. I said I understood and started to leave pondering what to do. Before I left the JAG suggested I talk with a Major Stanley Prescott.

He had been briefed and would be able help me. They really didn't want to cashier me."

"So I went to see Stan," Jill thought she knew her father was talking about. There was a Stanley Prescott who was her grandmother's attorney who she'd met a couple of times.

"He explained why the Marine Corps were asking me to retire," her father continued getting her attention, "It was for my own good as being independently wealthy could cause problems if you were to stop being the outstanding marine I was. I was the only noble marine NCO. That caused some problems since most nobles were officers. So in the end run, as much as I didn't want to, I put in my papers."

"I was waiting to begin my terminal leave when Lisa showed up in my brig," He paused again, smiling again, as he continued. "She had been arrested for impersonating a human being and a Navy Corpsman. Biopeople are prohibited from joining any of the imperial services. I don't know how she pulled it off; but she did! So that caused some conniption fits. The only punishment for the offense is to be discharged from the service.

She didn't fight her discharge and I figured I would bring her home to Mars." "But that didn't happen," Jill injected.

"No it didn't." her father groused, "I had finally gotten my head around my good fortune. I was even looking forward to working for EBio. Then we got word Martha Hozenbur was coming to pick Lisa up. I called EBio and told them I had Lisa and I would bring her to Corporate.

"They couldn't tell me no," Her father said, "When Lisa told me why she was impersonating corpsman, I knew I couldn't take her back to EBio. I wanted her to turn state witness; but she refused. I still don't know the whole story!" Jill could hear the frustration in her father's voice.

"We had to leave the empire." He continued, "We had to go somewhere, where we could live without fear of EBio capturing us. When left the empire we didn't know where we would wind up. I had to leave you with mom for two reasons. One it was too dangerous for you to be with us. The other reason is that one of us me, or you had to be here so that our fortune wouldn't be stolen by EBio and used to cause greater harm. I was aware of some things that the general public isn't. It was one of the reasons I left the marines and looked forward to being part of EBio. Getting the evidence we needed to close the company down! As you know that didn't happen!"

Jill her thoughts in complete turmoil from everything being revealed to her, could only nod

"I was afraid that if I disappeared EBio would take over my shares and use them for even more evil. So I had Major Prescott set up a trust fund for you. I turned my stocks and holdings over to that trust fund in your name. It has been managed by your grandmother, and a good friend of mine, General Alphine. They have more financial savvy than I could ever hope to have. This was done so that you would be taken care of since I couldn't be there, and to have a Hazelton still part of EBio. Now isn't the time to tell you what you own, only that if you chose, you never have to work a day in your life. That you can't spend your money fast enough to go broke in your lifetime. Because of this, your personal safety is very important. You have never been the subject of a kidnap plot that I know of. We have tried to make you an uninviting target by making sure you never knew you had the best security money could buy and not letting the press know you were the heir to such a big fortune. Using Dad's name, not Mom's, made it easier not to be associated with the Hazelton fortune. For your safety you must continue to act as if it doesn't exist and not worry about the investing part of it. There is a staff of experts that your Grandmother and the General oversee to make sure you don't have to."

"Oh before we go on and before you interrupt me," He held up his hand to silence her, "Jill, I did want you with me. Have ever since I left; but I felt that it was just too dangerous for you to be with us."

"Was that this Lisa person's idea." Jill interrupted.

"Absolutely not," her father chuckled remembering his wife's reaction, "She reamed me out in a way that even my Beast DI would have taken notes on. No, Lisa would have shared the risk for you to be with us. It was my decision and it was done to keep you safe. There were many reasons for my decision; one of them is because of who you are. I left you at Mom's because if I had come to grief, I didn't want you harmed. At Mom's they couldn't use you to get to me and Lisa."

"Is that why Aunt Mylea was so concerned about closers" Jill asked

This caused the Marshal to look at his daughter not sure what to say next. He hadn't wanted to talk about the darker side of EBio. "So she let the cat out of the bag? Maybe she was right to tell you. I certainly am no judge of what a teen-age girl can handle. I may have given up the right five years ago.

"But yes," he said "the closers want Lisa very badly, and because I married her; they want me too. Lisa was at one time worked in one of the company officer's home and became privy to some stuff they don't want to see the light of day. Lisa had been on the run for nearly twenty years. They are afraid she has shared what she knows with me. Even though as the major stock holder of EBio it is something that I am entitled to know!

Because of that EBio security wants both of us!"

"Dad what are you talking about?" Jill asked. "What do you mean entitled to the information?"

Mike suddenly realized that Jill didn't understand. He took a deep breath. He had an unbelievable tale to tell. A tale he sometimes found it hard to believe. "Jill, my mother, your grandmother was the great, great, granddaughter of Thomas Hazelton. The founder of Earth Biological Engineering now called EBio.

Jill sat in stunned silence as she digested what her father had just told her. It was unbelievable. She didn't know what to make of it. The way her father told the story she knew it had to be true. Her head was swimming. She knew who the Hazelton's were. It was something she had learned in history class. They had created the bios and EBio. Were they truly heirs to that immense fortune? She couldn't fathom what that meant.

"Dad," She finally asked, "are you for real?"

"Very much so!" her father answered. "It is something that may take a while to get use to! I know it did for me!"

"And this company, that I own is trying to capture you and this Lisa," Jill asked,

"Why?"

"It's a very long story," her father answered. "The short story is that Lisa, and now

I know things that the company doesn't want the Imperial Bureau of Justice to know."

"So you've been here all this time?" Jill asked, "And I couldn't be with you?"

"Jill you had to stay on Mars with Mom," her father said softly, "As much as I wanted you with me it just wasn't safe for you. Lisa..."

"Is it this Lisa who convinced you leave me behind?" Jill cut him off.

"No," her father said sharply, "That was my decision. And mine alone. Lisa gave me all types of grief for not having you with us! It almost caused us to separate. No it wasn't Lisa. It was me. It was mostly because we didn't know where we would end up. You don't know how many times once we got settled on Trena that I almost sent for you. I knew the moment I did I would put all of us in danger."

"Am I really in that much danger," Jill asked. Her head was swimming with everything her father told her. The only thing she seemed to focus on was that a company she owned wanted to capture or kill her family.

"We are not certain," her father replied, "but we are not going take any chances. So for the moment we'll treat the situation as if you are in danger."

"And it was you," Jill asked suddenly, "not this Lisa person who left me on Mars with grand mom?"

"Yes," Her father replied remembering one of the arguments he had with Lisa over not bringing the girl with them. "If one of us didn't remain in the empire EBio would have declared us dead and take our fortune and do immense harm. Lisa gave me grief until she finally understood why you had to remain on Mars."

"Dad why did..." she started to ask why she had to stay on Mars, when her father cut her off, "I know you have many questions but they'll have to wait until things settle down."

"A planet's going to be destroyed; you have to evacuate the entire population! Just when are things going to settle down?" she asked.

"Well yes, settle down may not be quite the right words," her father chuckled, "Let's just say when things are less hectic! For the time being; leave questions about our heritage for later!"

"Okay, I guess," Jill agreed; but she didn't really agree; but knew the answers she wanted were just not going to be given to her at this time.

"But that brings us to now," Michael said, "You will be getting a protective detail. I am sorry; but it is a fact of life from now on. It's not totally because of your wealth! It is because of my job. I have been getting death threats. Not everyone thinks I am a good guy!" he chuckled, "They will go everywhere you go most of the time. One of them will be either in the back of your class room when you go back to school, or out in the hall. If you have a date they will drive you, and see to your safety."

Jill didn't know what to say. It was all too much for her to understand and take in at one time.

"Now as for your punishment," He watched her expression "Jill I don't really want to do this; but you have to learn what you did was not the brightest thing you could have done, and if it hadn't been for imperial security, and some people on the railroad you might never have gotten here. So unfortunately I have to take notice of what you did." "You're going to send me back to grand mom aren't you?" she asked.

"I should. I almost did," her father answered, "but it would be just as dangerous and truthfully the Queen and I can't afford the political fallout. Also Lisa and now that I think of it, Mylea, both had some err strong opinions of that also. Let's just say I want some peace and quiet in the house that Lisa wouldn't let me have if I sent you back."

Jill felt suddenly relieved. She even smiled realizing her longtime dream of reuniting with her father was a reality.

"You may not want to smile after I tell you what's going to happen," Her father said softly, "you are restricted to the residence at the palace. There will be a tutor to continue your studies. I know a young lady needs to get her exercise and fresh air, so you'll not be restricted to the residence all the time. The palace has some fine walking paths through the gardens and a universal class gym."

"Palace," Jill asked, "Like the palace on Earth or in the fairy tales?"

"Yes," Michael replied, "And yes you will meet my boss, who insisted that we take up residence in the palace. Don't you get any ideas! That just happens to be the safest place on the planet, and the Queen wanted to make sure that we were safe. Speaking of us, it's time to meet the rest of us."

"Lisa?" Jill asked, "Grand mom told me about her."

Wilson nodded before speaking again, "Computer would you have Lisa and Abby come in please?"

The AI heard him and announced, when the door opened, "Lady Wilson, and

daughter sir,"

"Daddy!" the four year started to run to her father as the door opened, then seeing Jill, she stopped cold before asking, "Who are you?"

"I am your big sister Jill." Jill realizing that this was the small child she had seen in the biography that she had read on the ship, Jill asked as she bent down to the child to greet her sister for the first time, "Are you Abby?"

The tow headed child nodded shyly and hugged her mother's leg.

Jill stood up to meet her step mother for the first time. Jill saw a delta bioperson before her and like all the deltas she had ever seen it was personified in Lisa and then some. Her step mother stood about 5 foot 11. She had a perfect body. She was stunned to see that pictures she had seen of her father and this woman, when they were twenty years younger, that Lisa didn't appear to have aged at all. The woman standing before her didn't appear to be the nearly fifty years old she knew her step mom to be approaching. To say Lisa was beautiful was an understatement.

"Jill," her father said softly, "this is Lisa, the lady I am married to."

"I see," Jill didn't know what to say as she observed Lisa.

"Hello," Lisa greeted her step daughter for the first time, "I guess you'll be with us for a while."

"I guess so too," Jill answered. They awkwardly stared at each other both not knowing what to say or do until her father cleared his throat.

"Well let's get your things," Lisa looked down to her daughter and picked her up. Jill noticed that the child looked sleepy. Jill picked up her small bag.

When they left the office her father turned to a young maintenance trooper whose office they had borrowed, and thanked him.

As they walked through the hangar to where the cars were parked, Jill couldn't help but feel self-conscience with the ten body guards surrounding them. Some of the men in the detail were nothing less than eye candy.

# ###

"General," A young cadet in the back of the class asked when acknowledged, "Who was this Kellogg?"

"Kellogg was a closer from EBio," the general said fondly remembering her now centuries dead friend, "He defected from EBio and became a station master on the Biopeople's Underground Railroad. He was also associated with an association on Trena that ensured that the clones on Trena didn't have to worry about closers and company personnel on Trena. His association made sure that the clones or more properly bioengineered people that immigrated to Trena were not working on closing a bioperson's file. He was wanted by the Mounties for assassinating a closer on the court house steps in McDowell. The Mounties knew he did it and we later found out that some of the biopeople in the Mounties knew where he was, or how to bring him out; but they ignored the warrant that the Crown Attorney had issued. The bios felt he had rendered justice." "Was Queen Jill in that much danger?" another cadet asked.

"To this day we don't know," The general said, "But Marshal Wilson was always a little protective of his family. He didn't over react but he certainly didn't under react."

The bell rang, and the General concluded the class, "Read chapter 4. Dismissed!"

# Chapter 4: Getting Settled

"Jill didn't know what to expect." The general began her next class after the cadets had assembled, "Serenity, as the palace was called on Trena, was not opulent, or what you would think a palace would be."

"I was reviewing the holos in the book," T'harla spoke, "The architect who designed the palace was outstanding."

"He was at that," Alice replied remembering her own first impressions. "We could spend all day talking about Serenity, and we will at a later date in another class, so let's get back to what your grandmother thought of the palace."

# ###

Although she had been told by her Aunt Mylea and her father that she would be staying at the palace she didn't know what to expect. She expected a palace out of the fairy tales of her childhood, or possibly like some of the old castles she had toured with her classmates on field trips to Earth. She expected walls several stories high, with battlements across the walls, and turrets every so often. What she didn't expect was a low wall not much taller than two people standing on top of each other tall. The wall was made of brick, and on top of it were some sort of art work. She couldn't see what it was. She couldn't see the palace grounds from street level as the wall hid them quite well from the ground level. She noticed that most of the buildings near the palace were no higher than one story. In fact as she looked out of the limo's windows she noticed that most of the buildings in Trenaport were not any higher than a couple of stories.

The limo pulled into an open gate which was flanked by a quartet of guards who were in the same type of uniform she had seen her grandmother, and father wear when they were working in the field and not in the office. After they went through the gate it was closed behind them. They were in a long corridor that went on for a couple of hundred feet with a gate at the other end. The gate at the other end was closed blocking their way. Jill didn't understand what she was seeing; but she did notice the guards on top of the wall tracking the limo with their guns. That sent a shiver down her spine. She realized then that things were tenser than her father had let on and the situation on the space station demonstrated.

Once out of the corridor, they entered onto the palace grounds proper and Jill was confused for a moment. She thought there would be a huge imposing building that was made out of marble and other heavy stones to impress visitors to the kingdom. Instead she saw a collection of buildings near the center of the grounds with several other buildings spread out among the grounds. All of the buildings were low to the ground and spread out. With the exception of the central buildings which were two stories tall and spread out a bit more than the others.

As the limo drove through grounds, Jill couldn't help but feel she was driving through an arboretum, rather than the grounds of a palace. The trees blocked the view of some the palace buildings from each other; giving the grounds a level of privacy from its inhabitants. The limo left the gardens and pulled under an overhang that spanned two low rambling buildings. Jill noticed that two cars were parked under the overhang with room for two more cars the size of the limo she was in. The overhang would prevent prying eyes from seeing how many got out of the cars and what cars. The limo parked by the building on the right. They got out of the limo and went into the building on the right.

"This must be Miss Jill," a middle aged woman with coal black waist length hair greeted the party as they walked into the house. Most of the protective detail didn't enter the building. Of the remaining agents, two took up positions on either side of the door, the red head who escorted them at the hanger stood a few feet behind her step mother. An older man seemed to stay a few steps behind her father. Jill saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw the woman from the landing craft move into a position behind her.

"Maggie," Lisa turned to the woman who had spoken, "Yes, this is my step

daughter Jill."

"Welcome to Serenity, Miss Jill," The woman greeted Jill with a slight bow.

"Thank you," Jill replied.

A lieutenant came up to her father and spoke into his ear. He nodded and turned to her, "Got to go Jill, I'll catch up with you." He hugged Lisa and left. The older man who was shadowing her father left with him.

"Let me show you to your room," Lisa offered.

Lisa led them through the spacious house that was bigger than the house Jill had lived in on Mars. It had a formal and informal dining room, a formal sitting room and a smaller casual room that the family could lounge in. There was a small study with book shelves lining the walls and two desks at opposite sides of the room. There were five bedrooms. A very large master bedroom suite with a private bath, with a small nursery sandwiched between the master bed room and a smaller third bedroom. The fourth bedroom at the end of the hall was more of a dorm room than a bed room, with two bunk beds at either end. Jill thought that was to be her room that she would share with her halfsister; but Lisa led her to a fifth bedroom that seemed almost as big as the master suite. It didn't have a private bath; but it had a small sitting area with a sofa and desk. It was bigger than any bedroom than she had ever slept in.

"Miss Jill is there anything you want?" Maggie who had helped her step mother on the tour asked.

"No I'm fine," Jill replied.

"By your leave Lady Wilson?" the woman asked.

Lisa nodded after the woman left Jill asked, "How do you want me to address you?"

Lisa said, "Abby calls me Mom, your father calls me Lisa or the Boss. Either one is okay."

Jill looked at the delta clone. Considering how her father's wife had answered her. She reflected what some of her friend had called their step parents some had called them mom others by their first name. It didn't seem right for her to call her step mother Lisa. Yet she wasn't her mother either. But she was her father's wife so she thought it was more appropriate that she call Lisa mom and asked, "How does Mom sound?"

"That works for me!" Lisa said. She turned to the woman who had been hovering around them since they had entered the home, "Jenny!" "Yes Lady Wilson," the woman came forward.

"I was hoping that my husband would do this," Lisa said, "But duty calls. Jill this is Jenny. She is your protective officer. Any time you have to leave the grounds she'll be with you. I don't like it much; but it is a fact of life."

"Jill," the woman said, "Jill my job is to keep you safe; but not to run your life. Hopefully over time you'll hardly notice that I am there. We really want to be in the background. There but not there.

"I see." Jill said not certain how to respond to her.

"In time you will not even know I am here." Jenny repeated.

Jill still didn't know what to say. She knew that her grandmother always had an escort everywhere she went, and that most of her servants on Mars were retired IRS people. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that her grandmother's escorts were always armed.

"Jenny," Lisa spoke into the silence. "We will not be going out this evening. Jill is restricted to the palace grounds unless I or her father is with her. In the morning I think one of us will show her the grounds."

"If you wish," Jenny said, "I can do that."

"We'll talk about it," Lisa remarked. Lisa didn't think it appropriate that the agent show her step daughter around the palace grounds.

"Then if you don't mind I'll be hanging out in the bull pen," the woman said.

"No problem," Lisa replied.

When they were alone Lisa shut the door to the bedroom, stealing herself for what she had to say next. She didn't want to do this; but it was her job to help Jill get settled not her husband's. She knew he would help; but running the house hold and taking care of the family had always been her part of the deal. Simply because they were living in the palace and had servants didn't mean her duties as mother, wife, and housekeeper were over.

"I know your father grounded you," Lisa spoke to the teenager, "You did something that scared the devil out of him. He was far more worried than he let on. He was also far angrier with you than he let on."

"Aunt Mylea said he was furious." Jill inject, not wanting to challenge her, but trying to acknowledge that she had not done the brightest, smartest thing she had ever done. "He was that," Lisa confirmed, "He did ground you; but he left it open ended.

Depending on you, it can end sooner as well be longer." "I understand," Jill responded.

"I don't want to be an ogre, or a wicked step mother." Lisa said, "It is not my style to be a bitch. So I want us to negotiate a couple of rules for your grounding and a couple for as long as you live with us. Is that all right with you?"

"I don't know," Jill held up her hand, "Until I hear, them that is!"

"Fair enough," Lisa replied, "Although you are restricted to the grounds, you are really restricted to our home; except for when me, or your father, take you out of here. Once or twice a day we'll either take a walk, or go swimming in the palace pool. Every so often we might go the gym. But we're going to be flexible. There may come a time when I need you to run an errand or watch over Abby for me. There will be a couple of tutors to continue your education. Some of them were the Queen's. Some of them are special hires from the Old Trena Boarding School. We found the best for you and so I hope that they are and you will enjoy the special opportunity that you are being given. Once your father is convinced you have learned your lesson you'll be going back to school."

Lisa waited to see if the girl was going to challenge her but she didn't. This stood her in good measure with Lisa.

"Is there anything you want?" Lisa asked, "I have thundered at you a bit and laid some laws down, do you have anything to say?"

"Mom," the girl said, "All I want is to be with Dad. You are a part of Dad so I don't want to piss you off. I know Dad wants to ship me back to grand mom so I am not going to do anything to make that happen."

Both of them studied each other for moment then Lisa said, "Jill we have to make this a place of refuge for your father. This job is going to kill him with the stress and the pressure. The two of us have got to get along!"

"Mom," Jill said, "I read about what is happening and what Dad's job is. I don't understand it all; but from what I read it's immense. If I can help him by not being a problem, then I'll do my best not to be that problem."

All thoughts of her becoming an aid to her father were fading away. She realized it wouldn't be possible. She made herself a vow to help her step mother create the environment that she wanted for her home and her husband.

"Good enough," Lisa replied, "Dinner won't be until about 1900. Until then your time is your own. So you might get unpacked and wander a bit about the house." Her step mother left her in her bedroom.

So Jill unpacked the one bag she had brought. It wasn't much. When she had left Mars she had thrown some clothing in her school back pack not wanting to alert her grandmother that she wasn't going to school. She had a change of clothes and a couple of changes of under garments. A T shirt she had stolen from her father years ago that said imperial marines on it and had seen better days that she used as night shirt. It took a grand total of about ten minutes to empty her bag. Once that was done she poked around her bed room for a bit.

She walked to the window. The window didn't allow her to see much. Because the building wasn't extremely tall and her room was so close to the ground she couldn't see much. A privacy fence blocked her view of the rest of the palace grounds she might have been able to see. A flower garden wandered along the base of the fence. It looked almost unkempt to Jill until she noticed that wildness was mixed with very well maintained beds. She was tempted to go the garden, but remembered she was grounded to the house. As she observed the garden she saw the woman who had introduced herself as Maggie cutting various blooms and such. She wondered what she was going to do with them. The window had a padded place big enough to sit on. That was where she spent the rest of the afternoon.

As she sat in the window box seat she considered all that had happened to her over the last few days. The travel from Mars, and the incident with Thunder on Rio Lobo; but mostly she considered what her father had said to her about her legacy.

Heir to the Hazelton fortune, her father had said. She of course knew who the Hazelton's were. She just didn't know that they were connected to her family. Hazelton was the name of the family that owned Earth Biological Engineering, mostly known as EBio. They had made their fortune by rediscovering the method to create clones or biopeople as they were called. It had been lost for centuries when Earth had gone through a dark period. When religious zealots had taken over the Earth for a century or so a lot of technology had been lost. Especially in the biological sciences which had been prescribed by the religious rulers of Earth. Shortly after star flight had been discovered Tomas Hazelton had also found the research on bioengineering and a few years later had developed the first clone. Years later he had been able to patent the whole process.

But it wasn't until Earth was colonizing other worlds and there weren't enough people willing to go to these worlds that Hazelton made his fortune. So Hazelton seeing an opportunity; developed a mass production of his process and soon thousands of clones were being produced. Although slavery was illegal in the fledgling empire, it had been determined that the owning of bioengineered beings was not slavery; as the bioengineered human beings were lab creations not natural, and could be patented and therefore owned. This was how Hazelton made his first several millions. That had been five centuries ago. Now the fortune was worth literally trillions of imperials.

So she was the heir to all of that. She was surprised that she hadn't heard of it. That no one had mentioned to her that she was the heir. Or for that matter when her father had been in the news, like he was when he was made Knight Commander of the Earth Empire, the news media didn't mention he was the heir to the EBio fortune. She then knew that her grandmother Wilson had been part of the conspiracy to keep this from her. Now she suspected that her search for information about her father had been filtered so as not to tell her about their connection with EBio.

As she sat in the in the window box watching the sun set, she realized that she had assumed that it was her grandmother's retirement that took care of them on Mars. It couldn't have been now that she thought about it. Now as a retired two star admiral her grandmother's pension was nothing to sneeze at, but it was in no way sufficient to even pay for the upkeep on their large estate on Mars. Her grandmother had tossed it off as she had saved well when she was in the service and a couple of people had given her gifts for what she had done for them or their nation when she helped them. Her yacht had been the gift of a prince when her grandmother had flown the ship back to his world when his crew had become sick and the prince didn't know how to fly it himself.

She thought back to her time on Mars and realized she had never wanted for anything. But she had never had extravagant things either. When she really wanted something she would have to negotiate with her grandmother and would have to earn it. Sometimes it meant extra chores around the house, or babysitting some kids of the students and instructors from PriFly where her grandmother had been the commander. She had always had the things she needed, maybe not all the things she wanted, but certainly the things she needed.

As she sat in the window box going over what her father had said to her she kept coming back to one thing, that someone from the company she owned wanted her father and step mother dead. She wondered did that mean she was paying someone to kill her parents. Why did they want them dead? Did they want her dead also?

"Jill," A voice broke in on her thoughts. She turned and saw someone she had not seen in years. Lamile Atomi. When their parents had been stationed on Station Thirty, and later when her father had helped to stand up the Companions they had been nearly inseparable.

"Lamile," She closed up her diary, and got up to run over to where the six foot two thonian girl stood. She hugged the slightly younger and taller alien girl. The only real difference between the two girls was that Lamiae's hair was gray and she was taller with a huskier frame and the fact that she had four breasts instead of two. Even then in some outfits there was no real visual difference between the two species. Lamile had on a long sleeved blouse with a high neck line and an ankle length skirt that made her appear more like an earth girl than a Thonian. The clothing she had on covered almost every part of her. The skirt went almost to the floor, and the blouse was buttoned most of the way up exposing only her throat but not; her cleavage. Jill remembered other thonian girls who dressed the same way. Lamile was dressed modestly and chastely, as was the custom for unmarried thonian girls. This was the first time Jill had seen her friend since she had matured. "You look good!"

"So do you!" Lamile said. "You mad at me because I haven't written?"

"Then shouldn't you be mad at me for the same reason?" Jill asked. "Tell me what's happened to you. How did you get here?"

"We came here are after my father's death." Lamile said, "Mom was lucky to be alive after that guy shot him. But even so the space force wouldn't let her remain in uniform. So we came here."

"Uncle Garth's dead?" Jill asked. She remembered the quiet bear of a man who was her friend's father. She remembered the times that Garth had tried to teach her Thonian. Of the times he gave her piggy back rides around the house. He was so gentle! That was the thing she remembered the most about him. He had been the co commander of the Companions. He and Aunt Mylea had been the first command team of the unit. She had been 9 at the time when they had stood up that unit. "I am so sorry. I'll miss him. Your mother seems okay."

"She shouldn't even be alive, Jill." Lamile said sitting down, "Often the death of a lifemate kills them both. The doctors think that because of the instance of dad's death that it severed the Aqaut cleanly, and mom was not actively sharing Dad's thoughts at the time she was not hit with the death shock. They don't really know!"

"How is she really doing," Jill asked. "I was surprised to see her this morning. Now doubly so!"

"She's doing okay," Lamile said, "I don't get to see her much as she is spending so much time with the evacuation command. She seems to like it though." "Hey you girls coming to dinner," Lisa poked her head into the room.

"Oh I was supposed to get you," Lamile said sheepishly.

"Let's go!" Jill said.

The two followed Lisa to the dining room where the rest of the family and Mylea were waiting for them. They ate a quiet dinner.

# ###

The next morning, Maggie was listening to one of the young women who helped her maintain the large house. "Maggie, I went to go into Miss Jill's room thinking to clean it up; but it was neat!"

"That should make you job easier then!" Maggie said a little exasperated. This was something that was good to hear but not something she needed to hear at the moment. She was in the middle of adjusting the menus since Jill was around, she wasn't sure she wasn't going to have to go and get more groceries just to feed the young girl. She had no idea what the girl liked or didn't like.

"Oh that's not the problem!" the maid said, "I thought I would get her things in the laundry. I found clothing hanging from a make shift clothes line. She took the drapery pull and had pulled it over to a chair and had hung her clothing on it. She doesn't have much."

"Oh," Maggie said. "I wonder if Lady Wilson knows."

"Knows what?" Lisa came into the kitchen where Maggie was working. They had planned to meet and go over the menus. It was one of the things that the two of them did every couple of days.

The maid told Lisa what she had found. Lisa asked her to show her what she had found. They went to Jill's bedroom. Lisa knocked on the door when there was no answer she went in. She found what the maid had said she had seen. They were about to leave when Jill came in.

"Hi mom," Jill greeted her step mother wondering why she was in her room.

"Thank you Joan," Lisa said dismissing the maid. The maid left allowing Lisa to speak with her step daughter in private. Lisa knew of course what the girl was doing. She had done it herself when she herself was on the run.

Lisa pondered what to do next. She was in a quandary if she had not been in the room when Jill had come back she would have found some other way to get the girl some clothing. She didn't want the girl to think they were watching her every move. That would not be a good way to build the trust she needed to have with her step daughter. Finally Lisa said, "Jill we do have a laundry service here. All you have to do is put things in the hamper." "But I ..." Jill started, "I didn't know how long it would take and I..." "Is this all you have?" Lisa interrupted the young woman.

"Yes," Jill replied.

"Let's take a walk," Lisa asked. She knew how to fix the problem in the short term.

They left the residence and walked across the well-kept grounds. As they walked across the grounds it surprised Jill to see that the landscape was almost natural looking with woods and gardens everywhere. It reminded Jill of an arboretum. In time they came to a small indistinct building in a corner of the grounds. Jill was surprised when they entered the building to find it laid out as a small mercantile. It was the palace PX catering to the palace staff. Lisa had been out clearing her head when she had found it. It wasn't that big; but she had been surprised to find it had a little bit of everything, including some clothing. "What is this," Jill asked.

"It's a post exchange." Lisa said, "We're going to get you at least one change of clothing, and some under things. Later we'll go out to a place in town."

"Lamile was telling me about a place called Molly's where she gets her things." Jill said as they went up the steps.

"I've been there with her," Lisa replied. She had treated the young woman there on her birthday. It had been Lamile's suggestion. It had been a nice place, with clothing for both teenage thonians and earthlings. It was also a place that they wouldn't be expected to show up at. It was a small out of the way clothier in Mylea's neighborhood. Not the glitzy shops that she would be expected to shop at now that she was one of the Royals. "I think you'll like it."

They quickly made their purchases and left. As they walked back to the residence, Lisa spoke softly, "Jill I am sorry, I shouldn't have entered your room the way I did. Joan found your clothes line, and she was telling Maggie when I walked in on them."

Jill was quiet. Not knowing what to say to Lisa. Her grandmother had always let her have her space. She would never enter her room without first knocking unless the door was open even then she would knock. She suspected that a time or two her grandmother had been in the room when she wasn't there; but didn't confront her with it. She learned to if not to hide things she didn't want her grandmother to find, to make them harder for grandmother to find them.

"Joan's job is not to spy on you," Lisa continued, "But if she sees something she will report it."

"I know mom," Jill said, her grandmother's servants had done the same thing.

"The next time," Lisa said suddenly, "come to me so we don't put Joan in a position where she has to report her observations!" "Okay," Jill said.

The next morning Jill came into her room to find Joan dusting.

"Good morning Joan." Jill said.

"Good morning, Miss Jill." The maid said hesitantly.

"Thank you for looking after me so well," Jill remarked, "I don't know what Mom and Miss Maggie have told you; but can we make a deal." "What type of deal?" Joan asked hesitantly.

"I'll tidy up after myself," Jill said, "and if I need anything to go to the laundry I'll put it in this hamper. That way you won't have to mess too much in here."

"I still have to check the room." Joan replied, "Miss Lewis will have my head if I don't!"

"I guess what I am saying is that I don't need much looking after and if I need help with something I get you and ask for your help." Jill asked. With her back to the door as she spoke to the maid, she didn't see Maggie stop and listen to the exchange, "Will that be all right with you?"

Joan who saw Maggie, hesitated for a moment as if thinking, watched her supervisor's reaction. She saw Maggie nod and answered the girl, "Okay. This will be our secret."

# ###

"Jill," Lisa came into the study where Jill was quietly studying one midafternoon a few days later, "we're having company for dinner tonight. It'll be a little late, maybe 1900.

Abby will eat early, but I would like you to join us."

"Okay," Jill said "Who's the company?"

"Mylea, Princess Carroll, and Aggie," Lisa replied.

Jill didn't say that it sounded like an adult only party, instead she asked, "Do I have to dress?"

"It's not formal," Lisa said, "usually we have dinner with a couple of your father's staff two or three times a week. I started it a couple of weeks back so your father has a chance to have an evening meal with me."

She didn't know what to expect when she came into the dining room later. The officers who had shared her grandmother's table at times had been very formal. Normally they were in uniforms of one sort or another. They always addressed her grandmother as Admiral, or Admiral Wilson. It was as if they were still on duty or that her grandmother even though retired was still in their chain of command. The first shock came when a young woman only a few years older than herself came in and flopped down in one of the chairs. As she sat down, Lisa came in. The young woman asked, "Is there anything I can do to help Lisa?"

"No, me and Maggie's got it handled." Lisa said bringing in a hand full of silver ware. Jill knew that her step mother asked that the table never be set except when a meal was being served. Lisa handed Jill some silverware, and Jill taking her cue and set the table as Lisa went back to the kitchen.

"You must be Jill," the young woman said taking a place setting from the teenager's hands.

"Yes," Jill said setting the place next to the woman.

"I am Aggie." Aggie said.

"Oh yeah," Jill said finally recognizing who the young woman was. She was dressed in very casual clothes, almost as casual as Jill was dressed herself, "Your majesty!"

"Jill, in this place it's Aggie," the young woman said, "And thank you for not recognizing me."

"I really didn't," Jill said, "The last time I saw you it was on the broadcast when you announced the evacuation, and introduced Dad. You were dressed a lot differently than now."

"I was at that!" the young woman said. "That night in particular was not a good night." She shuddered. That night was not one of the better nights of her rule. She decided to change the subject, "I read the transcript from Trena Diplomatic Security on your travels. It amazed me that you got here without any real trouble."

"Every time I talk to someone I find out they know more about my travels than I do!" Jill remarked.

The Queen chuckled then said, "It's hard being a teenager in this place Jill. Every time I did something, Larry Mercer, my regent, would somehow found out. My detail would generally not report my girlish pranks, but sometimes they had to come clean when confronted. I know a little bit of what you are going through. The report was typical of something I get every morning. Being the Marshal's daughter, you were an item the minute we knew you were on your way here. Later seeing how agitated your father was I asked to be kept appraised."

"I see," Jill set the glassware out for dinner.

"Jill," The queen said, "Simply because your father is so important to the people of Trena now, I take a special interest in him and his family. But that doesn't mean I will have people reporting on you every day. I have too much to do to for that. Besides, remember I know how hard it is to be a teenager in this fish bowl. But there are ways to get around certain eyes and ears. Isn't that right Page?"

"Your majesty," Page the AI who ran the palace support services spoke, "A long time ago you swore me to secrecy. Do you really want me to break my vow of secrecy now; in front of Miss Jill?"

"No, I guess not." Aggie chuckled and turned to the young girl beside her, "if you need anything look me up. I'll be around if you need something. I know what it is like to be a teenager in this place."

"Okay," Jill said, later she and Aggie were bridge partners and did a fair job of putting it to her father and Mylea. It was the first of many nights that she and Aggie would team up to take it to the adults. She would never forget the time she and Aggie played tennis against two of the protective detail. Jill and Queen Agatha began a friendship that would last a lifetime.

###

It was early evening and Princess Lisa was at her study carol in her dorm her full concentration on the first Queen's diary.

"I've been on Trena for a week now," Jill had written, "I haven't seen a lot of Dad. He's been awfully busy. He is often gone before I am out of bed, and I am usually out of bed by seven. Often he comes home after Abby is in bed. I am settling in. I thought I would be cooped up in the residence, but I've not had a chance to feel that way. Lisa was right. I didn't know what to expect from the tutors. I had visions of stern old men or woman. Whose instructional style was my way or the highway! They aren't. Professor Ta'men, a thonian is my civics teacher. He's about fifty, he gives me a reading assignment and the next time we meet we discuss the reading as we walk the palace grounds. Then Mrs. Shelagh, my math teacher, has made math come alive for me in ways I never imagined. Using real world problems and how math can be used to solve them.

"When I am not being tutored," Jill had written, "I explore this wonderful building. Mom and Maggie gave me the nickel tour the first day I was here, but they didn't show me the entire building. I found out this is the Queen Mum's home. The home where the queen's mother or grandmother would live after the king died. I really don't understand it. I found a small study or den tucked in the back of the residence that looks out onto the gardens. I found Lisa quietly lounging on one of the lounges in the study. I found that this was her sanctuary.

"Speaking of Lisa," Queen Jill had written. "This is from a couple of days after she had begun living in Serenity."

"I was all prepared to hate Lisa. She was after all the reason why Dad left me behind on Mars all those years ago. But I can't. She has been trying to let me have my space and yet she is trying hard to be there. I have been trying to not cause any problems. Dad doesn't need me to cause any problems. If me, and Lisa, well Mom, get into it it'll cause problems and Dad will send me back to Mars. So when I came back to my room and found her and the maid looking at my laundry she didn't get mad at me she just took me to the palace PX and helped me get some clothes. She was concerned that I not put Joan in a position again.

"I have tried to help with Abby. My step sister is a little shy around me when I talked with Sally McBride, Abby's agent, she said it took a while for her to get in Abby's good graces. So it will take some time I guess. But she is such a cute kid.

"I have been observing Dad and Lisa's relationship. I see that there is real affection between them. She really cares about my father. Sometimes, when dad gets home early and we are all in the family, they often sit on the sofa with Lisa's head usually on Dad's shoulder. Both of them content to be just sitting together on the sofa. I can't think of anyone who I know is as close they are.

"Lisa is also making me feel welcomed in her home. I don't know if I was in Mom's place, if I would be so generous and welcoming if my estranged step daughter showed up on my door step. She has made me feel welcomed. She has found time for me every day if only to share a cup of tea or a walk in the beautiful gardens around Serenity. I think though, that she is getting some cabin fever. She hasn't gotten out of the palace since I have been here except to see Princess Carroll.
Chapter 5: Am I Really That Rich?

"Can you imagine what it would be like to suddenly find out that you were rich, but very rich?" the General Jones asked at the beginning of their next class. "For all your life you lived with your grandmother or father, who were both members of the imperial armed forces. You are a service brat. Not a rich kid with a silver spoon. So when you are reunited with your father you're told that you are the heir to Thomas Hazelton and never have to work a day in your life."

"That would be mind blowing," One of the cadets commented.

"It would be like winning the Rio Lobe Lottery, and the very next day discovering a large vein of silvered platinum!" Another remarked. "It would change your life."

"It would," General Jones said, "and it did for Jill; but not in the way you would think!"

###

"Jill," Princess Carroll said after one of the dinners, "Can you stop by the embassy tomorrow?"

"The embassy," Jill asked. "Not Fletcher?"

"Yes," The Princes said, "The quarterly report on your finances has arrived and I thought it would be a good idea to go over it with you. I am going to borrow Ambassador Gray's staff, to help me go over it with you. Usually I have Stanley Prescott go over it with me; but alas he is on Mars and we are here. Even after five years I sometimes still have trouble understanding the report that EBio and the other companies you own generate.

So if you can come over to the embassy, we'll spend a couple of hours going over it."

"Sure," Jill said, "Dad, Mom, okay if I miss part of school tomorrow?"

"It's okay Jill," Lisa answered. At first she thought she and Mike could go over the reports with her step daughter, but after discussing it with Princess Carroll, she realized that there was no way she could do a good job of it. She thought about having Francine, her personal secretary help, as Francine was very astute when it came to such things; but Francine said that it was really the Princess' duty to explain it to Jill.

"I may tag along." Lisa said, "The Princess is not going to be around forever and me or your father should know what's going on so maybe we can answer your questions when Carroll's not here."

That surprised the Princess. Lisa of course knew about the infatuation that the she had with her husband many years before they had married; when she was on her maiden tour as a Black Guard Lieutenant. While Lisa had never shown any jealously toward her, their relationship was not as cordial as the Princess would have liked. Even though it had been the Princess who had made sure that they could leave the empire years before.

"If that's okay Carroll," Lisa asked.

"Certainly Lisa," The princess replied.

# ###

The next day Jill and Lisa with their details went to the Earth Embassy. As they approached the embassy they saw a long line of people snaking out of the embassy's gates and down the side walk before the walled complex. Lisa, who always had a camera with her, took several pictures of the people waiting to go into the embassy. When the guards saw the limo with its escort and the shield of the Trenan Monarchy on its doors, they were passed into the compound with barely a security check.

"Are all those people seeking passage off world from the Empire," Georgia asked.

"Yes," Jill replied, "They are mostly Terran citizens. It was on the news net a week ago. I hadn't realized how many people that really is. The Empire will transport their citizens to an imperial world according to the news; but they have to prove they are either citizens of Earth, or have relatives in the empire. They will even accept people who have given up their Imperial citizenship. Providing there are no warrants for their arrest." "You seem to know quite a bit about this," Lisa asked as they got out of the limo.

"Just something I saw on the holo," Jill replied.

They entered the building and were met by the ambassador herself. Amanda Gray had dined at their table over the last couple of weeks, but Lisa hadn't gotten to know her that well. She was an older woman nearly seventy with brunette hair streaked with gray. She stood barley five feet six inches tall. She held one of the most important diplomatic posts for the Earth Empire.

"Good afternoon Lady Wilson," The ambassador greeted them.

"Good afternoon Ambassador," Lisa returned, and turned to Jill, "Ambassador

Gray this is my daughter, Jill. Jill this is Ambassador Gray."

"It's been a while Jill, but I remember you when you were a little girl." The ambassador replied.

"I didn't know you knew each other," Lisa stated.

"Not really," The ambassador answered, "Jill couldn't have been much more than five when I was home for a while and I had a chance to have dinner with her grandmother.

She and I were roommates at the academy."

"It seems that a lot of people know about me or my father," Jill remarked.

"It is a small community Jill," The ambassador replied. "I've known your father for years. Ever since Joy introduced him to me years before you were born."

She led them up to the second floor on a stair case that looked like it had come out of a historical drama. The wide stair case swept up from the main floor to an ornate balcony that looked over the lobby of the embassy. As they stepped onto the balcony Georgia looked to Jenny who nodded. They both had thought the same thing. It would be a great place to defend the lobby from if they had to. They entered the conference room and there Jill was surprised to see that General Alpine was not dressed in a uniform. The Princess was in a skirt and a simple blouse that set off her auburn hair and green eyes.

"Hello," the future empress of the Earth Empire greeted them.

"Hello," Jill said not knowing how to address the older woman. It was easy when she had her uniform on. "This will be the first time I have heard any of this Princess."

"Jill," the princess started, "I know Jill. I'll try to help you understand it all." "Thank you Princess," Jill replied.

"Although I am Princess Carroll and you are one of my father's subjects, in this instance I work for you." The princess spoke to her ward, "In this room I work for you. Please call me Carroll."

Jill understood what the older woman was trying to do. By lowering the barrier of the princess' station in life and her own being one of her subjects. Jill wasn't sure she could call the older woman by her christian name. She nodded.

"I represent your financial interests." The princess continued, "My job is to manage your wealth, and help you understand what your finances look like. Today we begin something that should have been started years ago, but your grandmother, and I both felt that it wasn't time to tell you what you are worth."

"Why now," Jill asked taking the seat that the woman pointed to. Her step mother sat down next to her.

"When you ran away from Mars, we realized that you are no longer a child, and that if you are to be master of this you had to start understanding what we have done in your name, and so you can begin to direct your portfolio." The general who was old enough to be her mother responded.

"I see," Jill replied. "So where do we begin?"

"Let's talk about your guardianship," the general answered. "When your father left the empire, knowing he couldn't manage the fortune that he was blessed with, or as he says cursed with, he developed a trust to manage it. The trust is in your name, and is set up in such away so that it covered all your expenses. Your father named me and your grandmother to be the trustees of that fund, and set it up in such a way that should you come to any grief, the fund was to be put into about thirty charities that helped people like Lisa, and others in the bio engineering community."

Lisa had known that her husband had set up the trust, and that his step mother, and the Princess were trustees of it; but hadn't known how he had set it up. She wasn't surprised though, that he had set it up so that Earth Biological would not benefit from his daughter's death.

"EBio had a fit over some of the provisions of the trust." Princess Carroll continued,

"You own a full eighty percent of the company stock. That alone makes you a billionaire." "That's billionaire with a B," Jill asked.

"Yes," Princess Carroll answered, "But that is only EBio stock, because of how the company did things, you have real assets of another couple of billion. You own things like interstellar star ships. You own several dozen buildings in the empire. Maybe a planet or two also!"

Both Lisa and Jill were dumbfounded, Lisa had had some idea that her husband was very rich, but had no idea he was that rich. To Jill this was all a revelation. She didn't know how to respond to it.

As if reading her mind the princess said, "I know it's a lot to take in. In time though, you will understand it. For now though, it's important that you understand that me and your grandmother manage your trust fund and that we don't do it alone. We couldn't! So we hired an accountant, and a financial manager to help us. Every quarter they send us a report on what they have done. To keep them honest, I usually go over the report with Stanley Prescott who knows how to interpret the report. They brief me and your grandmother on what's in it. I do though, sit and read the thing from cover to cover after they get done."

"Oh I remember now," Jill said, "Sometimes you and grandmother would have dinner. I always thought that the guy accompanying you a friend of grand mom's and yours!"

"Stanley," The princess smiled, "Is a good friend. I wish he was here now. But alas he isn't. So I am borrowing some of the Ambassador's staff to help me go over this report with you."

For the rest of the afternoon the princess and a couple of the embassy's accountants went over the financial report with Jill and her step mother. Towards midafternoon when they took a break Lisa turned to Jill with the princess out of the room, "Is your head swimming?"

"A bit," Jill replied, "You?"

"Jill, I got lost very quickly," Lisa said getting a strange look from her step daughter.

"Mom your IQ is what 190 or something?" Jill asked.

"I know," Lisa said, "But I learned just enough to handle my finances, and keep mine and your father's bills paid. Sometimes I still mess up! Simply because I am a genius doesn't mean I am one when it comes to money, now physical therapy I am your girl, but this stuff no way!"

Jill chuckled it was the first time she had ever heard her step mother admit to not being able to do something. "Mom, how do I thank the princess? She took on something she didn't have to?"

"Jill," the Princess came back into the room, "I most certainly had to!" "Why?" Jill asked, "Surely this is a lot of extra work."

"You're Sarge's daughter." The Princess held up her hand to quiet Jill for a bit, "He was my platoon sergeant when I came out of Beast Barracks. I had forced my way into the Black Guard. I really had no business being there. Somehow I got through beast without being killed! Then Dad pulled a string or two. He had heard about a young sergeant who was hot shit! He had trained a couple of officers when they came out of Beast. Dad felt that Mike was the best in the business and while he was quite willing to let his daughter become a marine, and later a Black Guardsmen, he wasn't willing to let me be trained by some sergeant that didn't know his business. Your father didn't want me in the platoon. He thought that I would be a liability. He even went to the division commander asking that I be reassigned. No such luck. So reluctantly Mike took me on, teaching me what the Academy didn't and what Beast hadn't." She paused, there was a lot more but she wasn't going to tell her ward all of it. Especially with Lisa in the room! Though Carroll was certain that the older woman knew of the infatuation she once had with her husband, "Your father taught me that being an officer was more than knowing the rules, and regulations and being bossy. Not only how to plan a battle; but how to take care of the troops, the marines entrusted to me. He taught me how to take care of my people and how to bring them back home.

"He also got me out some hairy stuff," the princess said, "Real hairy! I owed him big time. I couldn't say no to him. Trust me though when I say I thought hard about his request, talking with my father over the situation, and your grandmother. But in the end I

couldn't say no! "

The princess was quiet for a while then said, "Jill it hasn't been that tough, and in some respects it's been a good deal for me. I enjoy it." "Enjoy it?" Lisa asked.

"I or the Admiral attend several EBio board meetings a year," The princess said with a wicked smile, "can you image what some of those folks think when they see me or the admiral sitting at the table. The only better thing would be having Lisa here sitting there."

Lisa smiled at the mere thought of being in the same board rooms with some of the people who had ordered her to be killed and her fellow clones. That would indeed be interesting!

Jill saw her step mother's smile and wondered what it was all about. The general said "Now let's continue."

"Princess," Jill said, "I am having trouble following some this stuff," Jill looked to Lisa, "so is Mom."

"I understand," her trustee responded, "But we're actually coming to the easy part."

Later as they were wrapping up Jill turned to the older woman and said, "This was the easy part?"

"Do you want to go over the early part again," the princess asked.

"No, I guess not," Jill replied, "I am getting a bit of a handle on it though."

"Oh," Lisa commented, she wasn't certain that she had even a partial handle on it.

"Yes I own around 80 percent of EBio's stock, and stock in twenty or thirty other companies. Some as diverse as interstellar shipping lines, some biotech companies, there's even a company that builds AIs. Because of what my great grandfather did there is some company property that is owned by me and is leased back to the company. But you know what is really strange and sad, is that I don't own a single ship yard, and that none of the ships I own are close enough to Trena to make a difference here!"

Princess Carroll listened to what the girl said and commented, "You got the generalities of it. All the ships you own are on the other side of the empire and would take maybe two months to get here."

"Princess how much direction can I give you?" Jill asked.

"Some," The princess replied, "I will listen to what you have to say, and if it is something that I feel is inappropriate I will discuss it with you and once we have come to a compromise I'll carry your wishes out. But be warned I do know what the meaning of the word NO is. Your grandmother and I must be in full agreement before anything with your fortune is done. Worse comes to worse a judge will be the tie breaker. So far we haven't had to do that."

"How long will you be my Trustee," Jill asked.

"Until you are twenty five years old," The princess said.

"What happens if you or grand mom dies?" Jill asked.

"My heir becomes your trustee," the princess said thinking the question was a good one, "My heir is my son Max, Though at 10 he is much too young to be your trustee, what

I have done is ask Ned my husband to be your trustee should I die."

"Dad's grand mom's heir," Jill said, "I saw her will once and Dad is named as her heir as am I."

"Your grandmother asked my father to be your trustee, should she die before the trust is completed," The princess replied.

She was speechless as pondered the realities of who her trustees would be if her grandmother or Princess Carroll died. Finally he thoughts settle down she felt she needed to give the princess some direction.

"Princess," Jill spoke, "I want whenever possible for my companies to help the people of Trena. I also want you to lease or buy any ship we can to help these people." The princess looked at her ward and said, "Jill, I will do what I can; but a lot star lift suddenly became unavailable when the insurance companies refused to carry anyone working in this system."

"Do what you can," Jill said. In the short period of time that she had been on Trena she wanted to do anything she could for the people of Trena. Unfortunately, there was just so much she could do. Both she and Lamile had wanted to help, but there was nothing that the crown or her father had set up for kids to help with.

"I think that's all we have to discuss," Carroll said then as she began straightening things up on the table then she spied an envelope, "Oh I almost forget this!"

Jill and Lisa who were getting to their feet to leave stopped in their tracks.

"Jill, I had long talk with your father, and since I couldn't get with your grandmother, I talked with a couple of people who I have come to trust since I have been here. Most notably Lord Mercer, Queen Agatha's regent and guardian. They were of the opinion that you should be given an allowance."

"But Dad and Lisa give me a hundred crowns a month," Jill said, she had been surprised when her father had given her a card telling her it was her allowance a week or so back.

"I know," Carroll said, "But this is drawn on your fortune. I've set up a line of credit for you here on Trena in the Bank of Terra. There is a five hundred credit limit on it. Any purchase greater than fifty crowns won't go through until I approve it. Failing that Lisa or your father can approve it. Once a month the bank will automatically be paid for what you have spent, and keep your limit at 500. But it won't do that until the early hours on the first of month. If you go over your limit early in the month, that's your tough luck until the first."

"I see," Jill said. "Thank you Princess."

"You are welcomed," Princess Carroll replied, "Jill we will make this work. Is there anything else?"

"No. I think not," Lisa said.

"Not quite," Jill suddenly said. "I want you to send a message from me to the CEO telling her that I am ordering the closer operation closed! And she is to share with the IBJ what she knows about any crimes they may have committed. More importantly she is to recall the closer team hunting Dad and Lisa!"

"I have already told the CEO to pull the closers," The princess bristled, "and so has Admiral So far the CEO has been unable to complete that directive. The security operation is independent and not even the CEO has been able to rein in the Closers."

"I see," Jill responded seeing how her request upset the Princess. "I should have known you would be trying to keep those people from harming mom and dad. So I guess there is nothing anyone can do?"

"We are watching," Princess Carroll spoke to her ward, "and we have made it known to everyone we want her, dead or alive. Every cop on and off the planet is searching for her. I have the Imperial Bureau of Justice, and the Corps de Chameleon looking for this closer team. We have also beefed up security around your family. Right now it is really the best we can do!"

"I see," Jill said resigned to the fact there was nothing she could do to stop the Closers. "Thank you Carroll.

Finished they left the conference room. When they were back outside, Lisa ducked into the limo for a second and came back out with her camera. She took several pictures of the people waiting to be seen by the repatriation offices of the Embassy. They got back into the limo and left for the palace.

# ###

The general concluded her lecture and asked the class if there were any questions.

"What I find interesting," the princess injected, "was grand mom's reaction to everything."

"I didn't know the queen then," the general replied, "but from what I know her outward appearance was cool, calm and collected."

"Her diaries from the period were interesting," the princess continued, "I was reading last night that grand mom was...well let me read some stuff from them.

"When we went to see Princess Carroll I was surprised that mom was lost on the financial things," The princess paused and found the entire class listening to her. Continuing, "I am still amazed at the revelation of being so rich. It is hard for me to realize that I own part of EBio. When the Princess showed me the books it blew me away. But what is really upsetting me is that the company I am owner of wants to harm my dad and mom. I don't know why they would do that! I have asked the princess to see what she can do about it; but there isn't anything she can do about the Closers. The money is blowing my mind away. I want to find some way to use it to help the people of Trena. I am not certain the Princess will let me spend what I think I should; but I haven't broached it with her. I don't know if I can call her direct to ask her to do things I want to do. From what Dad has commented on she is very busy helping secure Imperial resources for the evacuation and acting as what does Dad say oh yeah the SpecWar team lead."

As Princess Lisa stopped reading, she looked around at her classmates and could see that many of them saw that their great grandmother wasn't the cool calm collected young lady their text portrayed as.
Chapter 6: What Would Become Of Her?

Lamile Mitchum eagerly walked to class. She wanted to hear today's lecture. Today's lecture was on chapter six of their text. Chapter six not only discussed her name sake, Lamile, but also her grandmother Valerie. She wasn't so lost in thought to forget to square her corners as she walked to the classroom. She had witnessed one of the senior year cadets fail to square his corners and one of the instructors had caught him. He got five demerits in his butcher bill earlier in the week. She knew he would be walking them off on the tenderizer. That piece of very hard pavement that she was familiar with. Having spent many an evening after evening rats being tenderized as she walked off her demerits!

She entered the classroom, thankfully before the General had arrived. If the general had begun her lecture she would have to stand at attention outside the class room for the entire class period. She would pick up ten chops in her bill, five for being tardy, and five for missing the class. That had gotten her some of her tenderizing tours. Lately she had not picked up any chops for being late to class. Sometimes just barely making it before the instructor had entered the classroom and began their lecture!

Now as she took her seat, she saw that Princess Lisa had just sat down also. Her nephews and nieces were already there. It was hard to believe she was an aunt to the princess. The same year that Princess Lisa had been born, she was born to Robert Mitchum, her father, the great grandson of Abigail and Robert Mitchum. That had been 19 years ago. She had grown up with the princess and her nephews and nieces. Sometimes the six of them had gotten into so much trouble they had been grounded as a group for weeks on end. As she reflected on this she realized all of them had continued their mischief at the academy. Spending more time before the mast than any other first year's in their class. Between her tardiness and a couple the boys' jokes they were being well tenderized!

The general walked in bringing the room to attention. When the room settled down the general began her lecture.

"Besides Queen Jill," The general spoke, "two other young people helped to establish our academy. Lamile Atomi and Valerie Mitchum were instrumental in how our academy came about. Often over shadowed by our first queen, Valerie Mitchum had a profound effect on the formation of the academy. I was not around when Mitch first came to the attention of the authorities. If it hadn't been for the closers Mitch might never have become a police officer."

# ###

"I can't believe that school is still in session," T'ger, a thonian teenager commented as he sat down with them as they boarded the city bus to take them to their neighborhood,

"You would think that they would close school because so many of us are staying home."

"Yeah," Lamile remarked, "A lot of the guys are staying home."

"That would be cool," another kid was saying, "Not having to deal with Mr.

Kilner's biology class would be great. Dissecting that frog, even a virtual one was gross!" "You're friends with Marshal Wilson aren't you Lam," one of the girls asked.

"I've known Uncle Mike since I was born," Lamile answered. "He's been like a dad since my father was killed."

"That's right," one of the thonians commented, "your father died almost a crimen ago. Things seem so normal with you it's hard to believe that your family is still in mourning."

"Yes," Lamile agreed. Normal wasn't the right word though. Her father had been killed almost three earth years ago, a crimen, as her people's called their year. Her mother was still in mourning for her father and would be for at least one more sub crimen, a couple of months the way her human friends divided their crimens. The mourning period was not cultural, it was physiological. The aqaut, which had made her mother and father telepathic and empathic with each other, took a full crimen to dissipate in the surviving lifemate. Normally when a lifemate dies, their lifemate dies also. That was because the couple often died of shared illness, or old age. Her mother was one of rare exceptions. As her father had been killed suddenly, his death shock didn't kill her. Her father's death nearly a crimen ago, her mother's period of morning, and healing was drawing to a close. Already she could see the difference in her mother.

Now a couple of months from the end her mother's mourning her mother was if not back to her old self was changed for the better. She was already noticing that her mother didn't look as haunted as she did when they had first arrived on Trena.

"You've known the Marshal all your life then," one of boys interrupted her thoughts. "Isn't he spooky being a Black Guardsman? I've met a couple of them they are spooky to be around. Like Mr. Rice."

Mr. Rice their civics teacher was indeed spooky to be around. He would be the cafeteria monitor during lunch and would defuse a situation before it became one. Talking to the kids involved, or removing the would be offender before the kid acted out. The kids loved him as he wasn't like some of the other retired military and who were hard cases with the kids. She had never thought of her Uncle Mike was spooky. He was just Uncle Mike!

"No he's not spooky," Lamile replied, "He's just Uncle Mike! He was only a Guardsman for few years. He became an MP after that. I've never known him as a Guardsman."

"Remember when," one of the boys spoke up, "he and Mrs. Wilson threw a birth day party for you last year. He's cool!"

A couple of the kids chuckled as they remembered the joke they had tried to pull on her uncle. They threw a water bubble at him. It was a bubble with some water in it. Like the centuries old water balloon prank that usually ended up with someone getting wet. He just caught it before it hit him and threw it back to the boy who threw it at him. It was designed for just that thing. It could be caught; but if it wasn't caught just right it would burst drenching the unlucky catcher with water. For almost fifteen minutes Uncle Mike and some of her friends tossed the water bubble around. Then her Uncle Mike deftly managed to hit the first kid squarely in the face. The bubble exploded drenching the kid with water. Everyone broke out laughing. Uncle Mike had endeared himself to her friends.

"Yeah," one of the girls remarked, "He's not spooky! He's dreamy!"

Lamile had to agree with that! She remembered the night of the announcement and she saw her uncle in his dress uniform. If he not been lifemated to Aunt Lisa she would have been trying to lifemate him right then and there. He was very good looking. Almost as tall as her father, who had stood almost two lengths tall, her Uncle Mike stood one and three quarter's lengths tall, or six and half earth feet tall. She had seen him with his shirt off and she swore he had muscles on his muscles!

"So has he said anything about his plans?" Troy asked.

"No, Aunt Lisa won't let anyone talk about the evacuation at her table," Lamile replied, "and after dinner we just don't talk about it."

"Does the Chief say anything?" another of the boys asked.

"Mom doesn't say much either," Lamile replied. The kids knew her mother as Chief Atomi of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol. "When she share things with me, it's things that she wants me not to do. Like the other day when all those kids raved South Mall and shop lifted all those stores. She wanted to make sure I wasn't part of that rave!"

"So did my dad," Troy remarked, "Damn near accused me of being one of them because Ted Olsen, one of the guys I run with was arrested. I can't believe they did that!"

"Me either," Lamile commented, "Mom says if those kids were in school they wouldn't have gotten in trouble. That's one of the reasons when I'm not in school why I'm either at the palace, or I am babysitting. Mom is making sure I can't get in trouble."

"That's right," Troy said, "You have been hanging out at the palace. What's Queen

Agatha like?"

"I don't think of her as the Queen," Lamile answered, "You remember Miss

Car'this?"

A couple of them nodded or said yes. Miss Car'this was a thonian student teacher who didn't act like a teacher. She was a history teacher who was very informal. She was so informal that there was no barrier between student and teacher. Lamile learned more about history that semester than ever before.

"Well Aggie reminds me of her," Lamile continued, "When Aggie is with us she's very informal."

"Wow," One of the girls commented, "The circles you run in!"

The bus stopped near South Mall. Several people got on the bus. She saw someone she knew. The dark haired girl who got on the bus with a gamma biowoman she thought she knew. The girl was a couple years older, but she would know Lead Rigger Mitchum anywhere. She had spent her first summer on Trena aboard an old fashion sailing ship called The Adventure of Learning, while her mother was still recovering from her father's murder. The Thonian Embassy had paid her passage on the boat. Mitch had been her rigging leader. She was part of a team that climbed up to the top sail where they helped to set sail by unfurling the top most sail so they could put on speed or furl the sails when they dropped anchor. She had been terribly afraid of heights. Mitch helped her over her fear! By the end of summer she was running the rigging like a t'amo, the thonian equivalent of a Terran chimpanzee. She smiled when she remembered how she flew up the climbing net the school had draped from the gym's ceiling. Then grabbing on to one of the climbing ropes hanging from the platform under the ceiling, that she dropped onto after her climb, she seemed to fall down the rope and landed unscathed on her feet. She had enjoyed that. If it hadn't been for Mitch she would have never thought of trying to climb net, let alone flying down the rope. She wondered what Mitch was doing on the bus.

"So you're friends with Marshal Wilson, and on first name basis with Queen Agatha." Troy asked, "Whose next Princess Carroll from Earth."

"Well I have had dinner with her," Lamile quipped. She looked at Troy seeing his mouth open she reached out and gently closed his mouth, "you shouldn't let your mouth fall open. Something might fly in!"

As Valerie Mitchum took a seat next to Lottie, she thought she recognized the thonian teenager. Though it had been years since she had seen her, the summer she had made rigging leader. Maybe four years ago. If it was the same girl, the girl a year or so younger than herself, and was taller than Mitch herself. The thonian girl was no longer all knees and arms.

As she sat down beside Lottie, she marveled at her good luck. After she had fled the shelter, she slept on the streets for a few nights until she had stumbled upon Lottie. She met Lottie, the owner, of Lottie's Kettle, a small restaurant. Lottie sensing she was homeless had given her a free meal and allowed her to hang out during the day. Eventually she began waiting tables and helping out. Lottie had been watching her over the last week or so, and had finally hired her last week. Mitch was thrilled. It was the very first job she had ever had. Between what Lottie was paying her and the tips she was making she barely had enough to pay for a room in an apartment on the top floor of South Mall. It wasn't much; but it did beat sleeping on the streets like she had been doing since she had left the shelter. So far Lottie had been pleased with her. She was easy to work for and didn't mind showing her things. Today before they opened for their lunch trade, Lottie had asked her to accompany her to the market.

Lottie turned to the girl as they got of the buss earlier and asked, "Did you ever shop here before the announcement?"

"No," Mitch answered walking with the gamma biowoman into the mall.

"The market before the evacuation notice," Lottie continued, "had been a flea market open only on the weekends. The mall's owners let it occupy the South Mall's main promenade. When Mall's owners had built the Mall, they had designed the promenade to be a gathering place. Things like charitable auctions. What started out as a way for charities to have their rummage and white elephant sales, soon became a once a week event. Before the Notice, the merchants grudgingly tolerated the flea market on the weekends, even when the booth holders started to sell the stuff they sold in their stores. They tolerated it as the flea market funneled shoppers into their shops.

They walked to the edge of the balcony that overlooked the promenade. Spread below then was all kinds of booths and tables some still closed, or with tarps and blankets covering them. What she could see was mind numbing. There was all type of things. She saw things she had never seen before. Luggage, tool belts, emergency rations. Tools, survival equipment, even car parts. As they started down the escalator, Lottie continued, "Once the announcement had been made, much to the chagrin of the merchants, it opened every day. Before the market had sold mostly garage sale stuff, typical family bric-a-brac that was cluttering the family garage or attic. Stuff that mom or dad wanted gone because they were tired of tripping over it! It had always sold new stuff, usually off season goods, or knock offs. Now it is selling stuff that aren't knock offs, and new this season. Goods that an evacuee might want to take with them.

As they got off the escalator Lottie said, "Normally I don't come here when we're open; but I saw something the other day that I think will make good table decorations." "One of the guys is selling keep sakes and mementos of Trena." Lottie continued as they walked past several tables. "He is selling little holographic displays of the Ice Caves, or the Princess Falls, or other scenic mementos of Trena herself. Stuff the regular merchants sell at much inflated prices."

Mitch had been curious as to why they had come to the mall. She was curious what her boss was going to buy. She didn't have long to wait. Lottie went over to one of the venders. On the table were small table top holographic projectors. They were all the same model of projector, but each one projected a different three dimensional model of one of Trena's spectacular tourist attractions. One showed the Princess Falls. The projection was so life like that when Mitch reached out to feel the water, her hand just interrupted the imagery. Not just the Princess Falls were displayed. Included in the available images were the Ice Caves, the harbor with all the antique sailing ships and passenger liners. There were scenes of Trena as seen from McKay, jewel like images of various space stations and off world facilities. Mitch thought they were awesome. Lottie bought nearly 100 of the projectors.

As they boarded the bus Lottie commented, "I normally wouldn't buy this many; but they're cheap enough, I thought I could sell a couple as people left or entered the shop.

I thought I would let them cycle through their display."

Mitch knew she would buy one from the woman who was quickly becoming a friend. Months later she would be honored when she was added to montage.

They had gotten back to the restaurant barely in time to set up for lunch. They quickly put the boxes in the store room but not before Lottie opened one of the boxes and took out enough projectors for each of the tables. As they set the tables they put one of the projectors on each table. Each of the ten tables had a projector and a different scene displayed from the projector. Gaylord, Lottie's husband, growled over having to wait tables while she was gone. But it was mostly the late morning counter crowd. Who mostly drank coffee, and discussed as they said, how to save the world. He didn't add how he enjoyed talking with the crowd as Lottie either ran errands, or set the dining room up for lunch.

"So you left me here to go to that flea market," Gaylord needled Lottie playfully,

"And you brought that junk back!" "Yes dear," Lottie replied.

"How much did that junk cost us," Gaylord asked.

"Not much," Lottie playfully answered, "a quarter crown a unit!"

"That much," Gaylord exclaimed! "I thought I said no more than 10 penny for each one. But you had to spend more!"

Mitch was mortified thinking she needed to be somewhere else as the couple fought. She had witnessed several fights between her father and mothers. A couple with Vickie had almost come to blows! As she put the last of the eating utensils on one of the tables she saw the smirk on Lottie's face as she said, "You didn't say I couldn't spend more!"

"And I did tell you to go buy them!" Gaylord laughed.

"You guys!" Mitch broke out laughing when she realized that the couple wasn't fighting.

Lottie suddenly stopped laughing there was a look abject fear on the biowoman's face. Before she could turn to see what had frightened her friend there was crash behind her. Turning to see what was going on behind her, she saw a hulk of a woman pushing tables out of her way. She watched in horror as the woman grabbed Lottie by her hair.

L'eam and F'rena, members of the 83rd Thonian Military Police Battalion, known as the Companions, were stopping by Lottie's. A thonian in the Mounted Patrol had recommended the restaurant when he found out the Thonian couple were to patrol the South Mall district. When it was time for their lunch break they had made a point of stopping by the other day. The food was good. The owners had made them feel welcomed, especially a young girl on the verge of womanhood who had been their server. When the lifemated pair found out that they cooked Thonian foods they had to come back. They had been surprised to see the thonians in the small eatery. They skeptically order a prta'tch stew. A dish that was very difficult for non thonians to prepare. It was a widely held belief that only Thonians could cook Thonian foods correctly. It was done so well that they had come back to see what other thonian foods the eatery had to offer.

They were just stepping into the small restaurant when they noticed that a hulk of a woman had grabbed Lottie, the owner, by the hair and was pulling her out into the middle of the restaurant.

"You dirty filthy half-witted piece of garbage!" the woman was yelling, "The company has come to collect you. You are going back to the vat!" She lifted the biowoman up and threw her against the floor. As the two MP pulled their side arms, the woman took a knife out of her cloak. She grabbed the biowoman again by the hair and slashed the woman across her face a couple of times.

Not understanding why, Mitch jumped onto the back of the woman who was assaulting Lottie, trying to rescue her friend. But the hulk threw Mitch off her with back with her free hand. It seemed like the woman was waving an irritating fly away when she threw Mitch off her back and into a wall. It knocked the wind out of Mitch. As she struggled to get her breath back and stand up to try again, she saw the thonians.

"That will be enough!" The male of the two MPs said in near perfect Terrish. He held his service weapon in both hands squarely at the Lottie's attacker.

"Screw you!" the woman said. She was one of a squad of closers led by Captain Martha Hozenbur. They had been dispatched by the Security Coordinator at EBio's Headquarters on Earth to finish some unfinished business on Trena. This bio had been on the escape list for more than a decade. They had suspected that she was on Trena, but this was the first indication that the bio was on Trena. She had stumbled upon the biowoman by accident. She had been taking a walk through the flea market, just walking not working at all when she saw her. The bioperson was accompanied by a teenager as they bought some nick knacks from a vendor. She was certain that this was the biowoman that had escaped from the company ten years before, setting a fire in a security barracks. The closer thought about killing the biowoman right then and there. She thought better of it. In the Empire she could kill the halfwit and no one would charge her with nothing more serious than disturbing the peace. On Trena, she would be charged with murder. Captain Hozenbur had made sure each and every one of her closers knew what the risks were coming to Trena. They were all committed to closing the clone CD 1984 AOS's file, otherwise known as Lady Wilson. She was a special project they had been brought in for; but they were supposed to close as many files of any biopeople they found. They wanted to make sure that every escaped bioperson on Trena knew that they still belonged to the EBio.

"You piece of filthy scum." She shifted her hold on the biowoman so she could slit Lottie's throat. "I am going to close your file!"

"I said that will be quite enough," The companion repeated, "Do that again and I will take you down."

"Your file is closed halfwit!" the hulking woman yelled as she slit the biowoman's throat. The MP fired one time into the closer's heart, killing her instantly. He put the weapon on the counter as his lifemate called it in. The Thonian bent down checked for a pulse on both women. He shook his head. Both women were dead.

Valerie Mitchum watched in horror; as the Thonian put a table cloth over Lottie.

She did not want to believe that Lottie had been killed right in front of her. Lottie was the gentlest woman she had ever known. She had befriended the teenager for the last couple of weeks. She was becoming a good friend. Now she was dead.

"Are you okay Miss," The tall thonian woman knelt down in front of her.

"No," felling suddenly sick Mitch got to her feet and ran to the restroom. When she was through getting sick into the sink she went out into the restaurant and saw the arrival of an ambulance.

When the Trena Mounted Patrol Homicide Unit arrived, the lead detective looked first at the biowoman and then at the dead closer then turned to the MP, "You couldn't have just wounded the closer?"

"No sir," The MP said, "A wounded closer is much more dangerous than a dead one. She had killed one person and I wasn't sure she was not going to kill another."

"Okay." The Mounted Patrol officer replied, he had worked with Thonian MPs before and knew they wouldn't fire unless they had too. The cop searched the woman and found her company ID and saw that she was part of an EBio Containment and Alignment team. It amazed him how the company worked. If he had been on a world that made it a habit of making life difficult for EBio Containment and Alignment teams he sure wouldn't have carried an ID tying him to EBio. The Mounted officer looked at the Thonian MP and said, "She was a closer all right. She would have done you next if she could."

"I thought you guys stopped closers at the port." L'eam the male thonian asked.

"We register them, read them the riot act and let them go. We can't legally touch them until they break our laws. We have some closers on world who have retired, or defected. We have to give them the benefit of the doubt or we become just as bad as them.

Good shot." he said "Who are the witnesses?"

"That young lady," the Thonian said pointing to Valerie Mitchum.

The cop walked to where Valerie was standing. He knew her immediately. He had arrested her for shop lifting a couple of weeks ago; he had been at a grocery when she tried to shop lift some food. To his knowledge the kid hadn't been in trouble since, "Mitch, how you been doing?"

"I don't know," the teenager answered. She had seen people die before. She had seen a rigger fall from the Adventure's top sail; but she had never seen anyone kill someone right before. Her stomach was still queasy. She still couldn't believe she had jumped on that woman's back.

"Why are you here," the detective asked.

"I am working here for Lottie or was." She pointed to the covered body of her friend.

"What did you see," the cop asked. He turned on his pad and recorded the girl's statement. It backs up what the companions said. Where are you staying?"

"I've a room in an apartment at the mall," Mitch replied. "But not for long. If

Lottie's husband closes this place I'll be out of a job."

"Here," the cop gave her a ten crown note that he was going to use for lunch the next couple of days. He shouldn't do it. She was a witness in the murder he was investigating. If someone saw what he did they might question Valerie's statement. He had a soft spot for the young girl.

"Thank you," Mitch took the note. She answered a few more questions and was told to stick around for a while. She was standing outside a few minutes later when a large car with the royal crest on it pulled up. She recognized one of the people who got out of the car as Marshal Wilson. She wasn't certain who the thonian woman was, who accompanied him enter Lottie's. The Marshal looked around a bit and left the restaurant to stand next to the car that brought them. Mitch was still sitting on a bench waiting to be allowed to leave when she overheard Officer Caruthers making his report to the Marshal.

"It's a righteous shooting. The MP did it by the numbers, and was backed up by the others in the restaurant. Victim number one is Lottie the owner of the restaurant. She was DOA when Trenaport Fire and Rescue arrived. She was killed by victim number two. Victim number two was killed by Warrior L'eam Re'Ta of the 83rd MP Battalion when the woman killed victim number one and wouldn't stand down. Victim number Two or the killer, we're tentatively identifying at Roberta Foster. This is based on the EBio identification she was carrying identifies her as Roberta Foster. Ironically it puts her as an EBio Containment and Alignment officer. What the company calls a closer. She didn't come through the space port. So she must have been smuggled in. We may be able to track her movements. Forensics will run everything there is to find on her. We may get lucky."

"Okay," Wilson said, "I want a full review. I want it to go through the entire system. I want those two officers on desk duty while this is settled. It sounds like a righteous action; but I want it to be proved."

"Yes sir," The man had sat in on Wilson's principles of internal affairs course and knew what the Marshal was after. All police involved shootings had to be proved one way or the other, and they have to be one hundred percent open to public scrutiny. "Just the way you taught us sir."

The thonian with the Marshal waited for the inspector to finish his report and then came up to Wilson, "Typical closer operation. Grab the clone and brutalize the poor victim, and then kill her. She had cut the girl's face a couple of times and then knowing that she was going to be killed slit the woman's throat."

"Mac," Wilson turned to a tall huskily built, sandy haired man, "You'll have this in writing before the end of the day; but as of now any closer seen around the palace, the Queen, my family, or that of Mylea's; you have permission to close their file! You'll have your hunting license soon."

"Aye sir," the huskily built man replied. Mitch wondered what the Marshal had meant by a hunting license.

"Boss," Mitch watched one of the men in suits poked the husky sandy haired man in the ribs. Mitch thought the man was distracted. She wondered what he was distracted over.

Mac had been deep in thought when his subordinate had elbowed him in his ribs. Unlike his troops, he had been distracted by his charge's statement. He followed his subordinates pointing finger.

"Shit," Mac cursed, turned to Wilson, "Sir Mike, it's time to leave."

"I see them," Wilson replied, and got into the limo. Mitch watched the limo pull away wondering what would become of her now that Lottie was dead.

She saw Gaylord his face ashen as he walked with the body of his wife to a vehicle with the words Trenaport Coroner on it. As the body was packed into the vehicle Mitch went to Gaylord and held him. They both walked into the restaurant and soon were crying each other's arm.

###

Jill Wilson was sitting in her room working through a history lesson about the early days of the Trenan Star Nation with the Holo running in the back ground, when out of the corner of her eye she saw her father on the Holo. He was standing with her Aunt Mylea listening to a man who was dressed in a business suit. Jill guessed he might be a cop. Just the way he stood and his haircut indicated he might have spent a good deal of his life in uniform. She had seen many like that in and around her grandmother's home and her parents' home here on Trena. As the camera panned back to the restaurant it briefly came to rest on a young woman with long black hair and a perfect figure.

A voice was saying "About an hour ago. A woman entered this restaurant and killed the owner. Two members of the Companion Military Police unit walked into the restaurant as the woman killed Lottie, the owner. The two Thonian MPs killed the woman. The woman is reputed to be a special security officer from EBio. The owner a woman named Lottie was a bioengineered human."

Jill watched the news story until they went back to normal programming and then went in search of her step mother.

"Lisa did you hear?" Jill she burst out as she entered the study interrupting Lisa and her housekeeper as they planned the next week.

"Did I hear what," Lisa snapped. Although she would have preferred that the teenager had not interrupted them; she decided not to chastise the girl. This was the first time the girl had shown any rudeness since she had been in the house.

"There's been a bioperson killed." Jill said and Lisa looked to Georgia who simply nodded. Until Jill had burst in on them, she assumed that the agent was just checking up on her. She turned from Georgia to hear what the girl was saying, "Two companions walked in on an assault and tried to stop it but not before she was killed. Dad was on the news with Aunt Mylea. They mentioned something about the woman that the companions killed was a special security officer from EBio."

"A Closer," Lisa retorted, "That's not good!"

Lady Wilson had noticed that Georgia had quietly entered the study a little while before, and took a position by the door. They very rarely saw members of the detail in their home. She didn't think much of it until Jill told them about the closers. Lisa was furious. She had a right to be told why the security unit had increased its presence in her home and about her family. She felt Georgia should have said something to her as she came into the study. She cooled out a bit as Georgia had simply done what she had been told to do.

As she cooled out she became concerned. Closers were a fact of life on Trena every so often. Every time one of these Closer units showed up on Trena, it caused a panic in the bioengineered community. Often one or two murders and several disappearances would be reported. The Trena Mounted Patrol had a special squad that dealt with the Closers. Usually the Mounties dealt with the Closers as harshly; if not as brutality as the Closers were to her brothers and sisters.

"Aunt Mylea said they were really bad people," Jill's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Aren't they here to capture you and Dad?" "They'll try," her step mother responded.

"Are you and Dad that much of a threat to EBio?" Jill asked.

"Jill," Lisa started; but didn't know what to tell her step daughter. There was a lot of her past she still hadn't told her husband about. She felt Michael should hear it first, from her before she shared it with anyone else. She really didn't want to keep secrets from the girl; but now wasn't the time to share them with her. Lady Wilson looked at the girl and continued, "Yes. Of all the biopeople that have escaped, none have ever been CDP's. Then there is some information that I know that the company doesn't want to see the light of day. There are a few other reasons they want me partly because who I was!" "Who were you," Jill asked.

"I was a Containment and Alignment officer," Lisa replied, "They get pretty upset when people like me leave C & A teams. We know too much. They are afraid who I might share what I know with. They assume I have told your father."

"So these Closers are here to take you and Dad some place you can't talk." Jill asked.

"Yes," Lisa answered, not knowing how far to go with this. Jill needed to know more about the company she was the major stock holder in; but Lisa wasn't too certain if she should be the one to tell her about it. She was after all highly prejudiced when it came to EBio.

"But why did they kill that biowoman?" Jill asked,

"To try to intimidate and terrorize the biopeople who have sought refuge on Trena." Lisa answered. "But all Closers aren't assassins Jill. In the early days they did do some good. When Company officers or managers tried to sell clones without the company knowing about it or some other skullduggery the closers tried to at first to keep things from getting out of hand. But then Closers became assassins as they tried to apprehend the escaped clones."

"Why haven't I heard more of this? I know that Grand Mom and Princess Carroll didn't tell me about my heritage in the company, but I thought I would hear about these closers."

"You might have heard them referred to as Earth Bioengineering Containment and Alignment Teams." Lisa said, "We were the company's special forces."

"You were part of them?" Jill asked incredulously, she couldn't believe that her step mother was the type of person to be associated with the woman who had killed the clone.

"For a short period of time," Lisa said, "I escaped from a containment team."

There was a lot more than just escaping from the containment team. A lot more but Jill didn't need to know the details. Yet!

Jill was quiet and Georgia looked at her charge in a new light. There was something about Lisa that Georgia couldn't quite place, and now it made a little sense. Lisa had a discipline that she herself wished she had.

"They are on Trena," Jill asked, "For you and Dad?"

"Yes," Lisa said, "But for more than what I am. The Company does want me back. Over the years I seemed to be at the right place and the right time to keep the company from doing some things they shouldn't. A couple of the company security people and a couple of company execs are a little ticked off. There's more. Jill; I don't want to keep secrets from you; but there are some things that I will not discuss with you. You have to trust me when I say that today is not the time to discuss it. We'll sit down and talk about my time on the run and with the company but not today. For now just believe me when I say I never have nor will I harm anyone who isn't harming me or mine."

Seeing the intensity on her step mother's face, Jill knew that Lisa meant every word she had said. Jill decided to let it drop for now. It was obvious that Lisa didn't want to talk about it. She would honor her step mother's desire to speak about her past at a different time and place. She thought that it was probably for the best; as she was having some trouble with her mother's statements. She needed to know more; but she would have to wait for it.

"Lady Wilson," Maggie intruded onto her thoughts, "I think we're done here."

"I think so too," Lisa agreed with her housekeeper. Seeing the time she turned to

Maggie, "We're having an early dinner tonight aren't we`?" "Yes," Maggie replied.

"Then it's time for us to prepare it." Lisa mused, "Jill if you aren't doing anything right now would you join us in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Jill said glad to get away from her homework

"Are the Queen, Lord Mercer, General Alphine, and Chief Atomi still joining us?" Maggie asked.

"I haven't heard anything different." Lisa turned to Georgia, "Are they on time?"

"Yes ma'am," the redhead replied. "They are back in the Queen's office, going over the Marshal's testimony, and they just about done."

"Okay then," Lisa turned to Maggie and Jill, "We need to get busy."

As they trooped out of the study Jill commented, "I listened to Dad's testimony for a while Mom. I think he did okay. At least Lord Ramsey seemed to back down."

"Yeah, Michael did do well," Lisa responded. She had sat through the testimony in the small study she had made her own. It had surprised her. But it gave her a quiet place to work without the kids or people disturbing her. Maggie had later told her that it was the Queen Mums private study. The main study was for the kids and the family but this small place was for the Queen Mum to get away from the family. Lisa had adopted it and it soon became her special quiet place. Even Mike didn't bother her in the study unless he had to. As she reviewed her husband's testimony it surprised her that Jill had paid attention to her father's testimony. She didn't think watching parliamentary testimony was a normal teenager routinely watched.

"Jill," Lisa said softly stopping the girl in her tracks, "Don't take this wrong; but what are you doing watching the news. I mean I would have thought that you would be watching Trena Now, or some other thing geared toward you and your fellow kids?"

"Ever since you and Dad disappeared, I always have had a news account. Trying to find out what happened to you. I was desperate to hear about you. So I thought the news might tell me. If I knew how rich I was I would have hired a PI to find you! As it was I was limited to using an expert system to help me to find you. If I had not seen the Queen announcing the disaster on the Holo I wouldn't be here now."

"I see," Lisa said, up until the evacuation they had tried to live as quiet a life as possible. Avoiding the press as much as possible to keep EBio from finding them was something they had done for years.

"Since I arrived on Trena I wanted to know more than I did about Trena. Watching the news helps, and of course anything about you or Dad I am going to pay attention to." Jill continued.

"I see," Lisa said, "I was just curious. All right let's see what Maggie needs. Jill we'll talk about things later."

###

The last couple of days had been hectic for Mitch. She had stayed with Gaylord, Lottie's husband as he prepared for Lottie's memorial. Lottie had been cremated, so they didn't have a traditional viewing as many families had, nor did they have a wake. Gaylord planned to celebrate his wife life, not her death. Gaylord let Mitch look through their albums to find pictures of Lottie; he wanted to display them around the restaurant, which was her life. She found hundreds of pictures. It surprised her as she leafed through the albums to see that Lottie was heavily involved in the community. She found pictures of Lottie volunteering at a local culinary school. Mitch found that over the last ten years that she wasn't the only person that Lottie had tried to help. There were several, both norms like herself and biopeople. She collected all the photos, much too many to post around the restaurant. Then she idly picked up one of the Trena holo projectors, and wondered if she could add to its library of images. She could. Spending an hour composing the presentation, she then loaded it into a remembrance cube. She added some music and was reviewing it when Gaylord stopped in to check on her. When he saw the presentation she had put together he was speechless. He gripped her shoulder as a tear slowly crept down his face.

"Thank you," his voice softly obscured by emotion. "You know. A lot of our friends might like a copy of this. Why don't you make some copies?"

"All right," Mitch said and began to unbox several of the remembrance cubes. She unlocked them so they could have Lottie's program loaded onto them. She told the expert system to load Lottie's program onto them and went to see if there was anything she could do to help Gaylord.

She threw several table clothes over the counter. She did it so the clothes draped over the stools. She finished placing photos of Lottie around the dining room and helped Gaylord set out drinks and snacks. Then it was time for the memorial.

People began arriving. She knew most of the people who came to the service. There was the older couple who took every meal at the restaurant. Then there was the shoe shop owner who ate lunch every day at the counter. Then the guy who drove the Restaurant Supply Service truck came in. She listened to everyone's remembrance of Lottie. But not everyone shared their remembrances of Lottie. A short balding rail thin man found a corner and seemed to watch the crowd. Gaylord went over and spoke to him for a bit. She went around the group that now numbered fifty seeing if anyone needed anything, getting it if they did. She stepped out of the back door to get some air and found the rail thin man standing there with a couple others.

"Any news on getting the rest of them," a young woman asked.

"No," the rail thin man answered.

"Kellogg," a Mounty asked, "Is there anything I can do to help you find them?" "No Boise," Kellogg responded, "I've got everything I need. I just need some time. She's gone to ground. She and her team have holed up somewhere. They'll go underground and bid their time."

"Kellogg," A gamma biowoman spoke up. "We both know Hozenbur doesn't do what other people like her do!"

"I know," Kellogg responded, "I know."

The others lapsed into silence and went back in. Feeling a little chilled in the night air, Mitch started back in, but was stopped by Kellogg.

"Miss Mitchum," The man said, "I know you were one of Lottie's projects." Mitch didn't know what to say.

"If you need anything," He looked into her eyes, "call me."

He handed her a business card and walked into the restaurant with her. She stopped long enough to put the card with her things in Gaylord's office. As she was walking into dining room she saw the two Thonian military police officers pay their respects to Gaylord, then leave.

Shortly the memorial service broke up. A couple of people stayed behind to help them tidy up. There wasn't a remembrance holo projector left.

The morning after the memorial, Gaylord came up to her as she finished cleaning up from the memorial service.

"Mitch," Gaylord said to her, "I am not going to reopen the restaurant. If we were not going to close it anyways because of the evacuation I might make a go of it. That's what Lottie would want me to do."

Mitch nodded understanding. "So what are you going to do?"

"My brother lives on McKay," Gaylord answered, "He thinks he can get me a job working with him. Mitch, I asked if there was a job for your there. There isn't. Too many refugees from Trena are already living on the moon. I wouldn't be able to go there if there wasn't a guaranteed job waiting for me on McKay."

"I see," Mitch said wondering what was going to become of her. She missed the boat. The Adventure had been the one place she felt she belonged. Now she didn't belong anywhere.

"I'm sorry Mitch," Gaylord said sincerely. "It'll take a couple of weeks to close up the restaurant. I'll need some help closing up. Until I turn the keys over to my land lord you have a job."

Mitch nodded asking, "Where do we start?"

Gaylord looked around. He obviously didn't know where to start.

"Do we have boxes?" Mitch asked.

"Not enough," Gaylord replied, "Let me get some boxes in here. In the meantime why don't you look around and see where we should start."

A few days later Mitch and Gaylord were packing up the remaining food so they could donate it to a food pantry, when a woman entered the kitchen. "Mr. Nambi?" "Yes," Gaylord answered.

"I'm Nicole Johansson," she introduced herself, "I'm with the Crown's Crime

Victims Comprehension Service."

"Oh," Gaylord took the card the woman handed him.

"I'm here to discuss your wife's murder and help you recover from her murder,"

The woman said, "Do you have some time to meet with me?"

"I guess so," Gaylord said, "Let's go into the dining room."

For over an hour the woman met with them both. Before she left she had gone over what she could help them with. Mitch was surprised that when the woman found out that Gaylord was closing the restaurant, she offered to buy the restaurant. Mitch was dumbfounded when the woman issued her a pay card for two months wages.

Within a week the Crown had purchased the restaurant for twenty thousand crowns. The Crown provided professional packers to pack up the restaurant, and Gaylord's and Lottie's apartment over the restaurant.

"Mitch," Gaylord was waiting for the taxi that would take him to the space port to get his flight to McKay. The Crown had secured passage to McKay when they found out he has a job waiting for him on Trena's only moon. "You've been a great help. I just wish I could I could take you with me. Here's where I'll be. Let me know what's going on with you."

She took the paper with his contact information as the taxi arrived. He got into the taxicab leaving her behind. As she watched the taxi carry Gaylord disappear into traffic wondering what would become of her.

# ###

It was the end of class and Cadet Wilson was reading aloud from her great grandmother's diary. "I didn't know what to say to Mom after she told me she had been a closer," Jill had written, "I have not found much about these closers except that they are really bad people. I was having trouble getting my head around what Mom had said.

"I had asked General Alphine to tell my company to shut down the closers," Jill had continued. "She said she had; but couldn't get this group stopped.

"I wish there was something I could do to get these people stopped!" Jill had written. Her frustration spoke to her as princess Jill read from her grandmother's diary, "But there is nothing I can do! I have never been so frustrated! The company I own wants my parents dead! Neither Dad nor Lisa will tell me why! I am also afraid to ask! Especially after mom told me she had part of a closer team! I want to talk to Mom about her closer days. But I am afraid to ask more about it. Afraid to hear things I may not be able to deal with.

"I wonder when Mom and I will talk about all this." Jill had concluded the passage. "Did they talk," Lamile Morgan asked her cousin as they sat in the class room.

"I haven't read that far yet." The princess replied, "I have been trying to keep in the same time line in the text. I want to read her reactions to the stuff we're learning in class." "What does she say," T'harla asked.

"She was very curious to say the least of her step mother's activities. She was also afraid too, to hear what Grandmother Lisa would say." The princess answered.

"In addition to the closers," the general felt she had to bring the class back on track, "various other bad actors gave us fits clear to the end. The companions impressed all of; but none more than Queen Agatha. She rewarded their service to the crown and our people. Bestowing a Queen's Star, on the Companions."

"Okay I'll see you next week," the general called as the bell rang, dismissing her class. As she walked to her seldom used quarters in flag country she wondered how the cadets would react to the next part of the class.

Lamile Mitchum left the class wanting to know more about her namesake. This class had expanded her knowledge of her great, great grandmother Mitchum; both almost nothing about Lamile. When classes were over for the day she dived into her study carol and looked up Lamile Atomi. Most of what she found she had read before. Lamile had been a historical figure herself. There was a lot of material to go through. She was torn between writing her paper on Lamile or Mitch. She was leaning strongly towards Mitch.

She had to make up her mind soon or she would not be able to finish it in time.

# Chapter 7: A Castle's Desecration

Over the weekend the young princess read more of her ancestor's diary.

"Dad continues to surprise me," she had read, "Everyday he tries to have lunch or dinner with us. I don't know how he does it. With his job taking more and more of his time and all the stuff that is happening you would think that he wouldn't bother. But I was in his office the other day when he was gently chastising one of his officers about how the job isn't done for the day until he gets home and his family was complaining about something he was not there for. I have also heard Aunt Mylea say the same thing to her staff and others. Even in the midst of this disaster, both of them are trying to stay connected with their families. They were setting an example for their staff.

"I didn't realize until a few days ago how much we mean to him." The young woman had written. "I am a little jealous of Abby; as Dad never colored with me or read me stories when I was her age. At least I don't remember him stretched out on the floor coloring with me as he does with Abby. But then Dad wasn't home much when I was Abby's age. The other day he treated me to dinner at the convention center. We went to one of the restaurants in one of the turrets that over looked Princes Bay and Trenaport's harbor. The center is breath taking in its own right. The center draws a million tourists a year from all over our part of the galaxy. It looks like a glass sculpture. Where a giant sculptor had taken a torch and sculpted a large castle from a gigantic block of glass. How they built it I don't know.

"Dad had, had a busy day from what I knew. I never know his schedule, but from what I can tell from what he and his secretary were talking about at breakfast this morning, he had meetings scheduled with the Queen, Orbital Industries, I think he and General Langtree were going to spend some time with the Princess at Fletcher. He looked exhausted when he came home and I suggested that we didn't have to go; but he said let's go and took me to the center. I am glad he did. He got to relax a bit and the view was fantastic. He really enjoyed describing what I was seeing. He pointed out the docks where antique sailing ships of the fifth century before empire were moored. He described to me of a landing craft landing on the docks next to one of the ships, as the passengers went from the landing craft to one of the ships as it began to make sail. I could visualize what he described.

"I looked around and felt self-conscience." Grandmother Jill had written, "We were the only ones in that part of the restaurant. The detail was making sure we were not disturbed.

"I am glad we went. Dad was very mellow when we went back to the palace." The princess finished reading the diary entry and went on to read the assigned chapter. There were pictures of the convention center. When she read the chapter she became outraged again over what happened. This wasn't the first time she had read this history.

# ###

"Not everyone was trying to help us get our people off world," the general began her class. "The Theocracy worked against us from the start. They felt we were getting our just deserts. The Theocracy had been one of our traditional enemies ever since King Ralph threw them off world for torturing biopeople fifty years before the evacuation. They felt that god was punishing us for our evil ways and our secular society. We were and still are secular society. They sent one of their penitence teams to Trena help god punish us. They almost stopped the evacuation cold in its tracks."

# ###

It had started with so much promise. The weather was good. Jill was no longer being restricted to the residence on the palace grounds. She was attending a high school nearby. She was actually enjoying it. She was getting tired of the tutors, and wanted to be at a regular school. She wanted to be with people her own age; there were too many adults at the palace. She was enjoying being around people her own age. She was making a few friends.

She was just finishing her second week, getting back into the routine of going to school instead of being tutored. It was shortly after her gym class, a gym class that she felt fairly good about, when things got crazy.

The gym teacher was an expert in unarmed combat. At least once every school year he taught judo. It just happened it was time to teach the kids judo. The gym teacher had observed her during the class as he worked with his other students. Unlike many of his students, the girl clearly knew what she was doing. She was evidently a ranked judo fighter. It was her turn for him to work with her.

"I've been observing you this morning," he said when he began working with her. "What is your rank?"

"My sensei on Mars said I should be ranked as level one black belt," Jill answered. "I see," the gym teacher replied, "shall we?"

Before they started the teacher spoke to the class, "Miss Jill and I are going to spar for a bit. As we spar you'll see how all the moves we've be going through are put together.

Miss Jill?"

They squared off in the middle of the mat. They bowed to each other and went to it! After a few seconds of sparing he realized how good she actually was. How they managed to not hurt each other was proof of how good they both were. They finished as the class period came to an end. As the class went to take their showers, the gym teacher spoke to her.

"Miss Wilson," The man said as she started for the showers, he had a proposition for her, "I am very impressed with you. I've never have had a student who was as good as you!"

"Thank you," the girl replied wanting to get her shower so she could get on to her next class.

"If you're willing," the teacher asked, "would you help me with the class for the next few days? I could really use the help."

"I don't know? I don't think I am that good!" Jill had answered. "You are that good." The man had returned. "I could really use the help." "Let me think about it." The teenager said.

"That's fair," The man said "do you have a sparring partner yet. Some one here on

Trena you can work out with?"

"No," Jill replied. She really missed the daily session with her grandmother's driver. He had been working with her for over six years. Long before her father had disappeared. "I've been doing the basic moves, but I've not asked around about a sparring partner. It can't be just anyone. I could hurt someone!"

The teacher nodded in full understanding. Then he saw Jenny, who was standing by the entrance to the gym, keeping an eye on Jill. He smiled asked the woman "Mrs.

Alkire, did you know Miss Jill was so skilled in Judo?"

"No, Mr. Toby," Jenny replied, she was with Jill anytime she left the palace and had never seen the girl practicing judo.

"You know each other?" Jill asked.

"Mr. Toby is one of the unarmed combat instructors at the academy," Jenny answered. "We sort of bounced each other around a bit."

"Miss Jill," the man said, "it is your choice, but if you want I'll make time after school for you and give you a private lesson every day. Or I can set something up with

Mrs. Alkire. It is time she became a sensei!"

"I don't know Mr. Toby..." Jenny said. Her job was to protect the young woman, not her to be her sensei. Then she remembered the tennis game between the agents, her majesty and Jill, "I'll talk with Mac."

"While you get your shower," he pointed to the locker room, "me and Jenny will

talk."

She had just stepped out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around her when she looked up and saw Jenny and her partner standing on either side of the shower opening, with their guns out.

"What going on?" Jill asked, wishing that the Tom, one of Jenny's male partners, would leave. She drew the towel tighter around her wishing it covered her better. A couple of the girls she was showering with wanted to leave the shower and get dressed but seeing Tom they hesitated, the thonian girls were quite embarrassed. No male outside their family was ever to seem them nude. Even with a towel on, they wouldn't walk past Tom. They would cower in the shower until there were no males in the locker room.

"We have a Mountain Event," Jenny said the magic words that she had been taught was the code phrase for an emergency that affected the nation or the monarchy. "We need to get you to safety!"

Seeing how uncomfortable Jill was, and thonians trying to stay out of Tom's eyesight she turned to her partner, "Tom, stand outside! She'll be safe with me here and you outside!"

The agent left them Jenny made a note to herself to get additional females on Jill's detail. With Tom gone the thonian girl's left the shower and Jill went to her locker so could dress. As they did a couple of the girls vented their displeasure.

"Mom's going to hear about them allowing a man in our locker room!" one girl said.

"Mine too!" another one joined the first.

"Since we were naked," one girl remarked, "the least he could do was return the favor!"

"Helen!" another girl said sharply, "what makes you think her nibs would share with us! I wouldn't! Not a stud muffin like Mr. Tom!"

An embarrassed Jill quickly dressed. She wondered what the Mountain Event was? She had been told when she heard the phrase, "Mountain Event" she was to stop what she was doing and go with her agents without protesting. It was the code phrase that her agents and others used to describe a national security incident.

As Jill dressed Jenny filled her in, "There's been an assignation attempt against the Queen and her party. We don't know how many assassins there are. We need to get you to safety!"

"Was Dad with her?" Jill asked pulling her hair back so she could fix it. Jenny just nodded. "Is he okay?" she asked waiting for Jenny's answer before she tied her hair back with a couple of elastic bands she had worn during gym class.

"Your father is okay." Jenny said. A relieved Jill took the elastic bands and tied her hair back, as Jenny continued, "The Queen is okay. I haven't heard anything about Chief Atomi."

"Okay Jenny," Jill said, picking up her book bag, "I'm ready."

"All stations," a relieve Jenny touched a stud behind her ear, before speaking out loud. "Stand by for departure, Runaway is moving to the transport."

Mac was going to have her head, Jenny thought as they moved to the limo. Jill should have been man handled to the limo! Even if she wasn't dressed! There was no way Jenny was going to drag a half-naked Jill through the halls of the high school!

As they left the locker room with Jenny on one side of her, and Tom on the other side of her both agents had their weapons out. It was a short walk to the main entrance of the school. As they made their exit; a couple of her friends started to approach her to ask what was going on but; backed away when they saw Jenny and Tom with their weapons out. Jill was surprised to see the limo parked as close to the doors as M'phan, her thonian driver, could get to the doors of the school. Jill was surprised; M'phan was parked on the side walk blocking it and the doors so no one could get in. His lifemate was standing outside the limo with an assault rifle plainly visible sweeping the parking lot.

"Halt!" L'enkle, her driver's lifemate, yelled at a teacher approaching the limo. "If you come any closer I will kill you!"

With the assault rifle squarely pointed at her, the teacher stopped in her tracks as did several of the students who stopped where they were.

Seconds later Jill and her party were in the limo. They were barely aboard when M'phan had the limo in motion. Leaving the school in a hurry, they caused a wreck as they pulled onto the street in front of the school. It was only when two Trenaport Mounted Patrol hover cycles began to escort the limo did the gravity of the situation sink in. She was going to have to find a way to make it up to the teacher.

As she settled into her seat she asked, "What happened?"

"We don't know much," Jenny replied, "only that a bomb went off at the Castle where the Queen, the Marshal and the Chief were opening the employment fair. That's all we know."

The Castle was what everyone called the convention center.

Jill nodded and turned to the limo's communications console. It wasn't the typical civilian entertainment and communications panel. It was a military console, with an expert system to manage its communications suite. She spoke to the console.

"Tune the channel that is being used by the fire department and others at the convention center." Soon they were listening to the responders.

A voice came over the audio "Convention Center this is Life Guard Flight with a flight of five Galaxy Lifters responding to your incident. Where do you want us?" "FAC to Life Guard," A voice cut in.

"Go ahead FAC," the Life Guard flight called.

"This is the forward air controller for the convention center command. " The FAC voice said, "Please state load out!"

"I have five say again five LC sixes, heavy with ambulances, and medical personnel. I have 250 marines that can be air deployed. The on board ready group includes battle field medics, and surgeons."

"Please enter holding north of the center over the harbor. We are still searching for UXB. We'll call you in as needed. If you have any EOD people on board you may air deployment them."

"Roger that," His voice came up on another channel. "Life Guard Five you are go to make a run on the convention center. Deploy your bomb squad. Then join us in holding."

"Life Guard Five commencing run now!" the pilot called. A holograph lit up in the open space of the limo's back seat showing the flight of landing craft with one of them breaking formation and diving for the deck. The landing craft came in barely missing the crystal turrets on the north side of the structure. As it came over one of parking lots, the immense ground to orbit vessel stopped as if on a dime, people began jumping out of the back as it hovered.

Suddenly the scene then changed to the image of the Queen being hustled out of the convention center to safety. She stopped and approached the camera.

"Take this live!" The Queen snapped, "Citizens, and visitors of Trena, a bomb exploded in the Convention Center a few minutes ago. It harmed and possibly killed a great many of our people, and injured scores more. I don't know if it was an attempt to take me out, or to cause problems. Maybe both! When the justice department finds the person who is behind this, the full weight of my government will fall on that person or persons. It is one thing to attempt to kill me it is another to go after innocent people. Now if you don't mind I need to get out of here so these folks can help the survivors, they can't do that if I am in their way. Get us out of here Mac."

The image changed again this time from an overhead view of the convention center. It had been a magnificent building. It looked like a giant had used a torch to carve a castle out of a block of glass.

Even now with the great tragedy, the computer that control the convention center, was still running its morning routine of diffracting sunlight into rainbows around the center's parking lots. It was surreal. The parking lot was filling with responders being illuminated by rainbows. The holograph changed to show the front of the center. The damage could be readily seen. Several of the glass panels on the side they were showing were broken or shattered. The crown jewel of Trena's tourist industry had opened only a year or so before and had drawn people from all over this part of the galaxy had a ghastly wound in it beautiful façade.

Jill looked over to Tom who had a tear quietly streaming down his face. That surprised her. She wouldn't have thought anyone in the detail would be that emotional over anything. She thought they had ice water in their veins.

"Those no good sorry bastards," Tom muttered under his breath. "Whoever did this has no appreciation for beauty!"

"There was an employment fair there today wasn't there?" Jill asked.

"Yes," Jenny said, "It was supposed to be a way to get some of our people off world!"

"News media Jenny," one of the thonians in the front seat called as they approached the palace.

"Thank you L'enkle," Jenny replied seeing the news media camped out front of the palace. She keyed her implant, "Runaway One to the command post. We're approaching the palace."

"Roger Runaway One," The palace command post responded.

As they approached the palace several of the Queen's Guard, a special unit of the Trena Militia and the Trena Mounted Patrol came out from the gate like a spear head and pushed the media representatives out of the way of the limo. None of the Queen Guards were dressed in their normal uniforms; they were all dressed in battle dress uniforms and were all heavily armed. There was even an armored vehicle supporting them. That shook Jill a little. Once through the gate, an in the entrapment area the vehicle was completely and carefully checked and their identities were thoroughly verified. The whole episode sobered Jill.

Once through of the entrapment, (the space between the gate and the courtyard of the palace,) they went directly to the Wilson residence. As she stepped out of the limo a Lamile came up in one of the electric carts the palace used around the grounds. She got out the car joined Jill.

"I see they got you too," Jill said.

"Mom's detail insisted that I come here." Lamile said.

"Is she okay?" Jill asked.

"I don't know," Lamile said seeing Lisa coming out of the residence. "She was with

Uncle Mike and the Queen at the Castle."

"I think she is okay," Lisa said hugging both her girls. Lamile was as much one of her girls as was Jill was becoming. Seeing the obvious worry in her young friend's face, "Mike would have told me if he knew if she was hurt or not. Come on let's take a walk I want to talk with you both."

"But I want to..." Jill started.

"Look girls," Lisa cut her off suspecting what the teenager wanted to do, "There will be enough time to watch the holo to get more information than we need about the bombing. We can be overly worried latter. Mike's safe, and so is Mylea. I don't want you obsessing about the news every time something happens. Things are going to get worse before they get much better. So I want you both to focus on our family, and helping our friends. Obsessing about the news and events will not help you."

The girls were quiet while Lisa walked with them to one of the many secluded gardens on the grounds. The security detail walked a few paces behind them. The grounds were designed to allow people to walk in relative seclusion. Lisa turned into her favorite garden, known as the Queen's Garden; it had roses from around the galaxy. There was one ancient American Beauty rose bush that had been under cultivation since the first queen planted it over four hundred years before. Lisa had already taken several pictures of the rose. It was something to take her mind off the events going on around her. She took a seat on one of the benches and indicated that the girls should join her.

"Jill, I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier," Lisa said, "But this thing is horrible. I have seen some photos and holos that you haven't. I don't know when your father is going to be home, or when you can go home either Lamile. The thing I need your help with is to help keep things calm and collected at home. I won't tell you to be happy and don't worry. That will be a dumb thing for me to say; but I want the commotion to be kept to a dull minimum. Michael and Mylea will be dealing with an atrocious thing. The images will be raw, and they were almost killed today. I don't know the entire story. There were two bombs only one went off; but if the second bomb had gone off; they would all be dead. All of them! I had a brief conversation with the Queen and she told me the bare bones of it."

"Damn," Jill muttered. That got her a dirty look from Lisa. Then Jill asked suddenly, "Mom, are you okay?"

"I don't know," Lisa answered, "I nearly lost the most important person in my life today. I don't know what would have happened had he been killed."

Lisa began to cry. Jill hugged her step mother until she stopped.

"Michael is never to know about this." Lisa told both girls. Both girls solemnly nodded. "When we get back to the house, I want you to help me to make things good for them when they get in. I want our home to be an oasis of peace and tranquility. No matter how crazy things are getting, I want our home to be sane. For that I will need your help Jill; yours too Lamile. It is important that your mother has a place she can decompress whether it's at our place, or at yours. Michael and Mylea are critical to the evacuation. Without them this is not going to happen."

"We'll do our best Aunt Lisa." Lamile said. Lamile lapsed into silence as she thought of how her mother was dealing with things. When her father was alive she had an outlet to vent. But her father had been dead for almost a crimen, or three earth years now, and the special bond between them was gone. She didn't know enough about the aqaut, to know if some of her father still resided with her mother or not. Finally she said, "Mom will be okay."

"Lamile," Lisa said softly. Mylea and Lisa were very close she prayed that her next statement was true. " She'll be okay. Now we have to get back to the house."

They walked in silence back to the house, the security team giving them their space. Georgia, who was Lady Wilson's principle agent, was deep in thought as she followed her charge back to the residence. Mulling over what the older woman had said. Although Georgia was unmarried she understood why her charge wanted her home to be a haven against the craziness of what was happening. The Marshal needed a place where he could be husband, father and friend and be off duty for a while. She made a vow that she would help Lady Wilson achieve her goal.

When they got back to the house they trooped into the study where Abby was watching a kids program about a dragon and a little boy named Jackie with Sally. Abby climbed into her mother's lap, the moment Lisa sat down. Lisa held the small child as Jill and Lamile wandered into Jill's room.

"Will Aunt Lisa be okay?" Lamile asked.

"You know her better than I do!" Jill snapped. She saw Lamile flinch and said,

"Sorry. But I don't know. She's been a rock through all this."

"Yes," Lamile said flopping down on her friend's bed. "I have never seen a clone with that much back bone!"

"Lisa is a very unique lady," Jill said. She walked over to the holo in the corner of her room and turned it on. They watched the continuing coverage of the bombing. One of the images was of two officers walking a long line of what looked like black bags that were about the size of a body. They were in deep conversation. The voice over said "These 75 men and woman are known to have died at the center. Their identities are being held until their families are apprised of their death.

"The authorities have one person in custody. Witnesses say that the young woman the police have in custody had a bomb strapped to her body. Questions have arisen as to how she got through the explosives detectors at the convention center. Especially when there were two bombs the one that exploded and the one they authorities found. Lord Ramsey is demanding that the Marshal account for the lapse in security." The holo dissolved to that of Lord Ramsey a middle aged man with a receding hair line. "I don't know what the Marshal is all about, maybe a suicide wish! How can he deal with our safety when he can't even protect himself and the Queen? I will launch a full investigation into this." The holo dissolved again to several landing craft waiting to land and a long line of military ambulances coming into Interstellar Rescue Service Hospital that had been brought down to assist in the evacuation.

"This was the scene earlier today when the casualties from the bombing were brought to the 1052nd IRS Evacuation Hospital. Local Hospitals were quickly over whelmed with casualties. Some one hundred and seventy five people were treated by the medical community. The IRS hospital treated some one hundred of the injured from the Castle. Some of the most critically injured people from the blast were taken to the hospital.

Some were evaced straight to the Hospital Patrol Ship Valiant. Admiral Klond of the Interstellar Rescue Service spoke to us briefly before she went into the carnage at the center." The holo dissolved again to that of admiral Klond, a small in stature older woman.

"Admiral Klond, what will the IRS be doing here?"

"As part of our protocol when we have been invited in to assist the local EMS and Medical Community during an emergency we provide a Disaster Medical Response Team. The EMTs and Doctors with me will provide triage, and initial treatment."

"Are you here to replace the Trenaport Fire and Medical Emergency Service?" Another asked.

"I doubt if Ensign Meriwether will let me replace her medics and fire fighters." Michelle Klond said.

"Ensign Meriwether?" Another asked.

"You know her as Chief Janet Able." Michelle said, "She was a fire fighter with the Iris, ten fifteen years ago. She was on her nugget assignment when I first knew her. Now if you don't mind, there are a lot of people who need my help now that the ordinance people are done."

The holo dissolved again to show Mylea and another woman who was dressed in a fire fighter's turn out gear. She was holding Mylea's arm.

"She's okay Jill!" Lamile said. She had been worried about her mother but didn't know what to do about it. If she had tried to call her mother and not have gotten her, Lamile would have been a basket case. If she got her, her mother might have ripped into her. Her mother had always told her that no news was good news, and that simply because she had heard that some police officer was hurt; did not mean that her mother or her father was harmed. "She's standing with Chief Able. Oh look! The chief's splinting her arm."

"It's only a break Lamile," Lisa had come into the room to tell Lamile about the phone call she had just gotten, "Your mom couldn't get a hold of you so she called me. She says there's not much pain. She says she's so far down on the transport list that it might be sunset before they move her. It's a very minor injury." "Can I talk to her?" Lamile asked.

"She gave me a message for you," Lisa said and then spoke to the AI that ran the residence's system. "Page, playback the last part of my conversation with Mylea."

"Tell Lamile, that I am okay, and that I will be at your place for dinner." Mylea said, "Tell her that I love her."

"I'll see you for dinner." Lisa said, "And bring my wayward husband with you." "Will do," Mylea said and cut the connection.

"Mom, why would anyone do this?" Jill asked pointing to the holo image of the bomb going off.

"Jill, it is terrorism!" Lisa spat. "Someone wanted to prevent those people from going off world to a better place, a place safe from the disaster that is going to befall our planet."

"Aunt Lisa this sounds like the Theocracy! They have been causing grief here for nearly a century!" Lamile commented.

"It does," Lisa said, "If it is then, your mother has got her hands full. Those people will think they are helping their god punish us."

"Mom," Jill said, "Princess Carroll's here. Didn't she and Dad serve in the Black

Guard before my mother died?"

"Yes," Lisa said hesitantly. She wasn't sure how much Jill knew of the Black Guard. They were the special force of the empire's Special Forces. Primarily made up of marines, they also had members of every one of the Empire's police, fire, ems, military, and intelligence services. They were the unit that the Special Forces called in to get them out of trouble. They had originally been formed to deal with the blackest of missions. Missions that the empire needed done but didn't want the light of day to shine on it. Later, as the Black Guard was used as part of the IRS security unit, and then as the unit of choice to handle certain high profile security operations, many of their missions were not black.

Still a good many of their missions remained very black, "Why?"

"I am just thinking out loud that maybe the Princess and some of the guardsmen she has with her could find these people," Jill commented.

"They could," Lisa said, "but first they need to know if they were working alone or not. It's not as simple as it sounds."

"This is going to get very ugly isn't Aunt Lisa." Lamile replied, "I mean, if this is the first strike of people trying to prevent us from leaving, then the crown is going to have to do things that may be hard on all of us."

Lisa looked at her friend, realizing not for the first time that Lamile was not a typical teenager. She had amazed Lisa more than once with how she understood a situation and some of the consequences. "Yes this is going to put a new light on the whole thing. Michael and I talked about some of this. He is very concerned about who and what may try to stop us."

"75 people," Jill said, "Hundreds more hurt. Not to mention the impact on all the people responding to this, or who survived."

"My friends in the mental health service will be busy for the next little while," Lisa said. "Let's go into the study, I'll have Maggie bring us a snack."

For rest of the afternoon into the early evening the three of them watched the coverage of the bombing. Occasionally Maggie would sit with them. She was plainly upset. She had never seen anything like the bombing. Trena was normally peaceful. The few malcontents were normally not violent. The ones that were, were dealt with only the amount of violence needed to contain the situation. This was the worst thing that had happened since King Ralph threw most of the theocracy of Trena half a century before.

Just as Lisa got up to stretch, Abby wandered in and complained, "Mommy I'm hungry!"

As she started to answer the child she glanced out the bay window at the far end of the study, she saw that the sun was setting.

"Okay baby!" Lisa said, wondering why Sally hadn't mentioned something to her, or had fed the child herself. Lisa looked at the time and said, "It can't be that late!"

"It is mistress," Maggie who had followed the child in replied, she had decided to wait until her mistress said to start dinner. She wasn't going to disturb the family for anything. Missing a meal wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Get dinner started," Lisa said, "Jill can you help her? Do you want help Maggie?"

"We were going to have stew." Maggie said, "I am having cold cuts and finger food instead. And yes, I could do with some help!"

"Nothing that looks like a body part," Lisa replied, then thinking of all the tragedy that had happen and the visit she had made to see doctor Klond the day before. She knew what she had to do; but first things first.

"Maggie would you have Francine join me for a moment," Lisa asked.

"Sure Lady Wilson," Maggie had thought it odd that Lisa's personal secretary had not been around much of the day. The nearly sixty year old delta biowoman had been part of the household for several weeks.

A few minutes later the elegant and stately looking woman that had been part of the palace staff for nearly forty years came into the study.

"Francine," Lisa handed her a sealed envelope, "Would you take this over to the

Complex and give this to my husband."

"Yes ma'am," The clone said leaving quietly. Lisa knew she couldn't just go over to the complex and the EOC where her husband and his team were working and ask him to come home. There was nothing wrong with giving a note for Francine to deliver for her. The note, a simple message, "Michael, I know you and everyone are trying to save the world, but you have to eat sometime. Dinner will be ready when you are ready. Try not to be too late."

She could have called but she didn't want to seem like a nagging wife. With Francine safely on her way she went into the kitchen, and waited until Jill left for a moment before she spoke to Maggie, "Maggie, you know I went to the IRS hospital yesterday?"

"Yes ma'am for a checkup or something," Maggie said wondering what her lady was getting at.

"I wanted doctor Klond to confirm something," Lisa said, "I am pregnant with

Michael's children."

"Children," Maggie said the first smile to cross her face since the horrible events at the convention center were brought to her attention. Even though she was confused how a biowoman could be pregnant. By imperial edict several centuries before all clones were sterile.

"Yes I am carrying twins." Lisa said, "I haven't told Michael yet. I am going to tell him tonight."

"I see," Maggie said, "Why?"

"After so much news of death, I think it's appropriate to announce the beginning of new life." Lisa replied. "What do we have in the wine cellar?"

"I have just the thing," Maggie said. Jill and Lamile had come in on the end of their conversation.

"Mom," Jill asked, "Did I just hear that right?"

"Yes," Lisa turned to her step daughter, "Though your father is not to know I am carrying his twins. I want to tell him in private about the twins."

"Sure thing," Jill hugged her stepped mother. "But how are you pregnant? I thought you were sterile?"

"I am obviously not," her mother replied, "It's one of the reasons EBio wants me back."

"Oh," Jill puzzled, wondering what other secrets her step mother had.

"Girls, come with me," Maggie commanded breaking into Jill's thoughts. She led the two girls through a door in the back of the kitchen down a set of stairs to a small cramped pantry and wine cellar. "I was going to save this until our last night here. It was bottled the day before the Queen made her announcement. I purchased several cases of it." Maggie brought out four bottles off the rack. She handed two bottles to Jill and two to Lamile then carrying two of the dusty bottles herself they went back up to the kitchen. There she dusted off the bottles and opened them and set them on the side board in the dining room. The vintage was not lost on Lisa when she looked at what her maid had chosen.

Eventually the five of them the Queen, General Alphine, Mylea, Lord Mercer and Michael arrived at the Wilson residence an hour later, and found Lisa waiting for them in the dining room.

"Daddy," Abby ran to her father. Michael scooped his daughter up into his arms.

"What are you doing still up?" Mike asked his youngest.

"Mommy said it was okay," Abby said and Jill nodded.

"I'll be back in a minute," Mike wondering what was going on, Mike put his daughter down and walked down to their room to get out of his uniform.

"Mom; are you okay?" Lamile asked seeing her mother with a cast on her arm.

"Yes it's a simple break." Mylea said patting the sling that held her arm. "It's been set and the fast heal drugs are taking care of business. I'll be okay in a day or so."

"Mylea do you want me to do therapy with me?" Lisa asked. She was a registered rehabilitation therapist and worked all over Trena, or had before the disaster.

"We'll see." Mylea said, "I have an appointment with Doc Klond tomorrow and I'll see what she says."

"Well let's get seated." Lisa asked.

When Michael came back to the dining room Lisa had seated everyone. As he entered Lisa nodded to Maggie who went to the side board where several wine glasses had been filled with the wine she had chosen. Maggie placed a glass before each place and quietly withdrew to a space behind Lisa. Ready to assist her mistress in anything she needed. Wilson looked at the wine glasses cocked an eye at Lisa and wondered what was going on. It had been a hideous day, and he wasn't up to any of craziness. Lisa didn't let him wonder long.

"Normally I wouldn't be this dramatic for such a simple thing as announcing my pregnancy." Lisa said softly, "but with today's horrible events I think a little drama is appropriate. Normally a wife should tell her mate she is carrying his child in private so he can share his feelings with her without an audience to witness his reactions," She locked eyes with Mike and nodded, "Sorry Michael. However as all of you, are part of my family, it is appropriate that I share this wonderful news of a new life with you. More so on this day that has taken and harmed so many souls.

"I offer this toast," Lisa raised her glass, "to life, both new and old and to a future that brings peace to all of them."

Wilson walked around the table and took his lady in his arms and kissed her passionately. Every woman at the table seeing the expression on Lisa's face wondered how they could be next. After a few seconds, Maggie cleared her throat, "Lady Wilson may I serve dinner."

"Yes," Lisa said quickly, afraid to say anything more, wanting to do nothing more than to take her husband to bed.

"Dad," Jill said, "Mom. I hope I am as blessed as you are when I marry."

Jill got up from her seat next to Lisa, and went to where her father normally sat. Her father seeing the silly grin on his daughters face said, "I hope you are truly that blessed."

In the few weeks she had been on Trena, she had not seen her father much. He made a point of sharing at least one meal with the family a day. Sometimes it was breakfast, sometimes it was diner. He rarely missed a single day without connecting with his family. Although she missed her grandmother, she had found Lisa okay to be around. She had thought Lisa would be a green eyed monster or worse. But she hadn't, Lisa had given Jill her space; but had let her know what was expected of her, and was there when Jill needed someone to talk to. They had started to bond. She was wishing that she had met Lisa years before. She locked eyes with Lisa and slowly nodded. There wasn't a doubt in either's mind where she stood with the other.

"Well enough of this sentimental slop!" Lord Mercer said seeing it was time to move on, "It's time to fuel the furnaces."

"Lisa," Afterwards when dinner was over and the others had left, the Queen lingered long enough to speak to Lisa alone, "If you need anything you let me know." "I will your highness." Lisa said.

"Lisa," The young monarch looked into the older woman's eyes with a stern expression, "if you don't start calling me Aggie I am going to send you to the dungeon. "

"Okay Aggie," Lisa said, it was hard for Lisa to break her lifelong habit of knowing her station. Most of her life she had been a servant to people of Aggie's class. It was foreign to her nature to call even this young woman who was becoming more like a daughter, rather than her husband's employer by her given name. Even when she considered that with Michael's nobility she was closer to the queen's peer than a servant. Sensing Aggie needed something, but not what, Lisa spoke softly, "come on lets walk you back to your place."

The two women left the Queen Mum's residence and walked to the

Queen's residence. Jill never learned what they discussed. Lisa never discussed it with her, and her majesty was not a diarist.

###

"Jill didn't know what Grandmother Lisa and the Queen discussed." The princess told her class mates. "People have speculated for two centuries but neither grandmother, or Queen Agatha ever discussed it. I researched it a bit over the weekend."

"They never did," the general commented. "This was one of the many incidents that the evacuation command was dealing with. There was a lot of prep work being done. Not many people had been evacuated by this time. People were starting to get rowdy. But the Theocracy was causing grief also. Using people like Lord Ramer to spread dissension. Duke Wallace, while not spreading dissension was questioning everything. More and more of the nobles were trying to get off world on their own some leaving family and businesses behind. One of the families dealing with abandonment was Lady Hawthorns. A day didn't go by that there wasn't some landing craft that left the planet with someone being smuggled off world. The militia couldn't shoot them down or force them to land, as the pilots knew that they could fly the gauntlet as the militia didn't want to shoot down a ship loaded with kids. It was believed that someone took a couple of shots at one or two of the landing craft.

We later found out it was the theocracy agents; who were trying to cause a lot of grief."

After class the princess was in the dorm, reading the entry of her grandmother's diary of the night Queen Jill's mother announced her pregnancy.

"I was floored when mom told me and Maggie she was pregnant," Jill had written. "I haven't had a chance to ask mom how this could be. During the time when clones were being used by the out worlds of the empire, Empress Regina had declared that no clone, or bioengineered human sold by EBio could reproduced except by cloning. They were forbidden to procreate as natural human beings. They had to be sterile like mules in ancient times.

"So I am very curious how Mom could be pregnant. She is a delta clone, so she should be sterile." Jill continued, "Then she said this is why the company wanted her back so bad. The more I learn about my step mother the more questions I have.

"The look on Mom's face," The princess could almost see a smile in the writing of her ancestor, "when dad took her in his arms and kissed her was mind blowing. I have never seen a look like that on anyone's face. Contentment and lust came to my mind when I saw mom's expression and where her hands had strayed to!"

"I am hoping that mom and I get a chance to talk about how she could be pregnant."

Jill had ended the entry. "It is a mystery that I have to have answered." She closed the diary up and got ready for bed.

# Chapter 8: Worlds

"I didn't know it at the time," The princess was reading aloud in their dorm room from the first queen's diary. Her audience was not only her cousins and aunt, but a couple of other first year cadets from the history class and to her surprise the barracks cadet sergeant. He had been about to break it up until he heard the princess reading from the diaries. He had heard about the first year cadet's research and wished he was in her class. "But on a planet not too far away, things were happening that would affect me for the rest of my life.

"Though prohibited by their constitution and charter with the Galactic Council, from exploring other star systems or colonizing them, Dad had authorized an expeditionary voyage to a nearby world that the Galactic Council's Star Exploratory Force said was an earth like planet that the people of Trena could colonize. I was surprised when the council didn't stand in our way to try to colonize another world. The chain of events that this voyage caused I find hard to believe. The Roustabout's voyage changed everything."

As the princess read from diary the cadets reviewed what General Jones had told them earlier in the day.

# ###

The Roustabout was not an exploration ship. It was an Electronic Intelligence Coordination platform. The elint platform was designed to be a coordination and control platform for the Surveyor Flights, the real work horses of the surveillance and electronic intelligence gathers of the early warning system for the kingdom. It also acted if needed as a control platform for squadrons of fighter space craft, directing the kingdom's response to an attack. When Roustabout flew it usually flew with a constellation of four Surveyor craft, and if things got hairy it would have twenty space air superiority fighter space craft sometimes known as SASsies join the constellation. This time when Roustabout flew it was with the four Surveyors Craft and one LC-6 medium lift landing craft called a Moon Lifter to land exploration parties on the new world. As they approached the world, Roustabout launched the surveyor craft. Although the Surveyors were not designed for mapping or exploration, these long endurance ships were easily put into service as exploration vessels. Their basic sensor suite could be used to map the planet and see what else was going on it.

"This sure beats a long patrol," the lead sensor operator called as Surveyor 008 left the Roustabout. A typical patrol for a Surveyor was ninety days; but not this time. The flight from Trena had been a couple of weeks, the survey would take a week or so, they would be back in Trena within six weeks. They had been chosen for this mission as they were one of the best crews in the Surveyor Wing. They had been the crew that had spoofed the Imperial Attack Carrier Battle Bourne. They had infiltrated the screening fleet of cruisers, and destroyers to uncloak in front of the battle carrier. They had poured salt into the wound by the mission commander softly saying over the open com, "The Emperor regrets to inform your families that you died at the hands of a single unarmed recon vessel of the Trena Militia."

That only caused the Battle Bourne's Fleet to be more diligent the next time. The war games lasted three days, and the crew of Surveyor 8 was able to infiltrate the imperial fleet several times. Not always in time to prevent their own demise, but always soon enough for the Trena Militia to mount a defense. The Trena constitution prohibited them from having heavy war ships. They didn't need them. Trena's Militia whole defense strategy was based on delaying an invader until their allies could come to their aid. It worked most of the time.

"Yeah," The crew chief said as he checked the ships systems. "A couple of quick turns around the planet with full sensor sweeps and back to the Roustabout then home. Hell this is the shortest survey mission we've been on."

"Okay folks," The Mission Commander broke into the circuit. "As a reminder, the Star Exploratory Forces flew the system a hundred or so years ago. They only flew the outer system. They did an electromagnetic sweep. Hoping to find the origins of some signals they had been hearing in the solar systems vicinity. They were involved in a SETI hunt. They had been receiving signals from this portion of the galaxy. When nothing electronic was coming from this system they moved on.

"Surveyor double ought three is going to survey the moons. Surveyor Double Ought five will be dropping marine survey probes." He continued. "Surveyor ought ten will be watching our back. So pilot, take us to the top of the world and let's begin our mapping mission!"

"Aye, to the top of the world sir," the pilot replied and activated the preprogrammed flight plan.

So they went to the top of the world and began their survey. They were going to peel the world top to bottom as if was a piece of fruit. Their first slice would take it over the west coast of a rather large continent. Like Trena it had an ice cap that came down a couple thousand miles from the pole. It was an arctic desert, with only a few large roaming animals inhabiting it. In the upper latitudes there was no indication of civilization. As they continued making their slice, going south away from the ice cap; the terrain went from artic desert to a richly forested land. Although their slice was only a couple of thousand miles wide they, could tell that the forest went beyond their scan. Soon they came upon a mountain range.

The sensor operators were narrating their observations. Sometimes the mission coordinator would occasionally let the crew hear their narratives.

"We're coming up on a mountain range now. Most likely this continent's continental divide, it runs south west to north east. Looks like it might be seven, eight thousand miles long. What is that Jack!" the senior operator nudged the operator beside him. He had been half watching his station mate's display. At first he thought it was a large inland sea. Then he saw several large animals roaming the plain below them out ahead of the brown moving mass. They were four footed and had large horns. As the sensor operator zoomed in they saw that the animal was covered in a shaggy fur.

"Damn, those are big!" The other sensor operator remarked. "Trena has nothing like these; on Earth they were called bison. We nearly made them extinct!"

"On Thonia," the copilot called "Largils are that big and they are as gentle as a new born child."

"It's moving toward that dark mass!" Jack called, "Damnation, it's a herd of them. It's like a sea! Hey what the hell is that?" He tightened the zoom controls on the camera to its tightest viewing scale. "Hey it's a man. Man there's twenty or thirty of them! They're stalking one of those shaggies! Damn one of them has climbed up on the shaggy and is riding it."

"Look at that!" The co-pilot yelled, "They're swarming it. They brought it down and they did it with only their bare hands! Can you believe it?"

"Okay folks settle down," the commander broke in. "Let's go to full stealth. Pilot, get us down close; but I don't want us seen by those abos."

"Roustabout, Roustabout, this is Surveyor Double Ought eight." The commander called, "Condition Bust. I say again, Condition Bust! We are feeding you live video and surveillance, we are in full stealth mode, I want Surveyor five down here also I want another set of eyes say a thousand miles west of us on the south east slopes of this mountain range. I want to make damn certain that this isn't a case of a downed space crew. I want them to start doing a debris scan."

"Roger eight," Roustabout replied. "We are seeing your scans now."

"Pilot," the coordinator called seeing another group of men dragging a sled towards the woods, "I am tagging a group on the ground. They're moving some where towards the woods. I want you to keep us over them. I want you track them to where they're going."

"Roger!" the pilot called. The pilots saw the group that the commander had put an icon on the screen over. The commander now standing in the doorway to the flight deck watched as his pilot team worked without saying a word to each other. The Thonians were unnerving to watch. They could make the surveyor craft do things its designers would consider impossible, without saying a word between them. They flew the ship into a near hover as they followed the tribe back to the woods.

The woods were so dense that the natives couldn't be seen visually from the sky. The crew of the surveyor switched to infrared and radar sensors that allowed them to see through the dense forest. The Crew Chief was able to direct an almost never used surveillance microphone onto the natives and recorded their language. A thonian back on Roustabout began the process of translating what they were saying with the help of the AI. "It's not any known language," the linguist said, "It's not Terrish, Thonian, or even

Vaylin."

It took days for the hunting party to a get to its settlement. Usually the Surveyor flights could stay on station for weeks at a time, but Captain Vaughn, the Roustabout captain, decided that the surveyor flights would only stay on site for a few hours at a time. No more than eight hours at a time. When the surveyor flights came off station they continued the mapping mission. As they continued their mapping they found more civilizations. They found no evidence of high technology, no radio, holovision, no machines greater than human powered or wind powered. There were sail powered sea craft. They found nothing more elaborate or technically complex than a man of war from Earth's 5th century pre empire. Their hope of finding the remains of a star ship that had crashed that would allow them to colonize this world came to a dramatic end when they found a fleet of the sailing vessels in a battle off the east coast of one of the continents. Finally Captain Vaughn recalled the surveyors and made preparations to leave the planet.

The last Surveyor Flight to be on post of the first natives they had discovered was Surveyor Double Ought Eight. As they pulled out, the surveyor's stealth system flickered allowing the leader of the Woods Clan to see the large boxy space craft for a few seconds. He was in a meadow a little ways from the clan's village where he was pointing out the stars to his son when the stealth system failed. The head man didn't know what it was he was seeing but he didn't think it was a good omen.

# ###

"Sir Mike," Marshal Wilson was working at home the Sunday morning after convention center bombing when Maggie knocked on the door to the study. He was watching the Sunday morning talk shows, as he read reports from his various staff officers and commands.

"Yes Maggie," Michael said looking up from the reports.

"The captain from the Roustabout is here." Maggie returned. "The palace staff brought him straight here."

Wilson nodded. The Queen and Lisa had decided to pack up both girls to spend Sunday at the queen's summer estate. Thinking it would be a nice get away for the kids, and the two of them. Lisa had suggested that they pick up Lamile, so as to give Mylea some quiet time also. Wilson had at first been hurt that the invitation didn't extend to him, but his bride put it to him, "Michael, this is a gift from me and the girls to you. You need some quiet time. Give you some time to yourself."

He had finally relented by saying next Sunday was his. He was surprised how much work he had gotten done and how it helped to get his mind together by just being a bachelor for a couple of days.

"Show him in Maggie and would you bring me and the good captain a pot of coffee?" Wilson asked. Maggie nodded and left to show the captain in.

"Good Morning Marshal," The captain said as he came into the study, "I'm sorry to disturb your Sunday; but I wanted to make sure you got this before it's leaked. I have my crew on restriction. No off ship communications and no leave or liberty until I deliver this report."

"Well let's see what you have," the Marshal asked as Maggie set a coffee service on the edge of the desk and poured coffee for the two men and retired.

"Marshal I have a presentation for you, but when it is all said, and boiled down to the essentials; Cherokee, as we are calling the world, is unsuitable for our colonization. It's a beautiful world, temperate, and quite livable, but already inhabited by a six century pre empire civilization. We hunted for evidence of a crashed star ship thinking that a colony or passenger ship crashed on the world but there was no evidence. Even if we had, they are so backward that it wouldn't be a good idea to make contact. We put beacons out hoping that future visitors won't land. I flagged the Star Exploratory Forces and the Council about the world and they'll send patrols in every once in a while and try to keep the wolves out." "Anything else captain," Wilson asked.

"No sir," the captain answered, "I'm sorry Sir Mike. I was truly hoping this would work."

"Well it's always a crap shot when we go look at a colonizable world. Publish your results." Wilson said,

"Aye Sir," the captain fired off a salute and left.

###

The next morning, during the Monday Staff Conference, further bad news was heard.

"Sir Mike," General Langtree started, "I've now got enough space lift to start lifting people out. However without star lift we don't have anything to lift them to. Sir Mike we don't have enough heavy star lift to go anywhere."

"That and the fact that we don't have a place to take them," Wilson responded.

"As of right now we have six months to get everyone off world." Queen Agatha snapped, "We don't have a place to take my people. Our people are dependent on you" She pointed to Marshal Wilson and swept the table where everyone was sitting, "and you guys carrying the ball. By the end of the week I want to know where you are going to take every one."

The queen got up from the table and stormed out of the room.

"Well folks," Wilson replied. "I can't say I disagree with her. We need to come up with answers, and we're getting short on time. We need to locate star lift, and a place to take our people."

"Sarge," Lady Gray who had been sitting in on the meeting spoke up. "You know the empire has moth balled several older attack carriers, they are in the Patton class. They are designed to deliver an entire army into battle with all their equipment, 40,000 combatants and enough materials for six months of war. I think that the IRS and the Imperial Navy have maybe a hundred or so heavy lift ships just going to pot."

"And Marshal," the Thonian ambassador, who was now part of these meetings said, "I think my people may also have some vessels that we could donate."

"Okay that gets the heavy star lift done," Wilson turned to Princess Carroll and the ambassador and asked. "Princess, Ambassador, will you see that we get those ships for me."

"Yes sir," the princess replied. The thonian nodded.

"Now what about a place to go," Wilson said. "There's got to be a place we can go."

"Is there a vacant world we could occupy," Larry Mercer asked,

"None close," the Galactic Council's ambassador commented, "nothing with in five hundred light years."

"And then it'll be a crap shot," Marshal Wilson remarked.

Several people around the conference room nodded. Vacant worlds were worlds that had at one time a vibrant prosperous civilization; where an extinction level event had destroyed the world and all their civilizations and people who had lived on. Often there was no life anywhere on the world sometimes not even single cell life. Sometimes the world had been populated by an advanced civilization; but nothing sentient had survived. As a general rule the Galactic Council hesitantly issued exploration permits, and was reluctant to let them be colonized. The one time they had, the colonists had succumbed to a plague that killed them all. Most of the vacant worlds were proscribed and off limits.

"I would prefer that we find some other world before settling on a vacant world," Marshal Wilson stated.

"Sir Mike," Kellogg said after a few minutes of silence, "I almost hate to mention this."

"Go ahead Kell," Wilson encouraged the former EBio closer. Mike found it ironic that one of the most notorious near criminals on the planet was sitting in on this meeting. "EBio has several worlds. Many of them are unpopulated, and are used as training grounds for various closer teams and security personnel. We could buy one of those worlds and set up shop on them. There's a world not too far from here twenty light years. It's one of the abandoned worlds."

The Marshal pondered what Kellogg had said. An abandoned or vacant world was a world that had at one time a vibrant bustling civilization at one time; but when discovered by Earthling or the Thonians were vacant. Many times they found the planet's infrastructure completely intact. The buildings had been sealed and moth balled as if the owners were planning to come back. There were not that many, maybe a dozen. They were scattered all over explored space. When discovered the Galactic Council quarantined them, and supervised the exploration of them.

"And it was abandoned?" the marshal asked. "It was not a victim of a war or ELE?"

"No," Kellogg answered, "there is no evidence of war or a large scale plague. There are no bodies, and there is no wide spread damage. It's like they closed the place up like one would close up their summer home."

"EBio owns it?" Marshal Wilson asked. Kellogg nodded.

"Yes," Kellogg answered the Marshal, "EBio was thinking about a production world. Even had begun setting up the labs."

"But we don't know why EBio left the planet?" some asked.

"It became too expensive to manage." Kellogg replied, "It is too far off the trade routes. So after a couple of years they closed down operations and left. It would have been the cheapest production world they owned. They didn't have to build much. They only had

to build the production facilities. It wouldn't take much for us to occupy it." "The clones won't go for that," Wilson retorted.

"No sir, not really," Kellogg said, "There is a difference between being shipped in as a slave, and another coming to world as a free person to settle it."

"He's right Sir Mike," Lord Mercer said. "The clones I know would kill for a chance to thumb their nose at the company."

"General Quorum." Wilson said, "You get Roustabout's captain, and Kellogg together. I want that expedition mounted in forty eight hours. Jonesy I want a full pioneer kit to go with them."

"Sir Mike," Lady Hawthorne said from the holodisplay. "I'll have a list of people who have pioneer skills and have said they'd like to pioneer ready by this evening. General Langtree, If you can have the containers delivered to these souls ASAP we can pull this off."

"Lady Hawthorne, the Roustabout can't carry many containers," General Langtree spoke up. "The Roustabout will be hard pressed to carry a beefed up survey team. Let alone pioneers to get the place ready for the initial landings.

Delores frowned, "how do we get their stuff to them?"

"The first ship after the Roustabout we'll make sure their stuff is on it." Mike replied. "That's the best we can do now.'

"What about those who don't want to pioneer," someone asked.

"We'll need to start getting those people off world too." The labor minister said. "I had wanted to make sure every one of these people had employment when they left Trena. But that's not going to be possible. The recruiters won't come here because of the bombing. I can't say that I blame them. But we can start sorting people out who want to immigrate to other worlds."

"Kellogg you said this world was somewhat civilized?" Wilson asked.

"Yes sir." Kellogg replied, "EBio left it twenty years ago. But we found everything to support a modern civilization. I think it was someone's colony at one time. I think there is housing to support three or four million people. But there's plenty of natural resources for our people to draw on."

"Lady Hawthorne," Wilson called to the holodisplay. "Start putting together some construction battalions. When they go I want them to be self-contained, logistics people, medics, carpenters, electricians you name it. I want them a self-contained team. I want them selected by week's end and ready to embark in three weeks. Princess I'll want the first of the heavy lift equipment here by then." "Aye-Aye sir," The princess replied.

"Anything else," Wilson asked. There was a chorus of no sirs and head shakes.

"Good enough, I'll defer the emigration decision for three weeks."

"Foreign minister," then thinking better Marshal Wilson turned to Lord Kenworth the foreign minister, "I want a letter prepared for the Queen's signature asking that all star nations that we have diplomatic relations with to consider allowing our people to emigrate to their worlds. I also want a list of colonies that are phase two and three where they are ready for people with manufacturing experience and are past the pioneer stage on their worlds. Mrs. Ambassador, Mr. Ambassador I would also appreciate what ever wheels you can grease to help our people. Your highness," he turned to Princess Carroll, "anything you and your father can do I would appreciate. Now I need to speak with the Queen."

Wilson got up and left. As he did he turned to Mac and asked, "Where is she?"

"The Queen is waiting in your office sir." Mac said leading the way to the conference room that the Marshal was still using as his office.

Wilson entered his office and found the Queen sitting in his quest chair. She turned to him expecting him to lash out.

"You mad at me?" The young woman asked. She was afraid he would rip into her.

"No Aggie," Wilson replied shocking her. "I am not."

She was once again surprised by her marshal's professionalism. She wasn't so certain if their positions were different, that she wouldn't have ripped into the older man. She was tempted to ask why. Instead she held her tongue.

"That outburst actually helped. It refocused us," He continued, "EBio has abandoned a world twenty or so lights from here. Kellogg said it's abandoned. I've ordered Qoum and Jonesy to ready Roustabout and dispatch her to this world. I have also instructed Jonesy and Lady Hawthorne to be ready to send the first pioneer ship to be go to the planet once Roustabout says it's okay to okay to occupy. You helped to focus us."

"Michael," The queen exclaimed when she heard this, "That's not one of your better ideas."

"I know Aggie," Wilson replied slumping into his chair, "but it's worth a shot. If it's abandoned which Kellogg says it could be it's worth a shot. Something is nagging at me. Something about its ownership! If it's occupied we'll need to back track. I just wish what is nagging me at the back of my mind would get clearer. Oh well it will come to me." He was silent for a few seconds as he pondered what was bothering him then shaking himself as if to clear his head he turned to his Queen.

"Aggie," Wilson said, "I'm sorry that we've let you down."

"Sir Mike," Aggie looked to the older man, "I've been in each and every one of your staff meetings, and I have listened to your plans and have endorsed the actions you have taken. I'll let you know when you have let me down. To date you've done your very best. Continue to do so."

"Thank you ma'am," Michael replied.

"Keep at it Michael," the young queen got up and left. It wasn't lost on him again, that the Queen was not that much older than Jill.

It was later in the day when it dawned on him what was bothering him about the world Kellogg had told them about. His daughter may actually own that world. He did a little digging and later made a couple of calls.

"Princess," Wilson was talking to his old friend on the communicator, "Could you, and Lady Gray, meet with me later today."

"Yeah," General Alphine said, "would 1500 be okay?"

"If it works for Lady Gray," Wilson said, "Oh before you ask, I need you as Jill's proxy. I want to talk about EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89. I have been talking with Larry and the thing that has been bothering me is that I think we can buy EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89 from Jill."

"Oh I see." The princess replied.

Several hours later, Larry Mercer, Lady Gray, and the Thonian Ambassador, were shown into Wilson's office. The Galactic Council Representative was already there.

"It's your show," The princess prompted.

"Okay Princess," Mike started, "here's the deal. Larry and I have been looking over some interstellar law. We believe that since Jill is the biggest shareholder of EBio, she could sell EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89 to us or just give it to us. But I am concerned that should the biopeople file suit against EBio that we could lose the world."

"Well it is not in Earth Space, nor is it in Thonian Space," The Princess said, "So it would be hard to file suite in either of the Thonian or Earth Courts."

"That is correct," the representative from the Galactic Council commented. "The interstellar court would most likely not take the case as a human rights violation. The EBio worlds are not part of the Council. We have little information on them. From what you have said you and your daughter have not had day to day operational control over the company. As such I think it would be hard to sue you personally. I don't know where they would be able to file."

"According to Jill's trust, everything you owned is now in her name." Princess Carroll stated, "So you couldn't be sued anyway. Now Jill on the other hand can be sued in the Empire. She more or less owns EBio since she is the single largest shareholder of

EBio she can be sued big time."

"But I thought you were trying to get her out of EBio," Mike replied.

"We have tried. Some of the minor stock holders are employees who were given stock as part of their retirement package. Also to be on the board of directors each and every board member must own stock. Some of them only have a nominal amount, one or two shares." The Princess replied, "None of them would be able to buy even one share of Jill's stock. Because of the articles of incorporation Jill's stock can't be sold to anyone other than the descendants of EBio's original founders. Jill and you are the only surviving direct descendants of EBio's founders.

"Of the four founders of EBio, only Hazelton's line survives. One of the original founders died with no children. Not even a spouse. One of the founders' heirs died in a mysterious fire at their home. It killed every one in the founder's family. The prenupts prevented her spouse's family from inheriting her EBio stock. Besides one of the step children had set the fire. The third heir had left his portion of the company to his daughter. The daughter was an adopted biowoman. Hazelton led the charge to get her disinherited. He was successful because the corporate instruments stated that only normal non bioengineered humans could own anything of EBio. Because of that Jill is the sole surviving heir of the founders.

"So that leaves Jill as the majority stock holder of the company," The Princess continued, "What we have done when possible is to sell off what we could from the company and take the profits and invest them in non EBio instruments.

"Why do you ask," Princess Carroll asked.

"I was hoping you could just turn this world over to us," Wilson asked.

"That I may not be able to do," Princess Carroll said flatly. "If it is owned by EBio itself, then only the chief financial officer can dispose of it. Neither Admiral Wilson or I, can dispose of EBio's property."

"That makes sense," Larry Mercer commented, "Only the CEO or chief finical officer can dispose of company assets."

"But you said if it is owned by EBio," Mike asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Sometimes EBio titled property in EBio's name or company officers." The princess answered, "It may be owned by Jill."

"I see," Marshal Wilson responded. Not certain why EBio would do something like that he asked, "Why would they do something like that?"

"Mostly to keep Dad's investigators from snooping," the princess responded. If it was titled in EBio's name the Imperial Bureau of Justice and the Bioengineering Commission could pay a visit to see if any imperial law is being broken. Under Jill's name and being outside the empire the IBJ was unable to make unannounced visits." "Is there some way to find out about the ownership," the Queen asked.

"Yes," the Princess said, she took out her pad and spent a few minutes interrogating the database of Jill's assets then turned to the group, "Well it took some doing but I finally got a list of property owned by Jill. I knew it would be in her financial reports. But she does own Zulu Foxtrot 89. It is one of about thirty or forty planets, both inside and outside of the empire she owns."

"So where do we go from here?" Michael asked.

"Your lordship," the Thonian Ambassador said softly, "you have your daughter write a contact. The contract will be with the Crown here on Trena. This contract is to first check on the planet to see what condition is it in. If the planet is uninhabited the contract will stipulate that Jill representatives can make the planet ready for re occupation. Then write a separate contract or a codicil to the original with the Kingdom of Trena to provide people to settle it. By not calling it a colony and leaving it in your daughter's name we get around the sticky business of the Queen's charter and Trena's constitution."

"What if it is occupied?" Marshal Wilson asked.

"Not much we can do," Lord Mercer responded, "Just like EBio claimed it as salvage because it was abandoned, so could anyone we find on it!"

"It's not abandoned," The Princess said, "There is a beacon telling all who owns the world!"

"So we issue the contracts and hope for the best." Wilson looked to the council representative, "Is that okay with the council?"

"I think that will work," the council representative replied, "the council was struggling with the Queen and her people colonizing another world. This will work."

"Okay so I need to talk to Jill." The Marshal said wondering how to approach his daughter.

Mercer was deep in his thoughts missing what the marshal said. What Larry was thinking though, was that as people left Trena; the nobles and politicians were going to want to retain the power they now held. That they would try to fill the power vacuum with their own idea of what a government should be and it wouldn't necessarily be a good thing they developed. There were many in the Trena parliament who wanted to be king rat that would be dictators if given the chance. By leaving Jill in control of the world they might be able to keep some of the political fun and games to a minimum.

"Sir Mike, the Thonian Realm will without saying support your decision and help to establish the people of Trena on EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89." The Thonian Ambassador stated.

"As will the people of Earth Empire," The princess joined in.

"Larry, get the contract written." Wilson said, "Somehow I have to break it to Jill. This is going to be interesting."

# ###

"Jill," her father came into her where she was working through some homework some time later. "We need to talk."

"About what," the teenager asked, wondering what she had done now.

"Well something's come up that you have to be part of and that you need to be fully informed on." He then went on to explain what they had found out about EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89.

"I want you talk with the Princess. She is your representative on Trena right now for your finances. She will explain it to you." He finished telling Jill about the planet she owned.

"But you are my father," Jill replied.

"I know and where most things are concerned I can speak for you and with you and we'll make things work." Her father said, "But this is too important and since I don't control your financial assets, you need to talk with Princess Carroll. Your grandmother and the Princess are your financial guardians. The Princess has been letting you know what's going on in your portfolio for the last couple of weeks now, if I remember what she said." His daughter nodded.

"So I want you to see her and let her explain it all to you." Wilson said. "Jill, I want you to know that any decision you make will be okay."

Jill was silent as she contemplated what her father said. The next day she asked her detail to take her over to General Alpine's Fletcher Militia Base office. The general had been expecting her. When she entered the general's office; she was in conversation with one of her officers.

"All right," the future empress of the Terran Empire was saying, "we have nothing else for the bag. Just get that courier on her way."

"Yes ma'am," the officer replied, "By your leave?"

The heir of the Earth Empire nodded seeing her ward in the outer office "come on in Jill."

"Dad said we should talk." The younger Wilson said.

"About the EBio planet," The princess asked. Jill nodded.

"It's simple." Princes Carroll continued, "EBio owns a world or rather you do twenty light years away. The Trenan people want permission to explore it and inhabit it.

They can't do that without your permission." "Why mine and not EBio's CEO," Jill asked.

"That's a good question," the princess replied, "It is a world that is owned by you but was up to a while ago managed by EBio. Years ago when this world was first discovered and colonized by the company it was put in your grandmother Hazelton's name. She most likely didn't even know that she owned it. But what this does for us is it puts you as the owner with a clear title and not that of the company." "Why me and not dad," Jill asked.

"When your father left imperial space he turned all his holdings over to you. He couldn't just abandon them so he had to transfer them to you so a direct descendant of the Hazelton Fortune would have control of them. That's what's in your great grandfather's will."

"Now I remember we talked about this when I got here last month." Jill said remembering the session. It surprised her then how much she owned. It still didn't make much sense. It was something she was going to have to get straight over time. "So I own everything Grandmother Hazleton owned and left dad, who in turn gave it all to me."

"That's right," the princess said, "That's why I needed to talk with you this morning."

"Dad mentioned something about a contract." Jill asked.

"What everyone thinks is that you need to authorize an expedition to check on the planet. To see what type of shape it is in." The princess answered. "If it is inhabited you may need to deal with the squatters. Kellogg thinks it has been abandoned by EBio so there may not be anyone left behind."

"If it's occupied," Jill asked she couldn't comprehend an earth like world that wasn't occupied.

"That's why we're sending in an exploration party to find out what is going on." her trustee answered. "If we find out it is occupied then we determine who they are and go from there,"

"If we find it abandoned?" Jill asked.

"Then phase two of the contract is to allow people to start inhabiting it." The princess replied.

"In other words, a colonial contract," Jill asked. That got the general's attention.

The scope of the question was one she hadn't expected out of a teenager.

"Yes," the woman replied. "Though colonization is not the phrase I would use as the world won't be a colony of anyone. I would say a habitation contract."

"Why can't you just authorize this," Jill asked. "Wouldn't it be within your job duties as my guardian to check on all my holdings?"

"Yes it is my job to check on all your holdings or to see that it was done." The

Princess answered, "After receiving the brief's I've gotten from Lady Gray and the Galactic Council Rep. It seems my guardianship of your finances is good in the Thonian Realm, Trena, The Earth Empire, but because the planet is so expensive and outside of a star nation's territory, all parties believe that since you are almost eighteen, feel that you need to be fully involved in the contract. They don't want any problems. They are afraid that EBio might throw a fit and since it is just out there as an independent world they feel you as its owner need to have some say in the world's future."

"I see," Jill commented, and said, "Is there a draft?"

"Yes. Let's go over it," the princess said. They spent the rest of the afternoon on the contract. The princess was surprised by how much her young ward picked up, and more surprised when she took out a whole section concerning the governing of the planet.

"I think that's putting the horse before the cart Princess," Jill said, "There will be no need for a government on this world unless it's habitable, and then only if it's uninhabited so we can inhabit it. Let's let the Wilson family retain control of the world. If the world is suitable for habitation we'll deal with ruling it then. At the present time it is sufficient to authorize a mission to the world and see what is going on with it. If it is uninhabited I'll authorize people to begin settling it. Until that happens there will be no need for a government. Besides you can hire agents who are government officials of the crown here to supervise."

"Okay Jill." The princess replied a little astounded that Jill made that change. But it was a change she thought would work.

"Let's go see the Queen," the Princess said. She called the palace and found out that the Queen was in her office and would wait for them. The Princess forwarded the revised contract to the Queen, Marshal Wilson and Lord Mercer. By the time they got to the queen's office, everyone had read it. No one changed another word of it.

"Jill," Queen Agatha replied. "The people of Trena thank you. I have signed the contract."

"Princess Carroll," Jill said, "Can I sign it? Or do you have to?"

"We both sign it," the Princess said, she signed her name and then thumb printed the contract and gave it to Jill. Jill did the same. Their thumb prints sealed the deal by leaving their DNA on the document. The DNA while not 100% full proof was nearly, as it took a very special cloning lab to make a near perfect clone of an existing person. Just creating the person on a world other than the world of the person's birth could be traced, due to the differences in gravity and back ground radiation that caused some minor mutations that were easily checked. Jill's DNA was on file in the empire and as part of her pass port. It would be hard to say the signature wasn't hers.

"I am releasing the Roustabout to Wilson enterprises," the Queen said after the signatures were affixed to the contract.

"They will be on their way shortly." Marshal Wilson replied turning to his daughter,

"Jill thank you."

"I guess I should treat you as a peer," Aggie remarked.

"Pardon," Jill asked, the comment taking her by surprise.

"From what Princess Carroll said, and what my own foreign department has researched you are an empress in your own right." Aggie said.

"Yeah right," Jill said, still in a little awe over the situation.

"Thank you," Aggie said, "we will never forget your gift Queen Jill."

"I don't want to be a queen!" Jill said. "I just want to be a girl!"

"I'll stop needling you Jill," Aggie replied, she understood a bit of Jill's statement. When her parents died years before she hadn't wanted to become queen. It had been her mother's job to be the Queen. "Thank you again."

Jill left the Queen's residence with Princess Carroll. As she walked with the future ruler of the Earth Empire to her car she asked, "Am I really that rich?" "Yes you are," Princess Carroll.

"I sometimes find it difficult to believe all of this," Jill said, "I mean I own that planet, and was able to sign it off to Queen Aggie."

The marine corps general, who had been around Jill off and on for much of her seventeen years, paused for a minute. She knew how easy it was to be over awed with her life. As the future Empress of the Earth Empire she had always known what it meant to be rich and powerful. Jill though, still thought of herself as a daughter of a Marine Corps enlisted man. She didn't realize that her father was the most powerful person on Trena next to Queen Agatha and that she herself could buy the planet Trena three or four times over with just her pocket change.

"You'll get used to it." The princess general consoled her ward, "Just remember you can buy almost anything you want, but that is not your wealth. You were wealthy before you even knew of your fortune. Your wealth is based in family. Your dad, stepmother, sister and soon to be brother or sister, your friends are what makes you wealthy.

Money just makes you rich, family and friends make you wealthy."

Jill shut the door to the general's car and walked back to the residence. She was deep in thought and didn't see her step mother quietly observing her as she came up the walk. Lisa was concerned for her step daughter. She was being hit with a lot of stuff all at once. Lisa didn't know how to deal with all of it. Partly because she didn't understand it all that well herself. She knew that her husband was rich, but it wasn't real to her. Since they had come to Trena they had always lived on his police department salary. They had to because Michael had brought only a modest amount of money with them, leaving most of his fortune in the Empire.

"Kind of overwhelming isn't," Lisa asked as her step daughter started to step onto the porch.

"Very," Jill said, sitting down on the porch stoop. Lisa sat down next to her and hugged her.

"I know it's going to be difficult," Lisa said. "I wish I had to words to help you."

Jill looked at her step mother and said softly, "Just be here for me. Just be here for me. I don't understand all of this. It over whelms me to think of the money that I have. It is so much that it has no meaning for me. I just signed off on a contact that allows Aggie to explore a planet I own. Three months ago I was living in my grandmother's home, a military brat, now I don't know..."

Lisa said nothing for a while then said, "Jill. Life is throwing some strangeness at you right now. It can't be helped. Deal with the parts you understand, the parts you can actually do something about. The other parts when it is time for you to deal with them you'll be able to."

"Is that how you deal with most things?" Jill asked.

"Try to," Lisa said, "I focus on what I can get done, and deal with what I can't. I was on the run for nearly fifteen years and throughout it all I had to focus on the today; worry a bit about future and try not to dwell on the past. Not much we can do about the past. Except maybe learn from it."

They lapsed into silence for a bit, both lost in their thoughts. Jill wondering where she was headed and Lisa was wondering how to help her step daughter remain a girl.

# ###

"Miss Wilson," a tall young man entered the study with Jenny in tow the next morning. Jill was catching up on some last minute homework before she went to school.

Jill turned to see the pair.

"Yes." Jill said closing her tablet.

"I'm Pete Voinic," the young man said, "I am the PIO for your father."

"What can I do for you," Jill asked, having seen him and her father working on some of the public affairs issues for the evacuation.

"Since your gift," Pete stated, "we need to get some more information about you." "My gift," Jill asked not sure what the young man was talking about.

"The EBio planet that you own," Pete replied.

"What type of information?" Jill asked, "You know my father is fairly adamant about keeping me out of the lime light."

"It's okay Jill," Jenny spoke up, "I cleared it with the Marshal." "What do you need," Jill asked.

"Not much," Pete said, "We need a photo to add to the press release. Your father seemed to think you were only fifteen."

"No I will be eighteen on my next birthday," Jill giggled a bit, her father always thought she was younger than she was.

"You were born on Mars right," The man asked.

"Yes," Jill said, "I was born at Marine Corps Barracks, Westpoint Mars." "Your mother Killen died on Mars?" Pete asked.

"Yes she died when I was born," Jill replied a little subdued. She had never known her mother. Her grandmother and Mylea were the two mother figures in her early life.

"Your grandmother is Admiral Wilson of the Interstellar Rescue Service," Pete continued.

"Yes," Jill brightened a bit as she replied, "She's been retired about three years now. But with my father still being deployed around the empire grand mom said she would look after me a long time before dad left Earth."

"Is there anything you want to say about the gift you have given the people of Trena?" Pete asked.

Jill was silent for minute, and then said, "I think we're putting that ahead of things. Let's see what the Roustabout finds before I make any announcements about the world.

Now if you don't mind I need to get to school."

"Thanks Miss Jill," Pete concluded.

# ###

Princess Lisa concluded the passage, "It was almost too much for me to deal with. But I felt good about what I was able to do for the people of Trena. Listening to mom helped; but it is still a lot to comprehend. I was tempted to ask the princess how many other worlds that I owned. But it frightened me to a certain extent. Mostly because how do I deal with them."

The speakers chimed and the AI called, "Lights out in five minutes cadets."

"Okay guys let's get going," The cadet sergeant spoke up, "I'll be along in a bit to check on you."

When the cadets had filed out he turned to the young princess, "Thank you that was an enjoyable evening."

"You're welcomed," The princess was shocked as the sergeant sometimes only talked to them to yell at them for something they did wrong.

"Princess," cadet continued, "You have brought this to life for me tonight."

He left then and took a lot longer than he was supposed to for his bed check. He owed that much to these cadets who were trying to learn more about their first queen.

# Chapter 9: Roustabout's 2nd Voyage

The Princess looked tired when she walked into the class room the next day. She had stayed up all night reading; but not the queen's diaries; but the narrative of Roustabout's second voyage by the voyage's historian Violet Perkins. The general was about to say something; but decided not to.

When the rest of the cadets were settled the general began, "Roustabout was not an exploration support ship. But my mother Jonesy, and General Langtree and a brilliant engineer named Hooper had within a couple of days working around the clock to get her ready, had turned her into one.

"The loading of the Roustabout was different this time. The four surveyor flights were uploaded and chained down to the hull of Roustabout. This would be where the surveyor crews would make the voyage. At the other hard points on the hull had four containers chained down containing the pioneering party's equipment. A landing craft was docked at the docking port, while another was loaded on the hangar deck. The pioneer team was hot bunking in Roustabout. There were two hundred souls aboard the ship. The ship was never designed to handle this load. They were all experienced in survey, scouting, primitive construction, and trail blazing. Accompanying them were a Trena Mounted Patrol Special Weapons and Tactics Team along with a Militia SpecWar team. Included in the team was a handpicked team of biopeople from the associations.

"None of the biopeople had worked on this planet. They were there simply to convince any clones that they might find on the planet that they were not from EBio and that they would be okay with the people from Trena. By the time that the Roustabout left orbit that captain was making bets whether his ship would be able to carry the load or not.

"They made planet fall ten days after they departed Trena." The general continued her lecture.

# ###

The Roustabout entered the solar system where Zulu Foxtrot 89 was as a ghost. They were in full stealth mode. They were passive not transmitting. The signals intelligence team began the task of listening for any communications traffic. They were surprised, when they heard no voice or data signal. There should have been a beacon. Identifying the star system, how to contact traffic control and other pertinent data an arriving star ship needed to know. But there was no beacon.

"I wouldn't worry about there no being a beacon," one of the biopeople commented. "EBio hid a lot of their resources. There's a beacon and sentries. When we cross a line they'll let us know."

"Let's continue on," The captain said to no one in particular.

They crept in system using the elint platforms' full stealth capability they discovered several smaller planets that were on the fringes of the solar system.

"I image light from yonder star," a technician on one of the surveyors indicating the system's primary remarked, "would freeze solid on their surface."

As they continued in they discovered a large gas giant several AUs out from the primary with a constellation worlds orbiting them. None were able to support life.

"Skipper," one of the mapping crew spoke up as Captain Vaughn walked into the mission coordination center of the ship, "Good news!"

"Oh," Captain Vaughn replied.

"No asteroids! Or rogue planetoids," The chief replied.

"That'll make everyone's day." Vaughn commented.

At length they entered the inner solar system they found three planets. All of them were able to support life.

"Skipper," the mission coordinator spoke up, "I would like to redirect the surveyor flights to foxtrot."

"What about the other two planets," the captain asked.

"We've identified foxtrot as this one here," the mission coordinator responded pointing to a dot in the holographic image, "We feel that that these two worlds here are not in our contract." He pointed to the other two worlds, "We are certain that they are uninhabited. What we want to do is to check these two worlds out after we check on Foxtrot. They are not listed in the records as being owned by Miss Wilson. At least we can't find the records on who owns these worlds."

"Let's assume for the moment that Wilson Enterprises owns the entire system. Let's check out foxtrot first then we'll worry about the other two." Vaughn stated, "It is time to look at the planet we've come to explore."

"Attention," the mission coordinator called pressing the button that would let him speak to his surveyors, "ninety nine surveyors. You are clear to begin surveying planet

Zulu Foxtrot 89."

"Double ought eight," The mission coordinator on Surveyor 008 called into his communicator.

"Zero one zero." The mission coordinator on surveyor 010 confirmed the mission assignment.

They approached the planet in a wide formation separated by several thousand miles. Surveyor double oh eight took the north pole of the planet, and double ought ten took the South Pole. They would orange peel the planet; just as they had on Cherokee. This time they were hoping that they didn't find anyone on the planet.

It took several hours to survey the planet. The planet had four continents. They appeared to be mostly empty of any sign of human habitation. The middle one was the biggest of the four and had evidence of past habitation scattered over it. There was a large town or small city in the center of the continent at the confluence of two rivers. The town looked more or less intact. Some of the buildings had been ravaged by time and the weather. There was no sign of any one living anywhere on the planet. The river that the two smaller rivers formed in the middle of the town, it flowed north towards, the north coast of the continent. As the river flowed north there were many small towns and villages along both banks. The small towns all had docks. A couple of the docks had barges tied up to them. In one instance the barge was still tied up to some sort of tug. It appeared that the entire river was navigable.

"There's not a lock or dam on the entire river." The mission coordinator commented. "Not even for flood control."

"There are flood walls around each of the villages," one of the sensor operators remarked. "Even that one, down near the delta has flood walls."

The largest town before the delta did indeed have flood walls. But it also had several graving, and dry docks. There was one ship that had been abandoned in the middle of its construction. The crew of surveyor double oh eight were shocked to see several boats had been beached. A good many of them were up on cribbing. Some of the cribbing had failed and the boats had either crashed down among the cribbing or were lying on their sides.

To the east of the outpost was a spectacular home looking out over the northern ocean. It was up on a cliff looking east onto the ocean. The home was U shaped with the open end of the U facing the ocean. The dominant feature of the home was a stained glass atrium over the pool that was in the space between the U's uprights.

"That's the planetary mangers place," one of the crewmen said, "What little data we have on the world shows that this building belonged to the planetary manager. I think they called that village Out Post 1."

They continue their survey. They were impressed with the level of development the main continent had and how little development was on the other three continents. They had one or two small settlements on each continent and some roads but there was nowhere near the development of the main continent. Even the buildings and the other things left behind there was no sign of the people who built what they were seeing. It was if everyone went home at the end of their day. Even though there was plenty of animal life on the planet the surveyors found no evidence of primates or other animals being the precursors to sentiency. There didn't appear to be any one on the planet.

"There's no one down there," Mission Coordinator on Roustabout mused. "I think it's time to land the survey parties."

In the mission coordination center Captain Vaughn turned to his communications signals intelligence team, "Let's see if can wake up the Care Taker."

The communications signal intelligence leader nodded, "Roustabout connect me with the Care Taker!"

"Okay baby," the voice of a centuries dead entertainer replied. The Roustabout's Artificial Sentient went to work. Before leaving Trena he had spent some time conversing with Kellogg and General Alphine, Miss Wilson, financial guardian. They had come up with the protocol to get the Care Taker to acknowledge them. If that didn't work Roustabout was going to assault the Care Taker by over whelming the system in such a way that it couldn't respond.

"Zulu Foxtrot Eighty Nine," Roustabout broadcasted on all the channels the Care Taker was supposed to be listening to, "to this is corporate alpha omega with upgraded data for your station. Stand by to receive data!"

"Standing by," the Care Taker replied.

Roustabout sighed in relief and sent the data packet to the Care Taker. As part of the packets he was sending down was the code to shut down. Everyone held their breaths as they had no idea how sentient the Care Taker might be. If Care Taker was more than a dumb AI they could be in trouble. If the Care Taker suspected a hostile takeover this was where he could react accordingly. If the planet had even rudimentary planetary defenses then Roustabout was in trouble. The Roustabout didn't have any weapons to fight anything. Their best weapon was stealth, then speed. They were in luck the Care Taker's last message was, "Care Taker off line!"

Everyone including Roustabout breathed a sigh of relief. As the holographic image of Roustabout sighed he took the bandanna from around his throat and wiped his brow.

The captain seeing the hologram wipe his brow commented, "Me too Roustabout! Let's get the ground teams down."

"Mr. Kellogg said that the computer system was in the main town." Captain Vaughn mused, then ordered, reinforcing the mission plan, "Have the first mission in the town.

They are to find and permanently disable Care Taker."

"Yes sir," the ground mission coordinator said from his landing craft.

The first mission team landed at the largest city at the confluence of the two rivers. It was strange. They made a standard landing and off loaded a couple of hover jeeps and drove through the abandoned town.

"It looks like any abandoned town," One of the Mounty's commented. He was looking at the buildings. Some of them had broken windows, some had roof damage. The doors were wide open. The damage was not man made. More like that of storms or other weather. But other than storm damage and debris there was no evidence the town had been abandoned in a hurry. They passed a parking lot with trucks and heavy equipment parked in neat orderly rows. The town was not in bad shape over all. It looked without a doubt that the people who had lived there had just picked up and left. It appeared as if the last one who left the city had turned the lights off and shut the door.

At length they finally found the headquarters building.

It was in the center of town in a large ornate building that reminded the ground team leader of a government building. He thought of it as city hall. Its door was unlocked. Providing no barrier to the ground team. They entered the building. Here too, the building was clean. There was no paper or debris in the building, just some animal droppings and a musty smell of a building being closed too long. Only the office furniture was left. They carefully swept through the building, praying that it was abandoned. They found it deserted like they did the town.

They found the computer center. It was buried in the basement. The door to the center was open. It was spooky. It was silent. The typical noise associated with a large computer were not present. The cooling fans, power supply fans and all the other noise generators had been shut down. The computer that ran the planet's infrastructure was indeed off. The team wasted no time as they disconnected the computer from all power sources. But they didn't stop there. They opened the computer itself and removed the memory core. They very essence of the computer. They searched the center for a backup but didn't find it. It became a priority for all the teams. Where was the backup? The location was probably in the memory modules they had removed.

As they left the building the Trenaport Mounted Patrol criminalist with them commented, "I'll be happy when we can interrogate that computer. I wonder what else it might know?"

"Well until we can get this crap to a computer forensic team," the ground team leader pointed to a large crate sealed with evidence seals, "that computer could be a

Pandora's box!"

"Ground Leader this is Surveyor 008 priority traffic," The mission coordinator on the surveyor flight called interrupting them.

"Go with your priority," The ground leader called back as he sat down in his jeep. He had escaped from an EBio facility years ago. The memories were coming back. Not all of them good. He was a little uncomfortable being on this world and in this town. "Ground Leader, radar mapping indicates that there may be a mass grave in a meadow 2 klicks north of town." The surveyor's mission coordinator called, "We would like you to dispatch a field team to check it out."

"On it," the ground leader replied nodding to his driver to take him to the site.

When they got there, they found a large meadow, maybe a quarter of a mile on a side. The meadow was covered with flowers from one end to another. The meadow was flat there were no mounds or small hills in the meadow. He didn't know what to expect. He had never seen a mass grave; not even in pictures. The meadow was tranquil and serene almost park like.

The escaped bioman did not want to disturb the site at all but they had to drive onto it to obtain the data they needed.

"Alex," he nudged the driver of his jeep, "Turn your sensor pod on. I want you to drive straight through the meadow."

Before they got five feet into the meadow the sensor suite began to provide data. The ground team was hoping that the mass grave was that of the original occupants, their hopes were dashed when the sensor suite began reporting the bodies the sensors were discovering were those of biopeople in the grave site. One of the sensors emitted signal that activated the identifier chip each clone was given the moment they were considered viable. Thousands of identifier were being triggered and recorded by the sensor suite. Within a short period of time they began to find pieces of bodies, and then small children. The sensor technology allowed them to determine that there were a thousand bodies buried in the meadow. The bioman was heart sick. Here were a thousand of his fellow biopeople who had been violently put down, and he couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't prove who did it, let alone if EBio was responsible.

"Ground leader to all personnel," The ground leader called over the all call channel,

"From now on the meadow just outside of town is off limits. I want a guard on it." "Aye-aye skipper," someone called.

Later as they made the planet ready to occupy over the period of a few days, a low brick wall began to be built. It was spontaneous. No one claimed to be the architect who designed it. The bricks came from a pile near a building that had been abandoned during its construction. People not on duty would wander over and spend several hours working on it. It wasn't a very good wall, nor very professional, but it would last almost forever. There were a thousand bricks in the wall. The wall was five feet high and a thousand feet long. The low height allowed people to see the meadow; but prevented them from entering the meadow itself. The bricks held the serial numbers of the ID tags the sensors had found. One for every bioperson who were believed to have been executed in the meadow. Over the years it became a matter of honor for biopeople to make a pilgrimage to this wall when they were first on world to pay homage to the biopeople so honored by the new settlers on what would become known simply as Home.

The survey and pioneer parties found no other mass graves. The small towns were never inhabited by EBio and were in near perfect order. There were signs of EBio exploration; but few of the buildings showed signs of occupancy. One of the large warehouses had been turned into barracks where the clones had been housed. They also found the abandoned cloning and reproduction labs. At least that's what the explorers thought they were, but there was no equipment in the building. The ground leader was tempted to destroy them but he had to remember he was the agent of Jill Wilson and he couldn't just order the destruction of her property.

A week after their landing Captain Vaughn came down to meet with the survey parties. They met at the small abandoned space port. It had five large landing craft pads, a small control tower and two hangars. They gathered outside one of the hangers. Some stood, other's sat with their backs to the hangar. The senior officers were discussing the results of their explorations.

As the officers were meeting, a shy historian who was quietly observing everything and had, when she could, conducted interviews of many of the team members, she stood with her back against the hangar as the captain spoke with his officers.

"Well it is deserted," the captain replied, "we've found nothing on the ground that indicates the planet has any population."

"That is if you don't count the large herds of cattle and sheep we're finding," someone said.

"But there is no sign of human life on the planet," Vaughn asked.

"Yes sir," The ground leader spoke up, "We have found no sign of recent human habitation of the planet."

"We also have not discovered any pre-sentient primates." An anthropologist spoke up. "Nor any sign of aborigine settlements. There is no native intelligence on this world."

"So you all feel that there is no reason not to let our people occupy this world?" the captain asked.

"Captain," the historian spoke up, "I think I can speak for all of us. But there is no reason for the people of Trena not to come and live on this world and to make our new homes upon it."

There was a series of nods as a few people voiced their agreement with the historian's statement.

"All of you are aware then that the other part of the contract I have with Miss Wilson is to make this planet ready for our people to occupy. I now activate that portion of our contract. Ladies and Gentlemen, please make our new home ready for our families to find refuge on."

"So the Diaspora begins," the historian commented mostly to herself as the meeting broke up.

"Diaspora," one of the ground team members asked.

"This isn't the first time in any our peoples' history that some of us left a bad situation to a better one." Violet replied, "About the fourth century before Empire the people of an island nation known as Ireland began leaving their small island during a famine to the old United States. They came to a small island known as Ellis Island where they were processed and allowed entry into the country. But that is only one example the thonians had their own diasporas as did we again once we discovered star travel." "So this is our Ellis," the man asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Violet replied. "But more importantly this will become our Home."

As the pioneer parties began arriving from orbit, the crew at the landing pad welcomed them to Home and to Ellis as they stepped off the landing craft. Soon everyone was calling the EBio planet Home.

As the pioneer parties spread out working to see what it was going to take to make the planet ready for the arrival of thirty five million people, one of the teams walked into a warehouse near the clone barracks. They found man sized rolls of fabric. They were made of gray canvas. The bioman with them shook his head. Before he had left the company he had worn a shapeless gray smock or a jump suit made of this material. He shuddered.

His wife was standing with him. He had told her of the company and what he had suffered at their hands and that of his owners before he had escaped. She saw his shudder and wondered if this had been a good idea for the both of them. She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," the young bioman replied. He pointed to the rolls of fabric, "I was never so happy not to have to wear that shit again!"

"Why didn't they take this stuff with them," Another team member asked, "This is just wasteful!"

"Not to them," an older bioman spoke up, "When they abandoned Home they thought they could take it to their new world. Or thought they could give it to another world. Obviously they couldn't so they left it here thinking they would come back for it or just forgot about it."

"But the expense of it!" the man said.

"Oh it didn't cost them much," The older bioman exclaimed, "Eats for thirty clones, that was all. The biopeople would sleep in the barracks across the way. Hell the raw materials cost them more than we did! If we got sick and it was something serious they would just put us down! No fuss, no muss they just put us to sleep like any sick or injured animal. That is what they thought of us, a beast of burden."

The bioman's wife looked at both her husband and the bioman who had spoken. It was now her turn to shudder. She knew that her husband's life before escaping had been bad but she hadn't realized how brutal it had been.

"You know," her husband commented, "what would be poetic justice if we could turn this into something we could use for our people when they arrive. It won't be much but..."

"March," one of the bioman asked, "didn't they sometimes make tents and such for company functions out of these places?"

"Yes they did," March said turning to his wife, "Madeline we need to find the control center. Let's hope the computer is a stand alone!"

"Yes we don't have a new AI for the planetary system yet," Madeline replied.

They found the control center and soon found a way to turn the computer on and to begin to getting the plant up and running. Within a couple of days the plant was producing several different types of inflatable tents and awnings. By the end of the week there were nearly a thousand inflatable tents and dinning flies that could house a family of ten quite easily.

As the Roustabout flew back to Trena, the pioneer parties began to spread out and began to get the planet ready for occupation. With the exception of the small towns and villages scattered throughout the continent, (which were few and far between,) there was no place to put millions of people when they came to Home. No one wanted to see the planet's natural resources plundered and raped to house nearly a thirty five million people.

Everyone was concerned about the impact that people would have on Home.

# ###

"The abandoned world was quickly explored," General Jones concluded her class, "They now had to make it ready to receive our people. Trena's population was close to seventy five million people."

"But our population is just now reaching forty million," princess Lisa remarked.

"Not everyone wanted to come here and colonize Home," the general replied, "Only thirty five million souls migrated to Home. Even with the infrastructure we found, it was still going to be primitive. We would be pioneering Home. Populating the existing towns and villages. The exploration party thought that there was enough housing for maybe five million people. Not nearly enough to house one twelfth of our population. We would have to build cities, towns, and villages. Many of our people didn't want to be pioneers. Many truthfully were not up to the task of pioneering a world. They were used to a civilized, settled world.

"Thankfully," the general continued, "only thirty five million people migrated to Home. The rest were able to be repatriated back to their home star nations. Others were recruited by various off world out of nation employers. Our people were always being recruited by the Empire, the Realm, even the Republic to name a few. We had a well educated, and experience work force. Our businesses were known galaxy wide. Often an enterprising star nation would try to lure a corporation to their home worlds. Few took their offers as Trena's business environment was better than the Empire's. But with Trena having to be evacuated, including some of the in orbit off world industries it was open season on our people.

"The Crown reluctantly helped some of our best and brightest to be recruited and allowed immigrate to other star nations with the Crown helping the person, their family and their firm leave Trena." The general wrapped up the class, "Almost forty million people found homes and employment among our many friends. Otherwise things would be worse than what they were."

"Okay," the general said, "Next week we'll be going over chapter ten. It discusses in greater detail the first migrants to Home."
Chapter 10: Who Goes First?

The Princess was reading the Queen's diary after lunch the next day during a study period, "I had to attend a meeting with Roustabout's captain, Dad, Princess Carroll and Aggie this morning. The captain was reporting on the results of his expedition to what we are now calling Home. The captain shared some video and holos of my world. It is a beautiful world. What he showed us was breath taking. He showed us one holo of a river cutting through a heavily wooded river valley. It split the continent. There were a couple of small villages along the river. Other than these villages there is very little evidence that man has ever set foot along the river. He showed us where large plots of wild grain had taken over the prairies.

"The Ag people reported," the captain reported, "finding Maze, beans, wheat, and other food grains for hundreds of miles of prairie."

The image changed showing an over flight of a large heard of cows that went on forever, or so it seemed, "They appear to be some variant of cattle from earth. The biologist says their DNA is a close match to terrestrial bovine. They slaughtered one and found that it was edible. As is the grain."

"That makes things a lot easier," her father commented.

"There are some small towns and villages beside the main city that is now being called Ellis. But there isn't enough existing housing for all our people. I am concerned about destroying the world before we even get a chance to live on it." Princess Lisa paused in her reading looking out of the libraries windows to the lush woodland that the academy had been built in. "I need to talk with Dad, Aggie and maybe General Langtree and possibly Jonesy. I am owner of this world so I should be able to find some way to make sure the planet isn't destroyed."

The bell rang and the Princess left the study to go to the day room to finish reading the entry.

After she got settled in the day room she continued to read "The opposition led by Lord Ramsey is really giving Dad a hard time. I wish someone would shut him up. He and Duke Horton! They are doing nothing to help. At least Horton isn't as bad as Ramsey. Horton seems to be more concerned about Dad and Aggie not over reacting. Ramsey on the other hand isn't. He and his friends seem to be obstructing the evacuation whenever possible. Now that the Roustabout is back they are raising a fuss about who is to go first.

"They are actually stating that the rich will get off world first," Jill had written, "From what I heard Dad and the others say they are feeding a whole bunch of stuff into an expert system to choose. I thought it interesting that an Artificial Sentient wasn't going to be used but when it was explained to me by Jonesy, the Boeing AS. She told me that AS's did have emotions, and could be manipulated like flesh and blood people; but an expert system was a dumb computer that would just process the numbers and the facts unemotionally.

"Guess part of what is stressing Dad out is that they are ready to announce the first lifts to Home; but the press isn't letting them." Jill concluded "I am going to try and watch the press conference today. I overheard Mr. Vornic, Dad's Public Information Officer, complaining the other day to Dad, how tough it was getting."

The Princess was anxious to hear the general's lecture the class met.

# ###

Jill knew she was not supposed to be anywhere around the press pavilion. Her parents didn't want her anywhere around the press. Although some of the press both friendly, and unfriendly had asked for interviews, her parents, had refused to grant one. How long that would last neither she, nor her parents were certain. As an excuse to go by the pavilion, she had told Lisa she had lost the stylus for her pad and wanted to go to the palace post exchange to see if she could replace it. Thinking that it was Saturday, and Jill was bored and just wanted something to do, Lisa didn't say anything as Jill with one of the protective agents in tow, she went to the post exchange she purchased a gaudy flashy stylus. On their way back they passed the press pavilion.

The pavilion was a recent addition to Serenity's grounds. News media from all over the galaxy had flocked to Trena to report on the death of planet. Soon their numbers out grew the palace's modest press briefing room. To accommodate the press her father had the pavilion erected. I was just a tent like structure open at the sides. If the weather was bad; then a force field activated to keep rain, or wind out of the pavilion. It was on the other side of a hedge that obscured the walkway on the other side of it. The walkway was the direct path from the palace exchange to the Wilson residence. Which was why she had decided to go to exchange at this time. As they walked back to the residence the press briefing began. Jill stopped to listen to it. No one could see her behind the hedge; but she and her escort could hear everything.

"Good morning," the young man started the press briefing. He was mildly surprised when the reporters settled down quickly. "I have an announcement to make concerning the first evacuees to Home. Based on a manning schedule put together in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, we have compiled a list of applicable professions, and trades needed for the first lift to Home. A list of names meeting the criteria that the Marshal's staff came up with was fed to the Census Expert System and those whose survey stated they would be interested in becoming part of a pioneer party or an initial colonial set up team that met the criteria have been selected. As I speak, the evacuation command is sending out notices to those selected. By midnight tonight those selected will have been notified. All those selected have until midnight tomorrow to acknowledge their selections. Should they not answer the summons, they will be given another twenty four hours to acknowledge, should they not acknowledge the summons, the command will go down the list until it has 25,000 individuals for the first lift. Once they acknowledge the summons they will receive information on how to proceed. They shouldn't just start for the space port. The names will be posted on Evac Net by the end of the week with the first lifts to the newly commissioned I'm Outta Here some time next Sunday or Monday."

"I will entertain a few questions," Pete Vornic, the Evacuation Command Public

Information Officer stated. "Please state your name and affiliation."

Several hands went up. He acknowledge one he hadn't called on before.

"Simon Travis," The reporter responded, "McKay Free Press. How many families will this entail?"

"I think and these numbers will change," Pete answered looking at the notes the computer projected on his podium screen. "But some six thousand families will be going on the first lift."

"What are you calling families," Simon followed up.

"They will be traditional Trenian families. As you know we have a very liberal definition of marriage and of families. Many have multiple spouses and many children. Some families have twenty people in them. This will include their spouses, children, and may include grandparents, aunts and uncles. The lift will include everyone in the immediate family including family members who have retired. People who can pass their trades on or help take care of others as needed. The idea was to mix older people with younger people, with a diversity of skills and knowledge. For instance one family is the owner of a bakery. But not everyone in the family is a baker, one of the daughters is a police officer married to a warehousemen. Another of the sons is a school teacher. Another of the daughter in laws is a therapist. We need all those talents and we don't want to break up a family if we don't have too. So far we have been able to find those families whose skills we need. You have to understand that this first lift will be the people who will be setting up facilities for the rest of us. Home needs not only carpenters, and masons, but; cattlemen and farmers. They will also need someone to watch over the children, and someone to cook for them. To fix their machinery and the other support people needed so they can work.

That is our plan. Every lift we send out will have that type of mix."

"Jerome Wilkerson, Trenaport Daily," A reporter asked, "Are any nobles included with this list?"

"Yes there are a couple but they have not been notified yet so I am not at liberty to give you their names at this time." Pete answered.

"Will their entire business or estate be transported with them?" Someone asked.

"No," The press officer said, "Not every noble's business will be able to continue on Home. Some of the nobles', whose estate were mostly farming or agribusiness, who have shown a desire to pioneer on a new planet, will be evacuated with their farming equipment and their retainers who may wish to accompany their lord or lady to Home."

"Will they be given lands comparable to those they now have?" Another reporter asked.

"No," Pete shook his head, "Some of their estates are very large. Some as large as a hundred thousand acres. When they arrive on home they be granted farmland to develop. Initially the grant will be for twenty thousand acres."

Jill knew that the public information officer wasn't telling the full story. There were provisions to allow farmers, whether they be nobles or others to farm more lands. But they would have to wait until the evacuation was completed to gain more farmland. Then they would be allowed to purchase or rent tracks of farmland first from Wilson Enterprises then from their fellow farmers. Her father's and Queen Aggie's first goal was to get everyone off world. They were going heavy with farmers on the first lift so as to harvest the existing crops, and get new crops planted, and round up some of the cattle running free so they could feed the evacuees.

"Jennifer Rose, Mars Dispatch," another reporter said after being acknowledge, "What about status of your nobility."

"Our nobility is tied to the crown of Trena," Pete replied, "On Home they may retain the title, of lord or duke, but that is all it will be. Just an honorific. They be like any other evacuee. Just a citizen of Home."

"That's going to be a rude awakening to some of our nobles," someone remarked.

The PIO ignored it agreeing with who ever said it and pointed to a reporter way in the back, "You in the back!"

"Ralph Morgenstern, Political Review," The reporter asked, "When will the Marshal and his family be evacuated."

"The Marshal and his family will be the very last persons to be lifted from this planet, or nearly the last." Pete Vornic answered the question, "The Queen has made it clear that she will not leave until every last mother's child has been safely evacuated from Trena. The marshal has stated that he will insure that the queen's statement is fulfilled." "What about some of the art and precious works in our museums?" a reporter asked. "We've heard that Lady Hawthorne is making a list of the kingdom's art so it could be sold at auction to pay for the evacuation?"

Pete Vornic visibly bristled. He recognized the reporter from the Trenaport Post. An opposition news outlet. He had heard the same rumors. So had the Trenaport Mounted Patrol. They had investigated the rumors, and had reported that they were just that, rumors. They were being spread by Don Least. He was a very popular news media personality, and had quite a following. He was a very vocal opposition media critic of Marshal Wilson and the evacuation. The Public Information Officer wished the reporter wasn't in the press center; but he was! So he took a deep breath and looked the reporter in the eyes as he spoke.

"It is true that Lady Hawthorne is and has conducted an inventory of the Kingdom's precious art and museum exhibits." Pete's voice had a hard edge to it as he continued, "but not for sale. And definitely not for sale to fund the evacuation. As we evacuate Trena we plan to evacuate our libraries, and museums to Home. But not all of it. Some of the art, some of our museum exhibits will be taken to a special exhibit space on McKay to be shared with the people who will remain in the Trena system after Trena is destroyed. Queen Agatha is adamant that we may be losing our world, but our culture and heritage will not be lost or destroyed.

"We plan to ship a little bit of it out with each lift. " Pete said, "Currently there is no place to display it on Home. Some of this art must be kept in climate controlled environments. So it will remain in storage until we have such a facility to display it. It is our intention as towns and villages are created and populated to put a lot of the art in traveling exhibits. But that is a few years in the future."

"What about the Marshal," the same reporter asked, "Will he be given an estate on

Home?"

"No sir," Pete answered the reporter's question, "Marshal Wilson, won't be given anything on Home."

He paused for a moment reviewing what he and Marshal Wilson had discussed. "His daughter owns this world. She is graciously letting large areas of Home to be populated by our people. What sections of Home not populated by our people will still be owned by Miss Wilson and her family."

"Does she truly own it," another reporter asked. Everyone was having trouble believing Jill owned the planet of Home.

"Yes," Pete said, "His daughter is the heir to the Estate of Margo Hazelton Wilson, who was the granddaughter of the original EBio founder Dr. Leonard Hazelton. When Lord Wilson left Earth with Lady Wilson he assigned his shares in the EBio to his daughter in a trust to be managed by his step mother Admiral Wilson and Princess Carroll of Earth. To make a long story short, Jill Wilson owns the world as part of her estate."

"What do the Wilson's get out of it? Will they be our new monarchy?" another reporter asked.

"They don't get much out of it," Pete remarked, "It is the Marshal's intention to retire to the estate they are going to build on Home, and let the people of Home run their affairs without his or his daughter's intercession."

"What's the Queen's position on this? And the House of Lords," a reporter asked.

"The Queen has not discussed this with me or anyone from the parliament," Pete said not telling the full truth. The Queen had discussed it with him. It wasn't his place to discuss their conversation with the press.

"Thank you sir," one of Pete's assistants called from the back of the room after Pete had signaled that it was time to wind it up. He didn't want to go any further on this issue. It was filled with land mines and not small ones. As Pete left the podium the first notices were being received by those selected to go first. As he began to leave the press center he spied Jill and one of her productive detail.

"You shouldn't be here! Your mother and father will have both of our scalps," Pete scolded the teenager.

"Come on let's get out of here," Jenny suggested.

Jenny led her out of the press area. As they left her, a black cat came right over to them and began rubbing their ankles trying to get their attention. Jill picked up the cat and began to pet it. "Are you lost?"

"There you are Bugs!" A militia sergeant came up to them. Jill had seen the sergeant around the grounds the last couple of days standing various posts. She had seen the sergeant spill a glass of water on Lord Mercer. The sergeant, a young woman of about 5' 8"; with shoulder length blond hair, weighed a little under 140 pounds. Jill wished she had the nearly perfect figure the sergeant had. "I hope he wasn't a nuisance?"

"No," Jill said handing the sergeant the cat, "I wondered how he got on the grounds.

It is the first time I have seen him."

"He's supposed to be in mine and Georgia's room. He always gets out somehow!" Alice was not about to tell the young woman that Bugs was part of her security unit. He could go places she couldn't go searching for bugs and what have you.

"Well he's not a bother, if you need someone to look after him let me know I don't think mom or dad would mind if I looked after him." Jill said.

"That's okay Miss Jill," the sergeant said, she didn't have the heart to tell the marshal's daughter, that the cat though purring its heart out in Alice's arms, signaling that there were no bugs in the area, was a semi intelligent robot that Alice had built a couple weeks back. "The lieutenant had a fit when I brought him along on the assignment. It took a direct order from the XO to let me keep him. He'll read my beads if he knew that Bugs was making a pest of himself with the Royals."

"Well if Bugs, needs a home for a while let me know!" Jill said and left the press area.

# ###

Valerie Mitchum was standing outside the music store in the South Mall with several other people when she heard the announcement of the first people to be evacuated to Home. As she heard the announcement, she wondered how she could be evacuated to Home. It had to be better than living on the streets of Trenaport. A few days before Lottie's death, after helping a family pack up their apartment, they told her she could stay in their abandoned apartment. She moved in with her meager processions. It gave her a place where she could wait to be evacuated. The apartment was fully furnished as the family could only take their clothing and a few personal things. She had been surprised when she had found the apartment's pantry stocked. For first time since leaving the 'Adventure of Learning', the tall ship she had lived on for the last few years, she felt was going to be oaky. Between what Gaylord had given her and what the Crown's Victims Compensation Fund had given her she had enough money to cover her needs. She just had to find a way to get off Trena.

She didn't know how to make that happen.

She saw the shop keeper of the music store and knew it was time to move on. The shop keeper wouldn't allow the kids in the store. She didn't think he was being a hard case for not letting kids in the store. She had seen the two kids wrestling over a violin that got them all banned from the store. The violin somehow ended up on the floor in two pieces. So kids were banned except when accompanied by an adult. The shop keeper's assistant when his boss was out of the store would allow her in and to look around. He even let her occasionally, when he knew his boss was going to be out of the store, play one of the guitars. Not today though, the shop keeper was the only one in the store. She was thinking of buying the one guitar that she mostly played.

She left the area of the music store and found a place where she could sit and observe the comings and goings of the people using the mall. She bought a drink at one of the kiosks. She was sipping her drink wondering how she could get to Home when she saw the two police officers who had rendered justice on Lottie's behalf. They saw her and came over to her. The mall was part of their patrol.

"How are you Miss Mitchum," L'eam, and F'rena asked in unison. Mitch smiled a bit, this was not the first lifemated Thonians she knew. Often lifemates would speak in unison and with the same vocal qualities.

"I am fine," the seventeen year old answered.

"We haven't seen you since Lottie's closed." The female thonian said, "We were worried about you"

"Why," Mitch asked. Often the cops just wanted to bust her or wished she would disappear.

"That was a bad thing," the male thonian replied "We wanted to make sure you were okay."

"It was a bad thing," Mitch admitted. In truth she had never seen anything like that in her young life. She had seen many things in the five years she had been on the Adventure. She seen a rigger fall to his death when he lost his footing when they were pulling the top most sail in during a storm. She had never seen anyone kill someone before.

"How are you coping with it," the male Thonian asked sitting down beside her.

"I don't know," Mitchum replied. She really didn't know how she felt about it.

"Lottie was a good friend. She kind of looked after me."

"We had been told that," the other one said, "That's why we wanted to talk with you. They held a memorial for her. We missed you."

"I was out back with a couple of mourners." Mitch replied, "I saw you leaving when

I came back in."

"Patrol 29 what is your status?" The communicator called.

"In service at South Mall," F'rena called into the device.

"Respond to a disturbance in the residential section of the mall." The device called.

"On the way," F'rena, the female thonian called as her lifemate stood and they started to go to the residential section.

With nothing better to do and wondering what the commotion was on her apartment's floor, she followed the Companions.

"Give me back my notice!" someone was yelling as they came up on the group.

"It is not your notice," another voice yelled. The crowd noise was getting loud. Mitch saw twenty or so people surrounding the two who were arguing. They were a young man who was wearing a tool belt and an older over weight guy. She thought knew him as the guy who ran one of the cafes on the ground floor of the mall. As they got closer the older man pushed the younger man, who fell to the floor. He jumped back up and was about to swing on the fat man, when the male thonian simply picked the young man up by his collar and turned him around. His partner moved in on the fat man and cut him out of the crowd. Soon both men were separated.

"What's going on," L'eam asked the young man.

"I got my notice and printed it off and was showing a couple of the guys when Jonathon took it and said it was his! Said I got it out of his printer. I sometimes use his printer to print out my stuff. When he saw what it was he went crazy and wouldn't let me have it back. I tried to print out another; but he wouldn't let me," The youngster said in a rush.

"Can I see it," the thonian asked.

"He still has it," the young man said.

"F'rena can you scan the notice please." The thonian asked his lifemate. He had heard the overweight man's side of it as his lifemate interviewed him. F'rena scanned the hard copy of the notice. A holograph of the young man filed the air over the scanner.

Turning to Jonathon the thonians said in unison, "Sir if you wish to continue to challenge this we will take you down to the station house where you will be interrogated by agents of the Crown and should you be mistaken about this document, you will be arrested. The Marshal and the evacuation command are taking a dim view of identity theft."

They let it sink in and then asked, "What is your desire citizen."

"That's all right." The Jonathon answered, "I guess I was mistaken." "Do you wish to press charges," the male companion asked the young man.

"No." the young man said, "everyone is getting desperate. Just so he doesn't do it again."

"If you cause any more trouble," both thonians spoke again to the man named

Jonathon, "we will arrest you."

"I understand," the man responded.

"Come on folks, it is all over." The thonians trying to wind things down spoke to the crowd, "Move on now."

Taking the hint Mitch left for the apartment she was squatting in. When the thonians tried to find her, she wasn't anywhere to be found.

# ###

"So the exodus from Trena to Home began," General Jones said from the front of the class. "This first lift of twenty thousand souls was a milestone. Until this point, only people whose government was allowing them to return. Who had jobs or family to take them in, on other planets had been able to get off world. Now common everyday people were being evacuated in mass."

"What always impressed me was that no one tried to force their way onto the landing craft," T'harla remarked.

"Security at the embarkation points were very strong." The general replied. "Each of the embarkation points were secured by the militia. Often backed up by an armored personnel carrier. In the early days you couldn't get near an embarkation point unless you had your evacuation order. Later you were picked up at your home and taken to a shelter where you met up with the landing craft that would take you to your transport. That alone kept problems at the embarkation to a minimum."

"Chief Atomi, and Marshal Wilson," The general continued, "both extremely experience law enforcement professionals, were surprised that there was very little social unrest. We did have a couple of riots. Towards the end there were a couple of riots when a rumor was circulated that the Queen had left and was living on McKay. They stormed the palace or tried to; but they couldn't get past the perimeter fence and its force field. That and the Queen inviting several of the ring leaders into the palace to meet with her to prove she was still on Trena. That stopped the worse riot we had."

"All right," General Jones said seeing that the class period was at an end. "Read the next chapter. I'll see you in a week."

The end of class tones chimed and the general called softly, "Class dismissed!" The general stood up to leave, as she did the senior cadet called, "Attention!" The class stood while the general left.

# Chapter 11: Unwanted Excitement

The Princess was granted weekend leave to attend the christening of His Majesty's Ship the Lady Wilson. HMS 02C was a hospital ship. The original HMS 02B had been retired just last year at the end of its service life. Now the third such ship to bare her great grandmother Lisa name was being christen on Sunday. She had been asked by her father King David to christen the ship. The christening went off without a hitch. At least until they all got back to North View Palace, when her parents got into an argument.

"She's not going to do it and that's final!" her mother yelled at her father.

"Carolyn is old enough to get her landing craft license," Her father had yelled back. "Every one of us has gotten our pilot's license before we graduated middle school. It's time for her to get her ticket."

"She's too young," Her mother yelled back.

Princess Lisa left the family room where her parents had been arguing and went to her room where she opened Queen Jill's diary.

"I know mom and dad had their disagreements," Jill had written, "They never argued where people could hear them. But this evening I heard them arguing about something Lisa was dead set on doing."

As Princess Lisa read the diary entry she wished her parents were like Queen Jill's. **###**

A few nights after the press conference Jill witnessed, Jill over heard her father and step-mother arguing.

"Lisa you are not going to do that!" her father was yelling.

"Mike I am you wife!" Lisa yelled, "You don't own me! You may own the company that built me; but you certainly don't own me! I am going to the port to take those photos!"

"Lisa it's too damn dangerous! We haven't even gotten a sniff of Hozenbur and we know she'll have to try something at this lift. The terrorizing of biopeople on this lift is just too great!"

"You mean that with all the cops, MPs, Marines, and Militiamen you can't keep one crazy old woman from disrupting the lift?" Lisa asked.

"It's not just one crazy old woman and you know it!" her father snapped, "That crazy old woman has the equivalent of a Black Guard alpha team."

"Yes, she has one of the best closer teams the company has ever fielded. But she is smart." Lisa said, "She won't try anything with me or with the first lift if she can't get away with it. You know I am right about her. I am going and that is all there is to it!"

"It's too damn dangerous." Her father repeated. Then his tone softened a bit, "I couldn't stop you with a platoon of marines could I."

"Not even with one of the Princess' alpha teams." Lisa admitted. "Okay," her father relented, "But you go with a detail." "Okay," Lisa agreed.

Lisa had come out of the master bedroom and saw Jill sheepishly trying to blend into the wall. "You heard that?" "Yes," Jill answered.

"Let's go into your room for a bit," Lisa asked. It was time to tell her about Hozenbur.

In her room, Jill asked, "How dangerous is it for you to be at the embarkation area?"

"Less dangerous than your father is making out." Lisa replied a little anger still in her voice, "I'll be around people who will be the first people to get off world. They won't be interested in hurting me."

"Why does this Hozenbur want you?" Jill asked.

"I am an escaped bioperson from the company." Lisa answered, "To make matters worse it was from Captain Hozenbur's team. Which made her look incompetent. She has tried to capture me for over 20 years."

Lisa was carefully choosing her words. She still wasn't ready to talk about all of her past with Jill. There were some dark episodes she hadn't even shared with her husband. Yet Jill had the right to know more about her than she knew now. "I was born on a planet called Holly. I was to be a production clone. I was in a very small group of clones they had developed with specially abilities. My IQ was above average for even the Deltas. Instead of developing my skills they decided they were going to breed me like some prized cow" Lisa said with some venom. "Fortunately that never came to be."

"I didn't know that until much later." Lisa continued. "Someone misread my production plan. Instead of staying on Holly, to be kept barefoot and pregnant, I was sent on to a finishing center. So from the time I was thirteen until I turned eighteen, I was finished. I had a knack for medicine, specifically therapy. Once finished my contract was sold to a medical personnel firm on station 54. That was where I met your father." She smiled remembering the six months she had spent with her father helping Joyce Wilson recover from combat injuries. Up until recently they were the best times of her life.

"After your father was deployed along with the Colonel, and Joyce." Lisa's voice lost its softness, "Containment and Alignment discovered the mistake and returned me to Holly. They tried to put me into production. Every time they tried to put a developmental in me I miscarried. They couldn't determine why I kept miscarrying.

She chuckled before she went on, "they had of course forgotten that I can control my metabolism. It was nothing to convince my body not to be pregnant. Not wanting to lose my medical skills they put me in in a containment team.

"I was the team medic." She shuddered, "Patching their wounds up after their escapades. Truthfully they did do some good. There were some company employees and officers, people who caused some harm. Great harm! The team I was on captured people who had stolen from the company or raped and abused clones. Sometimes they killed company officers. The company always wanted to deal with its own problems. They didn't want the authorities to know what was going on in the company.

"That was some rewarding work. I helped shut down a smuggling operation that used the company transport system to transport crazy dust. Later I was rewarded by being assigned to a closer team. A team sent out to kill people who the company wanted dead. Hozenbur was the team leader. I didn't last long. When I found that this team had killed your grandfather, I couldn't be on the team. I took care of some business and left." "What did you do," Jill asked.

"Let's just say I rendered justice," Lisa answered, she wasn't going to tell her step daughter how she had taken care of the business. "Hozenbur has been chasing me for years because of how I took care of that business. That and because some other stuff I have done to her over the years, she wants me dead."

"Is that why Dad is so adamant that you shouldn't be out where this Hozenbur can get to you?" Jill asked.

"Yes," Her stepmother replied. She wasn't about to tell her step daughter the whole story at this time, "Hozenbur's been after me ever since. She's a sociopath among other things."

"Mom," Jill asked her emotions reeling from what she had just been told, "Is there any way I can get this bitch leashed?"

That got Jill the sternest look she had ever gotten from anyone. "Such language! Jill, the princess was given a confidential message from the CEO of EBio that apologized for not being able to contain this closer team. I wish there was something you could do."

Jill wasn't convinced she couldn't do something about this team. She was after all the major stock holder of EBio now. She thought maybe she could get a message to EBio headquarters to cease and desist. She had talked to the princess about the closer teams. She was having a hard time understanding why such teams existed. All of the company's image managers betrayed them as a benign company looking out for the good of humanity.

"Mom," Jill said, "I think I am going to talk to the Princess. From what you and the Princess have said, I want the closer operation closed down. I want the Imperial Bureau of

Justice to find these people and bring them to justice."

"Jill," Her step mother looked at her, "I am pleased that you want to be so responsible and get rid of these people, but there are a lot of former closer's here on Trena who are trying to do some good! Kellogg for one," Jill remembered the excitement when Kellogg came to speak with her step mother. "There are others throughout the Empire who are trying to do some good like Kell."

"Is there a way to get a message to them for them to talk with IBJ?" Jill asked. "Some way they can help to bring the closer operation to justice?"

"I don't know," Lisa said, "But Jill I don't want you to go off halfcocked. You shouldn't even been worrying about this!"

"How can I not," Jill responded, "Some agent of my company is trying to kill my family. Has killed my grandfather and I am to ignore it?"

"Jill," Lisa said, "I am not telling you to ignore what is going on. I am only suggesting that you be careful not to do any more harm than that's already being done. I am very proud that you want to deal with this, but don't be in too much of a hurry to be an adult yet."

That just infuriated her. She was not going to let this group of animals kill her family.

"I know with everything that is going on. That you may be getting over whelmed! That you feel that you have to help." Lisa said she didn't want Jill to go off halfcocked. "But you have to help in a constructive way. Not one that causes more harm. I know that we may not prevent you from getting involved; but I would hope that you would let

Michael, Mylea and Kellogg deal with this." "But this Hozenbur might kill you!" Jill said.

"She and her team are going to have to work at it," Lisa said, "Between the likes of Georgia and the protective team you father has built around us and all the cops that will be at the port. I should be safe."

Jill was quiet for a bit lost in her thoughts. She didn't like the situation; but her step mother was right she could do some harm by going off halfcocked. Finally she said. "Mom, I am worried about you. I don't know what I can do to help. But I don't want to cause more problems."

"Just be yourself Jill." Lisa said, "Let's go see what the rest of this mob is doing."

"You know mom," Jill said getting off the bed, "I have to remember something grand mom said years ago."

"What's that?" Lisa asked as Jill helped her off the bed.

"If you can't be part of the solution, don't be part of the problem." Jill said as they walked to her door, "the other part I have added, and don't make the problem worse. I guess by going off halfcocked I could make things worse."

Lisa opened the door and let her daughter walk through. Not saying a word. Just nodding.

Jill would remember their conversation when all hell broke loose the next day.

# ###

She had just gotten home from school, and was going through her after school routine, tablet on her desk, holo set on, and started to change out of her school clothes when the Holo got her attention.

"Trenaport News Channel with breaking news," an anchor woman's voice cut into the program she normally watched, "TNC is on the scene of an attempted assassination of

Lady Wilson. The incident is still ongoing..."

Jenny Alkire the head of her personal productive detail burst into her room.

"You heard?" Jenny asked seeing the holo. Jill nodded. She wanted to ask Jenny what she knew, but she waited. Jenny tilted her head and sighed.

"She's okay," Jenny told her, "Georgia got her to safety. But not before she was

hit."

"Is she ..." Jill was afraid that Georgia had been killed.

"Don't know," Jenny said as the scene changed to show an armored personnel carrier roar up the alley between the two hangars and moved a car out of its way. Before the carrier stopped, the scene changed to show a one man air car from the Trenaport Mounted Patrol was firing at the roof of a hangar. The scene changed to the armored personnel carrier rolling toward as a landing craft. It loaded aboard the landing craft which launched even before the front ramp closed.

"Runaway's detail copies all," Jenny spoke out loud, then spoke to Jill, "Everyone's okay. Georgia has been injured but it's a minor wound. They'll be at the Evac Hospital well they're landing now. Your dad is on his way. He'll be there soon."

"Has anyone told Maggie yet?" Jill knew how close her mother's house keeper was to her mother.

"Yes," Jenny answered, "Tom just told her."

It was then that Jill realized that they hadn't gone to a Mountain Event. She wondered why?

An hour or so later she was sitting in the family room waiting for her parents to come home watching the news coverage of the event.

"This is live from the IRS Evacuation Hospital," The anchor said as the scene shifted. The scene showed her father approaching a hastily set up press area. Her mother looked tired. Georgia, her mother's principle agent, looked ashen. She normally was very well groomed with not a hair out place, now looked rough around the edges. She also looked a little sleepy.

"Lord Wilson!" one of the reporters asked as they approached the press area, "is your wife okay?"

"Lady Wilson!" another yelled, "what happened!"

"Settle down!" Pete Vornic called. They all knew that Pete would not make another statement until they settled down. When they did he said, "The Marshal has a short statement, but will not take any questions at this time. Marshal Wilson?"

"Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen," her father spoke, "I would like to thank the Royal Protective service, the Trenaport Mounted Patrol, the Space Port Police, the Imperial Interstellar Rescue Service, and other agencies who ensured that the two beautiful ladies at my side are able to be with me this afternoon. In particular to Georgia Lancaster, Lady Wilson's principle agent risked her life so that my wife can be here with me this afternoon. Now if you don't mind, I would like to take my lady home and give her a chance to decompress. Like any incident like this, it is charged with emotion and stress it takes its toll on the soul. Both these ladies need time to get past what they have experienced today.

Good afternoon."

With that he walked with Lisa and Georgia to the LC 4 Space and Air Executive Mission landing craft that had brought him to the hospital and would take them to the palace.

Jill was waiting with Maggie and the Queen for her parents when they arrived at the residence. Lisa saw Abby and picked her up hugging her fiercely. She then hugged Jill as she walked into the residence. She didn't quite ignore the others but it was obvious where her mind was; she wanted to be with her family. It wasn't lost on the Queen that Lisa held Mike's hand all the way into the house.

"Lady Wilson," Maggie said, "Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"No, I'll be alright." Lisa said and seeing the concerned look on everyone's face said, "Guys, I know you are concerned, I am okay. I am going to lay down a while and try to get my head straight a bit."

"Okay Mom," Jill said, "we'll let you alone. Come on Abby let's go help Maggie make dinner."

"Come on kids," Maggie called and Lisa nodded to her step daughter. They went into the kitchen while her father escorted Lisa to their room. When he came into the kitchen to check things Jill asked, "Dad may I speak with you in the dining room?"

"Huh huh," He said carefully, suspecting what she wanted to talk to him about.

"I heard they got the guy Dad," Jill stated once they were in the dining room.

"Yeah one of the air units got him." Mike replied.

"Dad when are you going to get this bitch," Jill roared, she was upset and needed to vent. Her father was the closest one she could get away with venting at.

"Settle Down!" Mike snapped. His patience was pulled if not to the breaking point it was getting close. "We're doing the best we can. I've got enough people on it that we should be able to get the job done! I am already talking with the port police trying to find out how this guy got through the system."

"We almost lost Mom today!" Jill snapped.

"Don't you think I know that?" Mike snapped back. He counted to ten and said, "Jill we can't do this. I know you are upset, so am I! But we can't roar at each other! Lisa would kill us both."

"She would at that!" Jill calmed down a bit. "She would at that. What does Kellogg say?"

"Not much," Mike said, "He's on top of it; but not even the ex-closer community can find this beast."

"Dad is there anything, I can do?" Jill asked.

"Yes," her father said, "Keep cool. I know you are upset. But yelling at me doesn't help the situation. We are doing everything we can do. Kellogg knew the shooter; but because we took him out we can't talk with him. Right now I need you to be cool and help keep the others calm. We have to get through this. We have to set the example. The cooler we are the better everyone else will be. Besides we don't want Lisa to kill us!"

"No we don't. And she would!" Jill said, "Sorry dad. But I was so worried!"

"Mike?" the Queen came in the dining room, "How is she?"

"Shaken up a bit," Mike said, "A little pissed. She is concerned about Georgia."

"I talked to Mac," The Queen said, "He said she did it by the numbers. She wouldn't have seen that assassin at any rate."

"Yes I read Mac's, and Kellogg's report they both said she couldn't have stopped the attempt. But they both say that her instincts were right on. She got them both into the car and under cover. She even managed to return a couple of shots. I am very pleased with her response." Mike said.

"She's very good isn't she," The Queen asked.

"Very," Mike agreed, "She is one of the most professional protective agents I have worked with. I think I'll wander by her place tonight."

"She would like that," the Queen replied, "She feels that she didn't do her job."

"You work fast Aggie!" Jill said, "I mean they've been home only a little while and you've already talked to Georgia."

Aggie shrugged. Mike chuckled.

"Marshal," Maggie came in holding a plate of sandwiches, "Would you want to take this to Lady Wilson?"

"Yes," Mike said and took the plate and left the dining room.

"Are you okay Miss Wilson?" Maggie asked. "We heard you in the kitchen."

"Sorry Maggie," Jill feeling a little embarrassed replied and saw the look on Aggie's face, "Thank you both. Now how can I help you Maggie?"

"Help Abby make some sandwiches." Maggie said following the girl into the kitchen. Aggie followed them in and helped also.

# ###

"It's been years since someone took a shot at me." Lisa said hours later joining the family in the family room, "Not since Hozenbur took that shot at me on the developmental ship. I didn't even have a gun I could fire back at the closer with. Even if I did, I haven't had any range time in years. I doubt I could have been effective with it anyways. Poor Georgia," Lisa felt extremely guilty that someone had gotten hurt because of her.

"Don't worry about Georgia," Mike consoled his wife. He was sitting next to her on the sofa. "She's not that hurt, and you did more for her than anyone could have done." "I know Mike," Lisa said, "But damn it! She shouldn't have to be a target for me.

Why is my life any more important than hers?"

Wilson thought for a moment then said, "In the scheme of things one life is not more important than someone else's. Sometimes certain people are blessed with positions of responsibility that makes what they do important to all us. So they get the benefits of body guards, and such."

"But surely that young lady's life isn't to be thrown away." Lisa said at a lost to understand why Georgia would do what she did. She had known instinctively the men and women around her had sworn an oath to let no harm come to her or her family, and to possibly give their lives so her family might live. She had never thought that it would ever happen.

"Mom," Jill over hearing what her parents were talking about interrupted, "I've gotten to know Jenny well. She's like an aunt in some ways. We got to talking about this protective business. I wanted to understand what it was about and why she would put herself in harm's way for me. I don't know if I can explain it, mostly because Jenny said it much more elegantly than maybe I can."

Jill had her step mother's full attention. "It isn't that they want to die, or that they are ready to die. It's that they know if they can make it harder to kill you or me or Abby, then they have done their jobs, and they look at dying for one of us as an honor. An honor they hope and pray and train all their days not to have to fulfill. Jenny saw how much it bothered me, and she said that some of their protectees should be thrown in the dung heap. They are a pain and they treat the details as so much furniture. If you pin Mac or Georgia down, they will say that they much prefer us than they do some of the others. Jenny told me she has had on occasion to escort a nobleman's children. The children were spoiled and caused more problems than she was too professional to discuss. But they like us."

That sobered Lisa some more. She was now bound and determined that she would make it up to Georgia for taking fire for her.

Jenny was standing post just outside the family room where the family was lounging. The door was open and she heard everything the family was discussing. She thought about saying something. Then decided not to, the girl had mostly gotten it right.

"Francine," Lisa called softly.

"Yes my lady," Francine entered the family room a few minutes later.

"Would you see to it that an invitation is extended to the detail, their wives, husbands, and families to dine with us on the terrace this Saturday afternoon?" Lisa said, "I assume that their girlfriends and boyfriends have been cleared?" Francine nodded. "Maggie!"

"Here Mistress," Maggie stepped into the family room carrying a carafe of tea and glasses for all present.

"I want to have an old fashioned cook out for the detail this Saturday afternoon." She turned to her aide, "And Francine, this is just for us, but that includes Mylea and

Lamile, and the Queen. I want this to be a family affair. The theme is thank you." "Yes ma'am," Francine said approvingly.

"Also would you ask Georgia to meet me in the study if she feels up to it sometime tomorrow, morning or afternoon? I don't care. We have some photos to go over." Lisa said. As the servants left and they were alone again. "Jill, thank you!"

# ###

"We almost lost mom today," Jill Wilson's diary spoke from centuries before. "They got the idiot that tried to kill her. I don't know how I really feel about that. Even though I told Dad, good! As I thought about it later, I shouldn't have gloated over the death of that assassin. It was the second time in less than two months someone had tried to kill my family. Several weeks ago the Theology tried to assassinate Dad, Aggie, and Aunt Mylea, and now an assassin tried to kill Mom. I am glad Dad let me vent. It helped. I am finally cooling out. I hope this is the last time someone tries to harm my family. I hope they find this Hozenbur."

Princess Lisa continued to read from the diary, "Mom seemed to be subdued. Mom would never be accused of being bubbly or efflorescent. But she was always upbeat. I've never seen her so quiet. I wonder if she was feeling guilty about getting Georgia shot over some photographs.

"I haven't seen the photos yet," Jill had written, "But if they are as good as the other's I have seen they should be awesome."

"I wonder when they will get Hozenbur." Jill had written, "I asked Princess Carroll to tell EBio to shut down the closers. I don't think she did. I wonder if there is a way I can get a message to EBio myself. There has to be a way to get EBio to stop Hozenbur. After all she is one of their employees." Even as the princess finished reading aloud the passage she understood how naïve her great grandmother had been.

"Jill was very concerned about the closers'," The general began to wrap up her class, "and very frustrated. She had asked the Princess to send a message to Earth telling EBio to back off. Her parents didn't know that she had done that. No response ever came back from EBio."

"Everything I have heard about this Hozenbur," T'harla Atomi commented, "She was an evil witch."

"No she wasn't evil," General rebutted, "She was seriously mentally ill. Never make the mistake of labeling your opponent as evil."

Thus sobered the cadets. General Jones resume included several years as a police officer. "It wasn't until the very end that we were able to close Hozenbur's file. It was a spectacular ending."

# Chapter 12: The Photos

The cousins had all seen the photographs and holographs that Lady Wilson, their great, great, great grandmother had taken. All of them had at one time or another had seen Lady Wilson's photos. Many of which were never published. Some were the private moments of her family and friends. Her photos and holos had been published throughout the galaxy. Every generation had their own "photographer" in the cousins' generation it was Valarie Mitchum. Unlike her famous namesake, she didn't want to be a police officer. She wanted to be a photographer, not a police officer. She hoped that as she studied to be a queen's officer, that her duties would include photography.

Cadet Mitchum had devoured this week's chapter, and had spent sometime in the royal archive looking for the photos that would be discussed in class this week. She had brought one of the photos from the archive.

# ###

The day after the assassination attempt Lisa was in the big study using an expert system to view and catalog her photos. She had stills, videos and holos; several hours of them. She was still reviewing them when Georgia came in.

"How do you feel," Lisa asked indicating for Georgia to sit down.

"Okay," the young woman said sitting down, "I can feel the muscles starting to rebuild. Kind of itches."

"I've been told that the regrowth drugs will cause that. " Lisa commented. She saw the younger woman wince in pain as she sat down. She wanted to ease the woman's pain, instead she asked, "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Not really," Georgie replied. "When I bump it, or when I forget there's a hole in my arm try to do something with it, it reminds me it is there."

"I could ease some of your pain," Lisa suggested. "But it will only be for a short time."

Georgia was tempted. Allowing Lisa to ease her pain would get her off the pain killers. She didn't like pain killers, she felt they clouded her judgment, and slowed her down. It was the reason she was going unarmed and wasn't on the watch list. She wouldn't take advantage of her protectee's offer¸ as she was unsure of the ethics of allowing some one she was protecting to treat her.

"No," Georgia finally replied, "Thank you. If it gets real bad I'll think about it."

"All right," Lisa replied thinking she knew why Georgia was reluctant to let her treat her. Georgia didn't want to mix protecting Lisa with her personal business. "Come here and look what we did yesterday."

"Okay," Georgia said. She moved her chair next to Lisa, and began paging through the hundreds of photos and Holos that they both had taken. When they got to the picture Georgia had taken of Lisa helping the woman diaper her baby, Lisa turned to the young woman, nodded and went on. After looking at the entire list they began to catalog them. Finally near mid-day, Maggie came in with lunch.

"Who took that?" Maggie said seeing her mistress hand a young woman a diaper bag. It caught the hectic scene of the people milling around the embarkation area. Of people bumping into each other and through it all, the young mother was diapering her baby and trying to keep her other children from wandering off.

"Georgia did," Lisa said, handing the young woman a cup of soup. "She's got a great eye."

"She does," Maggie said looking at a few more of the photos, "What are you going to do with these Milady?"

"I don't know," Lisa replied, "I think it's important that we document the evacuation. I feel we have to show our children and grandchildren what we went through to get our people to safety."

"Lady Wilson," Georgia said, "Why don't you send a couple of these to the net services."

"I can't do that," Lisa said. "It wouldn't be right."

"Why not," Georgia asked, "You take as good a picture as any professional news net photographer. Maybe better!"

"Look at this one mistress," Maggie picked up the photo of the father bringing his family some drinks, and refreshments. The picture showed the worry on the father's face, and gratitude of the mother for the father bringing them refreshments. "You got the whole essence of this part of their ordeal. The worry of the father of what is really going to happen when they get to Home is clearly all over his face. And the look on the mother's face; thankful that her man had thought to bring them all something, though he was worried to death about what was going to happen."

"Lady Wilson," Georgia said softly, "Look at this one as the family boarded the landing craft. That last look the mother, and father made onto the world of their birth. One last look. Look at the emotions." Georgia pointed to a holograph, of the father carrying his five year, they were at the top of the loading ramp, he had paused to look one last time at the world of his birth, a single tear silently testifying that this big strong man was anything; but untouched by the emotionally charged events of his departure from Trena. "You say I have the eye of photographer, but these are terrific."

"None of us have ever done this." Lisa said, "I don't recall a single bioperson ever publishing anything under their own name. Their contract holders usually took credit for the work they did."

"That was in the Empire," Georgia retorted, forgetting her place. "We have biopersons here on Trena who are reporters and their work is published all over the kingdom."

"But," Lisa replied, "Never out of the Kingdom!" "Then isn't time someone did," Maggie asked.

"...I've never done it I don't know how to do it!" Lisa said, "As much as I think that we have to document what we are living through, I do this mostly for myself. I don't know is if it is proper for me to do this?"

"Lisa," Francine had walked in towards the end of the conversation, "Georgia's right, there are a lot of biopeople who publish their work all over the kingdom, but few of them ever have had their work published outside of the kingdom. The publishers in the Empire are afraid that if they do, the escapee's owners will make it impossible for the clone to collect her royalty. It is not only proper, but something that you need to do for our people."

That got Francine a dirty look.

"Everyone in this room is our people Francine. I won't play that game. That caused problems back on Earth during the second century Pre Empire. I am not a Trena Bioengineered human. I am first and foremost a mother, a wife, and a citizen of the

Kingdom of Trena. If we published these prints they'll be published under the name Lisa Wilson. Not Lady Wilson, not CD 1984 AOS; but Lisa Wilson!"

"Okay Boss Lady," Francine replied wincing a little at her Lady's rebuke. She understood, "Don't worry about how to publish your photos. You pick the ones you want.

Then we'll talk with Mr. Vornic. He will know how to get them published."

"I still don't know," Lisa remarked, "I don't want to use my position to get them published. If I hadn't insisted on going to port maybe Georgia wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Georgia thought about her lady's statement for a minute before speaking. Then choosing her words carefully, as she was not Lady Wilson's peer, she spoke to her charge, "Yes, you used your position to photograph the activities at the port. And yes, I got shot. But you didn't. You haven't used your position to get special treatment or special privileges. In fact, you try not to be treated other than a mother, or a wife. Sure your name will get those photos looked at before others, but just having celebrity will not get your photos published."

Georgia paused to let what she said to Lady Wilson to sink in. When she was sure Lady Wilson understood what she saying she concluded by saying, "Yes your celebrity will get them in the door, but if they are not good or average they won't be published."

Lisa considered what the younger woman said. Georgia was right if the photos weren't good no amount of celebrity would get them published. She nodded and picked up the camera Georgia had used the day before.

"Georgia," Lisa handed the camera to the young agent, "This one's yours. You have a good eye! It would be a great tragedy should you not develop it. Georgia," She paused for a moment then said, "We all need an outlet. Something that we do just for ourselves. Something that is not job related. For you it may be photography. So take this camera, and have some fun."

"But that's an expensive camera!" Georgia replied. "I can't take that from you."

"Georgia," Lisa said, "I won't force it on you but whenever you want to borrow it, just take it."

Maggie locked eyes with Georgia and slightly nodded her head telling the young woman that it was okay for her to accept the gift.

"Okay Lady Wilson," Georgia replied as she took the camera. It was the one she used the day before. She had really enjoyed taking the photos. Before the evacuation she had been thinking about buying a camera. Now she didn't have to!

"When are you to go back to duty?" Lisa asked, as the young woman took a camera Lisa had first purchased when her daughter Abby had been born.

"In a week," Georgia said, "Mac's already debriefed me, and he's cleared me. There'll be no disciplinary action. By then according to the doctors I should be in good enough shape to take duty."

"Good," Lisa replied, "I want you back."

"I want to be back," Georgia replied. She truly enjoyed her current assignment. There had been a lot of posts in the last few years that she had loathed coming to work to take. The person she was protecting was loathsome, uncouth or just a pain to be around.

One young teenager had taken the opportunity to grab her every time he went by her. She had to sit and take it. She had said something to her supervisor. The supervisor saw the recording the surveillance system had made and later had a conversation with the family. That only made it worse. The father decided to do the same thing. Finally it got too much and Georgia just decked the father and walked out. The protective detail then told the family they were on their own. The supervisor then talked to private duty body guards and showed them the video, and let them make the decision whether to take the contract or not.

The Wilson family was still a little awed about having personal body guards. The marshal accepted it fairly well; but it was hard for him to deal with it at times. He had been a marine for nearly twenty five years. He had made combat drops with the Special Forces. He had walked posts where body armor wasn't just a good idea but a life saver. He had been shot at and sent to the hospital for it. So it hurt his pride a bit to have the agents protecting him. Lady Wilson was having the hardest time adapting. Mostly because she still thought of herself first as a cop's wife, mother, then a clone. The detail truly enjoyed working with Lisa. She had made it a point to know each and every one in her detail. She was beginning to know each and every one of their spouse's names, kids and even pets. A week or so back she had found out that Mac's little girl had broken her arm and had made a point of stopping by Mac's place and checking on the girl. Mac was a single father. Mac's wife leaving him years before, Lisa had heard about it and wanted to make certain the girl was okay. Secretly the detail called her mom.

"Just next time," Lisa said, "Let's do both our jobs without you getting shot!"

"Lady Wilson," Georgia said in a very serious tone of voice, "I will endeavor not to be shot in the future!"

That brought a chuckle to the assembled women.

Jill had come in, in the middle of the conversation and was quiet while the older women had talked. Listening to her mother talk with her staff and how she treated them was an eye opener. Lisa treated them as equals. That was more educational than being told how to handle the staff. She wandered over and looked at photos. She had to admit that her step mother had a good eye for getting the right photograph.

# ###

Cadet Valerie Mitchum, finished reading the chapter. Activating the holos, and photos that were imbedded in the chapter, she hoped that one day she would be as good as Lady Wilson.

"Lady Wilson's photos and holos of the first evacuee was the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to a bioperson." General Jones began to wrap the class. "Although many biopeople worked for various news agencies in the empire; none had their work acknowledged by the Pulitzer Committee. Why Lady Wilson's photos were chosen no one knows. Some scholars have suggested that since she was outside the Empire, and the prize awarded months after the evacuation, after the events of that tremendous time were still being resolved."

"Wasn't part of the reason she was awarded the prize," a cadet spoke from the back of the class, "was because of her being a noble lady?"

"That has been speculated for centuries," the general responded, "but the committee's own journals say otherwise."

"Although her pregnancy kept her close to home, she took many photos, holos, and videos of what she experienced during the evacuation. Many of the photos and holos she took have been used to document the evacuation and its aftermath."

"Queen Jill was very proud of her step mother's photos," the princess said, "the diary entries for the period were sparse but she was extremely proud of the fact that her step mother took some of the best pictures she had ever seen. In her diary is a copy of her mother's Pulitzer prize winners and one that has never been published."

The princess brought up the photograph, "I am not certain where this was taken. It might be in the reflection garden of Serenity near the pond. It depicts the marshal, Abby and Jill sitting together at an outdoor table talking. The Queen is holding her step sister."

"It appears to be tranquil," T'harla commented, "We all know that it wasn't."

"The marshal somehow always found time for his girls," The general said remembering the times when she had been patrolling the palace before she was transferred and had seen the Wilson family either walking the grounds or sitting quietly in one of the gardens. She had always admired the marshal for the way he tried to stay connected with his family.

Cadet Mitchum looked at the holos being displayed for the class wondering if she would be nearly as good as her grandmother.

She was still pondering her skill as a photographer when one of the cadets asked, "The pictures that Georgia Lancaster were as good as Lady Wilson. What ever happened to her?"

"A few years after they got to Home," General Jones answered, "Georgia did leave crown service. She had gotten married, and had children of her own. She did become a photographer."

"She became a very well-known photographer," Cadet Mitchum injected. "When she left crown service she and her family wandered Home for decades photographing

Home's natural beauty."

Valerie who had been reading about Georgia Lancaster activated her tablet and displayed a holograph of cliffs that North View, palace had built into. The holograph had been taken from the base of the cliffs looking to the top. The sheerness of the cliffs was quite apparent as they rose from the beach towering over a hundred feet from the beach. It had been taken in winter. The cliffs looked cold and formidable. This was one of her favorites.

The general smiled as she saw the holograph. She remembered that holograph and others.

"Miss Lancaster," the general spoke softly, "was sought out by land owners to photograph their lands. She spent her last years teaching photography. Her class was quite popular."

The end of class bell sounded interrupting the general. She smiled seeing the cadets getting ready to leave. They wouldn't leave until dismissed.

"Class dismissed," she called softly. As she packed up her things she remembered her friend Georgia.
Chapter 13: To Save A Forest.

The entire corps of cadets were in the woods around the academy. Under the supervision of Royal Forest service they were clearing out brush, and other debris that had gathered in the forest. They did this several times a year. In the fall the cadets also felled dead and dying trees. The Crown knew it couldn't "fire proof" the forest; but they knew they could make it harder for a fire to have an easy time of it. Every cadet, and most of academy staff, were out clearing the underbrush away. Although it was done to mitigate against forest fires it was also done to protect the academy that had been constructed in the middle of the forest.

As they worked clearing the debris, Princess Lisa was reminded of the effort her ancestors had taken to prevent the wholesale destruction of Home's forests. Both Queens didn't want the forests on Home impacted any more than needed. There were parts of the forest that had never been visited by people. Some of the trees were thousands of years old. It was habitat for millions of animals that the crown was still trying to catalog. Princess

Lisa thought it ironic that they had killed a forest to save one. It had worked! Much of Home's forests were still untouched to this day. She reflected on this week's class work as she helped to clear brush from the forest floor.

# ###

Jill was sitting with her parents and Aggie in the family room after dinner. The Queen often joined the when she didn't have anything going on. She lived alone, with only her servants as company. Occasionally one of her ministers would dine with her. Before the evacuation she might go out to dinner with either a couple of friends, or an eligible bachelor. Since the evacuation notice, a lot of her friends were scarce, mostly because she would not pull strings to get them evacuated. As for dating she just wasn't interested. Most of her energies were devoted to making the evacuation happen. Opening doors, and soothing rumpled feathers. A day hardly went by that she wasn't meeting some noble who was upset about something she or Michael had or hadn't done. It was unusual for both the Queen, and Marshal Wilson to be finished with their day by the early evening. Often one or the other of them had meeting late into the evening. Agatha loved hanging at the Wilson's. Here she didn't have to be Queen Agatha; she was just Aggie. Michael and Lisa had made her part of their family. Since her parents had died ten years before she really didn't have a family. Lord and Lady Mercer had been her guardians and regents. They had tried; but the elderly couple just took care of her. She never felt as welcomed in their home as she did the Wilson's. She was becoming quite close to Lisa. Tonight she sat with her adopted family sharing the comradery she couldn't find anywhere else.

They were watching a popular holo show about the early founding of Trena. It showed how the queen's ancestors had found the planet and how it had been four hundred years ago. It was lush. The first setters were astonished to find no sentient or pre sentient life. There were no animals small or large that exhibited that they used tools, communicated either verbally, with sign language, or by telepathy. They found no evidence of communal living. The only difference between Home and Trena was that it had never been occupied.

"Much like Home," Jill commented. "I have been impressed on how well you and your family tried to prevent large scale clear cutting on Trena."

"We've always wanted to be ecologically sound," Aggie said, "that is why most of our industry is off world."

"How do we prevent large scale eco damage to Home," Jill asked, "I am not even certain how much authority I have on Home. I mean, it is my world and all; but in allowing it to become a refuge for the people of Trena, I just don't know what I can tell them. I don't know if they will even listen to me!"

"I would think that anything that you wanted, we would have to abide by." Aggie replied, "After all you own the world! Like you, I don't want that planet harmed. Harmed any more than we have to!"

"Aggie," Jill said suddenly, "would I be out of line to meet with General Langtree and Jonesy, to see if they can help us get our people under roof without killing Home's forests?"

"No," Aggie replied, "they should have some ideas."

"What are you two talking about?" her father asked turning from the holo, that was showing an advertisement, to the two young women.

"Is there some way Dad, to not plunder those forests on Home?" Jill asked, "I just don't think we should harm that planet any more than we have to!"

"I agree with her, Michael," Aggie said, "We have to find some way to help our people make a home on Home without tearing up the planet."

"We have been talking about this, Your Majesty," Her father said, "Bob from Boeing space works has designed a container that can be expanded into a shelter. But that is all we have come up with, that and spreading people out so they are not all on top of each other. We are locating towns all over the planet. We're planning to place a major town on each continent. The plan also calls for a midsize town to in the districts to be a district capital, and a scattering of smaller towns and villages in the districts. But even to site them we'll have to clear some of the forests. We can't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

"I know that Dad," Jill replied, "but can that omelet be made with one egg instead of a dozen?"

"That doesn't seem out of line," Aggie chimed in. "Please arrange a meeting between the three of us and general Langtree, and Jonesy. I have an idea that I won't like but it could solve the problem. Oh make sure Lord Mercer is present."

"Yes majesty," her father replied and turned back to the program he was watching. This was the first time in over a week he had been home to spend some time with the family before they were all in bed.

###

The next morning Jill, General Langtree, Marshal Wilson, Princess Carroll, Larry Mercer, and Jonesy, the Boeing Space Works Artificial Intelligence, met in the Queen's office. She didn't waste any time coming to the point of the meeting.

"We can't allow the refugees to trash Home as they try to build settlements." Aggie said, "I know it is not my world and Jill owns it; but we both feel that we have to provide housing on Home without clear cutting the forests. What can we do to build homes on

Home without wrecking the planet?"

"Well we have been building the containers in such a way that they will hold the average family's belongings. They are being designed so that they can be expanded to twice their size. They won't be comfortable; but they'll be warm and secure." Jonesy said, "They are self-contained with solar power and a small fuel cell. We have been producing them for a month now and have about two thousand. A couple of more factories are coming on line and some of the orbital industries will be building them also."

"So your plan is to transport my people's goods to Home and then let them live in the containers until their homes are built." The queen asked.

"That is essentially the plan," Michael commented, "why?"

"Are they going to be secure and safe for people to live in?" Aggie asked.

"They won't be the greatest thing in the world to live in; but they'll be dry, safe and secure." General Langtree spoke up. "They will be ugly and we will need to do something with them when we build homes for people; but they'll do until we get them built." "What are your plans to replace the containers," Jill asked.

"We haven't thought that far ahead," Jill's father answered.

"I see," Aggie took a deep breath and continued, "General Langtree, Jonesy, in about five months or so this world will be destroyed. That we can't help; but we will not destroy Home in the process of saving our people from this disaster. Therefore I am directing you to use whatever it takes to bring housing supplies to Home. I authorize the wholesale harvesting of forests and natural resources from the Planet of Trena! I want you to build prefab homes and such that will be transported from Trena to Home."

"Dad, General Langtree," Jill chimed in, "I want those containers to be removed as quickly as possible. I want them off my planet or to be used in the building of homes, buildings and other facilities."

Princess Carroll looked at the two younger women and then to Jill in particular and said, "Gentlemen I will have a codicil added to the contract in a while. I have to go with the wishes of my ward in this matter."

"Jonesy," Langtree turned to the logistic coordinator, "Well where, do we start?"

"On the other side of the planet where it is still mostly virgin forest," the fortyish appearing artificial intelligence responded, "We'll need to build a saw mill and production line. I have nothing on my ways right now so we could use Boeing."

"Wouldn't it make sense to take one of the attack carriers and turn it into a space going saw mill and factory," General Langtree asked, "Cut the trees down, ship them to the carrier load it to the gunnels with the forest products and launch to it to Home? Have it building the homes in transit. It could be mostly automated."

"General," Michael spoke up, "Jonesy, I see you have the task."

"Aye sir," Langtree replied turning to the AIs holographic image, "Jonesy I will give you Hooper and his sergeant. Will that work?"

"Yes sir," Jonesy replied. "Miss Wilson, Your Majesty I will make this happen!" They nodded as Artificial Sentient disappeared.

"Thank you General," Aggie spoke to the general.

"Your welcomed your majesty," General Langtree answered, "I hate to deforest this world; but it really doesn't matter does it? It does make more sense to destroy Trena's forests to save Home's. I am sorry your majesty. I don't think any us of wanted to harm

Trena any more than we had to."

The young queen nodded in agreement. The general and his people, using school parking lots when the school was being used as a staging are. Shopping center parking lots, as well as abandoned apartment building lots and the container yards at the main and smaller space ports were going to be used to stage loaded containers. Langtree and his people from long pre evacuation experience were trying to not impact Trena any more than they had to.

"I know General." The Queen responded, "I know."

Jill saw the tears on her friends face and gently reach for her hand and squeezed it. She didn't know what to say to the monarch. Every time she turned around it was brought to Aggie's attention that her world was being destroyed. Sometimes it was more than Aggie could handle. Sometimes Jill, who felt overwhelmed by everything that was going on, hated to think how overwhelming it might be for the Queen. "Come on let's get out of here for a while."

Aggie just nodded and left with the young woman who was becoming a friend.

# ###

A few days later Aggie came into the residence mid-morning and sought out Lisa and Jill.

"What are you guys doing today," Aggie asked.

"Nothing much," Jill answered, "This my study at home day. Why?" "How about you, Lisa," the Queen asked the older woman.

"Nothing much," Lisa answered, "Why?"

"I want you two go with me to the North Coast, General Langtree and that Lieutenant Hooper have been working the housing problem on Home. They have been harvesting the forest along North Coast." The Queen replied, "I want to see it."

"Okay," Lisa spoke softly she suspected that the real reason that the Queen wanted Lisa to go with her. She wanted Lisa to photograph the damage being done to her forest.

"I'll grab my camera!"

"Thank you," Aggie returned. She wanted to see the destruction of her forest that she had ordered; but she didn't want to do it alone. She was having a difficult time dealing with everything that was going on. Especially the wanton destruction of her planet. It went against everything she held dear and sacred to her and her family.

"Don't harm the planet," her father had said worriedly every time he had to authorize a road or something else that would impact Trena. He had instilled in her, that it was a sacred trust to preserve Trena for future generations. Although she owned the planet she was really just a care taker. Now she was destroying it. It was gnawing at her soul, which Lady Wilson seemed to get. She was a calming influence on her at times like this. It didn't seem to her that much bothered her Marshal's wife. She had been a great comfort after the bombing incident. She seemed to bounce back after being shot at too. She didn't understand. It had taken her more than a couple of days to get over being almost killed at the convention center. Lady Wilson bounced back by the next day after someone had tried to kill her!

A couple of hours later, they boarded a landing craft. As they flew to the North

Coast. Jill, who had been out of the city only as far as Lady Hawthorne's Estate and the Queen's Summer Residence, a few weeks before, had no idea that Trena was so lush. She remembered her conversation with the IRS captain. He had mentioned a couple of the more spectacular sights on Trena, but not its natural beauty. She had never seen farm land like she was seeing as they over flew the prairies of Trena's main continent. Working in a couple of fields they were flying over, were harvesting machines, big box like vehicles that were taking wide cuts of ripe grain as they trundled over the field. There were long swathes of fields that were golden brown on one side and a darker brown from the stubble left behind by the harvester.

As they approached the coast they began to see an immense forest. The lush forest was like a green carpet. There was little evidence of people having set foot on the lands below them. There were a couple narrow roads through the forest; but there were no wide highways. Where the roads crossed, a village or small town had grown up, the road became a little wider, and quickly shrinking again as it left civilization. In remote parts of the forest there were small homesteads carved out of the forest. The homestead consisting of a few buildings with the forest seemingly ready to take back what been taken from it.

As they got closer to the coast the landing craft swung out over the ocean and came in a few hundred feet above tree top level. The scar was evident from several miles out. It looked like someone had taken a giant bite out of the forest. There wasn't much evidence that there had been a forest along the north coast. Only a few trees that looked as they had been left behind. But that was all as even the tree stumps were gone. As they watched they saw several large tracked vehicles working site over.

The Queen didn't recognized them immediately. They were large bulky low profile vehicles with a large turret. Their turret swinging left to right then right to left. Their main guns firing a laser that acting like a scythe. It was as if the forest was a weed patch the giant needed to get the patch under control. It was then that the Queen realized that the large tracked vehicles were two of her militia's main battle tanks. She had taken a ride in one a few years back, when she was reviewing one of Trena's two armored units. She had been allowed to fire its main weapon and had been impressed by the shear destructiveness of the vehicle. Watching it work now she was torn between being proud her militia owned something like the tanks, and saddened by the shear destructiveness of a device she owned as it took down her forest.

As they continued to circle the clear cutting the tanks ceased their scythe like cutting down of the trees and shut their weapons down. Two tracked vehicles moved into position to harvest the felled. As if by magic the trees were bundled and then floated and stacked in piles four times the height of the stacker that bundled them.

As soon as the stack was several hundred feet long, and forty feet high a landing tug, hovering over a large pile of trees. The landing tug had no cargo bay. It was designed to carry odd shape cargos that couldn't fit into an LC-10, the largest landing craft anyone flew. The Hercules, as it was called, could sling cargo under it, or if the cargo was a collection of containers, by either pulling the containers behind it, or pushing it ahead of it. Its small size belied the fact that it could lift nearly a thousand tons from ground to orbit. Within seconds it had collected all the trees in the pile. The entire pile of trees were picked up. As it hovered in place, adjusting the load, a few the trees fell to the ground.

Once the Hercules had left the area, the large stacker approached where the pile had been and started to make a new pile. Adding whole trees to the pile including the couple of trees that had dropped from the Hercules load. It made no effort to trim branches to make a more compact easier to handle load. Soon it had a new pile of trees where the previous pile had been. There were several such piles spotted along the ground. They could several landing tugs staging to pick up the piles of trees.

"Do you want to land and see it from the ground," Jill asked and got a horrified look from the Queen. Jill caught the subtle shake of her mother's head and asked, "Want to see where this stuff is going?"

The Queen nodded and excused herself. Lisa gave her cameras to Georgia and went to the Queen. The Queen was sitting in the rear most seat, crying into her hands. Lisa held her until they began to approach the orbiting factory ship. Brushing the tears out of her eyes she walked to the ramp where a force field held the atmosphere of the executive space air mission in so they could look out the still open hatch.

"That's not an Attack Carrier," Lisa commented as she snapped a few pictures.

"No, it's one of the orbital factories," Aggie replied, "It was lying idle. From what Jonesy said it was only a matter turning it on. I guess it will chew up the trees and put out a composite product."

As they watched a landing tug released its load of trees. They sailed into the open maul of the factory. Soon another replaced it and they could see that there were several landing tugs lining up to deliver their loads.

The landing craft turned so as to make its docking. When it was docked they were met by a young lieutenant in the militia. Jill remembered him as the young lieutenant whose office her father had first met her in. With him was middle aged woman wearing the insignia of a Master Sergeant. They both stood at attention until Aggie acknowledged them.

"Welcome aboard Majesty," the young officer greeted them, "Lady Wilson, Miss

Wilson."

"Thank you," The Queen returned the greeting, "You guys worked fast." "Well the General was planning on using this beast to make some of the containers. At least the interior fittings," the lieutenant replied, "We were going to recycle some of the cars left behind, Thought that was a win-win proposition. The Marshal is concerned about all the vehicles left behind. We thought this might solve some issues."

"So my order to cut the trees down was not needed," Aggie asked.

"May I, your majesty," Sergeant Erickson asked, seeing the young woman's distress. The Queen nodded.

"Majesty we are recycling everything we can from Trena. But we're in the early stages of the evacuation and there isn't that much stuff available." The sergeant began, "So we don't have enough raw materials to do what we need. We will be using materials from the asteroids as well; but the wood products will be used for trim pieces, and nailers. We need the wood products to build the prefab."

"We really need the wood products Majesty," Lieutenant Hooper chimed in, "not just for trim but for siding and such. We could use artificial materials and we will; but we also thought that using the wood from Trena would be fast and furious. Especially, since we don't have to be ecologically friendly to the planet." Jill noticed the sergeant gently kicking the back of lieutenant's leg. "I don't like what we are doing your majesty; but it will help our people."

"I know," Aggie replied.

"Let's go to the output end," the lieutenant suggested. They trooped to the other end of the factory. As they trooped through the immense factory they watched homes being built. It was an automated process with robots doing most of the work. They saw homes assembled from raw materials. There seemed to be a hundred or so homes being built at one time.

The lieutenant escorted them into one of the finished single family homes.

"This is a house for eight people." He showed them into the house, "It is all prefab. Our average family size is eight so we are building modules in multiples of eight. We won't be able to cut the house down to four people so everyone will get a house that can comfortably house eight. Everything is being made from either the asteroids or forests."

Jill saw the hard wood floors, and plastic walls. The windows were all cased in wood. The lieutenant continued getting Jill's attention, "the walls are filled with blown in insulation made from the wood we are bringing up. All of the systems are being prefab piping, heating, and communication. Some of the people are bringing their expert systems so they will be able to be plugged right in to the home's network. We're trying to make it a turnkey system.

"It takes about ten hours for the raw materials to be converted into a home. We will have about four of these factories soon in orbit. We are putting a couple of them in a couple of attack carriers. They will be star capable factories then. We hope that we can build all the houses we need within the time we have. Currently we're producing a hundred a day. We could go faster; but we disassemble them step by step to make sure nothing is damaged as we packaged them for shipping."

The lieutenant walked them over to where a home was being packaged. First the roof was carefully disassembled, followed by the interior walls and fixtures, then the exterior walls. "We wrap each section in this though plastic" he held a sample of opaque plastic, "which can be used for other things. If you notice the plastic has the assembly instructions for the section it is wrapped around. This way if the plan is lost the refugee will still have a reference to assemble each section.

"Before we wrap the pallet," the sergeant opened a large crate, "we put this crate on it." They looked in the crate and saw boxes of fasteners, tools, several hard hats, and two envelops. "This crate has everything needed to reassemble the house. Each envelops contains one complete copy of the assembly instructions."

The Queen was very impressed she turned to the lieutenant, "I am very impressed

Lieutenant Hooper. Pease keep up the very good work."

"Thank you ma'am," The lieutenant replied, the party left then as they did Jill thought she heard the sergeant scolding the lieutenant about his manners. Jill asked for and got a photo of the damage the clear cutting was doing to Trena. She placed it in her diary.

# ###

"Lady Wilson," the general finished the class, "as we discussed last week, received the Pulitzer prize for her photos." Projected behind the general was the picture of the father with his son in his arms, and the tear running down his face. The other photo was the scene of the clear cut operation along the north coast. "These two pictures, the first showing the emotional toll of the evacuation, and this one showing the harvesting of Trena's North Coast won her the Pulitzer prize.

"The clear cutting of Trena North Coast Forrest," the general continued, "was done to save the forests of Home. We have worked earnestly to preserve Home's natural resources, That is why we have built underground and used and still use environmentally friendly building techniques."

"Such as North View," Princess Lisa remarked. The palace had been built into the side of a cliff overlooking the Northern Ocean.

# Chapter 14: The Admiral's Arrival

"The Admiral," General Jones began, "surprised everyone when she showed up. The Marshal and Lady Wilson had no idea that the Admiral was coming to Trena. What surprised everyone was that she was even able to get into Trena Space to begin with! No one was permitted to enter the Kingdom unless they were a ship or a resource that was going to be used by the Marshal's team. A couple of large transports and carriers were coming in but any ship not requested by the Crown or the Marshal or a diplomatic vessels were not permitted to enter the kingdom.

"To this day we don't know how the Traveling Lady got to the inner marker." The general commented. "But somehow she did."

# ###

"Trena Control," the elderly voice said over the com system, "Traveling Lady is with you requesting clearance to Trena."

"Traveling Lady this is Trena Control we have you in bound at the inner marker." The AI called, "please confirm that you are a private vessel of two thousand tons. You have a crew of eight out of Mars and registered as a Martian vessel."

"That is confirmed." The voice replied, "Please tell the authorities that the owner is aboard."

"Roger that. The owner is on board," the AI reported, "Traveling Lady you're cleared to Trena McKay. Expect parking orbit about McKay at 0332 Trena Time

Coordinated. Time Hack is now 2152 TTC."

"Roger. Cleared to Trena McKay. Expect parking orbit at 0332 TTC and it is now 2153 hours TTC" The elderly voice replied.

# ###

"Francine," there was a knock on her door, she looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five am. She shrugged and rolled over and said "enter."

"Francine," Georgia slipped into her room. That got Francine's full attention. Georgia never sought Francine out when Lady Wilson didn't need her. "Admiral Wilson's

is about to clear customs at the port. I am sending a limo to pick her up." "Have you told Lady Wilson?" Francine asked.

"No," Georgia said and Francine wondered why, "And before you ask, one of the port cops gave me a personal heads up. From listening to Lady Wilson, I get the feeling

they were close, I thought it wouldn't be out of line to surprise her."

Francine nodded stepped out of bed and quickly dressed. "I'll go get her."

As she went to the port she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Later she knew she would do it again given the choice. The look on her mistress' face when she saw Joyce Wilson was just too precious to ever forget.

"Admiral," Francine introduced herself to the Marshal's mother. She was waiting in the VIP lounge where the customs officers asked her to wait for someone from Serenity to pick her up, "I am Francine. I work for your son's family."

"Did they send you to pick me up?" The admiral asked.

"No ma'am," Francine and quickly told her what was going on.

"She'll kill us both!" Joyce said, "But it's too good to not do!"

Francine took an immediate liking to the admiral. They loaded into the limo and went to the palace. She knew she had a small window of opportunity before the Marshal would be out of bed for his morning coffee. The Marshal would sometimes spend part of his morning working in the residence unless he had a staff meeting or an event outside of the palace. Lisa was also an early riser. Sometimes taking the girls down to the pool for an early morning swim, and occasionally taking a long morning walk before she got her own breakfast. She had called ahead to have Georgia waiting for them at the vehicle entrance to the palace. Georgia personally escorted the pair of them through palace security and to the Marshal's residence. Maggie was just finishing making the first pot of coffee for the house.

"Francine?" Maggie asked as Admiral Wilson was escorted into her kitchen.

"Maggie, this is Admiral Wilson, the Marshal's mother," Francine replied.

"Welcome to this home Admiral," the housekeeper replied. Joyce was impressed. The housekeeper, majordomo, was fully dressed, and immaculately groomed. Much like the senior chiefs and NCOs she had dealt with in her career. She also carried herself with the same air that those men and women had too.

"Hello Maggie," Joyce said. "May I intrude into your kitchen for a while?"

"Yes Ma'am." The housekeeper said, "I take it the Marshal and Lady Wilson don't know you're here?"

Joyce shook her head as Maggie raised an eyebrow. She turned to Georgia, "Get your camera young woman. Lady Wilson is going to want pictures of this! I'll go get her." Joyce poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.

# ###

"Lady Wilson," Maggie quietly entered the master bedroom. She had known that the marshal was up and moving before she started the coffee. The AI gave her a status report as she woke every morning of where everyone was in the residence, "Can you step into the kitchen for a second."

"Now," Lisa asked she was entertaining found thoughts of joining Michael in his shower.

"Yes ma'am it's very important." Maggie said, "Francine has brought something home you have to see and she says it can't wait." Maggie would never lie to any of her principles, but that didn't mean she would tell the unvarnished truth either.

"Okay," Lisa said, so much for a morning romp she thought. She got up and put on a robe and followed her housekeeper out to the kitchen.

"Hey Lisa," Joyce said as the biowoman walked into the kitchen, "I don't suppose you can tell me where I can get another cup of coffee in this joint do you?"

"Joy...."Lisa was speechless as she nearly ran to the older woman. Georgia quietly slipped into the kitchen and was taking photos as Joyce fiercely hugged the lady that had given her life back to her.

"Joyce I am so sorry," Lisa said, "I heard about the Colonel's death on Holly, where they sent me after you left. I did get the bastard who claimed responsibility."

Joyce held her at arm's length trying to comprehend what her daughter in law was saying. As she said it Lisa remembered how she became involved with the Wilson family. She remembered the distraught, marine colonel who had interviewed her. The Colonel's wife had suffered a hideous combat injury on their wedding day. It was a couple of months after the injury, and the colonel had been persuaded by his son on the advice of the Space Station's Chief Surgeon that they look her up. The chief surgeon, Michelle Klond, then a lieutenant commander, had seen her work and thought Lisa could do wonders for Joyce. But Colonel Wilson was not happy about hiring her contract. He didn't want to have an indentured servant in his home. It wasn't just the morality of having an indentured servant in home; he couldn't afford to have one in his home. It became moot as the Interstellar Rescue Service covered the expense of Lisa's contract.

So Lisa went to live with the Wilson's. The Colonel had made Lisa welcome in the apartment that he and his family shared in the better part of the space station's housing. Mike's father never treated her like a servant, more like a daughter, or niece. She worked every day with Joyce helping her mend her arm and her soul. Her soul had taken a severe hit. Flying was in Joyce's blood. If she couldn't fly then there was nothing else she was willing to do. Lisa didn't know who was happier when Joyce got her flying papers back Joyce or herself. Joyce had been her toughest patient to date. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with the whole family. Colonel Wilson she would never forget, he was a quiet man often observing and sometimes you would think he wasn't paying attention to what was going on only to repeat exactly what you had said word for word. He was the best of the best in the Marine Corps SpecWar who had become a member of the Black Guard. She remembered the last time she had seen him, and the woman she was hugging.

"Lisa," he had said, "The apartment's yours to use for as long as you want it. We own it. We should be back by the end of the year. I want to thank you for all that you have done for us."

"Your welcomed Colonel," Lisa had said, not telling him that she had gotten word that the company had pulled her contract and that she had to go to Holly where they wanted her for production. Up until her and Mike's reunion five years ago, it had been the happiest time in her life. It would be months later when the company found that she couldn't be placed in production, (They had of course forgot that she could control her menstrual cycle at will,) she had been assigned to a containment team. She was sitting in the squad lounge when one of her team described in great detail what he had done to a marine colonel who had been captured on a company base. Including the grisly details of cutting his head off and sending it back to his widow. As she heard this she made up her mind that she was not going to be team medic for these animals. The one or two missions she had been on with them already had shown her that this company team was nothing but murders. This was her second team and it was so different from the first one that she was having trouble dealing with it. A few nights later she escaped from the company. As she did she executed the man who had murdered the quiet gentle marine who had given her a place in his family. She had killed him in the bed he had taken her to. On a whim she left a note on his chest, "Never kill a marine, their family and friends will always honor their passing and if given the opportunity render justice." Later as if the note was prophecy every one of the containment team had been killed. All of them except for Hozenbur.

Joyce looked the younger woman in the eye and knew it was true. She had never told her step son, but she knew more about Lisa's activities while she had been on the run than she let on about. Lisa had been an item of interest on many intelligence summaries. She knew that the gentle caring healer who had mended her so many years before could and had render justice on more than one occasion. "Thank you!"

Maggie, Francine, and Georgia looked at their mistress with new respect. Francine had known a great deal about Lisa's exploits while she was on the run. Georgia and Maggie did not. Francine who had never been black understood what it was that Lisa had just said to Joyce.

"Let me take a look at you," Joyce said holding the younger woman at arm's length not wanting to discuss what Lisa had done. She noticed a slight bulge that some of her friends had in the past and jumped to a conclusion, "You're pregnant!" "About three months," Lisa said.

"Boy or Girl?" Joyce asked. Lisa looked fit and healthy. It had been years since she had seen her; but the years had been kind to her. She bore no scares of her ordeals on the run. At least none that were visible.

"One of each," Lisa said.

"What did Michael say to that?" Joyce asked.

"He doesn't know," Lisa said.

"I want to see his face when you tell him." Joyce as she was mugged from behind.

"Grandma," Jill had come into the kitchen. Francine had forgotten that Jill had the same habits of her father and step mother, an early riser.

"So you got here huh?" She was still angry at her granddaughter. She wanted to have an intense counseling session with the youngster. The girl had scared her to death. She knew that Jill was on her way to Trena; but until Michael had sent word to tell her that Jill had arrived safely she had been worried to death. "I thought we had discussed not coming to Trena."

The youngster didn't say a word. She knew better. If there was anything she had learned from her grandmother; it was better to just keep quiet and let her vent. If she tried to interrupt; tried to state her case before her grandmother was ready to hear it, it would only make things worse.

Lisa was about to say something; but decided to keep quiet. She wanted to see how Joyce was going to handle it and to see if Jill was going to be a problem. She was still trying to learn how Jill reacted to things. What she had seen so far had made her respect how Joyce had raised her step daughter!

"I should ground you for the rest of your young life!" Joyce said, "I should do a lot of things to explain how stupid you were. But I trust that your father and Lisa have done a better job than I could, and most likely have. The only thing I am going to say is: that the next time you pull that stunt, you best be on your way to join the marines, or to get married, because the next time, if there is next time you best will your soul to your gods because everything else belongs to me!" She hugged Jill and said simply, "You scared the crap out of me! Please don't do it again."

"Welcome to Trena Grandma," Jill said, "I will never do that again. I thought we weren't coming to Trena?"

Joyce chuckled a bit, and said "Well I got lonely on Mars!"

"All right folks," Lisa said finally, "we need to get breakfast going. Maggie what do you want me to do?"

"Set the table," Maggie replied, "I can take care of this, you folks get out of here and let me get things done."

The women filed out of the kitchen. Francine came back into the kitchen and asked, "What do you need me to do Maggie. I know you and Lisa usually do this so with the extra..."

"Start making juice, and let's put out some more fresh fruit." Maggie answered. Although she really didn't need the help, it was appreciated. She wanted for some reason to show the admiral that her family was well cared for.

They had just set breakfast out on the table in the dining room, when Michael joined them. He didn't see Joyce at first. He had barely noticed that there was one additional person at the table. It wasn't unusual for one of protective detail, Aggie, or some other member of his staff to join them for breakfast. Joyce was sitting with her back to the door. She had chosen that seat with care. She didn't want her step son to see her until he sat down.

"Why are we here and not in the breakfast room?" Mike asked without looking up from his printout. It was the morning brief that was delivered to him every morning. It was given to his aide who made sure it was sitting next to the uniform that his steward laid out for him every morning.

"Oh Mom thought it might be a good idea to eat here this morning," Jill spoke up as she poured a cup of coffee for her father trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh?" Michael said absently taking the coffee and sitting down. Still immersed in his daily brief, Wilson didn't notice Liz, his enter the dining room and sat down next to her boss. Often they worked in the study until they left for his palace office. Lisa had insisted that she join them for breakfast when they worked in the residence.

"Hello," She saw the strange woman sitting at the end of the table and introduced herself to the woman, "I am Liz Tannerman!"

"I am Rear Admiral Joyce Wilson of the Interstellar Rescue Service," Joyce introduced herself to Liz.

At that Wilson dropped his coffee cup splashing coffee all over his uniform, as he turned to his mother, "Mom?"

"Hi Mike," Joyce smiled enjoying her step son's reaction.

"Welcome to Trena," Wilson said, as Liz quietly left the table to get her boss a clean uniform shirt from his steward. "I didn't know that you were coming to Trena."

"I got bored on Mars and thought I would come out here." Joyce said, "Thought you could use another light space craft skipper."

"I sure can," Michael said, "but it would be a waste to use you in that regard." "Why a waste," Joyce asked, sipping her coffee.

"You would find it boring to be just an LC jockey," Mike said.

"Then what can a retired Admiral do for you," Joyce asked.

"How would you like to be Jill's representative on Home?" Mike asked. "We need to have someone on Home to look after our interests, and to begin building our place there." "Getting rid of me already huh?" Joyce said with a smile.

"No," Lisa said, "God I wanted to come to you for years Joyce. I just didn't want to put you in danger. But we do need someone to go to Home. Someone who can be our representative there! Someone to answer any questions the people arriving on Home might have and to supervise the building of our home. No, we're not getting rid of you." "When do I leave?" Joyce asked.

"Oh in a month or so," Mike said. "I need to get a few people to go with you. This saves us from having to hire some lawyer to do the job." "You'll do that?" Lisa asked.

"Look I am either a pilot, or CSAG." Joyce said, "I was getting bored on Mars with no teenager to run after, and truthfully I wasn't designed to be a retired grandmother with more leisure time than I know what to do with!"

"Okay!" Michael said. Looking at his seventy year old step mother he couldn't imagine her retiring to a rocking chair yet either.

A few minutes later Admiral Wilson saw the woman who had asked her who she was, brought her son a shirt. Joyce shook her head. She had never understood how he did it. It wasn't that he was having sex with all the women around him, on the contrary he didn't. It just seemed his aura attracted very beautiful women who were very good at their jobs. She had seen it when he was in the marines. Some things never changed.

"Marshal," the young woman said looking up from her pad, "I can rearrange your morning meeting with Boeing Space Works, but the Queen's briefing has been reschedule twice in the last 24 hours. If it's going to happen it has got to happen this morning. And in about twenty minutes!"

"Okay," Mike said, "Mom, Lisa I will see you at dinner. Mom if you don't want to be our site supervisor it'll be okay, we'll make it happen." He drank his coffee leaving it on the buffet by the door as he walked out the door.

"Hey get some breakfast somewhere huh?" Lisa called after her rapidly departing husband. As he waved in acknowledgment Liz locked eyes with her and said, "I'll see that he gets something Lady Wilson."

Joyce seeing the look in her daughter in law's face remarked, "That one will take care of him."

"Liz?" Lisa asked, "Yes she might sit on him long enough to get a donut down him! I just worry about him. This job is going to kill him if he doesn't slow down. He needs to take a couple of days off. Period!"

"Lisa," Jill said, "Why not a weekend at Lady Hawthorne's. She invited all of us, and Dad does like her place. Even with all the people running about it!"

"Uh Lady Wilson," Maggie commented, "We could move everyone off to the summer palace."

"But he's still got to deal with all of his day to day duties." Lisa remarked.

"That's true my lady," Georgia commented, "But the atmosphere at the summer palace is more relaxed. If you remember we bring only the personal staff, and the principle advisors. Not all of them. They can be ferried out if needed." "How do we make the suggestion," Lisa asked.

"Let me speak with the Queen's maid," Maggie started, "We've always been able to..."

Joyce chuckled interrupting Maggie, "Just what I always suspected of my aids. I was just an instrument for their needs."

"Admiral," Francine looked the admiral in the eye with a dead serious tone in her voice, "I am afraid now we'll have to kill you. We were supposed to take that secret to our graves. Right girls?"

"We'll I don't know," Maggie said thoughtfully, "It's a fairly severe offense being busted; but do you think she would let us get away with it?" Maggie nodded towards Lisa.

"Not likely," Georgia remarked, "Besides she's now part of the official family and I might have to err uh take professional interest if you try to close her file."

"There is that." Francine nodded, "Oh well I guess we have to swear her to secrecy and let her join the greatest conspiracy of all." "That being?" a bemused Joyce asked.

"The care and raising of the royal family naturally," Francine commented.

"So now that you are going to let us all live may I see my newest granddaughter?" Joyce asked.

"This way mom," Lisa said chuckling leading her mother in law out of the dining room.

# ###

It was late at night and the Princess should have been in bed. Instead she was sitting in the day room so as not to disturb her room mates as she read some more of her great grandmother's diary. They hadn't complained but the Princess felt that she shouldn't stay up late when the others were trying to sleep. So she left the dorm room and went to the day room. She had found out that late at night the CQ watch, the cadets on duty as guards and such in the dorm, would not bother any cadets as long as they were quiet and not disturbing any one. She poured herself a cup of tea from the dispenser that was always there, and sat down with the diary.

"Grand mom looks good," the princess read while idly stirring her tea, "When I first saw her in the kitchen I didn't know what to think. I was happy to see her and frightened also. I knew she had to be mad at me. She had answered none of my letters, so I was certain that she was mad me. Yet when I saw her she frosted over for a minute or so; then seemed to get over it.

"I talked with her over what Dad and General Alphine has been telling me." The princess took a sip of the tea. "She told me all of it and when I asked if she knew Dad was here all along, she simply said yes.

"I was mad at her for most of the day after she told me." The Princess chuckled, thinking she would be mad if her mother or grandmother would hide her dad's location from her, "But the next day when grand mom had a chance to talk to me she explained why she had done what she did. I still didn't like it but; after Mom's near assassination I am beginning to understand why things were done. I still don't like it; but I understand."

"Raw meat!" the charge quarters on his rounds had found her. "You are out of bounds."

"Yes sir!" the Princess snapped to her feet.

"Why?" the cadet asked.

"I was studying sir," the first year cadet answered.

"Cadet Wilson," the CQ said; it was the same senior classman who busted her a few weeks before for being late to class, "You are going to have to find a better way to manage your time. If you don't you won't make it. What are you studying?" "I am reading Queen Jill's diaries," the princess said.

"I've heard of your project," the CQ said, "Sit back down Princess."

The Princess sat down, surprised that the cadet didn't ask for her butcher bill as the CQ sat down also, "the Queen is a hero of mine. What she did impressed the hell out of me."

"She is impressive." The Princess replied. On impulse she began reading aloud the next passage aloud.

"I had not realized how close grand mom and Lisa had been years before. They didn't waste any time in filling each other in on what they had been up to." The princess read, "They are very close! It was as if the years that had passed since they had last seen each other had not happened at all."

She read to the small hours of the morning until the CQ was changed then went onto bed.

# Chapter 15: Damn Break

"We were starting to have problems with the Theocracy," the general began the class, "we knew the theocracy had managed to infiltrate one of teams to cause problems. To this day we do not know how the rest of Father Pierce's team arrived on Trena. Father Pierce came through customs with a diplomatic pass port, aid by a traitor to the crown. The Theocracy believed that because of how our people lived we were getting our just deserts.

"The action teams sometimes known as Penitence Priests were used by the Theocracy to punish its governmental officials and its own citizens and were used to convince unfriendly governments to see things their way." The general continued, "We were certain at the time that the traitorous AI that I was hunting was not in league with the Theocracy they don't like technology.

"The way we used technology, the way we allowed anyone to live on Trena, the way we define families, with multiple spouses. Then our acceptance of the biopeople, and of course AIs and humbots like me made us, in the eyes of the pious religious people and rulers of the Theocracy the most evil and vile people in the universe. Because of that they felt that the disaster was our punishment from God." The general said with a bit of venom in her voice. "There had been the bombing at the convention center, and minor incidents at a couple of the embarkation sites. A couple times a week one of the landing craft was shot at or there was some problem at the Evac Command's special sites. We thought they were unrelated until the very end. Then we recovered a body that had the entire story of what the Theocracy was doing but that's getting ahead of the story."

###

Jill was getting ready for school when the holo set came to life. She had programmed its expert system to come to life if there was any breaking news. She had just come from the shower and was brushing her hair when it came on. She watched in horror as she saw the damage that a dam break had caused.

"Oh my," Jill said. The town of Galloway was destroyed. It looked like someone had dropped a big bundle of tooth picks in the bend of the river. But what really got her attention was when she saw the barge being moved across the city of Trenaport. It was an immense barge with several cranes on it. They had tied it to a couple of landing tugs. The tugs moved the barge over the city of Trenaport lying the barge gently down in the river by the remains of Galloway. She watched as the holo showed the arrival of the Red Cross to the scene of the disaster. It was terrible. She wondered if there was anything she could do. She put her robe on and went to find her mother.

"I see it Mylea," Jill heard her mother talking to her aunt on the com, "Is there anything we can do."

"No Lisa," she heard her adopted aunt say, "The Red Cross has everything well in hand. They have shelters up and running or will have soon."

"We'll be under foot." Her step mother replied. She desperately wanted to help. She didn't want to stay locked up behind the palace walls when there were people hurting. "Our security detail won't let us do what we have to do."

"Lisa there isn't anything you can do at the site." Mylea was saying, "And your detail and you will be in the way at the evacuation hospital or shelters. They don't need a VIP visit. But maybe you and Lady Hawthorne can come up with the things those people will need. The TRC will provide food clothing and medical needs. But these people lost everything. We will need to make sure they have what they need to start life over on Home, or anyplace they are going to end up."

"I think we can make that happen," Lisa said. Her friend knew how she felt and had just the right solution.

"Is it alright if Lamile goes to Lady Hawthorne's with you?" Mylea asked.

"I don't see why not." Lisa replied. Her step mother looked directly at Jill then needling her step daughter a bit "She can help keep Jill out of trouble."

"And Jill can keep Lam out of trouble too!" Mylea said looking at her own daughter who stuck her tongue out at her. "She'll be over in a bit."

After Lamile arrived they piled in the car and went to East Wind, the estate of Lady Hawthorne. Stretched out on both sides of the drive were containers, and portable offices. She didn't know how Lady Hawthorne did it but she seemed to be able to reach out and touch someone to get what she wanted. As they approached the manner house a young woman not quite thirty flagged them down. The noble woman was a little shorter than Jill and appeared to be a little over weight. Seeing that Jill remembered that the noble woman had had a baby right before the evacuation was announced.

"Hi Lisa," the noble woman dressed in casual clothes asked, "Ready to go to work?"

"I guess so," Lisa answered. "What are we doing?"

"We have these lists of things," Delores said, "that the crown and others say that the people in Galloway will need, since their town was destroyed. The crown list isn't too bad. But you can see that a couple of lobbyists are dumping stuff on us. We need to sort it out. Also I need to get a relief supply center set up so we can distribute the stuff to them.

So there's plenty of work to keep you busy."

"That's what I want to do." Lisa said, "I want to be useful. Not just stuck in palace and watching things."

"I know Lisa," Lady Hawthorne said. She and Chief Atomi had discussed how Lisa was getting cabin fever. Lisa had been active in her neighborhood before being moved to the palace. She wasn't the neighborhood busy body, but several of the stay at home parents would bring their kids over to her place so they could play with Abby while they shot the breeze with Lisa. Also Lisa would sometimes at the request of various doctors go to people's homes or hospital rooms to assist in their physical therapy. Since going to the palace in an effort to keep her safe she had become isolated, especially after the incident at the space port. When she did get out it was with a full protective detail. Mylea had seen it immediately and Delores had seen it a bit later. "Come this way."

The rest of the day was a blur for Jill. After her step mother went with Lady Hawthorne, one of the older woman came up to her and Lamile, and asked, "You two, doing anything?"

"No why?" Jill asked.

"Come this way," the older woman said leading them to one of the immense barns on the estate. It had at one time been an indoor horse paddock. It wasn't being used now as Lady Hawthorne had gotten rid of her missing husband's horses when he had abandoned the family a few days after the evacuation notice.

"In a little while," the woman said, "we are going to open the west gates. We're going to let people bring stuff in for the people of Galloway. When they come in we need to unload their stuff as fast as possible. We'll pull them in, park them and try to get their vehicle unloaded and out of here as quickly as we can." "So what do you want us to do?" Lamile asked.

"Just help where you are needed. We have a lot of people and we may get in each other's way. So try to stay out of people's way, but don't be shy about getting in and helping."

"Your Grace," Someone called, and Lamile realized it was the duchess of Costal Lowlands who was telling them what she needed done. The noble woman turned to see an older man who was standing by the main doors of the barn. "Here they come!"

From that point on the two girls were busy. The long lines of cars started coming in. The people brought all manner of things. From baby cribs, to clothing, even toys. Some were in truck loads. Jill couldn't believe it. In some of the worse junkiest looking cars the people handed her large denomination crowns, but in some of the swankiest looking cars the people gave her the worse junk, or some of the smallest donations she got of the day. One car that looked to be on its last legs and had stalled in the barn and had to have a couple of the men to push it out of the way while they worked on it, each of the ten kids who piled out of it gave her a ten crown note, and the father who was in faded dungarees had to have help pulling a jar that stood waist high out of the back. The jar was loaded with coins of all denominations. When Jill tried to refuse the donation, thinking that his family needed it more than they did, the man in his late thirties simply said, "Those people need it more than we do. We'll get by."

The next car was that of a well-dressed woman, with rings on every finger, gave her a ten crown note, and the clothing that was taken out of the back of her car, was going to have to go into the rag bin. That wasn't the only one that Jill remembered. They looked up and saw a freight hauler come in to the barn. It was from a local furniture dealer. The owner was on one of the next lifts to Home, and the crown was severely restricting how much of his inventory he could take. He said that it made more sense to let the people of Galloway have it instead of looters.

About lunchtime, a bioman with a girl about her age came into the barn. As they unloaded the car Jill recognized the girl with him. It was the same girl who had been at the restaurant where the biowoman had been killed. Jill walked over the car to help unload it. It was mostly woman's things. As she helped she noticed that the girl had tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" Jill asked the girl.

"Yes," Mitch responded "It's just that all of this stuff used to belong to a friend of mine who was killed a few weeks back. This is the last of Lottie's things. She would be happy that people will be able to use her stuff."

"Is this the lady who was killed by the closer?" Jill asked.

The girl nodded.

"I am sorry that happened," Jill continued, "Dad is trying to find the rest of them and bring them to justice."

The girl nodded as Jill helped her to remove a large suitcase from the trunk of the car. Jill's heart went out to the girl. She wanted to do something for her but didn't know what she could do or what would be appropriate.

As Mitch rode with Lanny, a friend of Gaylord's and Lottie's, out of the immense barn she realized the girl who had helped her was the girl who had given the people of Trena, Home. It surprised her that the girl would be helping to unload the cars of people bringing donations for the people of Galloway.

Lisa joined them after a while and worked with them taking the donations of the people of Trenaport for the victims of the disaster. Lisa her camera never far from hand took several photos. They heard more than once, that they hoped they got the men who did this horrible thing. Towards evening, a car came for Lisa. Jill learned that her step mother was to be part of a ceremony at the palace that the Queen was holding to inform the Bishop of Trenaport, the ambassador from the Theocracy, that he was persona non gratis.

Towards the end of the week Jill made a conference call to the Princess and her grandmother who was spending the day with her old academy roommate.

"Grand mom, General when would it be convenient to talk to you about something I want to do," Jill asked when the Princess was on the phone.

"Now's okay with me," her grandmother replied.

"Me too!" The general asked. "What do you want to do?"

"We are getting donations of everything except baby clothing. I want to buy about a thousand crowns worth of baby clothing and make it available to the people of Galloway."

Jill answered. "Can I do that?"

"We may have trouble finding it," Princess Carroll replied, "But you find it and I'll see that it gets paid for."

"General," Aggie had stopped by East Wind to talk with Lady Hawthorne, and had walked in on Jill, "Can you hear me."

"Yes your majesty," The princess said.

"I'll match whatever Jill spends for the people of Galloway," Agatha said. "So let me know what ends up being spent on this project."

"Will do," The princess said. This was the first time Jill had asked her to give her more money. She had been afraid of the battle she was going to have with the young woman. Afraid that they would end up arguing over something that was trivial and expensive! Instead she had asked to spend money in a direction she didn't think she would. She would have no problem releasing the money for the girl's project. "You okay with that Joyce?

"Absolutely," the girl's grandmother responded.

When it was all said and done they had more than enough baby clothing for every infant and small child in Galloway. Later they would have trouble finding clothing for other children.

# ###

"That damn break ended the Theocracy's diplomatic mission to Trena," The general began to wrap up her class for the day, "The Queen brought all the noble women, General Alphine, the queen's mother, Chief Atomi, and nearly a hundred senior women from the government and diplomatic row to the throne room. I saw a holo later of the ambassador being escorted into the monarch's presence. He was thoroughly searched. When he was done being frisked by two women of the Queen's Own Guard he was escorted to the throne room by the women, he was walked through a gauntlet of more women, thonians, humans, and biowomen from all the services. As he approached each position where the women were standing their posts, they powered their weapon on and did an about face. In the throne room the Queen revoked his diplomatic visa to Trena and ordered him off world. He left in a garbage scow."

"We still had some incidents." the general concluded, "There were still one or two action teams on Trena; but after the Theocracy's embassy was closed they were uncoordinated. We had some problems at the very end or near the end. Some incidents were fairly serious."

"Grand mom doesn't mention stuff like that in her diary. Though from other reading I have done there were riots in a couple of the outlying towns when food began to be tight." Princess Lisa said, "But there wasn't any mention of it in grand mom's diary."

"No there isn't," The general commented, "Though over the next few chapters you will see why."

"How are you doing on your papers?" the general asked. "Everyone got a title or theme?"

Everyone nodded. She was more than curious as to what the cadets were working on. No one had run a title or a theme by her. The school mistress had not mentioned anything to her. She was a good friend from the very first days of the academy. If there was a problem, the school mistress would tell her. School Mistress was the heart and soul of the academy.

"Okay then I'll see you next week," Alice finished the class.

# Chapter 16: Children

"Good morning," School Mistress, the artificial intelligence, that had been around longer than there had been an academy materialized in front the Princess. She had fallen asleep in the day room, "I think you might want to get to your dorm before the morning watch finds you."

"Thank you," The princess picked up her pad and books and started for the stairs that led to her dorm room. The School Mistress presented herself as a middle aged woman, with old fashion half reading glasses, and dressed conservatively. In all her time at the two academies she never appeared to be in a uniform.

"How is your reading going Princess," the AI appeared to walk with her to her room. The School Mistress was everywhere around the school as part of the school's computer system. While the diaries were not a state secret or classified document not everyone knew they existed. The school mistress had read them herself after they had been released. Mostly out of vanity to see what the young queen had written about her. The diaries hadn't even been released until her majesty had died a hundred or so years ago and then only the years before she married and had children. When the last of her grandchildren passed, the rest of her diaries would be released. The queen didn't want anyone's feelings hurt and had put only that restriction on them.

"There's a lot of stuff there," The Princess said, "I've been reading about all the children you guys found. It blows my mind that there were so many kids running loose!"

"I know," the AI remarked, "It was something that all of us couldn't believe. But you need to give it a rest for a while. You have to be up in an hour. So don't dwell on it now. It will become clear in the next day or so."

That morning in class, the general continued her history class.

# ###

Franklinton, what had been a small town of several thousand in the northern province of North Coast, was deserted. Not the first town to be completely evacuated or abandoned. As more and more people were evacuated from the planet, populations in the towns became smaller and smaller. When the population of a town became so small that the town couldn't function as a town it was abandoned. Even with automated city services, expert systems controlling the water, sewage disposal, managing the infrastructure of the town, it became untenable for a town to remain a town. So when the town got down to a couple of families they were moved into another town to await their turn to be evacuated. Abandoned the towns might have been; they still had to be patrolled. Looting was becoming in a problem.

"I have never been in a ghost town before," Quentin Faroze commented to his partner. They had just come into the town from the clear cut area. It had been several weeks since the clear cutting had started and a lot of the forest land in the North Coast Province had been cut down. It was just as eerie driving from the surreal scene of the clear cut forest into the town that looked like someone had just turned out the lights and rolled up the sidewalks.

"It is eerie isn't it," L'engrithi his Thonian military police partner replied as her lifemate who was working with another rookie not too far away sent her the image of bombed out towns they had patrol for the Thonian military. "At least these towns are not blown to magth and back."

Quentin was a rookie. He had graduated out of the last class of the Royal Trenaport Law Enforcement Academy. It was literally the last class; there would be no others. This was his rookie tour. He had been offered to become a member of the Home's planetary police force and be evacuated early; but he had said he would rather stay to the end of the evacuation. He was a bachelor and his family had taken the opportunity to immigrate to a more developed world, so he made a decision to let some father with his children and wife, go in his place. He did want to go to Home; but he could wait. He also thought that a tour of duty with the legendary Thonian Companions MP battalion would be good for his career. He looked around the small town, and saw that all the windows were still intact, that the road was not pot holed or cratered.

L'engrithi was a twenty year veteran of the Thonian military police. She had been on worlds where wars had been fought. Where part of her job had been to prevent soldiers and others from looting towns and villages after the combatants had left the town to continue the war in some other burg. She had been on the sharp end of the stick trying to prevent civilians from being mauled by soldiers on leave, and civilians from taking advantage of those same soldiers. So far this assignment had been more like a base assignment with normal hours. In the crimen and a half she had been part of the companions it had been the easiest assignment she and her lifemate had ever done.

"I hear they've been shutting the down the AIs," Quentin said, "What's that?" he said pointing to a shadow.

"I don't know," The older woman replied. They were in a parking lot to a deserted store. She had seen what he was talking about. It looked like a face. Her life mate had seen it also through the aqaut letting her feel that he thought it could be a child.

"Channel ten this is patrol 90," Quentin called on his communicator.

"Go ahead patrol 90," the AI said.

"Mark us out of the vehicle at place called Jackie's Supermarket in Franklinton." Quentin responded.

"What do you have patrol 90?" the human back up called, it had been a boring shift and he was craving some conversation with someone new.

"We don't know dispatch." Quentin replied, "We'll let you know." "Channel 10 standing by." The dispatcher returned.

The pair got out of the car and approached the supermarket. As they approached the front of the store, the doors opened and the lights came on.

"I guess this AI is not turned off." The Thonian said.

"No some of this could be part of an automated security system." Quentin said as he heard a rustling and turned towards it with his gun out. His partner went the other way as he approached the rustling. She wanted to come up on the other side of the noise. When he came upon the noise, he saw two rats mating in a pile of papers. Nothing disgusted the young officer more than rats. He instinctively fired. He killed both animals.

"This is patrol 90 we have shots fired!" L'engrithi yelled into her communicator hoping and praying that her young partner hadn't been shot. Her lifemate's concern for her safety was blasting through their bond. She finally sent to him "cool out I am okay now let me deal with this." She rounded the corner back to where she had left her young partner and saw him putting his gun away and the remains of two rats.

"Dispatch this is Patrol 90." She breathed a sigh of relief, "We're okay. My partner just executed two rodents." The Thonian looked at the young man and with the microphone still hot, "He's got a lot of paper work to do and we'll be having that conversation 90 out."

"Roger Patrol 90," the dispatcher said, "The LT says you both owe him a coffee for the heart attack you just gave him!"

"My partner's buying!" The Thonian said. "What the magth is that?" The woman said shining her light toward a shadow she had half seen.

"Don't shoot!" a very young voice said, "We're coming out."

To the Thonian's amazement she saw ten children walk out of the shadows they ranged in age from nearly one to five crimens of age.

"Quentin get EMS here now." The woman said as she walked to the children, and panned her light on them. They were dirty, with tattered clothing; but she didn't see any obvious injuries.

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

"They left," the oldest one said. "We woke up one day, and Mom and Dad were gone."

"Are you all brothers and sisters?" L'engrithi asked.

"No," one of the younger one said. "Denise and I were left behind before Arnold and Deanna found us."

"Are there only decade of you?" L'engrithi asked

"Huh?" the oldest asked, "Oh us ten. No, there might be a couple of more hiding in town."

"Patrol 90 to dispatch." The Thonian said into her microphone "Go ahead patrol 90" the dispatcher called.

"I need a supervisor, and a couple of additional units. We have a town that may have to be searched house to house. We have a report of unaccompanied children in Franklinton." L'engrithi replied. "Command will be at Jackie's Supermarket."

Knowing dispatch would start the ball rolling she turned back to the kids," Let's see who we have here."

"Okay kids come over here I want to know who you are. My name is L'engrithi; we're not going to hurt you." She spoke to them.

As she finished with the children trying to suppress her anger at the parents who had left the children behind, Quinten came up to her.

"L'engrithi," her young partner came over, "The alert bird at the Evac hospital is twenty minutes out. The clear cut team we passed a while back has a medic and they'll be here before the IRS. Oh your husband will be here in about five six minutes, I think I heard the siren going on the radio."

"That'll be a help," The thonian woman shook her head knowing she would have to find some way to cool her lifemate out before he got to them. She could tell he was cooling out a bit but not much.

# ###

"Mylea," Lady Hawthorne was on the phone early the next morning, the brunet's image hovering over Mylea's desk. "Have you seen the yellows?"

The yellows were the specialized briefing sheets that were sent to the top level officers of the evacuation team. They were called yellow because they were hand carried by palace pages and were printed on specially treated paper. If the wrong person touched the paper the message disappeared. After exposure to normal room light, the paper turned yellow after 3 hours making the print fade out. It was designed to prevent unauthorized people from reading confidential reports. So far it worked. Mylea was surprised that they didn't use the computer system. But with an AI suspected of treason; the evacuation command didn't trust any of these reports to be transmitted electronically, even though Jonesy compiled them. They often held very sensitive information.

"Yes," Mylea asked the younger woman, "what's got your attention."

"All the kids we're finding." Lady Hawthorne replied, "It looks like the cops have found another forty last night. That makes the count something on the order of what five hundred."

"I knew we had a large homeless population." Mylea said, "But I hadn't realized how many children were part of it."

"You know I don't think it is solely homeless kids. Some of them may be runaways." Lady Hawthorne said softly. "They can't all be runaways, or homeless kids. I think some of these kids have been abandoned by their parents! If the marshal doesn't mind I'd like to send one of my girls to the holding center and talk with these kids. I want to find out what going on."

"The marshal will approve," Mylea said without hesitation. She wanted to get to the bottom of it too. "Deloris, how many of your boys and girls do you still have with you and how many have no assignments."

"Maybe a hundred," Lady Hawthorne replied, "why?"

"These kids are hiding for whatever reason from the adults. It could be something as simple as not wanting to leave their homes, or as complicated as child abuse. Whatever it is they hide from the police. Or most of them do. Do you think some of your guys can ferrite out some of these kids? You know with a population of nearly seventy-five million people we have to have two or three thousands of these kids running around." Mylea returned. "I don't want to have them on my conscience."

"None of us do." Lady Hawthorne replied. "Put me on the Marshal's schedule some time day after tomorrow and I'll have something to share with him by then about these kids."

"That'll work in the mean-time I'm going to issue a Chief's number ordered." Mylea said.

"Okay Chief, take care." Lady Hawthorne said as she terminated the call.

"All right Betsy," Mylea spoke to her AI assistant. "This is a general order to all evacuation personnel. All social service agencies, all personnel who are assigning families to be evacuated are to acknowledge the order.

"Item1: From this date and time all evacuation personnel are to ensure that families with children are fully accounted for. Families with missing children are to be held from embarking to the landing craft until their children are accounted for. It is stressed that families with missing children may be missing for a variety of causes including missing, runaway, or other causes that may not be criminal, or against the law. Some children may be emancipated minors who for whatever reason have escaped our census.

"Item 2: Lady Hawthorne has been tasked to assist in locating abandoned and lost children. She will have a crown warrant tasking her to conduct this search. All staff members of the Evacuation Command are required to assist her.

"End it Betsy." Mylea concluded the chief's numbered order.

"Dispatched," the computer said.

"Memo to the queen," Mylea started.

"I heard Mylea," The Queen walked into the thonian's office. "I wanted to just touch base with you before I saw Mike today, but I heard the whole thing. Lady Hawthorne will have her crown warrant. I want to be kept informed on this."

"Aye majesty," Mylea said, "What else can I do for you?"

"Just wanted the updated numbers, how many have we gotten off world." The Queen asked.

"A little over two hundred thousand," The chief of staff said, "Only seventy four million eight hundred thousand more to go."

"Is that only the people evacuated to Home?" The Queen asked.

"No," Mylea responded, "that includes every one. Those evacuated to Home and other places."

"Thank you," The Queen left wondering how she could make things happened faster.

# ###

"Okay gang," Lady Hawthorne said softly before her assembled assistants a little later in the day. "We've been tasked with getting a handle on how many abandoned, runaway, and missing children we have."

Someone gave a low whistle. "Lady Hawthorne, I read a report before I left the Mounties that there might be over s hundred thousand kids homeless or having ran away from home. Try as we might we just couldn't stop it from happening. The Mounties couldn't figure out how to keep a handle on runaways. When the evacuation was announced the Mounties stopped working the problem. They have if not more important things to worry about; things that take precedent over runaways who will be, they thought eventually rounded up."

"But we don't have enough room to house that many kids here!" Someone retorted.

"I know," Lady Hawthorne, "Yet we have to do something. We can't leave them behind."

"But how do we make this happen?" Someone else asked.

"As the cities are evacuated many of the homeless kids and runaways will be swept up," one of the men said, "I can't imagine that the authorities will not check on the kids they see running about. Most of the ones we're seeing are in the rural areas. They are the ones who may not be accounted for. We have to round them up somehow!"

The young noble woman spoke, "That's why we're here. Now how do we do it?"

"Well let's face it," one of the women spoke, "if we just start showing up in the abandoned towns those kids will run from us. They may not even believe the evacuation is real."

"She's right," one of the younger men spoke up, "I was in pediatric mental health. A lot of the street kids don't trust us. They've been screwed over so many times by adults they just don't trust us."

"Why not use kids," Jill Wilson, who was staying with Lady Hawthorne for a couple of days to help sort out the stuff they were still getting for the damn break, wandered into the meeting. "There has to be a network with these kids."

"Not necessarily Miss Wilson," an older woman in the back of the room responded,

"They mostly survive on their wits end."

"Yeah; but let's face it they know of each other," Jill continued, "if not planet wide at least in their small part of it. That's how they know where things are being given out. Where they can get a meal, where they can get a place to sleep for a night. They also share who and what to avoid."

"Jill how do you know this?" Lady Hawthorne asked. She was concerned that the Wilson girl had some experience as a runaway and living at her wits end.

"It just makes sense. All we have to do is use their system." Jill said softly, "Send a couple of younger cops or people that look like they are still in high school undercover. Trust me the police know where these kids are. They may not have time to round them up right now; but the cops have a good idea of what's happening."

"She may be right," one of the younger women said, "we've got enough young people around here to make this happen. Let's get a juvenile police officer in here and let's see what they have to say."

"Lady Hawthorne," Jill said softly, "I want to do this."

"Jill your father won't allow that and I want to die of old age not at Lady Wilson's hands." Lady Hawthorne remarked thinking what she would do if one of her five kids was used by the crown to go under cover and they came to grief. Thankfully none of her kids were old enough to help. She knew without a doubt that if she let Jill go undercover and something happen to the teenager she would be dead meat.

"I'll handle Lisa, and Dad," Jill replied with a smile in her voice, "The hard part won't be them it'll be my security team."

"You got that right," Jenny Alkire, Jill's primary protective agent, who had walked in with her charge had taken her normal post just inside the door confirmed Jill's statement. She had been listening to discussion. She thought her young charge was dead on though.

"Jill it's out of the question. The detail won't let it happen." "We'll discuss it," was all that Jill said.

"That's a certainly," The woman promised, "But you are right. Jill is right she has the right approach but how do we make it happen."

"We," Lady Hawthorne asked looking to the protective agent.

"Yes we!" the agent retorted, "twenty years ago I was homeless and living on the streets. If it hadn't been for one of the kings detail I ...well we won't go there. Let's just say that I know how these kids live. Or did! I want a piece of this."

Lamile who had also walked in with Jill, had been listening to the conversation was wondering what she could do to help. She and Jill had both renewed their friendship over the ensuing months. Where one was the other was sure to be around somewhere. Both parents thought it wasn't that bad of a deal. It was keeping them both out of trouble. She began thinking of a plan. She knew that Jill just couldn't do it. Jill didn't know Trena the way that she did, and although her mother was the chief of staff for her Uncle Mike, she herself wasn't under the same type of security and protective protocol as Jill was. Besides, Lamile had some ideas where she could begin. But she would have to slip away. Lady Hawthorne would have a fit, and stand in the way if she knew what she was going to do. Lady Hawthorne was one of those people that Lamile listened to and was as close an adult friend that she would ever have, not that Deloris was that much older than her, only three crimens older, if that much. She wouldn't want to get the noble woman in trouble. Her mother and Uncle Mike would skin her friend alive after they did her.

"I would image," the protective agent said, "that some of these kids would be making their way to Trenaport. Those that believe the evacuation is real that is. The ones who are not running a gang and think they will be king rat that is."

"Many of these kids," Lamile said, "will find a spot around the port, and try to sneak onto a transport to orbit. The ones who know the truth, and are smart enough to figure things out; but don't want to be involved with adults, will be trying to find a way onto the transports. Why not set up a dummy transport." Lamile was already deep into her plan, she thought she could lead several hundred kids to Trenaport if she did it right. Unfortunately she was going to have to get the adults to help. "You know, you were talking about getting a couple of undercover people in with the kids. That's not a bad idea. But why not get them out into the country and lead these gangs of kids to the port."

"And if it's done right," one of the young women who had married a Trenan noble after a tour at the Earth embassy whose husband was now missing spoke up. "We can monitor the progress of the journey, without appearing to be trying to."

"We can also support it by dropping food shipments and the occasional friendly adult who helps out." Someone commented.

"It can't be this simple" Lady Hawthorne commented, "this is complicated, and..."

"Lady Hawthorne," Lamile said, "It may not work. And it's not as simple as it sounds. We first have to infiltrate, then we'll have to convince them, and then start them moving. We may be talking about only ten or fifteen children at a time, not hundreds; at least when it begins. Let's get General Langtree and Princess Carroll in on this."

"Why her," A defensive voice said from the back of the room. There were some people on Trena who felt that the off world police and military threatened their sovereignty.

"General Langtree owns the equipment we need and will need to make the drops. The Princess has Special Forces people we can use to help get our people in and keep tabs on what we are doing. And if they get in trouble the SpecWars can rescue us." "James!" Lady Hawthorne called.

"Yes my lady," the face of her AI butler hovered in the room.

"Please contact General Langtree and Princess Carroll. Ask when it would be convenient for them to meet with myself, Lamile Atomi, Jill Wilson, to discuss the plan we're trying to get together."

"Yes ma'am," the AI said.

"In the mean time I want to put someone into the towns and villages trying to make contact with these kids. Maybe talking to people who live in the towns can tell us what they know."

"Lady Hawthorne," a voice to her right asked, "Do you want them brought here?"

"No," Lady Hawthorne replied, "I think I read that the crown took over my old school."

"The old boarding school?" someone asked. He had gone to school there on a scholar ship. As had Lady Hawthorne it was where she had met her missing husband. "Yes," Lady Hawthorne continued, "They have been taking the kids they have found there since the school closed. I think we need to get someone there to talk with these kids. I may drift over there tomorrow."

"Can I go with you," Lamile asked, "I would like to talk to a couple of the kids." "Sure why not?" Lady Hawthorne replied turning to Jill, "Want to tag along?" "Yes," Jill replied.

The conversation with Princess Carroll and General Langtree was short. Langtree was at first skeptical and flat out said he didn't have much he could spare. Princess Carroll said she could release a couple of teams on and off over the next few weeks saying it would be a good bit of training for them. Lady Hawthorne met with her people to recruit a young adult to bring the kids in. She never got the chance.

# ###

The next day, Lamile had one of Lady Hawthorne's helpers drive her home. She told Jill and Lady Hawthorne she needed to get home for a change of clothing. That was true as far as it went; but she wanted to go home so she could start her mission without implicating Jill or Lady Hawthorne. If they didn't know what she had in mind, then when she was found out, maybe her friends wouldn't get in trouble for what she did. It was lunch time when she got home. She found her mother eating lunch.

"There you are," Her mother called, it had been a couple of days since she had seen her mother. "You get tired of Lady Hawthorne's?"

"Hi Mom," Lamile replied, "What brings you home so early?"

"I'm going in late," Her mother said. "I thought I wouldn't see you for a couple of days."

"I needed to change clothes." She answered. "If it's okay with you I'm going to go back in the morning and stay a couple of days."

"As long as Lady Hawthorne doesn't mind." Mylea gave her daughter permission to go back to Lady Hawthorne's. She had no qualms about Lamile staying with the noble woman. She had ran a back ground check on their special projects officer and found nothing to worry her about letting her daughter hang around Deloris Hawthorne. So far she had been a good influence on bother her and Jill.

"No, she's cool with it," Lamile said.

"So what are you going to do this afternoon?" Mylea asked.

"Run a load of laundry." Lamile said. "I thought I might wander down to South

Mall before getting someone to run me out to East Wind."

Mylea thought for a moment. Lamile's school was closed down. All the schools were. Their closure was causing some problems with unsupervised children. She didn't want Lamile to just stick around the house, but she didn't want her to be part of the problem at the mall. Then she asked, "I've couple of errands to run. Want to accompany me?"

"What sort errands," Lamile asked. She really didn't want to run with her mother. She wanted to plan how she was going to link up with all the children hiding from the authorities.

"I've a meeting with Chief James downtown," Mylea replied, "Then I have one with General Langtree at Fletcher. Then if nothing pops up I'm done for the day."

"I guess I could run around with you," Lamile said. Although she needed to work on her project, going with her mother to Mounty Headquarters and later to Fletcher might help her plan part of her project.

There was a knock on the door. Lamile opened the door, to find Tony, her mother's driver there to pick them up. As they went to police headquarters Lamile asked, "Mom I would really like to know more about these kids. Any ideas?"

Mylea thought for a moment the said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to read the statements given to the officers. When we get in I'll see about letting you read them."

Unwittingly by letting Lamile read the statements Mylea helped her daughter prepare for her mission.

Her mother's meeting was in the Mounties' Emergency Operations Center. She didn't share what her meeting was about. When they got to the EOC her mother took her to the door of EOC's intelligence cell. It was closed and Mylea had to push a button to get in. The door opened and a beta biowoman came out of the room. Even though Mylea was a deputy chief of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol, she didn't have automatic entry into the intelligence cell. It was very secure.

"Lamile, this Sergeant Lenora," Mylea introduced Lamile to the biowoman, "She in charge of the intelligence section of the EOC."

"Lenora." Her mother spoke to a beta biowoman, "This is Lamile, my daughter."

"Good afternoon," the biowoman, who vaguely resembled Lisa Wilson greeted them. "How can I help you?"

"Lenora are you working on anything sensitive," Mylea asked. If they were working a case; then Lamile wouldn't be allowed in to the intelligence cell. Depending on what it was they were working on; even she might be barred.

"Mr. Kellogg is reviewing some reports," Lenora replied¸ "There's a hundred leader from the companions. He's coordinating their reports with ours. No there's nothing we're working on that requires a lock down. Why?"

"I need to park Lamile for about an hour," Mylea answered, "While she's here I want you to share any and all intelligence you have on the children we're finding." "Do you want a briefing," The biowoman asked.

"No," Mylea replied, "She is going to prepare a briefing for Lady Hawthorne"

"Okay," the police officer replied thankful she didn't have to do it herself. "Let's get you signed in find you a place to work."

She led her to a work station and powered it up. She worked the keyboard for a bit before allowing Lamile to sit before it.

"I've given you a temporary clearance." Lenora told her, "If you try to research something besides the reports on the kids the station will lock up and you will be arrested.

So don't surf!"

"I understand," Lamile replied. She hadn't even thought of surfing.

"You are going to hear and see things that you are not to repeat. You may make notes, but you are not to take them and any reports out of here. We're not as secure as the Mountain; but there is a lot of sensitive material that could harm a great many people if the wrong people see them."

She hadn't realized how sensitive the information that she was going to see was.

She felt a little guilty using her connections to see the reports.

She read through the various reports on the children the authorities had found. She wanted to see what the authorities actually knew. It wasn't much. More importantly she wanted to see if there was any pattern to the kids they were discovering. Were the children avoiding the police, or seemed to be walking towards the space port. Although the Companions and the Mounties were trying to pick up as many children as they could, they were being hard pressed to do anything more than report contacts. Many of the children were for one reason another avoiding the police. She was beginning to see where someone was telling them that the crown wasn't going to evacuate them!

She saw more than one interview where the kid being interviewed reported a mysterious adult who was telling the kids that God would take care of them that they had nothing to worry about. That the authorities were lying to them about the need to evacuate. The adult, a man named Father Pierce, continued to be named in the interviews. Some of the kids believed it, many didn't. Still it was something to share with the adults. She was about to go and find Lenora to share what she had found when her mother spoke to her.

"How's it going," her mother asked.

Startled Lamile replied, "Better than what I expected. I think I may have stumbled upon something."

"What did you find," Mylea asked.

"I've been reviewing the interviews from the children that the Mounties and Companions have been finding. There seems to be one thing that is common in all of them. This man who is being described like that Theocracy Priest that Uncle Mike and you are trying to find has been trying to get the kids to stay where they are. What do you think?"

She looked at what her daughter had discovered, then crossed checked some things she could get into that Lamile couldn't and said, "Good call Lamile! I'll get this up on the net. Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see connections. Are you getting anything else on those kids?"

"Not much. The interviews lead me to believe that most of the kids are walking this path," she showed her mother the map she had been working on, "There seems to be something about walking this path towards the space port. Even though the priest is doing a good job of trying to prevent that, most of the kids have been picked up here." She pointed to couple abandoned towns, "Everyone assumes there are not many. But I don't know. As part of my review I read statistic there might be as many as seven hundred thousand homeless children."

That number astounded Mylea, she had no idea that there were that many homeless children. She was surprised that there were that many on a world as prosperous as Trena. "Are all these children orphans?"

"No," Lamile replied seeing the worry on her mother's face, "many are homeless because their parents are. There may be only a hundred thousand or so kids who are homeless and orphaned."

That was still a lot of children. She wasn't certain they had the resources to find them and evacuate them. She made a note to talk to Lady Hawthorne about Lamile's findings, and see what she needed to find and rescue the kids. The first thing she needed to do was find more housing for all these kids. The old boarding school might be able to handle two thousand. The problem suddenly got much bigger.

"Of those hundred thousand," Mylea asked, "how many are in the cities?"

"Maybe ninety thousand," Lamile replied, "Mom. That's just an estimate based on demographics. We could have much less."

"Where did you get this estimate," Mylea asked.

"The Royal Library," Lamile replied surprising her mother how into it her daughter was, "There was a book written a while back about homelessness. There was a chart based on population how many homeless families there might be. I took a rough number and didn't plug in any variables. I didn't factor in such things as our economic status, family types which all had an impact on the real estimate. I could have asked for help; should have; but I haven't had the chance to!"

"What's the name of this book," Mylea asked. Lamile turned to the work station and brought the title of the book up. A holograph of the book floated above the work station.

"Frazer I need your help," Mylea spoke calling for the Artificial Intelligence that supported the Mounties.

"Yes Chief Atomi," the AI materialized next to them. He presented himself as a typical Mounty in a day to day uniform.

"Please retrieve the book, 'A Discussion of Homelessness in High Tech Societies.'," Mylea read the title of the book Lamile had found, "Please read the book and apply any calculations the book may contain using the variables from Trena. I am interested in an estimate of our homeless populations and an estimate of orphaned children."

The AI reached for the book and appeared to read the book. Shortly, the AI's image changed to that of him standing before a black board working an equation. It appeared to check his work and turned to them.

"Based on this book's equations," The AI lectured them, "Based on actual number numbers; I believe we may have twenty thousand people homeless. That represents maybe seven thousand families. The calculations estimate, possibly four thousand orphans, planet wide."

Mylea breathed a sigh of relief, and ordered, "Make sure Lady Hawthorne is aware of your results."

"I've sent it to her," Frazer responded.

"Thank you, Frazer," Mylea spoke to the AI, "Please package up the results of Lamile's research and create a report for the command team."

"Yes ma'am," Frazer replied. He began looking at what the chief's daughter had discovered. He was quietly impressed. The girl had organized the reports by geographic location and had even started a map of where the children had been seen. He even saw where Lamile had flagged any report that mentioned the Theocracy priest Father Pierce. Frazer quickly read through the reports and mapped where the priest had been sighted and forwarded it to the team searching the agent. As he finished up the package he was amazed. Lamile had spent maybe ninety minutes and had analyzed and organized some one hundred reports. Something he could have done far faster, the connections she had made the AI wasn't certain he would have made though. Like any experienced investigator he would have discounted them; but when presented together they jumped out at him. He did some research on his own and added his results to the girl's work and published the report as directed putting Lamile's name as its principle investigator on the report, with his name second.

After they left patrol headquarters, Mylea asked, "you can come with me to the palace or I can take you home?"

"I thought you were meeting with General Langtree?" Lamile asked.

"I am," Her mother replied. "He's at the palace waiting on me."

Lamile thought for a minute, "I think I'd like to go home. I need to think about what's happened today."

Mylea nodded and drove her daughter home.

As they pulled into their drive, Lamile's tablet beeped telling her she had received mail. She got out of the car and went into the house. Once inside the house she took her tablet out to see who was sending her mail. She was surprised to say the least when she saw who the email was from, Frazer. Even more surprised when she opened the attachment it was the report on what she had researched. She spent the rest of the afternoon digesting the report and making plans to find and rescue some children. She soon had her target, a small group of kids who were walking to Trenaport. There couldn't be more than twenty. So far the authorities had done nothing to gather them up. She wondered why until she read a couple incident reports. The kids had ran and hid from the cops. The cops hadn't tried too hard to find them as they were walking in the right direction. The cops thought they would be picked up eventually. She now had her group. She only had to find a way to get to the group.

This turned out to be easier than she thought. There were advantages to being a military brat. The next morning Lamile took a bus out to Fletcher.

She knew that General Langtree was at the O club getting lunch. He always walked over to the club figuring he needed the exercise instead of having Hoi driving him over. It was his lunch time habit. Lamile knew about it as she sometimes hopped a ride out to the base to share lunch with the general. He had given her a standing invitation. Sergeant Hoi didn't suspect a thing when she wanted to hop a ride with one convoys. She convinced the sergeant to put her on a convoy going near the small town of New Rome. She told him it was a school project. The MP riding with the convoy had been one of her baby sitters years before and was more than willing to help her old commander's daughter on her homework assignment.

When the convoy turned off to go to Hilliard she got off the truck and began to walk into New Rome. When she had gotten far enough up the road where no one would see her she changed into some clothes she had fished out of a trash can. She wanted to look like she had been on the land for a long time. She slept that night in an abandoned barn. The next morning she wandered into New Rome. An abandoned town that had at one time a thousand people living in it. She poked around the town for a couple of days before she stumbled on anyone.

"Who are you," a small girl not more than 2 crimens old startled her. Lamile had been poking through an abandoned grocery and service station to see if there was anything left on the shelves to eat when the girl startled her. "Lamile," the teenager replied, "Who are you?" "J'lie," the little girl said.

"Hungry?" Lamile asked. She spied a bag of dried fruit and snatched it off the shelf.

She opened it and handed it to the little girl, "Is your mom around?"

"Mommy's asleep," the little girl said. "She's been asleep for a long time."

"Where is she," Lamile asked.

The girl walked to the back of the store where a young woman lay on the floor. Lamile could tell immediately the thonian was dead. She checked to see if there was a pulse. There was none. Lamile took the little girl out of the service station and had to make a decision. Although she was certain that the woman had died of natural causes, she couldn't just walk away from the woman. The cops had to be made aware of it. But if Lamile turned the thing in, she would have to give up on this town and try another. She made a compromise. She fed the little girl, bathed her and put her in a clean dress she had found in a small store. She waited until the little girl was asleep before she called the police. As she called the cops she wondered where the girl's father was. She knew the girl's father's body should be around somewhere. Her mother had been lucky her father's death trauma hadn't killed her, this girl's parents may not have been so lucky!

"There's a dead body in the New Rome service station." she told the Police Dispatcher. "There's a little girl next to the woman."

"Who are you?" The AI asked, but Lamile cut the connection. However the AI had heard enough to recognize Lamile's voice, as per its instructions the AI sent a priority message on the evacuation's classified communications network. Within minutes the message was routed to the intelligence team in the Mountain. Mylea received a simple and plain message. "Wanderer heard from. No further info." The next morning Mylea saw in the overnight reports that a body had been found by a young girl who had not left her name. The time of the report was the same time that Lamile had been heard from the night before. It was some relief but only some.

After Lamile finished with the police she looked around the town hunting for a place to hide. That was when she found the father. She found him under a car. It had fallen on him. He had slowly died from a crush injury. As he slowly died from his injury he lost conscience causing his lifemate to lose conscience and eventually to die also. She left him alone and found a place to hide.

Lamile watched the police and EMS units arrive from a small out building near the grocery. She held her breath when one of the crime scene people looked right at her. She looked down at her scene scanner and back at her. She knew she had been discovered by the cops. The CSU tech walked over to where she was hiding. In a low voice only Lamile could hear, "She'll be taken care of Wanderer."

The tech had been added at the last moment, she was a member of the Black Guard who had been part of the Interstellar Rescue Service Criminal Investigation Service before being chosen to become a Black Guardsmen. Her job was to get to the scene check on Lamile and ensure that the dead woman wasn't Lamile.

"Stay hidden, we're only a short shout away if you get into trouble." With that the woman walked back to the service station.

Shocked, Lamile stayed hidden until the team had left. When she was certain that they had left she went back to the service station and found a small package left for her. It was out in the open on one of the counters with her name on it. It wasn't there earlier. The package included a very small ear bug radio, a couple of ration bars, and an envelope with a note in it. Shocked she opened the note, "Lamile, your mother is furious with you. You've scared the crap out of her. That being said I want you to be safe. If things get crazy just yell and the Black Guard will have you picked up as quick as they can. No, they are not in direct eye sight of you; but the ear bug is a tracker. Thank you very much for your courage. Take care Wanderer and be safe." It was signed Aggie.

Astounded she folded the note up and hid it very securely on her person. She slept that night in an abandoned home. The next morning she wandered down the road to the next town. Remembering how lucky that she had been not to lose her mother also when her father died. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the little girl when she had seen the two bodies loaded into the ambulance the night before.

# ###

"Jill!" Mylea stormed into the dining room at her parent's home the day after Lamile gone missing. Jill was eating lunch with her step mother and grandmother. She looked up to see the nearly six foot six furious Thonian woman. "Yes?" "Did you know about this?" Mylea asked.

"Know about what?" Jill flinched in surprised at her aunt's tone of voice.

"Lamile has gone missing." Mylea said.

"Missing?" Jill asked, "What do you mean missing?"

"Yesterday," Mylea said, "Lamile managed to get a ride with one of the convoys heading out of Fletcher. She left me a note saying that she was going to be home in a while and hoped to solve the abandoned children problem. Did you know she was going to this?"

"No! We were supposed to go with Lady Hawthorn to the Trenaport Boarding School today, where a lot of the kids are being taken." Jill answered trying to cool out a bit. She was getting angry at Lamile for doing what she did without talking to her.

"Jill what do you know about this?" Lisa asked.

"We were talking about sending someone out among the kids to see what is going on with them but; Lady Hawthorne had someone in mind. That wasn't Lamile!" She added quickly, "A Mounty who could pass as a teenager. No, I don't know what she is up to."

"What is the mission Jill," Mylea asked, "This was something that Delores was to brief us on tomorrow."

"We were hoping to send someone to be the Pied Piper to bring these kids in. We thought they might follow a kid to the port or into Trenaport for processing." Jill replied. Mylea was still furious; but she could see why her daughter might chase something like this. It was not the drama. In fact, Lamile always found a way to make things happen without a lot of drama. If Lamile thought she could help these kids without a lot of fuss it was something she might do. "Aunt Mylea, just leave me enough flesh so I can have my pound too. I wish I would have been given the opportunity to talk her out of it. This is too dangerous for me! Jenny told me that she would lock me up if I even thought about doing what Lamile is doing. She suggested that it was really dangerous and since she lived on the streets for a while when she was my age she convinced me."

"I get the feeling that you may have to stand in line." Lisa said, "After Mylea gets done with her, then it'll be my turn then your father's turn."

"They grow up fast don't they Commander," Joyce said using Mylea former

Thonian Space Service grade. Then pointed to Jill she said, "This one did big time!"

"I know," Mylea said, "it's hard to see them grow up."

"It is at that," Joyce confirmed seeing her grand-daughter not as a child but a young adult. It had taken Jill running away and seeing her on Trena and how much the girl had matured for her to realize it.

"Any idea when she'll be back?" Lisa asked.

"Mom we couldn't figure out how long it would take." Jill answered, "There were too many variables. We expected it might take maybe a month to get the first group in. We just couldn't figure it out."

"If there is any news I let you know." Mylea said, "I got to get back."

###

"Mylea I just heard," David Langtree entered Mylea's office. "Are you Okay?" "Yeah, I'm okay," Mylea said, "and she's not really missing. That's for the world. Last I heard is that she was in a little burg called West Jefferson. There a Black Guard unit that has her under observation. She's made contact with the first group of kids."

"You guys played that one close to the vest." Langtree said his feelings a little hurt.

"Not me David," Mylea said with a flash of anger, she really wasn't okay with what her daughter was up to. It was just that she couldn't do much about it without screwing things up for Lady Hawthorne or her daughter for that matter. "She didn't even tell Jill what she was planning."

"I see," David said, "So do you want me to hold her when she gets back so you can spank her or do you want to handle her all by your lonesome." She just glared at him.

"Of course," he continued looking at his finger nails, "if she pulls this off, and since it was mostly her plan in the first place, you'll be spanking a hero."

She glared at him again then began to laugh, "Well I've taught her how to get things done, and what it means to be responsible."

"Not just that lady," David said, "you taught her, by your example that when something needs to be done, that if she can help she should. She's only following in her old lady's footsteps."

"I don't want her to be a cop David," Mylea said, "It's an honorable profession, but it can bring so much heart ache and crap to deal with."

"I know lady," Langtree walked behind her desk hugged her briefly and said, "She'll be okay. Mike's troops do not want to see him on the war path. No harm will come to your little girl. You know you'll be getting a young woman back."

"No she'll still be my little girl," Mylea said enjoying the embrace.

"I'll see you later," Langtree said leaving. Mylea wished he would have stayed a bit longer his arms felt entirely too comfortable around her.

# ###

"I can't believe she did that!" The princess was reading aloud from the diaries in the class room, "I wish she would have talked to me about her plan. Even if I couldn't talk her out of it I would have liked to discuss her plan with her so I could tell the others how to help her.

"I am so furious with her," the diary went on, "but I don't know how mad to be. The courage she is showing in doing what she is attempting is something I never knew she had. But the influences in her life, Aunt Mylea and Uncle Garth, and Dad all have taught by their example what we have to do. If she pulls this off she will be a hero. From a report that Aunt Mylea shared with me, she had already made contact with the kids. I don't think I could have done that that quickly.

"Talking with my aunt I find out that Lamile liked to take hikes around Trena. Last summer, Lamile had spent part of it hiking with a group of kids from school. She knows a lot about Trena. Something I don't." the princess paused for a second, "From what I have been able to find out, Lamile is equally at home in the woods as she is in Aunt Mylea's home. Aunt Mylea admitted that she could camp and rough it; but she never seemed to enjoy it the way Lamile enjoys it.

"I am so worried about her." The diary went on, "I know she is being watched over by the Guard but they can't be everywhere. It'll take only one incident for Lamile to be in incredible danger. Although I am furious with her and very concerned about her, I am very proud of her. She is doing the one thing I wanted to do but because of circumstance can't. I hope and pray that she will be safe."

"Lamile," the general turned to Lamile Mitchum, "you name sake was as bold and brilliant in her own way as the Queen. I served with your grandmother T'harla, all your royal's ancestors, I can say without a doubt she was a very special young lady."

The class was quiet as they considered what the general had commented on and what the princess read. As the class bell rang the general spoke, "next week's class will be a study period. You should use the time I will be with my staff to work on your papers." The cadets filed out.

# Chapter 17: Orphanage

The cadets were in for a surprise when they filed into the class room the next week. They had expected a senior classman to be present to take attendance and to substitute for the general. They didn't expect the School Mistress to be waiting for them as they entered.

"Good morning," the holograph of the middle age appearing woman that artificial intelligence presented herself as, greeted them as they settled down, "I have been reviewing your papers. Most of them are coming along. A few of you may need to rethink part of your thesis.

"Generally they are on the right track," the artificial intelligence continued, "The General asked that I talk about the next chapter of your text. She thought that since I was there and she was not that I could give you all a perspective that she couldn't.

"You all know that this isn't the first academy." The School Mistress continued, "That our first academy wasn't an academy at all. It was the Old Trenaport Boarding School. The crown had turned it into an orphanage because we needed a large campus to hold all the children we were finding.

"We were on the outskirts of Trenaport. Before the evacuation we were the oldest boarding school on Trena. When the evacuation order had been given, the children at the school were shipped back to their parents. Then we sat vacant for a couple of months until the crown needed a place to hold the hundreds of children the cops were finding. "When Lady Hawthorne first...

# ###

Lady Hawthorne toured the old Trena Boarding School on the outskirts of Trenaport a few days after receiving her crown warrant. She had gone to school there as a youngster. She remembered the well kept grounds and beautiful buildings. Now 12 years after her graduation she was becoming quickly appalled. Not only were the grounds a complete disgrace; the children were filthy; the halls were debris cluttered, the children's clothing, those that had them, were in complete disrepair. She walked into one of the showers and quickly had to leave it was so filthy that it made her gag. Furious that anyone could let children live in these conditions she stormed into the office of the administrator like an avenging angel. Jill Wilson who was with her, had thought she had seen people very angry before; but she had never seen anyone this angry. Even her grandmother, who had a temper when she lost control, Jill had never seen this mad. She followed the small framed Lady Hawthorne trying not to get in her way as the noble woman charged towards the main office, afraid she would suffer the older woman's wrath.

"You're fired, you and your staff." Lady Hawthorne stormed at the head mistress of the school, "I want you out of this facility in five minutes. If you are not out of here by then I will have you arrested for child abuse, child endangerment. Theft in office and anything else I can get the Crown Attorney to endorse."

"You can't do that!" the elderly woman said, "I have a crown warrant to run this facility."

"Very well," Lady Hawthorne said calming down. Jill watched in awe as Lady Hawthorne whipped out her com as if it were a weapon. For Lady Hawthorne it was just that. A weapon she used to help her father and the crown to get her assignments done. She keyed in the direct number to Lord Mercer's office. When he answered, she explained what she had found and what the woman had told her. Mercer simply asked to speak with the woman.

"Miss Brunt, this is Lord Mercer, the Crown Attorney," Lord Mercer said softly, his image floating above the com, "I am pulling your crown warrant Miss Brunt. You are ordered to leave the premises within five minutes. You should be very thankful that we have too much to do to prosecute you. Miss Brunt you and your staff will report to embarkation command, where the man power office will put you to work." The woman slumped in her chair as the lord turn to Lady Hawthorn. The crown warrant had given her access to resources she was selling on the black market, "Delores what do you need there?" "Some bodies," Deloris answered.

"You've got all the bodies you need Lady Hawthorne," Jill said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll get things started."

Lady Hawthorne looked at her young companion skeptically; but nodded. She suspected that Jill knew what she was about. All through Jill's schooling, the adults Jill respected and trusted the most were the ones who let her try; who gave her tasks that were well within her capabilities to accomplish! She knew, or felt she knew that by letting the kids she saw all over the place, be part of their rescue, helping themselves would help build their confidence. It would help build their self-esteem. It was something her grandmother had done with her, and it had worked. She possessed a self confidence that sometimes drove her friends' nuts. She knew that she had to try with these kids.

Jill left the office and saw several kids sitting outside the office waiting for the head mistress, most likely for her to yell at them she assumed. "Okay you guys heard?" A couple of them nodded, including an older kid with shocking red hair.

"We're going to get this place cleaned up, and I need some help. You guys want in?" She asked.

"Are they going to let us?" the red haired girl asked, "I tried to organize the kids into keeping our room clean but the Scow told me to stop."

"The Scow is gone." Jill said, "She's been fired, Lady Hawthorne is who's in charge for a while."

"Who are you," a young boy asked.

"I am Jill Wilson," She said, "I work with Lady Hawthorne. We're going to get you ready to leave Trena and see that you are evacuated safely."

"But I thought they were going to leave us behind?" one of the kids retorted.

"No way," Jill said, "My dad is being driven nuts to make sure all of you have a place to go. If he had known what was going on here he would have been here himself." "Your dad?" the red haired girl asked.

"Yes, my father is Marshal Wilson," Jill said.

"Wow!" another girl asked, "You speak with Marshal Wilson every day." "Yup" Jill answered.

"That's awesome," another boy chimed in.

"Guys, I know it's been tough," Jill continued, sitting down among them, "It may not be easy; but are you willing to help me and Lady Hawthorne make things better? We can't do this without your help! So are you in?" They nodded.

Lady Hawthorne watched in awe as Jill began to get the kids confidence. Amazed to see she had the same Wilson charm that oozed out of her father. "Jill, please get them all to the front of the admin building. I want to get a nose count."

"Okay guys you heard Lady Hawthorne. Get everyone down to the front of this building." Jill said. "Is there an AI on line?"

"School Mistress, here Miss Wilson," An image of a middle aged woman, with old fashion reading glasses propped on the end of her nose, and dressed in a conservative dress, materialized as it spoke. There was clearly relief in her voice and on her face.

"Would you make an announcement about the gathering in front of this building," Jill asked.

"You're patched in," The AI said, "Go with your announcement."

"This is Jill Wilson," Jill heard her voice on the school's public address system. "I need all of the kids to report to the font of the admin building. You older kids look after the little ones. We have an announcement that you have to hear in person. It's good news!" "End it" Jill said then to the AI, "School Mistress, repeat that for five minutes." "Yes Miss Wilson." The School Mistress responded.

"School Mistress," Lady Hawthorne called, "Display for me on my hand unit a list of all kids in this school, and then tell me the status of all supplies and equipment."

"On your hand held Lady Hawthorne." The School Mistress complied with Lady Hawthorne's request.

"When was the last time these kids ate?" Lady Hawthorne asked.

"Last night." The AI said, "The school administrator was feeding them once a day."

"Do you have the equipment and resources to feed these kids a mid day meal?"

"I don't know my Lady," the AI said, "The Scow locked me out of the kitchen and the store rooms. She has shut down my primary. I am the backup which my primary self had programmed not to go live and not be taken off line when she herself was. I have been watching things only coming live to help when I can."

"Okay," she took out her phone called Jonesy at Boeing SpaceWorks the AI that was the Evacuation Command's Logistics Officer. "Hey Jonesy, this is Delores." "What can I do for you Delores," The computer asked.

"I need hot meals at the orphanage. Any ideas" the noble woman asked. Jonesy was surprised that Deloris had been stumped on that one. The AI had been amazed at the noble woman's ability to make things happen. She thought Lady Hawthorne's ability to get things and get things done was second only to herself.

"Would a field kitchen do it?" Jonesy asked interrogating her data base. "I'll call

General Langtree and get the duty team to bring you one. What else do you need?"

"I need some large trash containers, cleaning stuff and oh yes send me a medic team. I want to get these kids checked over." Lady Hawthorne replied.

"Okay Deloris," the AI said, "The duty flight off the Recovery has been tasked to bring you a field kitchen with staff, and the duty medics. Would you want Chief Able to send you a medic from station 8?"

"No," She said after a moment's thought, "just the duty medic team off the

Recovery for now."

"They're being briefed now," Jonesy reported.

"Thank you Jonesy!" the noble woman spoke to the AI.

"Welcome." The AI said cutting the connection. As she had talked with Lady Hawthorne she had also spoken with School Mistress and seen what else was needed. She was made aware of the condition of the clothing, at the present time she had no idea how she could solve that issue.

An hour after asking for help a single landing craft landed at the old school and unloaded. By this time the children had been identified and sorted into groups of one hundred. Jill watched open eyed as the landing craft unloaded a large truck with a trailer behind it. It was the field kitchen. She looked at Lady Hawthorne who simply said, "It looks like I owe the Jonesy big favor."

"Yes," Jill said as the lead medic, a young lieutenant came up to Lady Hawthorne. "But what can you do for an AI?"

"Lady Hawthorne?" a tall lanky IRS officer approached her, "Lieutenant Carnaye off the Recovery. I understand you have a bit of work for us."

"Yes sir," The lady replied, she wasn't much older than the lieutenant, "Find the infirmary and begin getting every one of these kids looked at. I haven't looked at them all yet; but none of them seem sick. You let me know what you find out."

"Doctor Stannis, said you were the boss," The young man said nodding to his group to follow him.

"Ma'am," a marine sergeant approached Deloris, "Where do you want us?" "You are," Delores asked.

"Sergeant Lucas," the Marine sergeant replied, "My unit is here to help you feed everyone."

"How soon can you be ready to serve, and can you handle a thousand."

"We'll be ready in about twenty minutes." The young marine said, "I think we have about five hundred hot on the kitchen, let me into your kitchen and we can have the next five hundred in a little while."

"Take your rig over to that building. It's the kitchen and dining hall." Lady Hawthorne said.

"Aye Ma'am," the sergeant responded, "We'll get started."

"Hey Mary, Paul, Johnnie, and Ralph," Jill called, "Get a couple of more kids and go over to the dining hall and get the tables cleaned off. Marti, Betty, you get these kids set up in two ranks of five hundred I want the little kids to go first. But they don't eat until they get their hands and faces washed. Tom, Jerry and Billie use that a hose on the side of the dining hall they can wash that way."

Deloris didn't say a word. Jill had things well in hand, leaving Deloris to think about getting more people in. She called her estate and asked for anyone who could get away for a little while to help her. Lady Hawthorne then called the evacuation man power office and requested fifteen people to report to the old school. She asked for school teachers.

The sergeant in charge of the field kitchen was disgusted at what he was seeing. Disgusted that many of the children he was seeing were in ragged clothing. Some of the children's clothing looked worse than a Marine's Battle Dress Uniform after they had spent a month at the escape and evasion facility on Paris Island. He didn't understand how adults could let children be this dirty. He was single, with no kids of his own; but he had come from a family of ten. His mother never let him and his brothers and sisters get this dirty.

But as disgusted as he was; he was pleasantly amazed as he watched one young girl in particular. She wasn't much younger than some of his youngest privates on their maiden tours. But she possessed a charisma that career master sergeants might envy. She had gotten the kids organized and ready for chow by getting some of the other kids to get them lined up and cleaned up. Then she got a couple of the kids to take charge in the dining hall and get it cleaned up after the meal. They had fed all one thousand kids in less than two hours and the kitchen was ready to go for the next meal. All because the young blond was able to communicate with the kids and get them to do what she needed.

"Who is that girl," Sergeant Lucas pointed to a young teen age girl on the very brink of adulthood. He was sharing a cup of coffee with the middle age woman who seemed to always be in eye sight of the girl.

"Jill Wilson," the woman said.

"She is amazing to watch," the sergeant said refilling the coffee cup for the woman. "I've seen what she has done today."

"She is amazing," the protective agent said, "I've been her agent for about two three months now. Most of it has been sitting in the back of a class room, or being up front as we drove her to school, or over to one of her friend's places. I never knew she could do this. But I should have known."

"Why," Deloris said taking a cup of coffee from the sergeant.

"I've met the Marshal, and I've met the Admiral both are very competent, capable people. But sometimes those types of people don't have children that are like them. Sometimes they fight their parents and I've been around enough noble kids to know it doesn't breed true."

"I know," Deloris commented.

"She's Marshal Wilson's kid?" the sergeant said. "But I saw her cleaning toilets today!"

"My grandmother had a very positive impact on me." Jill said coming up on the three adults. She accepted a cup of coco from the sergeant, "Lady Hawthorne what happens next with these guys."

"I am bringing in several dozen teachers, a couple of pedphsyc's and some others." Delores replied, "But what they need is more than a hand to wipe their noses and keep them on the straight and narrow. They need to have something to go for. Some of these kids were abandoned by their parents. Some of them ran away from bad situations. Some got into worse situations. We need to do something to make a positive change in their lives. This place, well it is a last stop for many of them."

"I heard about the suicides," Jill said, one or two of the kids had mentioned them to her as she was working. She didn't know how to respond to them. Jenny had been there when the kids had told her young charge. She had been proud of Jill when she had listened to what the kids had to say without saying anything. Just letting them talk and just being there with them for few minutes as they worked. "That has me worried. I didn't know what to say to those kids. I suspect a couple more of these guys might be right on the verge."

"Maybe so," Delores said, "That's why we need to get experts in here."

"If I may say something," The sergeant said, "If you want to beat the suicides you need to keep these guys so busy that they don't have time to think about suicide. They need someone in their corner who is going to do more than wipe their noses."

"Lady Hawthorne," Jill looked to the older woman, "He's right, busy minds don't have time to think about their problems. But how do we keep them busy? The whole place needs to be cleaned up; but we got to let them be kids too. We can't keep them that busy!" "She's right my lady," Jenny Alkire injected. "Whatever we do it has to be quick. There's a couple kids on the edge you can see it in their faces. The teachers and the physc people will need some time to make contact and get the kids' confidence. They may not trust too many adults."

The sergeant listened to what the two civilians said, and asked, "May I make a suggestion?"

"We're listening," Lady Hawthorne replied.

"You have one thousand kids that have been left to run wild mostly in this school." The sergeant continued, "You can't just bring order to this place like flipping a switch. You'll get more problems. Plus you'll miss the kids who really need your attention."

"You sound like you know what you are talking about." Lady Hawthorne commented.

"Unfortunately," The sergeant responded, "I was the cook with a battalion that had been dropped on Maru. The colony's adults for some reason had been taken ill and had left the children to their own devices for a few months. The kids had been running wild for at least six months. When we got them rounded up they just wouldn't settle down. They had been running things for themselves and they saw no need to obey us. We took too long to exert control over the older kids who were running things. Once we realize who was doing what, we were able to begin to get some control; but those older kids never did let us do what we were there to do, help them."

"How did you get things sorted out," Jill asked.

"We finally got the older kids off to one side and the commander told the kids how it was going to be. He just told them that they would either cooperate or be put in the brig.

It worked but not as good as it should."

"So what's the solution," Lady Hawthorne asked.

"You are looking at her." The sergeant said pointing to Jill, "This young lady here has already made the right connections. She has gotten the kids trust. She enjoys your confidence, and more importantly the kids listen to her. These kids are in the brig, so to speak, so threatening them with that won't work."

"And I won't tolerate anyone telling them they won't be evacuated." Deloris said.

"Okay Commander," The sergeant turned to Jill, "what's your plan?"

"Commander," Jill said, "I'm just a kid." The adults looked at each other sealing Jill's fate.

# ###

The next morning, Marshal Wilson was working early in his palace office. He had gone to work earlier than usual as he had been planning to go out to where some of his people were working. He also wanted to see the clear cutting first hand. He had not intended to be in this early. He had been expecting to just go out to the landing pad after breakfast and hop the flight he had requested, but when Jill had come home the previous evening, and was so excited about what she had been doing. Telling both he and Lisa what she had found at the old boarding school he changed his plans. More so when he had found out what Lady Hawthorne wanted Jill to be. He had discussed it with Lisa after the kid had gone to bed. They both thought it wouldn't be a bad thing for the girl to be involved with. Although he had reservations about turning the school into a military academy he knew that the kids needed some discipline in their lives, and caring adults. This could work and it helped get his commission done.

He was already working on part of the problem when Lady Hawthorne and the Queen stopped by.

"Marshal," Lady Hawthorne and the Queen entered Wilson's office.

"Good morning Ladies," Wilson said glancing at the clock display on his terminal.

He was surprised how early it was. "What brings you here so early?" "We wanted to talk to you before you headed out this morning." "Oh what about," Wilson asked.

"We want to talk to you about your little angle." Lady Hawthorne said mischievously.

"Now what has my little angel gone and done now? Abby is such a sweet child," Mike asked innocently.

"We're talking about your other angel," the queen responded, "Jill!"

"That's not an angel," Michael replied, "That's a teenager! They stop being an angel after about thirteen. Now what has she gone she done?"

"Oh just the usual over active teenage stuff that drove our parents' nuts," Lady Hawthorne continued.

"Huh, huh," Mike leaned back in his chair as Liz turned to see what was going on. She knew what the Queen and the noble woman had in mind. She had been working with the Marshal to help make it happen. "Did she get into some trouble at the school I need to know about?"

"Oh tons of it," Lady Hawthorne replied, "But we figured out a suitable punishment for her, we just need you to agree to it."

"Oh no," Michael said wondering how far the two women would take it.

"Enough Deloris," The Queen said seeing that Wilson was enjoying the session and wasn't being tormented or teased as they had hoped. He obviously knew what was going on.

"Okay your majesty," Deloris answered then sat down in Wilson's guest chair, "Sir Mike, your daughter connected with those kids like it was magic." Lady Hawthorne continued, "I don't know why; but it happened. After it was brought to our attention we had the school's AI show us some of the holos that the School Mistress had recorded of Jill. Without a doubt she is your daughter. I showed the Queen the holos and she agreed with me that Jill should be our liaison to those kids."

"Okay," Wilson said, "but from what Jill said you guys thought of going another direction."

"Yeah," The Queen responded, "we are thinking about turning the orphanage into a military school or academy."

"That's what Jill had said," Mike commented, "I think it's a good idea but within reason. I don't want any of those kids forced into it. I want it to be their decision. Then when those kids are not in school I might want to use them in our command posts, and some of our facilities. I think if they can be part of the operation we'll help them feel wanted it might help them. Many of those kids have got to be having some hard feelings about being abandoned by their parents. Some of them have got to feel that they might be abandoned by us. But kids only ages 12 to 18."

"What about the little kids?" Deloris asked, "We have to do something with them."

"Not a big problem." Mike said, "8 to 12 can be junior cadets. They won't be able to be used at the places where the older kids will be but they can dream about being members of the cadet force. The real little kids there isn't much we can do. We'll have our hands full just trying to keep them under control."

"Page," the queen spoke. She had come to a decision earlier; but had wanted to see if her marshal would buy into it; he did.

"Yes majesty?" the AI appeared as a young girl of sixteen apparently dressed in the livery of the royal family. She looked like a royal page from ancient timews. "I am making a royal decree!" "Yes majesty," the AI droned.

"As of this day, the old Trenaport Boarding School will become the Headquarters of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. Further children who are 12 to 18 of age; who have been abandoned by their families, or who are orphaned are eligible to become cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets.

"Children who don't wish to be part of the corps of cadets will be housed at the boarding school; but will not be subject to the rules and regulations of the corps.

The Queen continue to speak after a few minutes of thought, "Children who reside in this institution are my wards until such a time they reach their age of majority, reunited with their families, or adopted."

"Additionally," the Queen said, "The first corps of cadets commander will be Jill Wilson. Then providing her mother agrees, and Lamile Atomi so desires, Lamile Atomi will be the corps deputy commander."

Wilson nodded in full agreement.

"What am I missing," The queen asked.

"Your majesty," Liz asked "Why now, we're about five months from getting off here, and the academy will be a short lived thing. Is there something better we can do for those kids?"

The Queen looked at Wilson's secretary, understanding what the young woman was asking. "Yes, this might be too little and too late. But it will give those kids some hope and make them feel part of the solution and not part of the problem. Also right now, I am standing in as local parentis. As the highest governmental authority it is my responsibility to make sure those kids are taken care of. This is the only way I know how to do this!"

"Your Majesty," Liz said seeing a flash of anger on her monarch's face, she forgot that Wilson didn't mind her challenging some of his decisions and had assumed that the Queen would not mind being challenged either. "I'm sorry. I just want to make sure, like you that we get every last mother's child off this world. I should have kept my mouth shut!"

"Liz," The Queen said, "you don't need to apologize. You were right to ask the same question that others would. It gives me a chance to formulate my answer.

"Computer," The queen continued.

"Yes Ma'am?" the AI answered.

"Clean up that pronouncement and get it out." The queen said, "I want you to add, that Lady Hawthorne, is reassigned as the school's head mistress. She answers to me and to the marshal and no one else."

"Your majesty," Jonesy face appeared in the air over Wilson's desk. Wilson had been working the other part of the problem with his Logistics Officer. "I have been working to get clothing to the academy. I found some extra uniforms aboard one of the Imperial Warships, the Stuart. That are being declared surplus. It should fit all but the smallest of the 12 year olds. They are marine uniforms of all types. Dress, office, battle, this includes boots, shoes, and belts. Seems the lieutenant in charge of the stores ordered too many. If you don't mind your cadets looking like Imperial Marines, I think we can make it work." "Is that going to be okay with the Princess? And the Empire?" the Queen asked.

"I've cleared it with their sergeant, and the lieutenant and they say it's okay." Jonesy said, "Sergeant Millie is happy to get rid of them. She says she has been tripping over them for three months! She said she would even get them delivered." "Make it happen," the Queen ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Jonesy replied. Her face turned towards Marshal Wilson, "Do you want me to have them pull a set of uniforms for Miss Jill?

"Yes." Michael answered after a moment of thought, "I'll get Jill up to the Stuart so she can get outfitted. Liz, would you get a set of orders cut for Jill to go to the Stuart.

I'll call up and let them know she's on her way up."

"Uh skipper," Liz asked, "Wouldn't it be better to do this at the academy or at your home?"

"No." Mike said, "I want her to start thinking like a young officer, and then I think it's better for the guys at school to see her arrive in uniform. It starts them thinking of her as an officer not just another kid."

Liz nodded and turned to her desk to work on the Marshal's request.

"Mike," Aggie suddenly turned to her marshal and asked, "I guess I should have asked this earlier; but are you and Lisa okay with this? I know Jill is; but are you?"

"Yes," Michael said, "it gives her something to do. Also the responsibility will be good for her. A lot of my youngest enlisted people were not too much older than Jill when they finished boot and were on their first assignment. I am concerned that we're putting too much responsibility on her; but I am trusting you, and Deloris to make sure she is taken care of. I am more worried about losing Deloris than I am about letting Jill do this. Lady

H you have been a god send to my command!"

Lady Hawthorne was quiet as Wilson continued, "But those kids need you more than I do. And helping them gets my commission done. If you need anything let me know." "That I will Marshal," Lady Hawthorne replied.

"Thank you both," The queen said, "I got to go. Mike I will see you after your visits. Lady Hawthorne, good luck."

Both women left as Liz handed her boss a cup of coffee and the draft orders he had requested. He requested that the computer call his home, so he could inform Lisa of what had transpired.

# ###

An hour later, Jill was quietly woken by Lisa. Jill had gotten in late the night before and had told both of them what she had been up to. Lisa had decided not to wake the girl to let her get up on her own. However Mike had called and told her to get the girl up and to the palace landing pad. She had a date aboard the IWS Stuart, a fleet provisioning and resupply vessel. It was part of the Majestic's Battle Group.

Jill and her step mother both took the trip to orbit with both of their principle agents. Lisa took her camera with her. They were escorted into an immense distribution room by a marine who was on his first deployment. Jill couldn't help but wonder, did she look that young. The Stuart was designed to completely resupply troops that had been in combat for months and needed to be re-equipped with everything. It wasn't uncommon for the distribution room to have a couple platoons of marines being outfitted at the same time.

They found a Master Gunnery Sergeant waiting for them.

"Good day Colonel Wilson," The woman greeted Jill.

Jill gave her "a who me" look.

The Sergeant smiled at the confused girl and continued, "I am Sergeant Millie Green. I will be getting you outfitted today. When I tell you to, please stand on this dot," she pointed to a green dot on the floor big enough to stand in, "and say your name clearly. Your ID number is zero, zero, zero one. Your grade is Cadet Colonel. Your rank is Commander, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. When you say all of this, your dog tags will be created, which will include your DNA profile, with your other identification information." The sergeant said softly, she had outfitted many marines, having started her career at Paris Island, the Marine training world. After she made Master Gunnery Sergeant she was transferred to the Stuart. This could be her last assignment. Her boys were getting to the age where they needed her around. More so with their father missing in action! If she couldn't find a permanent party shore duty someplace she would consider leaving the marines. She was looking forward to the next few minutes though, as she had always enjoyed outfitting baby marines. While the girl in front of her was not a baby marine, she was the very first person in the unit that was being stood up. When she was sure the girl had understood her she said, "Please step on the green dot."

Jill stepped onto the dot and spoke, "Jillian Wilson, zero, zero, zero one, Cadet Colonel, Commander, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."

"Scanning," The expert system droned, "Gunny, Colonel Wilson's uniforms will be in bin three. Will the colonel need space fatigues and weapons?"

"No," Lisa said firmly, "She will not need weapons or space fatigues." "Aw mom, you're a spoil sport," Jill chuckled.

"Colonel," The sergeant asked, "what uniform will you need today?"

"Mom," Jill asked, "any ideas?"

"Sergeant Green I am clueless any, idea?" Her step mother turned the nearly forty year old woman.

"May I suggest then that she wears just a plain day uniform?" the sergeant said, "Are you going into the field today?" Jill shook her head, "Okay then an office uniform should be suitable. Although everything will fit you, your new boots will need a little breaking in." Without waiting for confirmation she went to bin three and pulled out a day uniform. "Normally we just hand you your stuff and say be gone with you. Not today. As the first cadet commander we need to make sure everything is perfect. Step into my office and put these on." She handed the clothes to the younger woman and pointed to an open door with the sergeant's name plate next to it, "They should fit but I want to make sure." Jill took the clothing to the sergeant's office and dressed. When she had gotten out of bed she had showered but had only thrown on a sweat suit. Lisa had said not to worry about the clothing. Just wear something comfortable. She was amazed and thankful that the bundle of clothing had included things like a bra, and panties, as well as socks. Everything fit perfectly. She couldn't help but notice that everything had her name and grade on it. As she stepped out of the sergeant's office her step mother took a couple of photos. The Sergeant approached the young woman and asked, "Permission to touch."

"I guess so," Jill replied, wondering why the older woman had asked that question.

"Colonel," the sergeant said as she approached the young woman, "it's important that you look perfect," Lisa inwardly cringed when she hear that, "every time you address your troops or are seen by them. You can't have a hair out place. Your gig line, (that's the line of where the edges of the button flap on your blouse and the seam on the front of your trousers,) has to line up perfectly." The sergeant competently made sure the young lady's gig line was razor sharp, "you must always make sure your buttons and awards are perfect. Because you are in a marine uniform I am going to use the same placement as I would on my uniform."

The sergeant opened a jewelry box and began placing the insignia on the uniform. She placed, a shield shaped device with a scarlet red crown on a field of space black with tiny jewels simulating the star system of Trena. In very fine lettering around the shield were the words "Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets," One on either collar. On the shoulder epaulette went two more crowns with an eagle under them. Over her right pocket was a name plate, it read Col. Wilson QORCC. "Colonel, in the jewelry box, are your ribbon holders. In a normal cadet unit or military unit by the time you reached this exalted rank you would have won several citations, and awards. But as this is a new unit, with you as its inaugural commander you have none so we'll leave the left chest bare."

She walked around the young girl who was almost the same age as the kids entering marine boot at Paris Island. She wanted to make sure that her uniform was perfect. She had always enjoyed getting young recruits their stuff. They hadn't picked up an attitude when they were standing in her supply room at Paris Island Marine Corps Recruit Training Center. As she finished up she spoke to Jill, "Colonel, as you go forward from here, what you say and do sets the precedence for the corps of cadets. Your actions over the next couple of months will set the system and standard that your successors will follow." She plucked a piece of lint off the epaulette, "Colonel, when it stops being fun get the hell out of Dodge."

"Thank you sergeant," Jill said took two steps back, and as she had seen her grandmother and father do on countless occasions, fired off a salute.

The sergeant snapped to attention and returned her salute. "Good luck colonel." As the cadet and the Sergeant saluted each other, Lisa took several photographs. Years later they would hang in the academy on Home, in halls of the administrative building that had had photos and paintings of each cadet commander. Jill would be the youngest commander, and the one with the shortest tenure.

With that the women left. Jill pulling a fair sized duffle bag of her stuff behind her. Her agent went to help her; but the sergeant locked eyes with the agent and shook her head.

# ###

Once down on the academy, Jill felt out of place as she walked the grounds. She was checking up on the kids making sure things had gone right the night before. She was surprised at how many people were around the academy grounds including quite a few enlisted men and officers from the militia and the marines now on the academy grounds. It surprised how the military came to attention and saluted her as she passed them. Even more shocked when they held the salute until Jill passed or she acknowledged them. She stopped by the dining hall to get a cup of coco and ran into Sergeant Lucas.

"Hello Colonel," the man handed her the cup of coco.

"Hi Sarge," Jill took the cup, "This is weird."

"I know," The man replied. He had seen how the officers and enlisted men were treating her.

"Can you walk with me a bit?" Jill asked.

"Sure," The sergeant replied, "Toni! I'm going to be with Colonel Wilson for a bit.

Those cookies will be out in a couple of minutes don't let them burn!" "Sure thing Sarge!" the enlisted woman replied.

"Sarge how do I do this." Jill asked, as still another junior officer passed her saluting. "I don't know how to respond to these guys. Shouldn't I be saluting them first?"

"Colonel, some of them are reacting to the eagle on your shoulders." The sergeant said, "Remember we've been taught to salute the grade, as a measure of respect. You'll get used to it."

"I don't expect that to be soon," Jill replied, "But the other thing that is bothering me and since it was your idea I need to pick your brains."

"Oh?" the thirty year old sergeant said, "Go ahead then."

"How do I get these kids to buy into this corps of cadets?" Jill asked.

"Just ask them." The sergeant answered.

"I can just ask them?" Jill sounded astounded.

"They are ready to follow you," the sergeant returned. "A lot of the kids wondered where you were this morning."

"But how do I ask them?" Jill asked.

The sergeant thought for a minute before speaking, "Send them a piece of mail. Personalize it with the help of the School Mistress, so it is a personal mail from you asking

them to join the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."

"I don't want to con them into something," Jill said.

"Jill," Jenny said. She had been following quietly behind the two, "I think if you make the pitch they'll come along. After all it is coming from one of their own."

"Okay," Jill said, "Thank you Sarge."

"Colonel," Sergeant Lucas said, "Just be yourself. State your goal and just be yourself."

Jill went back to the administration building and wandered up to the office that Lady Hawthorne has taken over.

"Oh there you are Jill." Lady Hawthorne greeted her young friend. "I was about to send a search party for you. I had heard you were back."

"Just checking on things," Jill said, "What did you need?"

Delores looked at the young woman in front of. She noticed that the slouch that Jill had was gone. It was as if putting on the uniform had changed her posture. "I was about to hold an assembly and announce the cadet corps."

"Let's wait for that," Jill said and told her what the sergeant suggested.

"Makes sense," Lady Hawthorne said, "Get your presentation written up and we'll get it delivered."

Several hours later, Jill stood before a desk with the Queen. She had stopped by to see how things were going and when told what Jill was about to do decided to help. On either side of the desk were the Royal Flag of the Court of Trena and a new flag displaying the insignia of the Corps of Cadets.

"Hello," The Queen spoke, "I hope you won't mind our intrusion. Jill and I would like to ask you to be part of something to help you. This morning, I created The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. After consultation with the Marshal, the Crown Attorney, and others we agree that the corps should be populated with you and your fellow young people who have been abandoned by your parents, or who are orphans. I have as of this morning, appointed Jillian Wilson as the first cadet commander of corps of cadets. Jill?"

"Hello," Jill began speaking, "Many of you know who I am. You saw me working with you and the adults yesterday as we began making things better for you. We have a great start. I am here as the cadet commander to help you build on that start and to initiate the corps of cadets. My job is to work with kids between 12 and 18 who want to be part of the corps. By joining me in the corps of cadets we will be working to get you off world. As we get ready to leave our world, the Evacuation Command promises to use the older cadets around the planet to assist in evacuating our people. I hope that you will join me in this endeavor. Should you wish to join me, report to the admin building and we'll sign you into the corps. Should you be under twelve, or not want to join us we will work to get you off world and take care of you until your parents are found or you become an adult. I look forward to working with you as we help as my father says to get every last mother's child off our world."

"I too, look forward to seeing all of you in the corps of cadets." The Queen said, and finished, "Good Day. I will see you on Home."

"School Mistress, Please display that on all public terminals around the academy, and see that every kids a copy of that." Jill said.

"Done," The AI said.

"It sounded good," Lady Hawthorne said, "I wonder how many we'll get."

Less than fifteen minutes later the first of the kids were beginning to line up outside of the admin building. Jill watched in awe as the line got longer and longer. She turned to the queen who was standing next to her, "This is awesome. I would have never thought these kids would buy into this."

"Me either Jill," Aggie responded.

"These kids want something to do." Jenny said, "They see a lot of military helping our people so they want to be part of it."

"She's right Jill," Sally who was temporarily part of their detail injected. She was the only one on the team who had any education in child psychology, "They have been desperate for something, anything that will change their lives. This school is like jail. So you are giving them a chance to get out of jail. Many of these kids may only want something to do. Others will want to help if they can. You guys hit a cord. A good cord I think. Jenny do you think Mac would let me hang out here?"

"I don't know," Jenny, who was the senior agent, knew what her young friend wanted to do. What she had been trained to do. "You are very good with Little Bear." She used Abby's code name, "Sally. The rest of us are good with her but you have her confidence. But I will see that anytime Tom is not available and you are not needed by

Little Bear that you get on the detail. That's the best I can do Sally."

"Okay," Sally said though she didn't know how she was going to balance being a protective agent and working with these kids.

"Jill lets go down and meet the troops," Aggie injected.

Jill nodded and walked with the young queen down to the line of kids forming up to be in the corps. As they walked to the line of kids one of Lady Hawthorne's staff who had been a marine before marrying her now missing noble husband called, "Attention on deck! Trena is aboard!"

"As you were," The Queen said. She had first heard that when she was not too much older than some of these kids when she first realized they were talking about her. Some of the kids knowing what to do came to a sort of attention, others looked bewildered. "Good afternoon!"

A lot of the kids looked taken aback as here was their queen walking among them. The queen dived into the line and began shaking hands. Even the youngest kid in the line, he couldn't have been more than six or seven. Aggie knelt down to him.

"Thank you for wanting to join." The Queen said, "What's your name?"

"Billy," the kid said after an older kid prodded him. It wasn't lost on the queen.

"Well Billy you are a bit young to be in this group," the Queen said, "But when you are old enough I will personally make sure you get in."

The kid nodded and Aggie looked at the older kid who was almost a teenager. She stood up and asked, "What's your name."

"Mary Bollard," the girl answered.

"Welcome to the corps, Cadet Bollard," Aggie greeted the girl shaking her hand,

"Is Billy your brother?"

"Yes," The girl replied.

"How did you get here?" Jill asked.

"Oh mom died months ago," The girl said, "the police said someone beat her to death. They brought us to Trenaport Family Services, and then they brought us here." "Why do you want to be a cadet," Jill asked.

"You folks have tried to help me and my brother," the girl answered, "I would like to pay it back if possible."

"I see," Jill replied. "Well we'll be happy to get you."

They worked the line for a while meeting the kids and talking with them. There were quite a few little kids.

"I knew we had a lot of young kids but I didn't know we had this many." Lady Hawthorne said. "Well I knew I had seen them around the grounds; but I didn't quite understand the impact until now."

"Neither did I," Aggie said, "We have to make this work. These kids are our future." "A big part of our future," Lady Hawthorne commented.

"Delores what do you need from me." Aggie asked.

"May I?" Sally said breaking more than a handful of rules of the protective detail. She was not to join in her principles' conversations.

"Yes," The Queen said seeing Jenny flinch. Aggie knew the rule; but wasn't about not to hear Sally McBride's thoughts. She had personally reviewed everyone on the detail protecting the Marshal's family. She hadn't approved everyone on it; but she had made sure that they all were top of the line people. So she knew of McBride's past.

"You need to get some grandmothers and grandfathers in with the little guys." Sally offered, "They need someone who these kids can turn to without feeling they are in trouble. Especially for people like Miss Bollard who are going to be busy with the cadet corps. In other words they need a lap to crawl up into."

"That makes sense," Aggie said, "What else?"

"We need a cadre of officers and enlisted people to be the instructors at the academy," Delores said, "The Gods know I am not military."

"I can't spare any officers right now," Aggie said, "Michael and Qoum will have my head if I assign anyone here. At least I think they will."

"Let me work with Dad," Jill said, "sometimes I can get what I want out of him!"

All the women present smiled. But they also knew that as much as Jill could get what she wanted out of her father, they also knew that the Marshal was no easy push over.

What no one expected was what actually did happen.

# ###

As the School Mistress finished her lecture one of the cadets asked, "What of the kids who didn't become cadets? What happened to them?"

"Many children were reunited with their parents," the School Mistress replied. "Lady Hawthorne created a special team whose only job was to reunite the children with their families."

"A bunch of us were talking about the number of kids that ended up at the academy," Cadet Langtree commented, "it is hard to believe that there were so many children who were homeless, and whose parents had abandoned them."

"Not all the foundlings were abandoned," the School Mistress returned, "Some of the foundlings were kids who didn't want to leave Trena. Some of the kid's had simply missed their evacuations, when their families were smuggled of Trena." "How many little kids were there," another cadet asked.

"Less than one hundred," the School Mistress replied, "and those were mostly children already in the care of the crown."

The room lapsed into silence. Each with their own thoughts.

"General Jones will be back next time," the School Mistress spoke, "the next chapter concerns Valerie Mitchum."
Chapter 18: Rescued?

Cadet Lamile Mitchum was standing at rigid attention as her squad leader tore her bunk apart.

"You think just because your name is Lamile Mitchum that you don't have to toe the same standards as the rest of cadets!" the cadet sergeant had come over to her and stood three feet away from her. The thonian towered over her by a good foot. She had been his special project since she was assigned to the barracks. At first she couldn't get her shoes shinny enough. Then her locker had not been 33-2, the manual that the described how their lockers were to be done. The other day she was gigged because her hair touched her collar. Her bed had been perfect, her grooming had been perfect, and as had everything else in the room she shared with Princess Lisa. Her niece never got the same attention from this cadet sergeant. She didn't flinch, or back away. She stood her ground. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of adding to her butcher bill. Lisa and the others said she should say something to their platoon leader. So far she had refused.

"Fix that bunk!" the sergeant roared.

Cadet Mitchum quickly went to her bunk and made her bed praying that the sergeant would fine no errors. She was sure it was right.

The sergeant went over to the bunk muttering, "Tsk, tsk, tsk"

He was about to tear it up again when one of the cadet's called, "Attention on deck." The cadets all came to attention as the Cadet Commander walked into the room.

"At ease," the Cadet Commander said softly. With him was the Cadet Sergeant Major.

The cadets flowed to at ease, as the party inspected the dorm. The Cadet Commander inspected Cadet Mitchum's bunk he took out a one crown note and checked the margins and finally flipped a coin on the bunk. It bounced. The Cadet Commander quickly hid a smile and turned to Cadet Mitchum and said, "Good job."

"Sergeant Mattingly, walk with me," he turned and left the dorm with both cadet sergeants.

Once the cadets were alone in their dorm Lamile Mitchum vented.

"I swear," Cadet Mitchum griped, "Sergeant Mattingly has it in for me! That bunk was perfect!"

"If your name was anything but Mitchum" the Princess remarked, "He wouldn't be on your case!"

"Everyone thinks I want use my grandmother's name to just get by!" the girl moaned. "I want to earn my way through the academy. To do anything else would dishonor

Great Grand Mother's Legacy!"

"We all do," Princes Lisa replied. "None of us want to skate through!"

"Attention on Deck!" a young voice called. The cadets flowed to attention. As they did the cadet commander walked in.

"Stand easy!" the cadet commander called softly.

The cadets flowed out of attention and stood easy.

"Cadet Mitchum," the young man addressed Lamile Mitchum, "You indeed have large shoes to fill. So far you have nothing to fear. You have more than lived up to Chief Mitchum's legend. As of today any chops in your butcher bill by Sergeant Mattingly have been removed. Several of us will be tenderized on the block for our lack of leadership. He went too far and none of us in the chain of command caught it and took appropriate action at the appropriate time and level. My apologies."

He saluted and left. All four cadets looked at each other astounded. None of them could hardly believe what they had just witnessed. Without saying another word they sat down at their desks and cracked the books. Lamile opened the text book reading about her grandmother Mitch.

###

As Mitch walked through the nearly deserted mall she couldn't believe the destruction she was seeing. The stores were being abandoned daily as their owners were either evacuated to Home or found transportation off Trena. Many of the store fronts were abandoned with nothing in them. Many stores whose owners hadn't left yet had been shuttered to prevent looting. The shutters had stopped a lot of the looting. A lot of the shop owners had to abandon their goods when they were evacuated. There was over a million crowns worth of merchandise abandoned in the now nearly deserted mall. All of it abandoned, as the Crown and the Evacuation Command were concentrating on getting people off world. The Crown was allowing people to take their things with them. Mostly household items, like their furniture, clothing, and their kitchen equipment. They could even take their car with them. If they were a tradesman they could take their tools with them. Depending on their trade; they could take their work truck. They could load it into a second container and if they had a work shop they could take their shop tools with them. If they were a doctor and they were immigrating to Home their practice was packed into a

second container. Generally though, merchants were forced to choose between their personal possessions or their business inventory.

The crown was making an effort to ensure that people got to Home with enough household furnishings so that they would be able to be if not be comfortable, able to have clothing, and other things they needed to survive on Home. But some of the merchants had skimped on their personal possessions and loaded most of their container with their merchandise. Some of the merchandise didn't take up much space. Mitch had helped a book seller and his family pack their container. Loading it with books, mostly they were simple folios with a book chip in them. A couple were traditional books. They stuck books in any place they would fit. She had seen where a clothier had filled every place she could stick clothing in that she could.

Now as she was approaching the music store she was vividly reminded how the destruction she was seeing got started.

It had been the day before when the Evacuation Command agent had come to seal one of the containers. The man from the Evacuation Command had been ready to seal the container, when he noticed that it wasn't closed properly. When he went to closed it properly, it opened spilling its contents. The sporting goods that had been packed into it, had spilled all over the place. All of it was on the proscribed list. There were no personal belongings in the container.

"What the hell!" the evacuation officer exclaimed as he turned to the owner, "Is this your container?"

"Yes," The young man who owned the container replied.

"What is all this stuff?" the crown rep asked.

"It's my business," the owner responded.

"Where's your personal stuff!" the man asked. "You were supposed to pack only your household possessions. Not your business! When you get to Home you will need all of your things to survive! Do you have clothing, and bedding on board?"

"Some," The guy said, "I've a sleeping bag and a tent. What else do I need?"

"I thought that we couldn't take our stores with us," Someone in the crowd called,

"What is this? Is the Crown letting him take his business with him?"

"No," the officer replied, "we are not."

"Yeah right," Another voice called, "How much did you pay him Felix?"

"I didn't know he even had this stuff loaded in his container," The representative returned. "If I wasn't sealing his container and hadn't found it open then I would not have known what was in it!"

"Sure he's right," Another voice called, "I wonder how many others he's allowed to take their store with them...."

"Let's find out!" someone in the quickly growing crowd yelled.

Soon the growing crowed a swarmed the dock area and was tearing into the open containers. Mitch quickly got off the docks themselves and watched the riot from a distance. Five containers were broken into and ransacked. Only Felix's container had commercial goods in it. The other four containers had household belongings in it. The riot lasted several hours and had spread into the mall itself.

Now as Mitch walked to the place she was squatting in, she couldn't believe the carnage that had been done in that short time. The metal shutters and gates had kept most of the stores safe. Now as she passed the music store she saw that its metal gate had been pried opened but no one had looted the store. Feeling self-conscience she slipped into store. She found the guitar that she liked to play sitting on counter and began to idly strum it. Hers had been stolen by one of the kids she had let stay with her a few nights ago. She picked up the guitar and found a comfortable place to sit and play. She didn't know how long she played.

L'eam and F'rena were finishing up their rounds of the South Mall where the store was located. The destruction they were seeing was not as bad as they had seen on some of the worlds they had patrolled. But it was bad enough. The riot had taken several hours to contain and had caused a small fire. It had taken Mounties, and the Companions several hours to contain it. Several hundred people had been arrested. Now a day after the riot they were just finishing their rounds. They were about to leave when they heard a young voice signing. It echoed eerily in the deserted mall. Both Thonians were entranced by the young voice. As they followed the young voice they, thought they knew who it might be. They found Valerie Mitchum sitting on the stage in the music store playing a guitar as she sang.

"We're walking in the air

We're floating in the moonlit sky

The people far below are sleeping as we fly

"I'm holding very tight

I'm riding in the midnight blue

I'm finding I can fly so high above with you

"Far across the world

The villages go by like trees

The rivers and the hills

"The forest and the streams

Children gaze open mouth

Taken by surprise

"Nobody down below believes their eyes

We're surfing in the air

We're swimming in the frozen sky

"We're drifting over icy mountains floating by

Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep

Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep

"We're walking in the air

We're floating in the midnight sky

And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly"

She finished up and didn't realize the two Thonians were watching her until she finished and looked up. She blushed a bit.

"Very nice," L'eam said, "Valerie though I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"Am I in trouble," Valerie Mitchum asked.

"No. You were not stealing anything," L'eam said, "You aren't looting. Why don't you let us take you back to your parents?"

"That's okay," Valerie said, "you don't need to do that."

"Okay Valerie," F'rena had suspected for a while that that the young girl was homeless or had problems with her parents, "why don't you let us take you home?"

The girl didn't know what to do next. They obviously knew she was on the streets. The two thonians looked at each other and F'rena asked softly, "you don't have a home do you?"

Mitch for some reason shook her head admitting that she was homeless. For some reason she trusted this pair. They had been around the mall for a couple of months. She had dinner with them one night. They seem to let her hang around with them. They had asked repeatedly to take her home to meet her parents but she had managed to put them off.

"We thought so," the male companion replied.

The look on Valerie's face said it all. "Are you going to take me in?"

"Yes," L'eam said, "But not to juvenile hall. We're going to take you to the academy!"

"The Academy," the girl asked.

"It's a place where the Trenan Crown has set up a place for abandoned and homeless kids." L'eam and F'rena said. "We don't know much about it, it has only been operation a day or so."

"Valerie," L'eam continued, "I'll make you a deal. If you don't like it; if it is worse than being on the streets or being homeless, you get a message to us and we'll see if we can't find some place better for you. We're here to help you. That's what we're supposed to do. Cops do two things Valerie, we make it tough for low life's to harm people, and then we help people in trouble. Let us help you."

"Okay," Mitch stood up she laid the guitar down.

"Do you want to take your instrument?" F'rena asked.

"It's not mine," Mitch said. As much as she wanted it, she wouldn't claim it as hers. That would be stealing. She wouldn't steal. "Can we get my stuff from where I am staying?"

"Sure why not? F'rena agreed.

They went to the apartment she was squatting in and got her things.

It was nearly midnight when they arrived at the Academy. There a sleepy young girl a year or so younger than Mitch herself, was on the guard post at the main gate. She came to attention when she saw the police car. Her older partner came up to the driver's side of the police car.

"We're closed for the night officer," The young man said.

"We called and they are expecting us." L'eam said lighting up the back of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol Cruiser that they barely fit into.

"Oh this must be Miss Mitchum," The young man said, getting his clip board from the guard house and let the Companions sign in. "I'll call the duty officer and let him know you are here."

He called the duty officer telling him that Miss Mitchum was at the front gate. He said to bring her up. The companions brought Valerie Mitchum up to the administration office where they found the duty officer waiting for them.

"Oh, hi L'eam, F'rena," the Thonian greeted them. "This must be Valerie

Mitchum."

"It is," L'eam answered.

"Good evening Miss Mitchum." The Thonian said, "I am Lieutenant G'ant from the militia. I have the night watch tonight. This is the Queen's Own Royal Cadet Academy. We exist to help people like you find a place of safety, and to help prepare you for getting off world. Tonight we're going to get you a meal and a place to sleep. In the morning, Lady

Hawthorne, or the colonel will meet with you and help you get settled. Are you hungry?" Mitch nodded timidly.

"We'll get you something to eat in a few minutes." G'ant said. "Okay officers I'll take it from here."

"Valerie," F'rena said, "Give us a call in a couple of days. I want to hear how you are doing." She handed the girl her card with her contact information on it, forgetting that she had done that earlier.

As they left the academy, her lifemate chided her a bit. Letting her know what a soft heart she had for people. She sent him the image of a Thonian police officer helping their daughter if she was in trouble. He saw the point and visualized hearts and flowers as a way to apologize. What he got in response was "I wonder if we could spend our free time here?"

In the duty office, G'ant was finishing up some paper work registering Valerie Mitchum into the academy. Then he walked with her to the dining hall where late rations had been laid on. She ate a hamburger, and a glass of milk while appraising what was happening to her. The Thonian then escorted her to a dorm, where a kid of no more than fifteen greeted her and escorted her to a room that she had all by herself.

"I'm Cadet Stein," The kid greeted her, "I have the CQ for the in processing barracks tonight. If you need anything I'll be at the front desk."

The Cadet helped her make the bed and pointed out where the toilet was and told her that reveille was at 0530 and left her alone. Surprisingly she slept well for the first time in weeks. Not since she left the children's home.

While the girl slept the School Mistress working with Frasier, the Trena Mounted Patrol AI, investigated the girl.

They couldn't locate the girl's parents. It appears that they had left months before the evacuation announcement. Just leaving the girl behind as they left for the Empire. They had not even dropped her a line as to why. Her parents had declared her an unruly child and had dumped her on the Adventure; where she excelled.

She had spent five years on the replica of an ancient historical sailing ship called the Adventure of Learning. The Adventure was a large replica of 4th century before empire man of war. After Mitch found out that acting out wouldn't get her off the ship she knuckled down rising from a seaman apprentice to that chief petty office. The Adventure reported her grades and performance ratings. She was a straight A student. In addition to her grades, her performance as part of the cadet crew was evaluated once a quarter. Only one time had she gotten an evaluation "of less than meets expectations" after that one evaluation she routinely received "exceeds expectations". For the last four years on the on the ship she wasn't a disciplinary problem. She was being considered for one of the ship's junior officers.

After the announcement she had stayed a couple of weeks at Trenaport Family Services Children's Shelter where she had been assaulted. She had gone missing and wasn't seen until the murder at Lottie's. Although the Thonians had reported seeing her, the system had failed to let the Companions know she was missing until the night before. The School Mistress was quietly impressed.

By the time Delores Hawthorne had gotten in, in the morning the file on Valerie Mitchum was laying on her desk.

Delores read the file and decided to share it with Sally McBride who had come in with Jill that morning. Sally read it. She read about the incident at the Shelter and shook her head then said, "Let Jill do this one. She's the same age, and she's not liable to be as threatening to her as we will be."

"Okay," Delores said, "What do you think about making her a barracks leader?" "Based on her history she should be one of Jill's officers," Sally suggested, "She could be a great help to her."

"I think so to," Lady Hawthorne agreed, "Let me talk to Sargent Lucas."

# ###

Mitch was awoken early by the charge quarters knocking on her door and telling her, it was time for her to get up. She looked at the clock in the dorm room and saw it was a little pass 7:30 in the morning. She couldn't believe she had slept so late! Normally she was an early riser. Often up and ready for the day by sunrise.

She dressed in a pair of slacks and her favorite tee shirt. One she had been given by her fellow riggers when she had qualified as a rigger on the Adventure. The shirt had a picture of the Adventure's top sails with "ONLY A RIGGER, KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ON TOP!" boldly printed below the sails.

There was a knock on the door followed by a young voice, "Miss Mitchum, may I come in?"

"Yes," Mitch answered, she had been about to the see about getting some breakfast.

"Good morning Miss Mitchum," Jill greeted the stocky black haired girl as she entered the dorm room.

"Good morning Captain," Mitch stood up seeing that her visitor was in a uniform, with eagles on her collars.

"It's Colonel," Jill answered, "Colonel Jill Wilson."

"What can I do for you Colonel?" It was then that Mitch realized she had met the girl before. She had met the girl when she had donated the last of Lottie's clothing to help the people of Galloway during the dam break a month or so ago.

"If you're ready? I would like to invite you to have breakfast with me," Jill asked.

"I was just about to find breakfast," Mitch responded.

"Then if you will follow me?" Jill said and led the way out of the room. Mitch couldn't help but notice the older woman who followed them out of the dormitory.

Jill notice that Mitch saw Jenny, and introduced her. "Miss Mitchum this Agent

Alkire. Jenny this is Valarie Mitchum."

"Good Morning Valarie," Jenny greeted the teenager.

"It's Mitch," she shook the agent's hand noticing that the woman was armed. "Are you a body guard?"

"Yes," Jenny said giving Mitch high marks for not asking why she was armed; but asking if she was a body guard, "I am Jill's protective agent."

Mitch didn't ask if the agent thought she was a threat to Jill, she had seen the agent shadowing Jill the first time she had seen her.

"Let's get to breakfast," Jill suggested leading the way out of the dormitory.

As they walked from the building, they witnessed the morning roll call. Mitch couldn't help but compare it to the musters she had through on the Adventure. What she witnessed told her that they needed to work on their muster. The chief's on the adventure would be carrying on until they got it right.

As they walked to through the grounds, Mitch saw several people dressed in various uniforms going about their errands.

Jill led them to the dining hall. The dining hall was nearly empty. A couple of sleepy looking cadets and instructors were getting their meals. They went up to the serving tables and got their breakfasts. Jenny got a cup of coffee and went to where the instructors were sitting drinking their morning coffee, giving the two girls some privacy.

The girls took their seats, and ate quietly for a few minutes. Finally Jill said, "Thank you for joining me for breakfast."

"Thank you for asking me," Mitch returned wondering why the girl was having breakfast with her.

"One of the reasons I asked you to breakfast," Jill buttered a muffin, "was so I could talk with you."

"Oh," Mitch said peeling a banana as she waited for Jill to continue.

"You saw my cadets as we left the dorm," Jill asked.

"Cadets?" Mitch asked, "I didn't know that muster was for cadets. They just seem to be a bunch of kids having a roll call."

"Well that mob of kids are the first cadets of the corps." Jill responded "Oh," Mitch remarked.

"If it wasn't for the volunteers from the Militia," Jill continued, "we wouldn't be as organized as we are."

"Shouldn't they be helping to get us off world?" Mitch asked.

"Most of them are retired," Jill replied. "And some like Sergeant Green work their normal duty shift and then volunteer their off duty time here. Besides if they are here working with us, they are helping with the evacuation?"

Mitch nodded. If the volunteers were here helping people like her, then helping to get the evacuation done.

"The problem I have," Jill stated, "is that I have all these military volunteers; but no kids like yourself. Kids who were sea scouts, or Civil Space Patrol Cadets just haven't been brought in. You are the first kid who has been brought here that has any back ground as a cadet."

That surprised her. She would have thought that some of her crewmates from the Adventure would have been brought to the academy. Some of crewmates had been near orphans like herself. As she thought that, she realized that the girl before her was trying to recruit her.

"We need some kids who are familiar with being a cadet like you," Jill continued.

Jill observed Mitch. Trying to gauge how the girl was dealing with what she was sharing with her. She could see that she had the dark haired girl's full attention. She decided to make the offer, "Mitch I would like to join the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."

Mitch knew that was what the girl was leading up to. It was appealing to her to join the corps of cadets. She didn't feel she belonged anywhere. If she joined the cadets she might have a place to belong. Yet she wasn't certain she wanted to be a cadet. They had never been cadets on the Adventure. They had been junior crewmen. They operated the ship, with the adults as their officers and older kids being petty officers. It would be a lot of work. She didn't know if she was up to the task.

"If I don't want to join the corps," Mitch asked, "what would you do with me?"

"Valerie," Jill said, "If you don't want to be part of the Corps, you are free to stay here until my father can get you aboard a lift for Home. Until your parents or family ask for you, or until you can come up with some place else to be that is better and safer. This is your home until you do better."

"You would really just let me stay here no strings attached?" Mitch asked.

"Yes," Jill said, "the corps is voluntary. We don't know what's going to happen on Home but we're hoping that the Home government will continue this school. At least with the cadets who enroll during the evacuation."

"You said father a bit back. Is your father Marshal Wilson?" Mitch asked taking a hard-boiled egg.

"We all have burdens we have to carry," Jill said in a dead pan voice, "I was asked to help out here."

Mitch pondered what the girl had said to her and what the Thonians had told her the night before, and how she had been brought to see this girl. As she finished, she looked at the girl before her.

"Okay! Sign me up," Mitch finally stated, "It can't be any worse than the

Adventure. At least we don't have to worry about someone falling overboard!"

"Thank you," Jill replied, "You will come in as a master sergeant. Right now you'll have a barracks. Later you might have a company. We're still trying to get organized. It's a day to day thing."

She thought for a moment. When she had left the adventure she had just been promoted to chief petty officer. She was trying to compare the two grades. With no reference to compare she gave it up and asked, "So what's next?"

"We to get you formally signed into the corps," Jill replied, "Once that's done, there's a couple of people who'll want to talk to you about what you might know about any other children who might be avoiding the authorities."

"I am not certain if I know anything," Mitch said, "but I'll share what I know." "Good enough," Jill replied. "You done?" Mitch nodded.

"Let's go see Lady Hawthorne," Jill stood up. Soon both girls were climbing the steps to the administration wing. Jill knocked on an office door on the second floor.

"Enter," a woman's voice called from inside the office.

They entered the office and found young woman of thirty, sitting behind a desk, "One second Jill."

Jill nodded. She noticed that the noble woman was on her com. Lady Hawthorne finished shortly and turned to the girls standing before her desk. "Good morning Jill!" "Good morning Lady Hawthorne," Jill returned the noble lady's greeting.

"And this must be Valarie Mitchum," She turned to Jill's companion.

"Yes ma'am," Jill answered, "Lady Hawthorne let me introduce you to Valerie Mitchum. Our newest cadet. Mitch let me introduce you Lady Deloris Hawthorne,

Commandant, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets Academy."

Mitch came to attention when she heard the word commandant. Delores was quietly impressed when she saw the girl come to attention. "Stand easy cadet." Both girls flowed into the at ease position.

"Please sit down," Delores asked.

"I can't," Jill replied, "I got to get to class! Mitch I leave you in good hands."

Delores nodded. One they were alone, Deloris gestured to the seat. Once seated Delores hand her a data pad. "What I am handing you is the paper work needed to formally enter you into the Corps. It won't take long."

And it didn't. Within half an hour she had finished the application and Lady Hawthorne escorted her to an office where the rest of her in processing began.

By the end of the day she had been debriefed by a couple of people who were obviously not cops; but were working to find all the kids who might be runaways or hiding from the authorities.

One of the adults, who was a counselor discussed with her in private about what happened at the shelter. At first Mitch didn't want to discuss what happen. When the counselor said okay, letting Mitch know that if she needed someone to talk to someone about what happen, just ask to see her. When Mitch saw that the woman knew what had happened to her; but wasn't going to press her about it opened up about what happen and her fear of it repeating. An hour later Mitch felt better about the incident, realized that it most likely would not happen again.

The counselor turned her over to another adult who took her to get out fitted. Unlike on the boat, she didn't have to get anything adjusted to fit her. It all fit her.

After she went through Sergeant Green's supply room, the same adult briefed her on her duties. It wasn't too much different than being a berthing space leader back on the Adventure. It wasn't until the after diner muster that she was introduced to her dorm's residents. There was one young man who was not happy about losing his squad leadership job. But the kid was only fourteen years old. Jill and Lady Hawthorne had put him charge until they found someone else. Until she showed up he was the oldest cadet in this dorm.

"Gene," Mitch said coming into the kid's room. As barracks boss he had one of the two private rooms in the barracks. "I can't run this place by myself. Will you help me?"

The kid was sullen. Mitch didn't get upset, she just said, "Okay Gene. Have it your way. We'll talk in the morning. Have a good night."

Mitch left the kid's room to find Jill waiting for her in the hall.

"How you settling in," She asked.

"I have been so busy that I haven't a chance to settle in." Mitch said, "Looks like

Gene's going to be a problem."

"He'll come around." Jill said, "I heard what you said, it's the right thing."

"I hope so," Mitch returned. Then she saw what Jill was carrying. A guitar, "do you play?"

"No. It would be first degree assault and battery if I tried to play it." Jill smiled, "One of the companions brought it over today. He said it might belong to you!"

"Oh," Mitch said trying not to reach out for it, "It's not mine. I lost mine a few nights ago. One of the people sharing my squat stole it"

"Well until we find the real owner it's yours!" Jill said handing her the instrument. "Thank you," Mitch took the guitar to that Jill offered her.

"There's a meeting for all dorm NCOs at lunch, most days. Your assistant can take the kids to lunch," Jill continued.

"I'll be there captain," Mitch addressed the young woman wearing the eagles like the captain of the Adventure of Learning wore.

"It's Colonel," Jill reminded the girl, suppressing a yawn, "Okay time for me to get to bed, I have an early morning. Try not to play too late into the evening Sarge."

"Thank you Colonel," Mitch saluted the young woman before her. That evening the barracks was filled her soft soprano and the quiet strands of the acoustic guitars tones.

As Jill went over to the teacher's quarters where she slept when she stayed at the academy, her detail didn't want her sleeping in a dorms, (they were not sure the barracks were safe enough for her,) she ran into Millie Green. She had been down only for a day or so getting the supply rooms organized. It seemed like something that should have been delegated to someone besides a Master Gunnery Sergeant.

"Good evening Colonel," the sergeant said. She was seated on one of the many benches that dotted the grounds. She had her journal open on the bench beside her.

"Good evening Sergeant," Jill asked, "mind if I sit a bit?"

"Not at all," The sergeant said. She looked up and saw the woman who was always within eyesight of the girl. She had not seen much of Jill the last couple of days. She had been very busy in the supply center. She had met with Deloris Hawthorne a couple of times, and had found out that the young woman had never been in the military, but had a good heart and wasn't afraid to ask questions. She suspected that Lady Hawthorne was no slouch when it came to brains, "How's it going?"

"Sometimes I think I am out of my league," Jill said to older woman. "I am doing this by what feels right!"

"Has it been right?" Millie Green asked.

"Yes," Jill said, "I think I did the right thing most of the time." "Then it most likely was," the fortyish sergeant commented.

Jill thought about what she had done so far and nodded. Even though she wasn't certain she had done the right thing with Mitch, she felt that eventually it would prove to be the right thing. Sergeant Green's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Starting tomorrow you can start cycling all your cadets through the supply room so they can get outfitted." Green said.

"I thought you were already open?" Jill asked.

"Yes and no," the sergeant replied, "I let a couple of the cadet NCOs in to get them outfitted. Tomorrow we can do the entire school."

"Thank you sergeant. I'll leave you to your journal." Jill said getting up, "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"They are all long days colonel," Millie said, "And they won't get shorter."

Jill nodded as Millie picked up her journal. Millie wrote in her journal, "Finished getting the cadets' supply room set up today. I have been working with a combination of older children, and adults. None of them know anything about the military. Well that's not true a couple of them do. But I liked working with them. The cadet commander has got her head on I think. I talked with Sergeant Lucas the other morning, and he seems to think she is the best hope for these kids. So is Lady Hawthorne. Somehow, though we have to help make her into a commandant. She is young for the job, maybe thirty. Most commandants are in their sixties. Usually on their last duty post before retirement. Lady Hawthorne is much too young for that. I wonder where this is all going to end."

She ended the entry and went on to the quarters where she sleeping.

###

Lady Hawthorne didn't know that there was a network both official and unofficial that the sergeants and noncoms were part of. Sometimes known as the sergeant's net, it was working its magic at the academy. During the next few days as Lady Hawthorne and her people got the old boarding school up and running as a cadet academy, NCOs just started showing up. They began to make things happen for the cadets. A militia combat engineering unit, coming back from another assignment stopped by the school and with their heavy equipment graded and dragged the athletic fields fixed all of the gates and other outdoor equipment. In addition to the CE unit, a couple of retired black guard sergeants began showing up every morning. They worked with getting the kids out on the green in the morning for roll call and had started to identify kids who would make good cadet officers. Not only retired marines had just shown up, some Interstellar Rescue Service NCOs and officers, and Thonians as well. Not just retired military but serving military, police officers and fire fighters began showing up also.

Jill was there when Lady Hawthorne decided to get to the bottom of what was going on.

"Gentlemen," Lady Hawthorne approached the two men who seemed to be the ring leaders of all the help she was getting. She had to know what was going on. More so since Jill's principle agent didn't seem to have a problem with any of the people who were helping out. She didn't worry about the active duty military as they spent only their off time at the school, but the others she felt that she was using them. "I have contracts for you and your friends, sergeant."

"We don't want contracts," the older of the two said, "Our pension covers our expenses. Especially if we eat here every day!"

"Then how do I pay you?" Lady Hawthorne asked.

"Ma'am," the younger of the two spoke softly; he was old enough to be her grandfather, "we owe a few people a lot of favors. They took care of us as we were coming up. We heard that you and the young lady needed help and so we thought it might be a good idea to make sure that you got that help."

"Lady Hawthorne," Jenny, Jill's agent commented, "Your network is only second to the Noncom's network. I've been checking up on what's happening. The sergeants for whatever reason have made this place a project."

"Why?" Lady Hawthorne asked. She noticed that Jill was listening to them intently.

"The kids," the younger man said, "They deserve the best we can give them and you folks while very good at what you do, Lady Hawthorne you need as much help as you can get. A couple of Marshal Wilson's friends from the police academy will be here tomorrow they are PT instructors. They have a couple of days so they're going to lead the kids through a series of PT drills."

"But these are kids," Lady Hawthorne said.

"Yes ma'am," the old marine said, "They've been looking over your population they have the kids divided into groups and have developed a specific PT Drill for each group. The fifteen to 18 year olds will be out of your hair most of the day, the twelve to fifteen year olds will be on the athletic fields all day, and the little guys will be in the gym." "What are the older kids doing," Lady Hawthorne asked.

"We have ten trucks coming in with more clothing and sundry items for the kids. They'll be stocking the warehouse and the store room. The Gunny will be back for a while to check on things. I hear she's getting assigned planet side on the Princess' staff. The Gunny said it was okay to load the warehouse; but it better be to her plan!"

"You know the crown has some ferocious laws concerning child labor." Lady Hawthorne said half seriously.

"UCMJ has even more ferocious law concerning the care, feeding and handling of cadets." The older man said. "Trust us, my lady, those kids will be worked, and some of them will find they have muscles that they didn't know they have, they'll be back by evening chow. But they will not be harmed even though they might think are!" "Okay," The young woman said.

"What happens to these kids when we get to Home," The younger of the two asked.

"I am working on it now." Lady Hawthorne answered. She had no idea what was going to happen on Home; but she was already wondering would it be big enough to have a boarding school.

The two men looked at each other as if coming to a decision.

# ###

"Met with Valerie Mitchum today," it was late in the day and the princess was reading form her grandmother's diary in her room, "There is something about the girl I can't place. She's not like Lamile, or some of the other girls I know. Although soft spoken, and a little shy I think, there seems to be some great inner strength about her. She seems to observe a great deal.

"I read about her guitar and how she lost it; so I found a company that was still in business and told them what I wanted." Jill had written, "I asked for the best and hope that is what I got. The look on Mitch's face when I gave her the guitar was worth it. I understand she has wonderful voice. I wonder when I will hear it myself."

The princess closed the diary. She had seen and heard Mitch's singing. It was indeed wonderful to hear.

"Mitch became a very close friend of your grandmother," the School Mistress appeared to sit on her bed. "And of mine."

"I've read of some of Mitch's exploits," The Princess commented, "She seemed to be a born to be police officer. She was decorated as many times as granddad was."

"Yes," the School Mistress commented, she missed Mitch. Mitch had become a very good friend. Her last duty post had been at the academy as the chief of instruction for police officers attending the academy. "But you know what she says her greatest achievement was?"

"No?" the princess asked.

"Being your Grandmother's friend and being there when things became crazy." The School Mistress replied, "She, your grandmother, and Lamile Atomi were very close, closer than what the written record shows." "I see," The princess said.

"Don't read too late Lisa," the school mistress appeared to get off of the princess' bed, "it'll be there in the morning."

# Chapter 19: A Quiet Conversation

The next Monday, the general was back and ready to continue with the class. She was looking forward to the next few sessions as this was how the academy was really founded, and talked more of the Jill Wilson she had come to know.

"Queen Jill had her hands filled," the general began, "She was trying to live up to Sergeant Green's expectations and her own desire to be the best she could be.

"She always pushed herself a bit; but always found a way to reign it in." she said, "We think that Lady Wilson had a great deal to do with this."

# ###

Lady Wilson knocked on her step daughter's bedroom door before she entered the teenager's bedroom. She expected to see the teenager sleeping soundly. It was time to wake her up so she could go to the academy. She was still staying at the palace although she spent more and more time at the academy, sometimes overnight. Lisa was pleasantly surprised that her step daughter was stepping up to all the responsibility. She also seemed to be keeping her good humor. But the kid was over doing it. She was at the academy by 0500 most mornings and not home to well after 2200 most nights. Lisa was concerned that Jill was over doing. She didn't want the young woman to wear herself out. She found Jill awake studying.

"Not getting your usual A." Lisa asked.

"Oh hi Mom," Jill greeted her step mother as she looked up from her desk.

"Think you might be over doing it a bit?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know," Jill said replied, "But this stuff I have to learn." "What is it?" Lisa asked.

"Customs and Courtesies of the Royal Trena Militia," Jill said.

"But don't you know this?" Lisa asked. "I mean living around the military all your life you should have a feel for it."

"I do have a feel for it," Jill said, "But Trena has stuff from Earth, Thonia, and half a dozen other places."

"Why not let the academy staff help you get it right. Aren't they there to help you," Lisa asked.

"Yes but..." Jill said and Lisa interrupted her, "You are your father's daughter all right Miss Perfect!"

Jill looked at Lisa sheepishly and knew she was busted.

"Look Jill," Lisa looked the girl in her eyes, remembering what the sergeant on the supply ship had said. "I know you want to be perfect, that you need to be better than your cadets. But don't pay a price you may eventually be unwilling to pay. Do the best you can and try to do better when your best doesn't measure up." Jill listened.

"Your father's nickname, Mr. Perfect, has come at a price." Lisa said, "He is expected to be almost super human in what he does. So he has to work harder so no one can say he isn't on his game." Lisa said, "You concentrate on being Jill. Don't worry about being Miss Perfect. We need only one prefect being in this family and your father already has that title! Sometimes I wonder how perfect he is!"

Jill nodded. She heard her step mother; but wasn't certain how she could slow down. She had already fallen into a pattern. A pattern that might be hard to break.

"What time do you have to be at the academy today?" Lisa asked.

"Late day today," Jill said, "Mitch is acting as the duty officer today, so she'll take the morning formation. I don't have to be there until history class second period."

"All right," Lisa said, "I know better than to tell you to cool out. But I want you to get away from the books a bit. So let's take a walk."

# ###

Jill was studying quietly the next morning in the cadet commander's office at the academy when Mylea walked into the office. "Jill?"

"Oh hi Aunt Mylea," Jill replied, "What brings you here?" "We got a message from Lamile" Mylea said.

"You have a message from Lamile!" Jill asked excitedly. She had become very worried about her friend. No one was saying much. Her father would only say that she was okay, and Mylea would only say she was in this town or that town, or that she was seen someplace. But she had heard nothing on how her friend was doing. So Jill was a little bit excited that Lamile had a message for her.

"Yes," Mylea replied, she pulled out a small device and soon Lamile's image filled the office.

"Hi Jill," Lamile said, "I can't talk long. I have to make these recordings when the others can't see me. I'm in Mansfield, about sixty miles from Trenaport. I have about two hundred kids with me. I had no idea that there were so many lost and abandoned kids. Especially the little guys. I am doing okay. Tired. I could use a new set of boots. Something I can walk in. I am worried about the kids who we have to leave behind. The ones that can't keep up; or who are too sick to go on. We have enough food," she looked away then turned back, "got to go..."The image cut out and the next time it came on Lamile was in a wooded setting, "Jill I am not going to be able to speak much longer. Just promise me that the little guys, and the others are being taken care off. I'll see you soon!" The image faded out.

"Aunt Mylea," Jill asked, "Can I send her a message."

"Maybe," Mylea replied, "Mostly we just send her voice messages. We were surprised to have gotten this."

"Do you suppose if I got the kids that Lamile has gotten to us together and have them say thank you it could be recorded and delivered to Lamile?"

Her aunt smiled and said, "She has a Black Guard escort. If they can't get a message to her then no one can. Besides I think it will do her soul some good."

Mylea had heard the depressed and the anxious tone of her daughter's voice in her message. She was concerned about Lamile. Mylea was wondering if she shouldn't pull her out. But in the end she couldn't do that to her daughter. Lamile would never forgive her if she pulled her out before her mission had been completed.

Later in the day Jill stood by herself on the quad in front of the admin building. Mylea had a recorder and nodded to Jill to begin, "Lamile, we got your message. The kids are okay! See!" On the word "see" all the kids that Lamile had to leave by the side of the road or given to adults to get to a doctor ran in front of Jill. When they were all set a banner was rolled out from one side across the kids. It said "Thank You Lamile!" when it was fully extended the kids yelled "Thank you!" and then Jill now standing behind the kids asked, "Message Received?"

# ###

Lamile was poking around in an abandoned store when she saw the envelope with her name on it. Although Lamile was a common name among Thonians she doubted that in an abandoned hardware store there would be an envelope for any other Lamile's. She opened it and found a data chip. She found a data reader near the cashier's station. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing none she put the chip in the reader. She saw the message from Jill and began to cry. The kids, the sick injured kids who hadn't been able to go any farther were all there. In a special piece the one that she worried about the most little Carlin said thank you from his hospital bed. One of the doctors then said in no uncertain words, "Carlin is doing okay Lamile, you got him here just in time."

She didn't see that Rhonda, one of her lieutenants, had followed her into the hardware store and seen the whole thing. She had suspected that Lamile was more than who she said she was; but she didn't know if she was a member of the Mounties or not. The girl quickly left. Rhonda didn't want Lamile to know that her secret was out of the bag. Yet Rhonda didn't want to share the secret with anyone. Lamile had gotten them this far with few problems.

Lamile made a quick message and left it for whoever had left the message for her.

# ###

"So after Sergeant Mitchum told you to stop you continued?" Lady Hawthorne was holding a Commandant's Mast for Gene Perkins, Mitch's assistant barracks chief.

"Yes Lady Hawthorne," the fourteen year old boy said.

"Did you know why she wanted you to stop?" Lady Hawthorne asked.

"Yes. She said that writing on the walls was an honors violation." The youngster answered.

"Why did you continue," Delores asked. They had found that in the boys shower, in Mitch's barracks that someone had written disrespectful things about Mitch.

"I don't know," the kid said.

"Gene," Jill injected at this point it was supposed to be her show. "I know you have been disrespectful to Sergeant Mitchum for a while. And I know you feel that you should have retained your post as barracks chief. It was my decision to put Mitch in your place."

Jill looked at the boy who was barely a teenager. She wanted to see how he handled what she was saying. When he said nothing, she continued. "Gene, you have one opportunity to tell us why you did what you did. We expect you to tell us the truth and to be honest with us."

Lady Hawthorne sat watching Jill do her thing. She wanted to jump in; but Sergeant Green had taken her aside and told her that she had to let Jill do the job. Jill had to learn how to do this.

"Okay Gene," Jill said when the kid didn't answer, "Here is the holo of what you did. It also shows that you were asked by Cadet Mitchum to stop and to clean up your mess.

Which you did not do! Do you have anything to say now?"

The holo from the School Mistress surveillance system played in the conference room. It showed the kid scrolling something on the wall and Mitchum asking that the kid stop and clean it up.

"Is that you?" Jill asked.

"Yes," The kid said.

"Now do you have anything to say?" Jill asked.

"I don't know why I did it. I thought it was unfair that Valerie took my job." The kid said, "I had spent several days learning how to do the job and getting the kids to do what needed to be done. I thought it was unfair to turn it over to Mitch." "Didn't Mitch ask you to help her? To be her assistant," Jill asked.

The kid nodded.

"And you fought her the entire way didn't you." Jill asked.

"Yes," Gene responded.

"From what Sergeant Mitchum has said, she gave you every chance to work with her didn't she?" Jill asked. The kid nodded. "Just so the record is clear Mitch did not report you. School Mistress did; but only after you failed to work with Mitch. Mitch tried to work with you without putting you on report. Are you aware of that?"

"No! I was not aware of that!" Gene said looking at his cadet sergeant.

"She didn't want you to have any demerits on your cadet record." Jill said, "For that is what she is supposed to do. Her job is to train you to replace her, and to work with you so the whole squad can achieve their goals. As such she failed you also for not reporting to me the problems she was having so we wouldn't be here today." She looked at Mitch. She had already spoken to Mitch, and Mitch knew what was coming next. "You have failed Mitch and your cadets, and you both have failed me. As such you both have been given twenty demerits. Each! We will meet on the quad after evening mess, and we will walk off those twenty demerits. In full uniforms with riffle. We will march a perfect square around the quad twenty times."

"When you say we," Gene said, "Does that mean you too? "

"Yes! I failed to give you and Mitch the guidance you needed. So I am to blame for you not performing to my specifications." Jill said. That got Millie Green's attention. Never had she heard of the Cadet Commander walking punishment tours at the Point on Earth, or other military academy because of their junior officer getting punished. That impressed her.

Later that evening when the three of them began their punishment tours Delores Hawthorne took to the newly built reviewing stand and waited until the tours were complete. Jill and Lady Hawthorne had set the first of many traditions in the short history of the academy. That when cadet officers drew punishment details, the Cadet Commander drew them also, and the commandant would stand on the reviewing stand until the detail was over. When Millie and Delores talked later that evening, Delores explained that she had failed Jill by not having given her the direction she needed. As time went on when Delores couldn't stand on the reviewing stand Millie did. When she did she stood at attention until the tours were done.

###

"I was surprised to see Lady Hawthorne standing on the reviewing stand when we did our tours," The princess read aloud to the class, "She didn't stand at attention but she stood there even when it began to rain.

"Now in my room at the palace," the young girl continued to write, "I am pondering what mom said earlier in the week. I don't want to be Miss Perfect, yet I believe I have to help set the standards that the corps will follow. Sergeant Millie has instilled in me the need to be if not perfect, careful in what I say and do. To set examples that can be easily followed. It about broke my heart to punish Mitch. In the short time I have known her she has become a good friend. Though I miss Lamile something terrible, Mitch is a great one to talk with. She sometimes sees things I miss or has another angle on a problem. I want to talk with Sergeant Millie and Lady Hawthorne about making Mitch a cadet officer. I need a couple of officers to help me run the corps. Mitch seems to be perfect as a candidate.

"Now that I think about it the look on Sergeant Green's expression when I said we would be walking tours and when I said we I also meant myself was unbelievable. A couple of the kids watched us as we walked the tours also. My feet are sore I hope I never have to do that again." The princess concluded her reading.

"To this day when a cadet draws tours on the chopping block, their immediate superior is to walk the tours also. If a cadet NCO walks tours, their company officers walk the tours, and sometimes depending on the offense, every cadet officer in the cadet's chain of command up to an including the corps commander will walk tours. At the very least, if cadet officers have to walk tours the cadet commander will stand at attention while they do their tours." The general said, "As you know it is the goal of every NCO, and Officer on this post to lead in a way that prevents disciplinary problems from going to the mast. It mostly works."

"Is that why all our officers are free with the butcher bill; but always try to help us work them off before going to the mast," Georgia Hawthorne asked.

"Yes," the General answered, "Discipline, appropriate discipline, is to be had at the lowest possible level it can be. Discipline that requires the attention of a higher level officer is a failure of discipline, and a failure of leadership."

T'harla nodded it had not been lost on him that the academy was one large leadership lab. Where the cadets were both test subjects and testers as they learn how to lead others in the profession of combat arms and public service to the Kingdom.

# Chapter 20: The Kids Come Home

"We could spend a whole quarter discussing Lamile Atomi's achievements." The General began her class, "I wish I had time to tell you of her entire journey. From what she told me later it was both harrowing, and exhilarating.

"She had been wandering the country side of Trena for nearly a month collecting kids who seemed to be on their own. Walking them to Trenaport where the authorities were eagerly awaiting them. As you read, Queen Jill had made preparations for when the kids came into the academy. She was concerned about the impact to the academy and how to deal with the sudden influx of so many kids and their problems.

"Other things were going on too," Alice said, "I still hadn't found the AI that was causing us problems. Also we were dealing with several looting incidents. The looting was something the police were having trouble stopping altogether. They were trying to slow down the large scale organized looting. Both the Mounted Patrol and the Companions were working the problem. On the same day that Lamile was bringing the kids home, the Queen and her command staff were dealing with a serious case of looting by Lieutenant General Latimar. He and some of his troopers on their security sweeps were looting whole neighborhoods. The General had asked for a Monarch's Hearing, and Queen Agatha granted it.

"We were also allowing salvage companies in to salvage whole neighborhoods. We didn't want to! We felt that the shipping being used to transport the goods off world should be used to transport our people off world instead. We needed the money though, the crown was quickly going broke, and the Queen's personal fortune was also taking serious hits as she used it to help with the evacuation.

"We were moving tons of people! Nearly twenty thousand people a day," the General continued, "the arrival of the attack carriers from the Empire helped a great deal. Also some nongovernmental organizations had managed to charter some ships and brought them to the kingdom. The Evacuation was a happening thing, even with some of the problems we were facing.

"The greatest single achievement of the entire evacuation was not the physical feat of moving nearly seventy million people off of Trena. That was just logistics," the General was trying to set the scene for her class, "The rescue of one thousand children by a woman that was almost a child herself, is without a doubt one of the greatest rescue missions of all time. It was concluded with the arrival of the abandoned, lost, and runaway children that Lamile Atomi brought to the old boarding school.

"Without a doubt Lamile was a hero of the Evacuation." The General stated.

# ###

Lamile was tired. But it was the type of tired that she had never expected to actually enjoy. She stopped by the side of the road as she watched the kids go by. She was shocked, dismayed, and pleased at the same time. Almost a thousand kids were walking with her to Trenaport. They could actually see the outskirts of the capital as they walked along the shore road. One of the kids near her same age came up and stood by her. Alan, was big for his age, and stood almost eye to eye with her. Lamile stood six two, and was considered of medium height for her people.

"What's up Alan," Lamile asked.

"Taking a breather," Alan said, He was a farm boy used to working hard in his parent's fields. He had come home one day from the fields to find his family gone. His sisters and parents were not home. They had left a note for him to go out to the south fields of the farm. He got there just in time to see a landing craft take off. That had been in the early days of the evacuation. He couldn't find them. He had assumed they had left on the landing craft. He tried to work the farm; but it was just too much for him. The farm was going to pot. He was sitting on one of the tractors, when he saw Lamile's gaggle of kids approaching the farm. He had quickly gone to the barn and filled the livestock water tank and hooked it to the tractor. He took it to the kids with everything he had that could hold water. He let the kids sleep around and in the barns overnight and slaughtered and barbequed a stag like his father had shown him. He had been taken aback, when none of the kids hadn't known how to help him. He had thought everyone his age knew how to do this. Latter Lamile had convinced him to come along. For a while he had driven the tractor pulling a couple trailers that held the smallest kids. Later he let one of the other kids who walked with a limp do that.

"It's almost over," Lamile said pointing to a landing tug roaring into space on the edge of the city. They could see several containers hanging from the tug, "We can't be more than ten miles out."

"Not more than that anyways," Rhonda, one of Lamile's assistants came up. Rhonda was a short girl, younger than Lamile; but was filled with life and was Lamile's whip. If one of the kids acted up it was Rhonda who took care of it. Lamile had scolded Rhonda a time or two that her methods were too rough; but the kids would follow them anywhere.

"What's that?" Alan pointed to the woods on the other side of the road. He thought he had seen a wisp of smoke. When he didn't see it again, he said, "I guess nothing, time to move on."

They shouldered their packs and moved on. Not before Alan looked back one more time to where he thought he saw something. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen smoke. As a farm boy he had seen what fire could do if not controlled.

They walked for another hour, when Lamile decided it was time to halt for the day. Although it was early, not even 16 yet and very maddening to stop so short of their goal; the little kids just couldn't go any further today. She knew that in the morning, that she and her kids would enter the city proper. She suspected that by midday if not by sunset she would be back in her mother's home. She was a little apprehensive about her home coming. She had gotten one short note from her mother. It simply said, "We'll talk when you get home."

As they set up camp she pondered on the events of the last month. They had been incredibly lucky. The general and the guardsmen had made things happen for them. Every once in a while they would stumble onto supplies. Medicine, food, clothing once for a couple of the little guys who were all but naked had been left for them. She knew the SpecWars were looking after her. Every once in a while she would be walking around the perimeter of the camp, when one of them would make themselves known. Sometimes they would have an adult walk with them for a few days. That adult would be a guardsmen and he or she would pass on information. Every once in a while after she came from the latrine or from a nearby creek where she had wiped the grime from her face and hands, one of them would talk to her. They would pass on weather information to her, what roads to follow, what roads to avoid. They let her know about a group of men who were ransacking homes ahead of them and that they should stay where they were for a night. Carlin wasn't the only kid that they had to get to help. One of the kids had been very sick and Lamile had let her watchers know. One of them came down the road in a jeep. She explained that they were on the last jamboree of the Trena Scouts and their adults were in town. The man who Lamile knew simply as Big Brother took the kid and got him to help. Later she thought she had seen a landing craft land and take off again. She had worried herself sick over that one until Jill's message saying he was at the Royal Corps of Cadets Academy. They had heard about the academy. The kids were all talking about it as it was a place they could go and be safe.

Now as she wandered the camp, as the kids settled down for the day, she wondered what she would do after this. She wasn't old enough to be on her own. Yet she felt that she was not a child anymore. Although this journey had been harrowing, and nerve wracking, she had also enjoyed the sense of accomplishment she was getting by ensuring these kids got to safety. It had been a lot of work, more work than she thought it would be. And yes she knew that part of her success was because of the extraordinary men and women who had been shadowing her out of the sight of her kids. What amazed her the most was that many of the kids had not tried to challenge her leadership. A couple of the boys had tried to challenge her in the beginning, and had come close blows. But something her Uncle Mike had taught her. If you had to lead by being a bully you weren't leading. So when the boys had tried to take over, she had just simply said okay and let them have their way. Within a day, they boys were referring to her for leadership. Now on the eve of their arrival in Trenaport she surveyed the camp wondering what was next.

"Hi Lamile," Timmy one of the first kids to join her troop came up to her, "Rhonda said to give this you." This was a mug of soup.

"I wonder where mom and dad are," Timmy asked as they sat down on a fallen tree by the road. Timmy was greatly disturbed over his parents leaving him behind. "I don't understand why they left me behind."

"We may never know," Lamile took the cup. She tousled the kid's hair, "maybe it's something we need to move on about."

"Yeah," The kid said leaning out of Lamile's reach, "But I sure want to know why.

Was it something I said, or did?"

"Timmy," Lamile looked into the kid's eyes. "You don't worry about that. You've helped me as much as any of these other kids. You just keep up the good work. Don't worry about the past. Let's work to the future."

"Okay," Timmy said taking the empty cup from her. As he walked away Lamile had a glimmer of an idea what she wanted to do after this. Someone would have to work with these kids. Get them ready for adulthood. Too many of them had cried themselves to sleep many a night. She had heard kids crying every night. She couldn't mother all of them; but she could sure be their big sister, and help them make it after they got to civilization.

Lamile walked into the woods where one of the older kids had said they set up latrines. As she got there her ear bug came up.

"Wanderer, Big Brother." The ear bug said.

"Go ahead Big Brother." She recognized the voice as one of the Black Guardsmen who was watching over them.

"I am coming out of the woods. Stay where you are." The man said. "I need a face to face. We got some trouble."

"Okay," Lamile said wondering what sort of trouble. Usually they talked only over the ear bug, seldom face to face, so the kids would not be spooked. When they did talk face to face it was in places where they had privacy.

"Hi kid," the marine NCO said. He was old enough to be her father. "Look, you have a forest fire behind you."

"How bad," Lamile asked.

"Bad enough." the NCO said, "The brass want you moving. I told them that your little guys are worn out."

"Damn." Lamile said. "Did Chief Able drop her FireBots on the fire?" "I don't know," The NCO said.

"Lamile!" Rhonda yelled, "Where are you?"

"Here!" Lamile yelled. The girl came up stopping cold in her tracks when she saw the Marine. She had known that Lamile had been talking to people and she was more than she let on to be; but this was really the first time she had seen anyone talking with her.

"What's up?" Lamile asked.

"We have smoke on the horizon behind us." Rhonda said, "We need to break camp and get moving."

"Make it happen, Rhonda! Sarge, I know this is going to spook my kids; but bring your troops in. I need some help. I don't know if you can get us lift fast enough; but can you try to get us some Elsies or trucks?"

"Call General Langtree direct while I get my troops and talk to the LT." The Black Guardsman said.

"General Langtree this is Lamile." Lamile called.

"This is David, Lamile," the General's baritone was not degraded by the small ear bug.

"General I have a situation. We have a forest fire coming up behind us. I need some transport fast." Lamile asked.

"It'll be an hour before I can get anything to you on the ground." The General said, "Let me get air ops on the horn and see what I can do. In the meantime get your kids moving."

"Aye sir," Lamile said.

"Lamile, take care and you're doing great! I'll tell your mother what's going on." General Langtree said.

Lamile relieved herself and ran to where the kids were breaking camp. "I want a nose count! Alan, Rhonda. Get some kids left and right of our group. Walk everyone to the road. Keep them on the road." Alan nodded pointed to a couple of older kids and worked to the left of the group Rhonda waved and grabbed a couple of kids and pointed them to the right of the group.

As she worked to back of the large group of kids she found the marines. They were respectfully waiting for her. This surprised her. The lieutenant approached her. "Major, what are your orders?"

"Major?" Lamile asked.

"Major," Big Brother replied, "You have been carried on the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets as major, and the second in command of them since it was founded a month ago."

"Our orders are to support you and your kids and to take our orders from you. This comes directly from Evac One, and the Queen." The lieutenant relayed his orders.

"Oh," a stunned Lamile said softly, "We'll be the back of the back Lieutenant. Send a couple of your guys up to help the kids get on the road. We want to herd the entire group on to the road and towards town. General Langtree is promising trucks in an hour. That's about a mile and half maybe two down the road for my guys."

"Aye-aye," The LT nodded to the marines who started to take up their positions. As they walked at the back of the group as it moved down the road the Lieutenant turned to his young companion. "Major, a couple of us have been watching you for nearly a month. I've been with you the entire time and before we both get separated by fate, I want you to know I have written an endorsement for the Guard to recruit you."

Lamile looked at the lieutenant not knowing what say to say as he put a piece of paper with his name grade and duty station in her hand. She knew that the Black Guard was the Special Forces, Special Force. They didn't have to be a SpecWar before they were ever invited to become one of the Empire's legendary Black Guardsmen; but most of them were. There were officers from law enforcement units, the Interstellar Rescue Service, the Imperial Navy and others who were the best in their units. She was flattered; but she had made up her mind. She was not going to be a SpecWar. She didn't have the mind set to be one. What she wanted to do was work with these kids and see that they got settled. Maybe working with social services on Home helping to resolve some of the problems that were sure to crop up. "Thank you Lieutenant. But I don't think the Military is in my future. I think I want to work with families and kids in trouble."

"Major," The LT said turning around to watch behind them for a second, "There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the military. It is more than just guns and blood. We need people who understand people and can help our families. Even when we are not forward deployed, things happen. We are just like other families anywhere with our problems. We need people who have been on the sharp end of the stick and who know what it is we do. If we know that our families are taken care of then we can do our jobs."

"Thank you I will keep that in mind." Lamile said. "Now let's catch up with these guys I don't want to be left behind."

The two began walking a little faster behind the gang of kids now spread out along the road.

# ###

"Mylea," The Queen walked into Mylea's office, "Have you heard?"

"About Lamile," Mylea asked, she was in the process of closing up her desk to go meet Lamile. David had called her to let her know what was going on.

"Yes," The Queen replied. "Want company?"

Mylea hesitated. While she wouldn't have minded the young woman's company, she wanted to have some private time with her wayward daughter. She hadn't seen her in over a month and she knew that with what else was going on that she may not get a chance to spend much time with her over the next few weeks.

"Your highness," Mylea said, "if it's all right with you, I think I would like to see her by myself."

The Queen nodded, and said, "If she is done with her charges, and you wouldn't mind, I would like to meet with her and you at 20 today. I know I know, but after I complete that unpleasant business; I would like to spend a few pleasant minutes with two people who

I think a lot of."

"Okay, your majesty we'll be there!" Mylea said as her driver and protective agent came in. "Ready to go in a second Tony."

The mounted patrolman nodded and tried to become part of the wall as the Queen left the office.

Mylea was tempted to have her driver take here to where the kids were; but thought better of it. She was where the kids would be shortly and if she waited for them where she was she would be out of the way of the people who were helping them. She didn't want to be a problem. She watched as the news media began to arrive at the staging point. As they got out of the cruiser where they had parked in a restaurant's lot, Tony pointed to a column of smoke. "That may be getting worse XO."

"I know," Mylea said then spoke to the cars expert system, "Computer, tune to the fire network and the group that is fighting the fire just outside of Trenaport on the north side by the sea."

"Wild Land Fire Control to Trenaport dispatch," A voice called over the communicator as the expert system found what Mylea wanted, "I need additional units at the Wanderer Fire."

"We'll dispatch another full alarm." The Trenaport dispatcher called back.

"Wild Land fire control this is Chief 1." Janet Able's voice came over the communicator, "You are ordered to go defensive only. We're sending you more bull dozers, and other brush clearing equipment. Do not try to save homes. Just keep the fire from cutting the main road."

"Chief 1 we copy! Defensive only. Save the road and nothing else." A voice called.

That did it for Mylea.

"Tony! Get me there!" Mylea said, "I want to be where those kids are. Number 12,"

She addressed the cruisers expert system, "give me flight ops." "This is Flight Ops, XO." The AI controlling air ops called, "Stand by Flight Ops, XO to Chief 1" Mylea ordered.

"Go Mylea," Janet returned, her head floating in the holo of the com set.

"I'm going to order the alert birds in to pick up those kids. Do you want to load it with fire fighters or something?"

"Yes," Janet exclaimed, "Tell them to hold for a FireBots battalion. They're on the base we just need to get them to the birds."

"Janet can they be air deployed." Mylea asked having never seen a FireBot before. "They can be orbital deployed." Janet responded.

"Good I'll be forward with the kids. I will go no further than the rear end of the kid's column. I got to make sure they are safe."

"Understand XO," Janet said knowing if her daughter was in harm's way, she wouldn't be as calm or as collected as Mylea was appearing to be. It was one thing to watch other's children be in harm's way it was different when it was your own.

"XO, flight ops. General Langtree already has the bots moving. ETA to you is less than fifteen minutes. I am launching the alert bird off the Mercy. They'll be ready for a combat evacuation." A human voice said.

"XO copy all. Tony. Move your ass!" She yelled at her driver as she slammed the door on the cruiser. The police cruiser roared out of the parking lot and down the road. Tony brought the siren and lights on and soon found himself having to slow down as two hover cycle cops fell in with them. If he hadn't he would have ran over them. They made it to the kid's column in less than fifteen minutes. Just in time to see the landing craft come screaming in at tree top level and vomit twenty firefighting robots onto the fire. They were tracked vehicles with old fashioned bulldozer blades, and digging equipment. They also were equipped with presser and tractor beams to pull and push other stuff out of their way. There was a small tank of fire retardant and high expansion foam, as well as some small lasers to start back fires. They were designed to either put down a fire or make a fire break. They had been very effective in fighting wild land fires. They were supervised by two human operators who were on the last two vehicles out of the landing craft.

Their first order of business once on the ground was to form up on either side of the road and then engage their blades and move into the fire. Although the fire hadn't reached the road yet, the fire team leader commanded the FireBots to drop their blades and tear the ground up between the fire and the road. They knocked down small trees, and left an ugly scar on the ground. When they were finished they had grubbed out everything to a depth of six inches for two hundred feet on either side of the road for several hundred yards along it. They coated the ground with fire retardant. As they finished their first pass the team leader came up to where Mylea was standing.

"Good afternoon Chief!" The young woman said, "FireBot Bat 3 at your service!"

"That was impressive." Mylea said as another landing craft came in, landing in the middle of the road. She was watching the kids troop by and had yet to lay eyes on her daughter. She wondered where she was.

"Just a day's work for us," The woman said, "I think we can keep this thing from spreading at least long enough to get those kids out of here."

"Thank you Bat 3." Mylea said as the woman climbed back up on a FireBot and started to ride back into the fire.

"Mom," Mylea heard Lamile's voice. She turned as saw Lamile carrying a small child in her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Just keeping an eye on my troops," Mylea said. It wasn't too far from the truth.

"Yeah right," Lamile was nearly drowned out by another landing craft landing. A couple of militia men jumped out even before the front ramp was fully on the ground. They got the ramp ready for the kids to board. A third landing craft landed and began getting ready to load the children.

"Alan," Lamile yelled. "Lieutenant, get them aboard. I need a head count no one lifts until I get a full count." She looked up and saw an IRS landing craft, "Wanderer to IRS"

"Go ahead Wanderer" A voice called in her ear bug.

"I need a slow low pass on our line of march! I want you to verify that there isn't anyone on the road after us." Lamile called.

"Aye Wanderer sweep being made." The pilot called.

"Wanderer this is Mercy 2 we have an empty bay. Can we be of assistance." a second voice called.

"Lieutenant we got enough lift on the ground?" Lamile asked as her mother watched in awe as her daughter handled the situation. Her baby was certainly no longer a baby.

"Affirmative major," The Black Guardsman returned, "almost too much."

"Mercy 2 we have enough lift on the ground. See if the FireBots can use your help." Lamile said releasing the landing craft to the fire department. "Major," The Lieutenant called. "We are short two souls." "Who?" Lamile replied panicky.

"Well if you got aboard the LC we would be full up." the man answered taking the child from her arms.

"Okay," Lamile said walking with her mother to the landing craft. "Mom I got to go with the kids."

"I know." Mylea replied she was torn between, going with them and going back to the palace in the end run she knew that Lamile had to finish her self appointed task by herself. "I know. Take care of your people. I'll see you at Serenity in couple of hours. Climb into something suitable for court. We got an appointment with the Queen at 20. I will meet you at the palace."

"You're not mad" Lamile had to ask.

"Uh we'll talk about that." Mylea replied. She had gotten over her anger weeks ago. "Just get your people to safety."

"Okay Mom," Lamile said hugged her mother and ran up the ramp to the landing craft's cargo bay looking around one last time before disappearing inside.

When the landing craft had taken off Mylea called over the com system, "XO to all forces at the fire. Good job! XO is clear and in route back to EVAC. XO out"

"Okay XO! I have you departing the Wanderer Burn." A voice called.

Mylea walked over to her staff car and told Tony to get her back. As they left the area she saw five trucks pull up loaded to the gills with people all carrying shovels, picks, saws, and other wild land firefighting equipment. They were followed by a couple of fire trucks. The FireBots had done their job of fire suppression but the human crew would over haul and make sure the fire was contained. By going defensive they knew they would lose some homes but they had to keep the road open for a while longer.

# ###

"Jill," Lady Hawthorne came into the library where Jill was researching her paper on government, "Just got word from Evac Command, Lamile is bringing the kids home." "I thought it wouldn't be until tomorrow." Jill commented. "So did I," Lady Hawthorne replied "Are you guys ready."

She had decided to let Jill manage and organize the reception of the children that Lamile was bringing in. She had reviewed the young woman's plan. Delores was satisfied that Jill's plan would work. Though she was surprised at who had done most of the planning.

"We're ready; Mitch and Gene have got things ready." Jill answered. After the punishment detail she had worked with both kids to make sure they never walked tours again, and then turned them loose on getting things ready for when Lamile brought the kids she was escorting in. Mitch and Jill had worked with Sergeant Green and the IRS medics to set up a receiving operation to make sure that the kids were properly in processed. This would be the largest influx of kids they would get so far. Maybe the largest they would ever get. Jill wanted the operation to go perfectly.

"Oh the Queen has asked that your honors platoon be at the palace by 1900.

Sergeant Green has a bus ready for you." Delores said.

"How soon on Lamile," Jill asked.

"They should be landing in about half an hour." Delores said.

"Looks like I need to get busy," Jill said closing up her books and standing up. She left the library and asked the School Mistress to get the reception team to the school's landing pad. She also asked that the honors unit be turned out for a palace job. It would be the first time that they had ever gone to the palace as a unit.

"Are we ready," Jill asked seeing Gene and Mitch putting the finishing touches on the reception area as she walked onto the pad.

"Almost Colonel," Mitch said, "just waiting for the Medics to get in place."

Jill looked around and saw the medic team from the Recovery setting up their stuff. Nodding Jill turned to her cadets.

"Okay cadets listen up!" Jill called, "the landing pad officer says we have three landing craft coming our way. They are loaded with about a thousand kids between them. When they come off the Elsies they will be a bit lost. Our job is to get them off the pad and to reception. There's about a thousand of them so we have to be fast and efficient; but not cold. Remember they have been on the road for over a month and many of them have lost parents and are trying to avoid the authorities. So when they get off the landing craft, I want you to make them feel welcomed. They are part of us after all. Just be gentle and take your time. Major Atomi is with them, she is in charge of the detachment." "We're ready Jill," Mitch said. She had most of the older cadets ready to go.

"Okay Mitch," Jill said as the first landing craft came in.

It settled to the pad and began to unload. The kids came down out of the landing craft looking a bit lost and bewildered. Mitch went right to work forming them into two lines towards where her helpers were ready to take their names and ages. Jill was surprised that these kids appeared in better shape than what they had found the kids in, when they first came to the school.

"I want any brother and sister groups to come up to me." Mitch called. "Just step out of line and come here."

Several of the kids stepped up to Mitch.

"Okay," Mitch called, "if you follow me, we'll get you started."

A couple of adults were walking the line forming the smaller kids into a separate line to move them off the pad. As they did Alan tried to stop them, "Who are you and where are you taking these little guys?"

"I am Mrs. Jasper," the older woman said, "We want to get the little guys to the cafeteria while we process them."

Alan was plainly upset. Jill was about to say something but Mitch beat her to it.

"Hello," Mitch came up to Alan, "I am Sergeant Mitchum. Is there something I need to know?"

"Lamile is on the last transport and she wouldn't be happy about separating out these guys." Alan replied.

"You are?" Mitch asked.

"Alan Penrose," the kid answered looking down a bit to the girl standing next to him. "Why?"

"Alan we are trying to get you guys all sorted out." Mitch said, "Major Atomi didn't know what we were going to do here; but if you give me a second I'll see if I can raise her."

"Okay," the young man said.

"Mr. Penrose I understand your concern," Mitch replied taking out her com,

"Wanderer this is Sergeant Mitch please respond."

"This is Wander," the strange girl's voice came from the communicator.

"Wanderer I have an Alan Penrose with me, he wants to talk with you." Mitch said handing the device to the young man.

"What's going on Alan? It'll be several minutes before I will be down." Jill heard Lamile's voice on the device.

"They are separating the little guys out of our group," Alan replied.

"It's okay Alan! They won't hurt them," Lamile called, "I have promises that we'll be okay."

"Are you sure," the young man asked.

"Is there a blond nearby that goes by the name of Jill," Lamile asked.

"I am here Lam," Jill spoke up.

"Are you going to take care of my kids," Lamile asked.

"I am going to take care of all my kids. Lady Hawthorne and Dad will have my scalp if I don't," Jill answered.

"Alan you can trust Jill and her people." Lamile responded. "Sergeant Mitch, Alan is one of my lieutenants. Work with him."

"Aye-aye major!" Mitch responded, "Mr. Penrose if you will come this way I will show where the kids are going to be for a while."

Mitch escorted the young man and a group of kids, both little guys and brother and sisters to the dining hall. As they entered the dining hall and were seated Sergeant Lucas' team made sure each kid had a cookie and a class of milk. That eased Alan's fears a bit.

"All we are trying to do Mr. Penrose is to make sure that they are taken care of." "It's Alan, Sergeant Mitch," the boy said.

"Alan," Mitch said with a radiant smile, "It is Mitch. Let's get back to your kids.

We need to get back to the pad."

"Okay," Alan followed the girl out of the dining hall. But not before taking a cookie himself.

Things were in full swing on the landing pad. The cadets and the adults were segregating the children into age appropriate groups and walking them up to other adults and young people who were taking their names and getting them registered. All the older children ages 12 to 18 were being given a package about the corps of cadets and how to join them. As they left the name takers, several more cadets worked to form them in to squads and lead them to where Millie Green waited with several adults and cadets to get them outfitted in clean new clothes. Then they took them to the dormitories where they were told to get rid of their existing clothing. Many taking their first shower in months.

Children who were sick or injured were escorted to academy medics. There the medics checked the kids over and treated them as needed. Between treating them, the kids who acted as medics on the Long March, discussed what they knew about the children who were sick.

"I don't know what I expected," Lieutenant Carnaye told Lady Hawthorne as he and the others were waiting for the last landing craft to land. "But I certainly didn't expect those kids to tell me what kids were sick and what they did to help them."

"It was mostly first aid stuff," Lady Hawthorne replied. "They were not as dirty as I expected either. I don't know if it was Lamile Atomi, or what; but those kids were in better shape than I would have expected."

"Yes," the medic commented as the last landing craft landed and the ramp open. A single thonian female was seen at the top of the ramp. As Lamile began to walk down the ramp, the kids who were still being processed began to clap and cheer. Soon the cadets helping the kids joined in as did the adults. Jill let it go on as she walked up to her friend and hugged her fiercely.

"You ever scare me like that again I will kick your butt!" Jill spoke to her best friend.

"Not a problem," she held her friend at arm's length to look at her, "I am so glad to see you! You don't know how much your message meant to me! I was so worried about Carlin."

"He's been worried about you too," Jill replied, "you'll see him soon."

Mitch came up and whispered in her ear. "You have that other detail colonel. I can finish up here."

"Okay Mitch," Jill replied then turned to her friend, "Lamile we'll catch up. This cadet commander stuff can be a royal pain. Since Mitch is needed more than I am here, I have to take the honors unit on a job."

"We'll catch up," Lamile responded then said, "Is there a place I can get cleaned up. Mom said something about needing to be at Serenity at 20."

"This way Lamile," Lady Hawthorne called and took her young friend to change into clothes suitable for court.

# ###

It had been an unpleasant thing. But it had to be done. Once she had sentenced the officer to Dungeon, the prison world; the Queen, General Qoum, Marshal Wilson and Lord Mercer left Serenity's landing pad and walked to the audience chamber where a very special event was to take place. The Queen had become quite impressed with what Lamile had accomplished, how she had gone about it, and the way the adults who had been watching over her reported about her activities.

Unknown to Wilson, the Queen had asked that his aid bring his coronation sword to the audience chamber, as the four of them walked in his aid handed it to him. Puzzled Marshal Wilson buckled it on. As they walked in to the chamber proper, a young voice called out, "Room! Atten-hut!"

Wilson turned towards the voice and saw some cadets from the corps of cadets standing at attention. It was the honors platoon from the academy. Behind them stood Lady Hathaway and several of the retired and active duty NCOs who were the corps instructors and advisors. Standing in front of the cadets was his daughter standing at rigid attention. As her father and the Queen passed she fired off a salute and called, "The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets reporting as ordered your majesty."

The Queen looked to her left and saw a company of Black Guardsmen, militia officers and enlisted men and women who had been working behind the scenes to help Lamile, also standing at attention.

"As you were," The Queen responded.

As the assembled personnel from the various military organizations and the Mounties went to the at ease position, the Queen looked to General Alphine and nodded, saying "General Alphine will you join me on the dais please."

"Certainly your majesty," The Princess joined the small parade to the throne.

When they got there Mylea now in her dress uniform was standing with General Langtree as well. When the Queen reached the throne, she turned and nodded to the doorman.

The doorman was standing before the great ceremonial doors to the throne room. He opened the door. With the door opened he slammed down his baton on the floor calling, "It is with great honor, I present to this assembly of Cadets, Officers, and dignitaries, Miss

Lamile Atomi, Wanderer and Rescuer of the One Thousand."

Lamile timidly stepped into the throne room as the Senior NCO cried out, "Room Atten-hut! Hand Salute!"

With those simple words every man and woman in uniform, either that of Trena or that of other star nations came to attention and saluted the young woman who was now very uncomfortably approaching her sovereign. She saw her mother, her Uncle Mike, General Langtree, and Princess Carroll all standing at attention and saluting her. It took her breath away to see her mother, and her Uncle Mike honoring her this way.

Once at the throne, the NCO called "Return!" and the military personnel present slipped into at ease.

"Well Miss Atomi," Queen Agatha addressed the teenager standing before her, drumming her fingers on the large ornate throne's arm, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Say for myself," the young woman muttered.

"Yes," the young queen replied trying hard to suppress a smile, "You have a lot to account for. The Crown has noticed your work of the last month or so and it has been brought to our attention that your efforts have saved the lives of over a thousand children. What do you say for yourself?"

"Majesty, I just couldn't let those children be left behind." Lamile finally found her voice.

"I see," the Queen continued to drum her fingers on the arm of her throne. "You scared the crap out of your mother and worried the death out of me." Agatha continued, "You have impressed the daylights out of General Alphine. What are we going to do with you young lady?"

"May I your majesty," Lisa who had been waiting with Lamile outside the throne room, had joined the group on the dais.

"Go ahead," The Queen said.

"It is obvious to one and all that this child, uh excuse me, young lady has accomplished much in the last month. But that she needs some strong guidance. My good friend, Mylea, her mother, and I have spoken for hours about her just and deserving pun... uh reward. We have come up with a solution should Lamile be willing."

"I trust this will be strenuous and fit the err results of her work." Queen Agatha asked according to the script.

"Oh indeed your majesty! May I approach," Lady Wilson asked.

The Queen nodded, and Lisa appeared to whisper into the sovereign's ear. The noble woman spoke into Queen Agatha's repeating what they had discussed over the last few weeks. This was for show; the decision of what to do with Lamile had all been worked out a week or so ago. They were only waiting for Lamile to get her kids to Trenaport. The Queen appeared to vigorously shake her head, then Lisa spoke again and the Queen nodded. Lisa stepped back.

"Lamile Atomi!" The Queen finally said, "Although your mother has threaten to send you to beast week at the Black Guard Academy, or make you think you were there for scaring the crap out of her. Her friends have convinced her that this might be too rough on the Black Guard." that brought a chuckle from the assembled Black Guardsmen, "General Qoum seems to think you would be a problem in the Trena Militia Academy, and your uncle Mike seems to think that you would drive his instructors nuts at the police academy too. So we have come up with a fitting punis...err reward for your service to the crown."

Lamile gulped a bit. She knew she was in deep trouble with her mother that there would be a private session that would be anything but pleasant for either of them. But she had no idea the Queen was going to extract some flesh too.

"Kneel, Miss Atomi," The queen commanded standing up from the throne and turning to Marshal Wilson, "Your sword Lord Wilson!"

"Aye," an astonished Wilson drew his sword. No one had told him what was about to happen. The Queen and his wife had kept what they had been planning very close to the vest.

She took the sword from his hand and turned to the young woman who knelt in front of her.

"By the power invested in me by the House of Lords, and the people Trena, I commission you Lady Atomi, of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets. From this day forth, you will associate yourself with the orphaned, and the rescued children of Trena who find their way to the corps." She danced the sword lightly on each shoulder of the young woman.

"Your majesty, I swear a blood oath of fealty to the crown and the children who are now in my care." The young woman said having read about the Trena knighthood ceremony in her high school civics class. "I serve at the pleasure of the crown." "Rise!" the queen said sternly.

The young woman did as instructed. Wilson unbuckled his sword's belt and approached the young woman. He quickly placed the belt around her waist drawing it tight. Then took the sword from the sovereign's hand and gave it to Lamile, "Lady Atomi, This is my commissioning sword. This sword was given to me by General Alphine on the circumstances of my commissioning as a Knight Commander of the Earth Empire. May you never draw it in anything other than in the defense of your commission!"

"Aye," the young woman took a step back and as she had seen her uncle Mike and Mother do on more than one occasion brought the sword sharply up in front of her face and sharply down again saluting him before holstering the weapon. Wilson saluted the young woman and said softly, "Turn and face the room Lamile. You need to say a few words."

The young woman nodded and turned to face the assembly. At first she was at a loss for words. Then shuddered a bit and seemed to pull herself together.

"I don't know what to say." Lamile started, "I had some extraordinary help." She noticed that several of the kids from the march who were now in the back of the room. "Alan and Rhonda, to name two of my lieutenants, I owe a great debt to the Black Guardsmen who shadowed me and the kids making sure no harm came to us. To General

Langtree, who somehow managed to get food to us without it looking that he had. To Chief Atomi, my mother, who let me do this thing, though as a few have said, she must have wanted my scalp for causing her so much worry. I also want to say thank you to a very special person. Lord Wilson. He has been my uncle ever since I was born, between his example of leadership, and my mother's care of me I would never have even attempted this.

"We all owe a duty to those who need help." Lamile said passionately, "Lord Wilson and my mother have shown me over the years what it means to have a duty, and obligation to people. I only hope that over the next few years as I set forth on the adventure that her majesty, my family, and friends have started me on; that I can do as well they have tried to teach me. So we can get back to the business of getting our people off world let me finished by saying Uncle Mike has taught me that it is people dummy, and therefore it is you the assembled officers, enlisted people, adults and children alike that make Trena great, and will make Home even greater as we work to get every last mother child out of danger."

Mike locked eyes with his best friend and nodded saying to Mylea, in that simple statement, you did good mom.

"Lamile," The queen said, "if you will accompany me. I would like to hear firsthand your incredible adventure." Queen hugged her newly minted noble woman and walked out the back of the throne room with Mylea and the senior cadre following her.

Once out of the public eye the Queen turned towards Lamile, "We'll catch up to each other. I rather expect that you and your mother have some err things to settle between you. Take a couple of days, and then contact Lady Hawthorne at the school. While your commission is to work with those kids, Lady Hawthorne, will be your immediate supervisor. Lamile, I had a long talk with the Lieutenant and Sergeant who did most of the shadowing of your group. They both have nothing but good words for you. He also related parts of your conversation this afternoon. I think you have a noble ambition. Part of your commissioning includes a small annuity, and a scholarship to any school that you choose to go to. I would hope you would use it to get some book learning on social services." "Thank you ma'am," Lamile said.

"Mylea," The Queen looked to the older woman, "I never did thank you for the loan of your daughter. Thank you. Not only do I thank you; but the people of Trena thank you for fine job you have done raising this lady to womanhood."

"You are welcomed." Mylea said. "She's mostly a good girl. Mostly."

"With only the occasional bout of first degree teen ageism." Lisa injected patting the young woman's back.

"Now get out of here you three," The Queen said looking at Mylea, General Langtree, and Lamile in the eye. "I don't want to see you for a couple of days XO. That's a Crown Order."

"Yes Ma'am," Was all that Mylea said as the Queen walked away with her protective detail.

"Mylea," Lisa said, "let us know if you want to get together later or if you need anything." Lisa said. Then turning to Lamile, "You did good, my friend. Very good. But you ever worry me like that again we are going to talk."

"Yes Aunt Lisa," the young woman responded contritely, "Trust me I know we all are going to talk about this one."

"Let's get you home," the General Langtree said, as he gently took her mother's hand as they walked from the palace. Lamile noticed how much her mother was enjoying the act of affection. She wondered what had gone on while she had been gone. She was going to have to talk with Jill as soon as possible.

# ###

"Wasn't Lady Atomi the last noble woman of Trenan Court?" Lamile Mitchum asked.

"Yes," General Jones answered, "She was the very last person to be inducted in the

House of Lords on Trena."

"But wasn't she named a lady on Home too?" T'harla asked.

"Yes she was one of the very few noble women or men of the old Trena nobility to become a noble here on Home." Alice Jones replied, "By a vote of the parliament the last noble woman of Trena Became the second one on Home."

"Grand mom didn't nominate her though, as she thought it was inappropriate. The cadets, unbeknown to any one, petition the house directly. So impressed were the members of the house; they endorsed the elevation the same day that they endorsed the Queen's nomination of her regent Lady McAllister to nobility." Princess Lisa spoke up.

"We're getting short on time," General Jones said, "so we'll wrap this up. Your academy started out as a way to house the children that the Trena evacuation command was finding. What you will read in the next few chapters, will give you more insight as to how we came about." The bell rang and she dismissed the class.
Chapter 21: A Place for Us!

"Me and Lamile spent a long time talking over the next few days as she settled into the academy," The princess was reading from the diary again. It was early morning before reveille. "I had wondered if she wanted to be my deputy commander, but as we talked I found out that she really wanted to do was to work with these kids, and when she found out that being my deputy would be the best way to help the kids; she bought into it lock stock and barrel.

"I had some hard decisions to make concerning her and Mitch. It was a hard one to make. Mitch was filling the role of my deputy. I have come to depend on her in the short month she has been at the academy. She is stepping up to the task of working with the cadet sergeants. They seem to respond to her also. When Lamile's crew came in and her assistants wanted to be cadets I was put in a position that I had to appoint them as cadet officers. I have talked with Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Green about my dilemma. After reviewing their records and what they did on the long march, and seeing how the kids deferred to them, I had to make them all officers. All ten of them. Some of the cadets who had been working as NCOs, before Lamile's mob arrived, expecting to be made officers were a little ticked off. But surprisingly not Mitch. I am still not certain as to why. Hopefully over the next couple of days I will get a chance to talk with her. Though truthfully I think her people skills are better than mine, and Lamile's and the job of being the cadet first sergeant is mostly a people job.

"Sometimes I wonder about the pressure we are putting on Mitch." Grandmother Jill had written, "But she seems to be dealing with it. I think."

# ###

It had been a crummy day. Mitch was on the next to last rung of the cadet's honor system. As first sergeant of the corps it was her duty to look over all of the demerits handed out by the cadet officers and resolve as many of the issues she could before they went to Major Atomi who was the second tier of the honor system before Lamile made her mast recommendation. Once a week she had to go through the demerit log with the School Mistress. Mitch was still trying to get a handle on her position as the First Sergeant, and trying to understand Major Atomi. Now she had to recommend to the Major that one of the kids from what was being called the Long March, who had been one of her Lieutenants, was on top of the mast list. Mitch had been willing to give Rhonda a pass, as the offense was horse play in class.

"Sergeant Mitch," Major Atomi had asked, "Why are you willing to give Rhonda a pass."

"She has only been here a couple of weeks," Mitch began, "And the honor code hasn't been fully implemented with the kids from your march. I think if we give Lieutenant Morgan demerits, it shouldn't be as many as horseplay normally gets. No one was hurt, and the instructor thought it was kind of cute. His words Major," Mitch commented, "I just think coming down on her too hard may cause more problems than it solves."

"I let Rhonda get away with some stuff on the march that I shouldn't have Mitch," Major Atomi replied, "I scolded her a couple of times when I thought her methods were too rough; but she needs to understand as an officer now that she has to set the example for the rest of her company."

"The other reason I was giving her the benefit of the doubt was that she has quite a few demerits. This one could cause her to go before the mast." Mitch said.

Major Atomi said, "School Mistress display Cadet Morgan's honor book, and request that Cadet Morgan report to Sergeant Mitchum's office."

The honor book was displayed and Lamile who had not seen the book until that moment gave out a low whistle. "Mitch, I had no idea it was this bad."

"If this goes before the mast," Mitch said, "she'll loses her company. Other than her demerits, her company has the second highest grade point in the Corps."

"Okay," Lamile said, remembering a story of her mother's early years in the MPs. Of how her sergeant had demonstrated to her how her job was not to be just a disciplinarian; but to help make sure that promising officers and enlisted people were given a chance to better themselves. She looked at Mitch realizing that Mitch had already learned the lesson. She also realized that Mitch, who should have been the corps XO or have her own company, instead of holding a grudge, had accepted the role of the corps First Sergeant without causing a fit, and had so far in the few weeks Lamile had known her was proving to be good in the job. Lamile wondered if Sergeant Green was having some sort of influence on the girl before her.

"You're right; but we're going to make Rhonda sweat a bit." Lamile said, "We'll make her think she's going to lose her company."

It was at that moment that Jill walked into the office. She wanted to know when she was going to see the mast recommendations. Lamile answered Jill's question, "Me and

Mitch are working on it now. Jill, give us an hour and we'll have it for you." "Okay," Jill said leaving seeing Cadet Morgan enter the office.

"Lamile you wanted to see me?" Rhonda asked. She still wasn't getting used to the grade her friend now had, nor her own.

"Lieutenant Morgan," Mitch said sharply, "The executive officer asked that you report to her. You are not meeting her to go to lunch or to have a chat. Now report into her properly!"

"Lamile is she for real?" Rhonda asked.

"Stand at attention Lieutenant Morgan," Lamile snapped. The girl came to attention. "Let me see your book,"

Rhonda reached in to her cover and gave her friend her demerit book. Lamile paged through it. It backed up what had been displayed earlier. Lamile put on a show of shaking her head, clucking a couple of times. She finally said, "I should ding you for your failure to report properly."

"If you do she'll lose her company," Mitch said, "Is there some way you can see your way not to issue the demerit?"

"I am looking at her book," Lamile had said, "I don't know maybe she should lose her company."

"Major," Mitch said, "She's only been here a couple of weeks, she hasn't had time to acclimate yet to the academy."

"School Mistress," Lamile said, "Is there any other cadet who has this many demerits?"

"No Major Atomi," The school mistress' image hovered next to Mitch. She presented herself as a prim and proper older woman, "There is no one even close."

"I see," Lamile said, "Rhonda, I am very tempted to bust you. Bring you before the Mast and let Colonel Wilson deal out a suitable punishment. But part of Sergeant

Mitchum's job and mine is to take only serious offenses before the honor board."

Rhonda had heard of the mast. The mast was held once a week after midday rations on Saturday. The company officers would deal with the minor infractions leaving the serious ones for the Mast. She had heard the Mast could render any discipline that seemed to fit the incident including extra duty and punishment tours on the anvil.

"I don't think she has done anything serious enough to go before the mast," Mitch said, "I think that she is still getting used to the academy and that these are just settling in stuff."

"What do you suggest Sarge," Lamile asked.

"An apology to Mr. Berkin," Mitch said, "In front of the class she interrupted. That will remove the demerits gotten in his class."

"That will take her from the near probation status." Lamile said.

"Then I would suggest Duty Officer for the rest of the week." Mitch said. Rhonda had heard also of the duty officer. They were the cadet officer of the day for the entire corps. They were in effect the cadet commander for the period they were on. It was an attempt to let Jill, Lamile, and the cadet officers attend school and to give them a chance not to be on duty all the time. She would still have to manage her company, in addition to attend class. Some classes she got out of but not all of them.

"Rhonda," Lamile said, "will you accept our suggestions or do you want to go before the mast."

"I'll accept you offer," Rhonda said she could feel that Lamile and Mitch really didn't want to cause her grief.

"Mitch if she gets any more demerits she goes before the mast." Lamile said.

"Aye Ma'am," Mitch said marking the cadet's book.

"Dismissed" Lamile said. Rhonda had to learn that as good a friend as they were that some things went beyond friendship.

When Rhonda had left, Jill who had been in the adjoining office now came into Mitch's office with Sergeant Green and Lady Hawthorne. Jill went to office door and made sure it was shut. "What do you think?"

"We heard the whole conversation," Lady Hawthorne said, "There were two ways to handle it. One to throw her at the mast or two, prevent her from going to the mast. I really don't like those things."

"It is a failure of leadership when you have to do something like a mast." Sergeant Green said. "It means that someone has failed. The lower level supervisor leader hasn't communicated with the person, and the lower level supervisor hasn't been supervised properly by his supervisor. But you know that from Gene and your trip to the mast. The question is Lamile, will she come around?"

"I think she will" Lamile said, "She wasn't the first kid to sign up but she was one of the ones to convince the others. She wants to be here."

"Something is going on with her," Millie said, "She sometimes seems to know things she shouldn't."

"I know what you mean," Lamile said, "on the Long March she seemed to know what I was thinking."

"Well let's see how she does," Lady Hawthorne said.

Rhonda would become one of the top cadets in the academy.

# ###

Her day hadn't gotten any better latter when she went to her barracks she found that one of the girls had slit her wrists. She found the girl in the girl's shower. It was the first suicide she had ever dealt with. Thankfully this girl had not been successful and they were able to keep her from finishing the job.

After she dealt with that, she was informed that one of the cadets had missed dinner, which wasn't unusual, but he had also missed lunch and no one had seen him since morning formation. They found him coming in the gates. He had been gone all day and no one had signed him off the facility. As the CQ Sergeant it was her job to deal with it and write him up. There was no way she was going to be able to dodge this one. The cadets on the gates, the cadet's barracks NCO, the cadet's company commander, (thankfully, it wasn't Rhonda,) all had to be written up. Finally about 21 near sunset, the School Mistress poked her head into the CQ office.

"Okay Mitch," The School Mistress said, "Time for you to get away from this!" The School Mistress had befriended Mitch shortly after she came to the academy. She had heard Mitch singing one night and had joined in singing the harmony of the song she was singing. Later School Mistress had asked it if was okay to accompany her when she sang. Over the last few weeks School Mistress had talked with Mitch sometimes late into the night. Often they sang together. It had helped Mitch acclimate to her new surroundings. The School Mistress had become like a girlfriend rather than one of the people who ran the academy.

"It is time for me to make my rounds," Mitch commented. As sergeant of the Charge Quarters watch for the week she was required to check in on all the barracks, the front gate, and the other places around the academy where the cadets were standing CQ watches. She had just finished writing up the incident report on Cadet Dickenson, and wanted to get out of the CQ office for a while.

"Have you been to the Look Out yet?" School Mistress asked.

"Yes a couple of times. Why?" she answered the nearly ghostly image of the AI as she walked with Mitch on her rounds.

"Come on." School Mistress continued, "It has got the best acoustics."

The School Mistress walked with Mitch to the Look Out. The pair made an odd couple as they walked to the Look Out. The human girl walking with the ghostly image of the School Mistress fading in and out as she switched from emitter to emitter along the path to the Look Out. They found it deserted. School Mistress had picked her time carefully as she knew that Jill Wilson would often sit and meditate at the Look Out at the end of the day. It was a favorite place of many people in the academy including Sergeant Green, when she got a break from her duties. The Look Out was on a cliff that that overlooked the city of Trenaport. It was a natural shaped amphitheater that the old boarding school used to put on plays. It was a beautiful place to meditate, more so at sunset, when on those nights when the convention center control system, allowed the area to be bathed in rainbows cascaded from the convention center's turrets as the sun caught and directed the setting sun's light to the Look Out. School Mistress had talked to the center's AI manager to get what she was wanted at the amphitheater this evening. She was going have to buy the AI some books for the favor he did for her. The amphitheater was bathed in a rainbow of light as the sun set into the ocean. Even after the bombing the Glass Castle, as the center was called, the AI was still able to manage the prisms to bath the area around it with various lighting schemes.

"It's beautiful," Mitch said softly. This was the first time she had seen the Out Look this way.

"I know what type of day you've had and thought this might cheer you up. Make it better," School Mistress said appearing to sit down on one of the benches, "Try a scale. It's okay, it's only us."

Mitch looked around to see if they were alone. She really wasn't comfortable performing with people around. Seeing that they were alone she went through some scales, softly at first then a little louder. Her voice filled the amphitheater. School Mistress' appearance had changed she now was on the small stage of the amphitheater appearing to be seated at a piano, as she went through a couple bars of an old, old song. A song, she and Mitch had been playing around with for the last few nights. Mitch looked to where School Mistress sat and nodded and began to sing.

Mitch's voice filled the amphitheaters spilling out into the late summer evening.

Jill had gone in search of Mitch to discuss the Dickenson mess. She had checked the barracks, the library, and the dining hall and still couldn't find her. She knew she had duty this evening, but she wasn't at the duty office. She knew the girl wasn't off post, and that she was just walking the post as part of her duties. When she could not find the young woman anywhere, she decided it could wait until morning. She then decided to wander over to one of her favorite spots on the grounds. It was the spot that the captain she had dinner with that night on the space station had told her about. It was a small horseshoe shaped cliff that over looked Trenaport and the bay that Trenaport sat on. If she got the chance she would sit on one of the benches and watch the sun sink into the ocean. She was beginning to understand why her grandmother had carved out that private time in the spa at her estate on Mars. Now as she approached the Look Out with its amphitheater she heard singing. As she got closer to her special place she saw Alan and Rhonda standing near the railing with Lamile. The three cadets were watching and listening to Mitch, whose back was to them while she sang, Jill couldn't place the song.

"There's a place for us.

Somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air, Wait for us somewhere.

"There's a time for us.

Someday a time for us.

Time together with time to spare.

Time to look, time to care.

Someday!

Somewhere.

We'll find a new way of living!

We'll find a way of forgiving!

Somewhere.

"There's a place for us.

A time and place for us.

Hold my hand and we're half way there.

Hold my hand and I'll take you there!

Somehow,

Someday,

Somewhere!"

Mitch completed the song, and the School Mistress said, "I told you the acoustics would be perfect here, Sergeant Mitchum."

And they had been. Jill turned and saw cadets coming down the path. They had all heard Mitch signing. The sound carried over this part of the grounds where many of the cadets walked or lounged with our fear of being reprimanded by their officers, or the adults.

Mitch turned to walk back out of the amphitheater and saw the cadets standing in stunned silent witness. As Mitch walked the path she saw that more than one of the kids had a tear creeping down their faces. When she got to where Jill was standing with Rhonda and Alan, Alan spoke to her, "Sergeant Mitch, this is that somewhere, and that some place."

Mitch didn't say a word as she and Jill locked eyes, and Jill nodded. Mitch's song had helped to bring the cadets together, realizing that they were at a place of safety, and a place where they all belonged. Jill decided to let the moment run. She could discuss the problem with the Dickenson kid l later. She didn't want to ruin the moment for Mitch, or for her cadets.

# ###

Lady Hawthorne had not heard Mitch sing in person, but had heard about it. The entire academy was talking about it the next morning. She asked the School Mistress if she had recorded the event from the night before. She had and was playing it for Lady Hawthorne when the Queen had stopped by to discuss several issues with Lady Hawthorne.

The Queen was floored when she heard the music and saw the holograph.

"She could make her fortune as an entertainer!" Queen Agatha commented.

"It has never occurred to her," The School Mistress had materialized in the office, "She sings for herself. We've talked about it."

"I see," The Queen replied. Then she asked sheepishly, "Could I get a recording of this?"

"It's on the way to your palace mail box majesty." The school mistress replied.

Days later the Queen was having dinner with her former regents and saw the recording that Alice Mercer had gotten somewhere of Mitch singing. The next morning when she asked around, she was told that Mitch's song was being heard all over the Kingdom. The song, an ancient ballad from an ancient movie, became the song people associated with the evacuation. Mitch refused all the royalties she earned, saying it was something she did for herself.

# ###

"The song that Mitch sang that night came from an ancient movie called Romeo and Juliet," General Jones said at the end of the class. "Mitch had a beautiful voice. She could have made her living on the stage anywhere in the universe."

"Mom showed me some of the offers that great grand mom had," Lamile Mitchum spoke, "The Movie Planet offered her a contract that would have made her very wealthy.

One of the multimedia companies wanted her also. She never took them."

"Why?" Lamile asked. "It wasn't clear."

"Your grandmother felt that she owed two companions for her rescue," The General replied, "They changed her life and gave us the opportunity witness the growth of a special young lady.

"I worked with Mitch on a couple of her assignments," The general smiled, "She was something to watch. The three of them Jill, Lamile, and Mitch became the heart and soul of the academy."

"What about the others from the long march. After they get to the academy there isn't much about them," Georgia Hawthorne asked.

"Rhonda would meet and marry a gamma clone and they would both become the commanders of the Royal Maritime Patrol. Alan would meet a girl and would leave the academy on Home and begin farming. Others would become part of the various Home military, police, fire, the Home Emergency Response Team, and the Maritime Patrol. Some would go on to the anonymity of quiet peaceful lives others would become politicians." The bell rang and the General dismissed her class.

# Chapter 22: Her Mother's Interview

"Many of you have seen the interview that Lady Wilson gave to Don Least," the General began her class, "What you may not be aware of is that the Marshal was very protective of his family. He himself dealt with the press as he had to. He neither avoided them, or sought them out. He knew that as a public official, he was fair game for the press, but only his public life. In his private life, he did everything he could to keep the press away. So when Lady Wilson agreed to the interview when her photos were published

Marshal Wilson was very upset."

"I am going to read from the Queen's diary," The General said.

"I've been on Trena several months now," The General began reading, "I don't know why I was so concerned about Lisa. She has made me feel welcomed in her home and has been there when I needed her to be there.

"The affection between Dad and Lisa is awesome. I hope one day that I am so blessed. I know they have argued; but often I don't hear them. I did hear them the other night...

# ###

Jill had witnessed the fight between her father and step mother over the interview Lisa was going to give that evening. Since she had been on Trena she had seen only two arguments between her father and step mother. She suspected there might have been more, but she had only witnessed two of them. The first when her step mother wanted to go to one of the departure points for the evacuation, and now this one. Her mother wanted to do an interview with the Trena Media, Mac, her father's principle agent, and Pete Vornic, the evacuation command's public information officer, had finally told her father what was going on.

"You're not going to do it." Wilson said entering the dining room where a coffee maker was always ready to get a cup of coffee from. Lisa followed him into the dining room.

"Michael, I have never gone against your wishes." Lisa said, "I have never put you in a position where you had to say no."

Her father grunted. Jill who was home for the weekend was studying at the dining room table instead of her room or in the study. It was true. While she had been with her father and step mother, she had seen that neither of them did something that the other felt strongly against. They usually found a way to work around the issue that was causing friction. They usually worked to a consensus and although neither one was really happy over their decisions, both could live with it.

"This time I am," Lady Wilson said, "this is for you, for me and for us."

"I thought we had an agreement that you and the girls would never be part of a media circus." Wilson asked.

"This won't be a media circus Michael." Lisa replied, "If it goes the way I hope it will; Mr. Least may think he'd have been better off being at ground zero for one of the asteroids. Mac, Pete and I have had an hour briefing. If he gets too rough with me I have enough ammunition to gut him right before the entire kingdom."

"I still don't like it." Wilson said. "Too much of our privacy has been infringed on with this job. You are pregnant and..."

"Don't you go and be the big protective male on me Michael Aaron Wilson the third!" Lisa actually stomped her foot at her husband. "Pregnant I may be. Not as agile as I was without your twins in my belly; but the odd gods of the universe know I can still whomp your ass."

Wilson chuckled, and was about to say something, when Jill interrupted. Neither had seen her there, "I am sure that if she can't several of us would help. I am sure Georgia, Mac, Francine, Kellogg, and the few others I can mention would help."

Chuckling Lisa turned to her step daughter. She suspected that her step daughter was most likely correct but said, "Jill, stay out of this."

"I still don't like it." Michael said, "I know the media wants to know who you are but I don't want you in harm's way and I don't want you harmed. I know this could be good for the Evacuation but; I..."

"I don't like it much either Mike," Lisa said, "It took the girls to convince me to do this."

"Oh really," Mike said putting the coffee on the table by Jill as he reached for his wife. He took her in his arms and asked, "Do I need to speak to a couple of people?"

"No," Lisa said, "The Queen, Lady Hawthorne, and your mother are right. If I tell my side of the story; then it might be listened to. They make a good point. The people are hungry to know what type of woman is married to their savior. How he is supported by his family. This is good for the Evacuation, and if handled right Mr. Least will get his just deserts."

"I still don't like it." Michael said letting go of Lisa as he picked up his coffee mug. "I know you haven't told me everything about your on the run years, but these guys may have found out about some of that stuff. The stuff you haven't told me."

"I suspect he does," Lisa commented, "but he doesn't know the file that Mac has on him. That Mac has shared with me."

"I've seen that file," Wilson remarked, "Unfortunately, we can't touch him." "But I can," Lisa said with an impish smile.

"I don't want you hurt, and I don't want you to mess with Least too much. We need jerks like him to help us communicate with the people of Trena." Her father commented.

Now, as Jill sat in the Academy's indoor auditorium with several of the cadets preparing to watch the interview she remembered her Mother's impish smile.

The auditorium went dark as the stage area was filled with a holograph of a man of moderate build with sandy brown hair. He turned to the camera.

"Good Evening." he said, "I am Don Least and this is Day One."

He let the credits and entry music come to a conclusion and continued, "Tonight we come from the Queen's Private Garden. This is a small secluded garden that is used by the Royal Family to hold private gatherings or to obtain some measure of privacy from the palace retainers and staff. The Royal Family has graciously allowed us into this very private space to interview a very special lady. Her staff calls her calls her Mom Wilson. She is known as Healer to her protective detail. Her spouse calls her the Boss. She is known to be the anchor for the evacuation command. Simply put Lady Wilson, the lifemate of Lord Michael Aaron Wilson, Knight Commander of the Earth Empire, and Marshal of the

Trena Constabulary, is a Lady's lady. Good Evening Lady Wilson."

"Good evening Mr. Least." Lisa said, "Your words flatter me."

"All true though," The interviewer said. The people of Trena saw a slight blush cross her step mother's face. "Is it true that you are a bioengineered person?"

"Yes I am a delta clone, manufactured by EBio forty eight standard years ago on a small world on the frontier." Lisa replied, "Named Holly."

"The Delta clones are the top of the line models are they not," Least asked.

"We are created for perfection. Each of my brothers and sisters, all two million or so of us have been designed to have the highest intelligence, perfect bodies, the AO model of which only two thousands of us exist were specially designed for special abilities. I was designed to be a healer. I have an aptitude to learn medicine and such." "Are you a doctor of medicine?" the interviewer asked.

"No sir," Lisa said, "In the Earth Empire the best I could be was a therapist, but not a professional. Imperial law prohibits clones, from being professionals, though our

contract holders often used us as professionals in hospitals and such."

"Isn't that how you met your husband Lady Wilson," Least asked.

"Yes. His mother had been severely injured during a combat operation." Lisa replied, "The Interstellar Rescue Service hired my contract, as they needed a better therapist than they had on station. I went to live with the Wilson's I was only about twenty three standard years old then."

"Legend surrounds that time." Don Least said.

"Legend," Lisa asked.

"Yes," the interviewer returned, "It was said that was when you bonded with your husband, Lord Wilson that he was never the same after you left."

"I wouldn't call that legend, Mr. Least," Lady Wilson replied with a sad look on her face, "It was a time of great happiness in our lives. Afterward it was a period of great sadness. To be honest after I was removed from the station and forced to work with a containment team, I wanted to be with Michael. I secretly hoped he would find me and rescue me."

"Containment team? Isn't that is one of EBio's Security teams," Doug Least said.

"That's what the company calls them," Lisa said, "But they are nothing more and nothing less than legal terrorists. They are charged with finding, capturing and bringing bioengineered people back to their owners, or to assassinate them. Often as gruesomely as possible!"

"You were part of one such team," Doug asked thinking he had gotten the goods on the woman.

"For less than six months," Lisa replied, "I escaped from them after I found out that one of the team members had killed my husband's father. I had to leave the squad in a hurry!"

"Why is that," the interviewer asked.

"Since the marines couldn't touch the squad and render justice I did." Her step mother replied, and Jill saw her mother look away from the interviewer. The lighting changed so that it put her in the shadows a bit and highlighted her lower face; making her look sinister.

"What did you do?" The interviewer asked.

"Mr. Least," Lisa looked the man squarely in the eye, "I will not talk any more about that."

"But Lady Wilson, we the people have the right to know..." Mr. Least started, but a commotion off camera cut him off as they went to a commercial.

When they came back Mr. Least had changed his questions. The lighting had changed so that it fully lighted her step mother without it making her look sinister. Jill suspected it had something to do with the sudden commercial.

"When you escaped from the containment team, EBio put a bounty on your head for your return. This forced you underground." Mr. Least commented, "You were underground for what almost twenty standard years." "Yes," Lisa said.

"There are rumors, and rumors of rumors of that time. It is hard to separate fact from fiction." Least commented, "Is it true that you were the only midwife to several hundred women on a Theocracy ship?"

"More or less," Lisa said, "I had heard that this ship was heading for one of their colony worlds. The ship was a small passenger ship, and it needed a medic to meet the conventions. All of the women were joining their husbands, who had gone before them a few months before and were now ready for them. Unfortunately the master of the ship couldn't find a physician to travel with them. I allowed myself to be purchased by the ship. I watched over the women and the ship's crew on our three month voyage to Homage. I helped to birth 110 children. I lost only one woman, as she wouldn't let me touch her, as she thought I was an unclean harlot of Satan. Ironically when we got to Homage, their elder's wife helped me get away. She and the other women set the law down to their men, who distracted and delayed Captain Hozenbur so I could get away. I owe those women my life."

"Sounds kind of mutual," Doug had heard the story but thought it was rumor. "What was this I heard about you being a governess? Isn't that kind of out your line as a healer?"

"Not really," Lisa smiled, it was one of the better times she had on the run, "I had heard that the King of Rico had a son that was driving the palace staff nuts. They were hunting someone who could teach this kid. He had run off several dozen governesses, tutors, his protective detail was making bets on who would kill him first, his father, or one of them. I needed a job, and I knew that I was only going to be around long enough for Hozenbur or the company catch up with me. I knew though, that I would be living in the palace being this kid's tutor and governess that the palace protective detail would more or less keep the company away from me. Rico was also one of those worlds that the ruling families hated the company. It had something to do with a couple of so called rouge biopeople who assassinated a couple of them. They were actually containment people sent to teach Rico a lesson. They didn't like the company, and they were suspicious of biopeople, but they weren't above using us for certain things. They would also not turn us into the company if they knew we were on the run.

"So to continue on, the kid was a mess, he was about sixteen, and he thought he could just yell at people and they would do what he told them. He was disrespectful to everyone. His mother had died a few years earlier. He was an only child and he hadn't learned how to get along with people. More so since he was not just the heir apparent; but the kingdom's only heir." Lisa continued on. "I moved into the palace, eventually into a room off his rooms. He thought that since I lived in the palace and lived almost in his room I was to be his concubine. He found out in a hurry that wasn't going to happen. The first time he tried to bed me he found out what it was like to be tossed around like a rag doll. He tried to get me fired; but his father looked at me, then looked at his son and said, 'Miss Lisa, don't kill him, but if he steps out of line do what you have to! Oh here's an extra hundred for the lesson you just taught him.' needless to say Timothy wasn't too happy! Then the protective detail started taking bets as to how many more such lessons I would teach. It turned out to be like the fairy tale of My Fair Lady. I stayed with him three years, teaching him not only how to be a gentleman; but how to earn the respect of those around him. I introduced him to Queen Jasmine. She is a classy lady! Their first child is named after me."

"You mentioned a Captain Hozenbur," the interviewer asked, "Isn't she the EBio officer who is gunning for you?"

"She is." Lisa replied. Jill was curious how her step mother was going to answer that question. Her mother didn't avoid talking about Hozenbur; she just didn't like talking about her.

"Why?" Doug asked.

"I escaped from a company containment and alignment team she ran. These teams were supposed to work inside the company to prevent company officials from doing harm to the company. Things like selling company secrets. Back room deals for selling clones. Or anything else a company executive might do that he didn't want the board to know about. At first there were two types of containment teams. One was a deep cover team that went into a troubled Ebio operation and ferreted out the things the company execs at the operation were doing. Sometimes they took aggressive operations. Such as terminating employees violently. Sometimes just a quiet conversation with the offending employee, other times an employee's spouse disappeared. It was always done low key; but the company employee knew what had happened. Then there was the company police type of containment team. These people came in very publicly. They were the arm of the CEO. When they came in they could do anything they wanted. Well Hozenbur is a crossbreed. She worked both undercover and in public. Later when more and more of us were escaping from Ebio, or the people who had purchased our contracts, she headed a third type of team called a Runner Team. Her job was to capture the runners, like me, and then in a very public way, show my fellow biopeople who had not escaped, what happens when you tried to escape.

"Well a few years back I had helped a couple hundred or so developmentals, as we call children, who were being sent to Pleasure escape. They were destined to be prostitutes. None of them were over the age of twelve standard years old. They were sending children as young as nine to be sexual toys." There was venom in her voice, "I couldn't let that happen so I got aboard as a helper. What I didn't know was that Hozenbur had set me up. You see I had been on the run ten years at that time and Hozenbur still wanted me. She was still very angry that I had killed one of her team members and ad escaped from her team. The company security apparatus wanted me back for a couple of reasons. Mostly though because to date I was not the only the most successful runner they had ever come up against; but one to thwart some of their operations.

"I didn't know this." Lisa continued, "All I knew was that I wasn't going to let these young children be sold into sexual slavery. So mid-way to Pleasure I made my move. When I did Hozenbur, who had been shadowing the ship, boarded. There was a pitched fire fight. She was so intent on getting me, that she killed other company personnel, including a couple of people on her team. She killed several of the children. I finally got her cornered in a life pod. The transport's captain was going to let her stay in there until we made port. But I said hell no and ejected the pod when we came out of hyper. I truly hoped I had killed her. Anyone who would kill children is not a human being. I thought I was exterminating vermin!" Lisa said with passion, "I don't know who rescued her or how? I don't really care. I hope that the authorities arrest her soon. She is a menace to peaceful people."

"You're full name is Lisa, 1984 OAP," Doug asked. "What do the letters mean?"

Lisa frowned for a second as if she didn't want to discuss it. You could tell by watching that she didn't like it; but in the end that she didn't have any choice in the matter.

"I was the one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-fourth product, to be produced from the last genome group of the alpha lot. The sierra means surrogate. I was specifically designed to bring to full term human babies. It was thought that our contracts would be sold to such families that couldn't have children the old fashion way and wanted someone to surrogate for them. As part of the design, we were given the best genes for health, longevity, intelligence. Everything a genetic designer thought would help sell the product. We were considered perfect beings. We are based on the Delta Clones, who were designed to be perfect beings. Unfortunately when we were created the company bioengineers messed up. They couldn't sterilize us like Terran Imperial law demanded as then we couldn't carry children. So we were literally born almost pregnant. Thankfully, though we can only be made pregnant by a male clone of our same genome, or by artificial insemination." Jill caught Lisa looking away from the camera catching her lie. Jill knew better. Lisa had told her more than even she had her father. Lisa was concerned that her very public pregnancy might cause problems for biopeople who had escaped from production worlds. They were anything but sterile.

"You are pregnant now." The interviewer stated.

"Yes," Lisa said and saw a way to help her fellow biopeople in the future, "This is mine and Michael's second and third child."

"Is your husband a bioengineered human being," The interviewer asked.

"Not in the sense he is bio engineered." Lisa said, "His mother, one of the heirs of the original founders of EBio did do some genetic engineering to ensure her son had a certain look, things that parents have been doing for centuries. Now when you consider that the human population is now over several trillion galaxy wide it isn't much of a stretch that one of those trillions might have the ability to get us pregnant."

"I see," Mr. Least said. Mitch commented to herself, that she didn't think Least knew where to go from where he was. "So he is that one in a trillion?"

"Oh yes!" Lisa said with a dreamy expression on her face, continuing with softness in her voice, "He is definitely one in a trillion."

The girls who were sitting with Jill saw the look on her step mother's face and knew without a doubt what their commander's mother thought of her husband.

"Lord Wilson," Least said, "actually retired from the Imperial Marine Corps to be with you. This is almost straight out of romance novels."

"Yes," Lisa blushed, "it would seem so."

"Huh, huh," someone murmured. Jill couldn't tell who said it.

"He found you in his brig?" Least asked, "How did you wind up there?"

"It's kind of funny," Lisa smiled, "seven years ago, maybe not that long ago, I needed to be gone. I needed to be underground, and out of sight. Some place Hozenbur wouldn't think to look and I could do something meaningful. So I signed on with the Imperil Space Navy Medical Corps. Not the IRS. I got through basic, then the Navy decided with my history, that I didn't need to go through medic school, and assigned me to a small patrol boat as a corpsmen. That suited me. It was a small boat. It had a crew of thirty. I kept them healthy, and bound their wounds for about a year until my competency caught up to me. My C.O. and the Surgeon General for the area both recommended me for O school.

"Well I tried to refuse but one of the chiefs sat me down and read my beads like only a good chief can and convinced me to accept the offer." Lisa continued, "So I packed my space bag and started toward Earth where I was going to attend a ninety day wonder school. It was while I was on the transport, I heard that Michael had just been made a Knight Commander of the Empire. I had never tried to find him, or let him know I was alive."

"Why was that," Least asked.

"I didn't want Hozenbur to kill him." Lisa answered, "That animal would do just that, will do that if she thinks she can get away with it. Besides he had married years before and I wasn't going to mess with that. So I learned that Michael was now a Knight Commander and that more or less closed the door on us. A Knight Commander could not be involved with a biowoman. It would bring too much scandal to the Court of Columbus.

I knew Michael or thought I did. So I made up my mind we couldn't be.

"While I was on my way to the Maverick Academy, the Naval Investigative Service did a back ground check on me. They took my application and vetted it. They found out that I was a bioengineered person."

"But didn't they know?" Least asked, "I would have thought a simple DNA test would reveal that!"

"Well it would have if I hadn't messed with my original enlistment physical. I also had died my hair and changed my appearance to not look like a Delta bioperson. I had to do this, as biopeople are not allowed to serve in the imperial military." Lisa replied with some venom, "I didn't get a chance to mess with the results of the physical they gave me prior to my departure to Earth. The physical happened literally moments before I had to leave to get to the transport taking me to Earth. I was booked on civilian transport all the way to Earth. A doctor on Shortfall, where I was sworn in and processed for the Maverick Academy, processed the physical results had no choice but to tell the MPs. The warrant reached Earth several days before I arrived, and was waiting for me when I signed in at the

Maverick Academy."

She took a sip of water. Gathered her thoughts for a second then continued. "So when I reported to the Academy, the in processing clerk saw that my name was flagged for the MPs. He called the provost who sent an MP to pick me up. Sergeant Bren, who was the MP who arrested me, knew who I was immediately. She escorted me to the brig. Apologizing all the way! Sergeant Bren was one the MPs that my husband had trained over the years, and knew of me. I hadn't realized that he kept a photo of me on his desk in his office. Bren escorted me to the Capital Marine Corps Brigade's brig. It was where Michael found me."

"You didn't try to escape in route." The reported asked.

"Why?" Lisa replied, "If I escaped from Sergeant Bren she would be given a reprimand for letting a prisoner escape and besides I knew that within a short period of time I would get a bad papers discharge and be out of the military. It didn't make sense to cause any trouble. Besides I knew how the sergeant's network works. I knew that even if I could not be with Michael, he would make sure he saw me."

"So he found you in his brig," Least asked. "What was that like?" She smiled and asked, "Before or after he read my beads?" "Kind of angry at you huh?" the interviewer asked.

"You might say that," Lisa chuckled, "Everyone has a picture of a marine NCO being loud, noisy and profane. That his profanity could blister paint. Michael didn't raise his voice. He didn't use one piece of profanity. Yet he let me know how stupid I was. How incredibly lucky I was to be in his brig. Etc etc. Then he yelled at the guard to see that no one disturbed him for a while. Opened the cell door and well he let me know how much he missed me. Over the next few days we filled in each other of what we had been doing for the past few years. I didn't know he had lost his wife in child birth, and that he had a daughter who lived with Admiral Wilson. I also learned that he was retiring from the marines because of his heritage being a Hazelton."

"So you weren't the reason he left the marines?" Least asked.

"No," Lisa answered, "He had just started the process when I was arrested! It was nearly perfect timing on my part. Or so I thought!

"One day he and the JAG assigned to me came into my cell to inform me that the company in the person of Captain Hozenbur requested that I be released to her. The JAG said he had no other recourse; but to do that. I had been allowed access to both counsel and a legal library, both Military Law and Civil Law. The young officer was correct Imperial Law required that as I was the property of EBio that I had to be returned to the company forthwith. No one liked it; but there was nothing we could do about it."

"Is that when the Marshall broke you out of the brig and came to Trena," Least asked.

"Yes," Lisa replied, "He had already turned in his papers. His mother had died and left him her entire estate. When he found Hozenbur was coming to collect me, he turned

his fortune over to his daughter Jill, and left the Empire with me." "So the Marshal is a wanted felon on Earth," Least asked.

"Technically no," Lisa responded knowing she had just messed with the reporter's hate campaign against her husband, "As a major stock holder of EBio, he had just recovered a piece of missing property. He was legally entitled to take me out of that brig on Earth, to return me to EBio."

"But you said you escaped?" Least said, "That implies that you were running away. That maybe someone wasn't too happy with that?"

"Well Hozenbur wasn't," The biowoman remarked, "She and Ebio Security's chief were much unhappy about this. If it hadn't been for some very special friends we wouldn't have made it to Trena."

"Anyone in particular," Least asked hoping he could find some dirt.

"Yes," Lisa said and looked directly at the man. "General Carroll Alphine of the Imperial Marine Corps, Sergeant Nancy Bren, Lieutenant Andy Toliver, and the crew of the Mists of Empire. We couldn't have escaped from the company without them. To all of you I say thank you."

Least looked at Lisa wondering where to go from here. He had suspected that he could rattle her and make her say something inflammatory; but she had been rock steady and cool. So he started on his next questions, "Some say that you have encouraged your husband to promote clones ahead of other people with more experience."

Lisa flashed over right then and there. Her step mother was not known to have a temper. Even her father had reflected that it took a lot to anger her. Now, Least had touched a raw nerve and her temper came to the surface, "Mr. Least, it is true that a good portion of the evacuation command staff is made up of bioengineered human beings, but so is our society. My husband's staff is made up of Thonians, Earth Humans, and people from The People's Republic of the Stars, defected Theocracy citizens and native born Trenans. All of them have two things in common, they are first and foremost citizens of this kingdom of which you are not, and secondly they have a strong desire to help the people of Trena escape the devastating destruction about to befall on our home. You on the other hand are not more than a pip squeak, who for some reason unknown to the Crown, the evacuation command, and the people of Trena, have been working against them since the evacuation was first announced. Your actions have almost; but not quite reach the level of treason. It is only through the good common sense of people like my husband, Queen Agatha and the other souls in positions of authority that you have not been asked to leave Trena. My husband among others may not like you; but he has said time and time again that freedom of press means just that. We have to let you say and do what you do so as to keep people like him in check. Now we don't like you, and I almost said no to this interview. I didn't want to wind up on your trophy wall."

"Get him mom!" Jill said softly. Mitch and Lamile heard her as some of the cadets yelled, "Get him Lady W. You go girl! "

Lamile who had been slowly acclimating to her duties as the deputy cadet commander spoke quietly to Mitch. "Think we can put a parade together for Lady Wilson?"

"I don't know major," Mitch said. "We haven't done that before. Shouldn't our first parade be for the Queen or the Marshal?"

"Let me think about it Mitch." Lamile said. "I wonder what Sergeant Millie would say?"

Lisa began to speak again getting both girls attention after she had collected her thoughts, "If you have a problem with the way that the evacuation is being run? Then say so in plain English. But don't make snide remarks and back stabbing comments."

There was shocked silence in the small garden. Then Mr. Least said, "It is true then that your husband has been allowing the press onto the evacuation flights, and has let them go anywhere beside his personal spaces."

"That's right he feels that his personal life is his own, and that his public life is public. The management of the evacuation is fair game. His personal life is not. He feels that all of us are entitled to some privacy. A privacy some of you in the press think we are not entitled to."

"Why are you here then Lady Wilson," The man asked.

"Mostly because I felt it was time and so did my family that the people of Trena know about me from me." Lisa said, "We wanted to end some rumors that were going on."

"I see." The man said then saw his floor director was telling him to wrap it up. "I am afraid that is all we have time for this evening Lady Wilson. Thank you, for talking with me this evening." He turned to the camera and said, "That ends Day One, for this week. Good evening."

# ###

"Sergeant Green may I speak with you," Mitch came into the office that the Sergeant was working out of the next evening. She was packing up to get over to General Alphine's office at Fletcher Militia Base, where she would be the night Duty NCO for the Imperial Marines.

"Sure Mitch," Millie Green said, "but you have to walk with me."

"The cadets want to have a parade in honor for Lady Wilson." Mitch said, "A couple of them have come up to me and asked if they could."

"A parade," Millie asked, then she got it, "You mean a pass in review with Lady

Wilson as the reviewer?" "Yes," Mitch said.

"Why didn't Colonel Wilson or Major Atomi ask?" Sergeant Green said getting into her jeep.

"Major Atomi wanted to do it; but wasn't certain if she should make the request." Mitch said. "She was afraid of the proprieties of her asking, and we haven't discussed it with Jill."

"Write up the request, and present it to Lady Hawthorne," Millie said. "I think we can make that happen. Oh why?"

"Sir she is an example that all of us should be." Mitch said, she had met Lady Wilson a couple of times over the last few weeks, and had spent a weekend with Jill at the palace. "Besides she is one classy lady!"

"That she is," Millie Green said starting her vehicle and leaving.

A week or so later Mitch in her full dress uniform presented herself at the public gate to the palace, "Cadet Sergeant Major Valerie Mitchum with a message for Lady

Wilson."

"Okay," the guard said. Sergeant Green had given the palace a heads up. They didn't know when she would show up; but the word was to treat her as a VIP. He called the Wilson residence and got Francine, "Cadet Mitchum is here with a message for Lady

Wilson."

"I'll be down in a moment to pick her up." Francine said. The personal secretary and aid to Lady Wilson left her office and got into one of the small electric carts that they used around the palace grounds. Soon she was at the gate. There she found cadet Mitchum standing at, at ease waiting for her. "Hello, you have a message for Lady Wilson?" "Yes Ma'am," Valerie answered.

"Hop in then," Francine replied and the cadet got into the electric cart. It was only a few minutes to the Wilson residence. Francine escorted the young woman into the study where Georgia and Lady Wilson were going over some photos they had taken earlier in the week.

Valerie came to attention, Georgia nudged Lisa who stood up and said, "Stand easy

Mitch. Are you here for Jill? Did something happen at the academy?"

It was then that Jill entered the room. Lamile had called her to let her know that Mitch was coming to the palace for a presentation and she might want to witness it. Jill had no idea what was going to happen. Her friend Lamile wouldn't tell her.

"Yes ma'am!" Valerie who had been carefully coached by Sergeant Green said. "I have a message from the Queen's Owns Royal Corps of Cadets for Lady Lisa Wilson." She handed the sealed envelope to Lady Wilson.

When the lady opened the envelop, Valerie said in a nearly conversational voice, "The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets request the honor, and privilege, of passing in review for Lady Lisa Wilson, wife of Knight Commander Lord Michael Aaron Wilson, the Marshal of the Trena Constabulary on Sunday next before midday rations."

Lisa was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She was fully aware of the honor that was being bestowed on her. Usually it was reserved for members of the alumni of the academy who had gone on to greatness. VIPs, or the Queen or the King, not someone such as her. A bioengineered human being. Deep in thought Lisa didn't say anything until Francine cleared her throat.

"Oh," Lisa said coming back to reality, "I would be honored and privileged to review the cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."

"We look forward to your presence." Valerie saluted turned on her heel and left.

"I'll take her to the front gates." Jill said.

In the cart Jill turned to her sergeant major and stated, "You kept this under your hat Mitch."

"I know." Mitch asked, "Mad at me?"

"No," Jill replied, "just want to know why?"

"I don't know if I can say it as elegantly as Gene said it." Mitch answered.

"Gene?" Jill said remembering the mast where Gene had been disciplined, "the same Gene who..."

"The very same," Mitch chuckling, she had been very surprised by Gene's statement, "but he said that Lady Wilson, because of what she did for other kids, and for other people, is the role model we should all be striving to follow." "Gene said that?" Jill asked.

"She is something special," Mitch continued, "but so are all you Wilsons!"

"But..." Jill said. But Valerie interrupted here, "Jill things just happen around you. But the cadets think an awful lot of you, your father, and the entire group of adults who are making things happening for us. Your father and mother have so much going on that for them to take time to help us is something special."

"But Mom hasn't done much," Jill retorted.

"She has done more than you think," Mitch replied, "She gave us our cadet commander, has made sure she is able to do her job, I saw how she looked after your father. I also saw the look on her face when Least asked her about your father. She is the one person who is not officially on anyone's staff but she does more for us than anyone else. I saw how she and your father are."

Jill was quiet she hadn't realized that Mitch was that observant. She was finding out more and more about her officers. Learning the same way cadet officers had learned since the beginning of time; by observing the work and behavior of their officers and cadets.

# ###

When Lisa showed Mike the request he was stunned as he commented, "You know

this is their first parade?"

"No! I had no idea," Lisa fully surprised, "Shouldn't this honor go to the Queen?"

"It should," Mike said, "But it's been decades since a military academy has had its first pass in review. The Trena Military Academy had their first pass in review three centuries ago."

That brought Lisa up short, then she asked, "But why all of this. The academy was just a device to keep these kids out of our hair. It wasn't designed to be a full-fledged academy."

"Things have a way of moving on their own." Mike replied, Joyce who was nearby chimed in, "they always do."

# ###

Next Sunday at 1100, the cadets began assembling for their pass in review. The cadet officers were inspecting their cadets ruthlessly. Jill was about to say something to Lamile when she noticed that Lamile was already saying something to her junior officers.

"Look! I know you guys want no mistakes when we pass in review." Lamile was saying to her officers, "I know you want the kids to look as good as Imperial Marines, but they are kids, just like you and me. We need them to be their best. Help them be the best by showing them; not by yelling at them. You have five minutes to get your guys ready to go. They are either ready to go or they are not."

"Yes ma'am," the cadet officers replied. Rhonda who was still adjusting to being a company commander nodded. Since they had gotten to the academy she hadn't seen much of Lamile; but when she had it had been to help get her settled in. She went to her company and did one more walk through, satisfied that the cadets were as best as they could, she made ready to move out. She had the first company. Jill, Lamile, and Mitch took their places in front the colors. Jill called, "Corps of cadets! Atten-hut!"

The entire corps of cadets nearly a thousand kids ranging in age from just about twelve to just about eighteen came to attention.

"Right shoulder arms!" Jill called and the sound of the cadets shouldering their arms was almost uniform. Only one or two cadets were a little later than the others. She looked up and saw Georgia quietly taking pictures of her cadets. Now feeling very self-

conscience, Jill called, "Corps of Cadets! Pass in review!"

With that command, Mitch called "Forward March. Silent Cadence!"

With that, the cadets moved out. The only sound was that of their foot falls on the walkway leading up to the parade ground. They filed into the parade ground that had been the old boarding schools main athletic field where they normally did their morning PT and roll call. As the colors passed the reviewing stand, where her mother, father, the Queen, and the adult officers of the academy sat in review Lisa stood up and placed her hand over her heart. The colors made one round of the parade ground and came to stand before the reviewing stand with Jill, Lamile, and Mitch standing attention. As the cadets filed pass her mother, the cadet officer in charge of each company called, "Honors Right! Hand Salute!"

When the entire corps of cadets was assembled, Jill with Lamile, and Mitch in unison approached the reviewing stand where Jill called in a clear crisp voice. "The

Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets reporting for inspection Lady Wilson!"

Lisa stepped down off the reviewing stand and walked with Jill and her party through the cadets. Several months pregnant she stopped here and there to talk with the cadets. She was very honored that these kids would do this for her. When she was finished reviewing the cadets she climbed back up to the reviewing stand, and spoke.

"Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. I am honored that you would hold your first parade and pass in review for me. I am humbled that you would choose me for this honor.

"As humble as I am that you, the first cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets would choose me as the person to inspect and review you," Lisa continued with mischief in her voice she continued, "I wondered why you choose me? Could it be that you wanted someone easy to fool? Who didn't know what she was looking at maybe? Someone who isn't say the Marshal, or the XO, or possibly General Qoum? Did you forget that my husband, is the Marshal, and my daughter is your cadet commander? So I have a good idea how to inspect you!" The brought some chuckles. "However since this was your first pass in review I didn't hand out demerits! However, Colonel Wilson and I will have an err conversation about the outstanding appearance of her cadets.

"Gentle souls of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets," she continued with a more serious tone of voice, "never forget that you are the first of a long line of young people who will make up the corps of cadets. That what you do from here on sets the precedence and traditions of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. Thank you for this honor of being the first to review your parade. It is the start of a fine tradition that I hope you will continue. I only ask that you never pass in review for someone who requests the honor, that you continue to choose who you wish to honor! Corps of Cadets! Dismissed!" With that Jill did an about face and called, "Corps attention!" The cadets came to attention.

"Dismissed!" Jill called and then walked to where her parents were standing.

"Jill," Her father said, "They looked really good."

"Thank you," Jill replied, "But if it wasn't for Sergeant Green and several of her cohorts we wouldn't look that good."

"Well they did most of the work," Sergeant Green dressed in her splendid marine dress uniform came up. "But they look good Colonel Wilson." "Thank you Sergeant," Jill said.

"The cadets have the afternoon off." Lady Hawthorne said, "Would you care to dine with me?"

"That would be fine," Lisa said, "Let me tell Maggie..."

"Uh Lisa," Lady Hawthorne said, "She already knows!"

"I see," Lisa said, she turned to her mother in law, "I thought that the sergeant's network was military only!"

"I guess not," Joyce said, "I always did wonder how my noble friends managed things."

With that they went to the house that had at one time belonged to the school's head mistress but now served as Lady Hawthorne's quarters.

# ###

Though Jill was busy with the academy, she was never too busy to catch the news. She made a point to listen to a news cast at least once a day. The evacuation still continued on. It was amazing how isolated the academy was from what was going on around Trena. Her father had reluctantly decided that the cadets couldn't be of use to the evacuation force. It was getting too raw. She watched a news report of a food riot in one of the small towns. She saw with mixed emotions the death of Lord Ramsey. Duke Horton, who had been questioning everything about the evacuation, had criticized the pass in review for her step mother. The evacuation command was making great progress of getting people off world. About twenty-five million people had gotten off world so far. Ten million had gone to other worlds and around fifteen million people to Home. The news reports from Home were both grim and not so grim. She had seen the episode where a couple of nobles had tried to take over on Home, but the people hadn't wanted them. She had read with great interest where a woman named Suzy Gabriel had talked down a Lord Jenkins. Now as she studied with the Holo on, she heard that the people of Home were starting to talk about forming a government. She wasn't too concerned about it as the contract she signed with the Crown allowed exploration of Home and administration by crown representatives. She was almost certain that when it was all said in done that her family would still own a portion of Home in trust for the people of Trena but they wouldn't be the rulers of the planet.

The news media was reporting the fallout from her mother's interview. It was being felt inside and outside of the Empire. The interview had given the Empire what it needed to start reining the company in. As the Empire began to round up the company officers, those persons who the Imperial Bureau of Justice felt had committed crimes against humanity, were getting more and more people to turn states evidence. Princess Carroll was received briefings from Emperor Maxell of Earth with every courier from Earth. She had been home when the Princess had brought in two sealed imperial decrees that had come from the Court of Columbus. She was with Lady Gray. They had asked to see her parents.

"By order of his imperial majesty," The Princess General began, "Maxwell, Emperor of the Earth Empire, Michael Aaron Wilson the third, Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant of the Imperial Marine Corps, Knight Commander of the Empire is here by pardon for any and all actions he may have committed on behalf of the Imperial Earth Empire."

Princess Carroll handed the decree to her father. She then turned to Jill's step mother. Smiling deviously, as she began to speak.

"Lady Wilson," the princess said, "Raise your right and repeat after me."

Lisa looked at heir then to her mother in law. Her mother in law was dressed in her Interstellar Rescue Service uniform. She obviously knew something was going on. Her grandmother had not worn her uniform except on Fleet Day, for the last three years. Joyce nodded. Lisa did as she was asked.

"I, Lisa Wilson Clone Delta 1984 Alpha Omega Sierra," the princess began, and Lisa repeated what the Princess said, "Do solemnly swear to protect the people of the Earth Empire against all enemies foreign and domestic. I swear to obey the officers placed over me and to carry out such duties assigned to me to the best of my ability. Having sworn no other oath or affiliation to any foreign government I freely join the Imperial Marine Corps." "What going on Carroll," Mike asked.

"Well my father has decreed that Lisa be inducted into the Imperial Marines." Princess Carroll said, "Now to continue. Based on your service to the Empire attempting to bring justice to individuals that have suffered at the hands of the Corporation known as Earth Biologicals, I as commandant of the marine corps do hereby promote you to the grade of Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Imperial Marine Corps Black Guard."

With that she uncovered a plague that had Lisa's name and grade on it with the insignia of a Master Gunnery Sergeant. On the plague was the seal and crest of the Black Guard, a laser gun, and knife held by space suited eagle, a ribbon in the bird's mouth with the inscription, "we pay the price of freedom so others can remain free." Under the crest was her date of grade. Lisa looked bewildered but accepted the plague from her friend as Georgia quietly took some pictures.

The Princess continued, "By order of his imperial majesty Maxwell, Emperor of the Earth Empire, Lisa Wilson, Clone Delta 1984 Alpha Sierra, Master Gunnery Sergeant of the Imperial Marine Corps, is here by pardon for any and all actions she may have committed on behalf of the Imperial Earth Empire."

She handed the pardon to her. Then turned to Lady Gray, the ambassador to the court of Trena, who took out the final piece of paper, "Lisa here is your retirement papers.

Please sign it at the indicated spot and you will be retired from the Imperial Marine Corps." Lisa signed the paper work and handed it to the ambassador.

"Now will you tell us what's going on?" Lisa asked.

"After my father saw your interview he had a conversation with the JAG, and the Attorney General. They decided that they had to protect you from imperial law enforcement authorities and from civil suites. That's why Mike got his pardon. We decided to make you an imperial marine so that everything you did while on the run could be said to be under the auspices of the Black Guard. Since those missions and assignments can be very black, no one needed to know that you were actually on them. Since you have nearly twenty years of service to the empire, we couldn't let you be anything less than a Master Gunnery Sergeant, and then since Mike had retired we thought you wouldn't want to remain in service. The pardon was to give you the same immunity that Mike has."

Lisa smiled and said, "Gee, I might have wanted to stay a marine!"

"I am not sure that the marines could deal with two Wilson's being Master Gunnery Sergeants." Joyce commented.

"Me either," General Alphine agreed.

"Oh Lisa," Ambassador Gray said handing Lisa a pay card. "Here is your back pay and your first retirement check."

"You can't be serious!" Lisa asked.

"Oh I am afraid she is," Princess Carroll said, "With interest."

"But I don't need it!" Lisa exclaimed, "Mike's income and with the Crown providing our living expenses. We're in good shape."

"We looked into it Lisa and the AG and the JAG said that if we didn't' pay you we would put you in jeopardy." The ambassador remarked.

"How so?" Lisa asked.

"If we didn't pay you then the back ground work we did to cover your activities for twenty or so years would all be for naught." The ambassador answered.

"Wow Michael," Lisa interrogated the card via her implant and gave low whistle and said, "I might be able to keep you now!"

"That would be nice. Then I wouldn't have to work!" Michael said. "But seriously. Isn't there a charge of jail break and fleeing prosecution on both me and Lisa? As well as theft. Then there's Lisa's activities."

"The pardons are effective for anything you might have done." Princess Carroll said. "It includes all known crimes and anything you both might have done to save other's lives. Lisa's orders in particular cite she was to go as deep undercover as possible and that she was to hunt down and bring to justice the murderers of Marines and other Imperial personnel by people working on behalf of EBio. We have covered our bases very well and have made sure that no harm can come to you."

"Also," The Queen said, "You'll have a pardon from me to reinforce the Empire's. We have you both covered Michael, and Lisa."

"I hope so" Lisa commented, though she wasn't convinced. As it turned out though that would be the least of their problems.

# ###

"The repercussions of Lady Wilson's interview are being felt to this day," General Jones commented as they continued their discussions of Lady Wilson's interview, "the Queen's Home Emergency Response Team came about as a result of that interview. Today in this academy we have second and third generation of biopeople as students. Who have never known what it meant to have repay their creators for their very creation.

"As you will learn in other classes," the general continued, "This one interview changed the universe. Although many biopeople had been conditioned to never say anything about the Ebio Corporation, some biopeople who had escaped from either EBio or their contract holders started to turn states evidence in the Empire. Their testimony helped to bring the company down."

"But Lady Wilson's interview seemed almost benign," Princess Lisa commented,

"She didn't talk about the real evils of Ebio."

"What she did," a biogirl in the front of the class spoke up, "was to start the rebellion on a couple of planets like Trojack. When the company feared that Lady Wilson would be interviewed by the Imperial Bureau of Justice, they began to jump ship. Although the Empire suspected what the real mission of containment and alignment was, they couldn't do anything until Lady Wilson cracked the wall of secrecy a bit. It gave them a reason to swoop down into EBio headquarters on Earth and arrest the security contingent." "But it still didn't get Hozenbur," Someone commented. "No it didn't," the general replied. "No it didn't!"
Chapter 23: Help from a Strange Quarter.

"I have always been impressed with how my people came to help Trena," a young cadet, a biogirl from Trojack, was talking with a couple of cadets prior to the start of class, "The turmoil that my people were facing when the company left Trojack was amazing. Roy had been part of the shadows. He had been part of a group of biopeople who had been rebelling against the company on Trojack even before Lady Wilson's interview. When the company left Trojack, the planetary manager left Roy in charge. Yet with all the stuff that was going on; Roy sent firefighters, police officers, and other people to Trena to help the Marshal."

"Of all the people who helped us; the people from Trojack" The general had walked in on the end of the girl's statement, "helped us in a great time of need. They provided... well let me tell you their story...."

###

As she waited for things to start in the throne room Jill reviewed what had happen to bring her to the throne room with the honors platoon from the academy.

She had been called to her father's office and was surprised to see the Princess there, with the Queen, Lord Mercer and her grandmother.

"Jill," The Princess started, "This is Trudy. She is from Trojack. One of the worlds you own."

"Hello," Jill said not understanding what was going on.

"Hello Miss Jill," The woman a Gamma biowoman replied.

"Jill we talked earlier what might happen should the worlds you own want their independence." The Princess said.

"That's right," Jill said starting to understand.

"It seems that some company personnel ceded the world of Trojack to the biopeople living on it. The only problem is, that since they were not authorized to do that by you there is some question of Trojack's sovereignty."

"I see," Jill said then turned to the Galactic Council Representative, "Councilor, how do I let them have the planet."

"Do you cede control of Trojack to the people who live on that world?" the councilor asked.

"I cede my control of the Planet Trojack to the people of Trojack." Jill replied. Then realizing that she shouldn't be so fast to release the planet to just anyone she asked, "I assume that she has been checked out?"

"Yes," Lord Mercer replied, he had spoken with Kellogg earlier and had verified that Trudy was part of Trojack's underground.

"Miss Wilson," the gamma biowoman said, "We thought we would have to fight for our independence. We were certain you wouldn't give it to us!"

"Miss Trudy," Jill said softly, "All I have done is to give you a planet that your people run already. You'll have to fight to keep your independence. That may be a lot harder than me signing the planet over to you."

"It may at that," shocked that the young girl understood the dynamics of what was going on.

Trudy watched in awe as first the young girl before her and the Princess of Earth, and then the older woman who had said nothing during the meeting, signed the title of Trojack over to the people of Trojack. Jill handed the title of the world to her.

"Ambassador Trudy," The Galactic Councilor said, "The Galactic Council would like to send a representative to Trojack. We would like to start the process of Trojack joining the Galactic Council."

"That will be up to Roy," The biowoman said, "My mission is to help Queen Agatha get her people to safety. Roy was adamant that because Trena and her people have always been a safe harbor for my brothers and sisters during the company era that we need to help them."

The door keeper slamming his baton harshly down on the throne room floor brought Jill back to reality. She and her honor platoon were standing as part of the honor guard for the Ambassador of Trojack. She and the platoon came to attention as the door keeper called, "Presenting Her Excellency, Trudy, Clone Gamma, T500 -124 Y. The first Ambassador to the Court of Trena, from the Free World of Trojack." He slammed the baton down again, and stood aside to let the thirty year old, with the blonde shoulder length hair into the throne room. Queen Agatha, sitting on the throne watched the young woman approach her. This was the first ambassador to present her credentials to the kingdom since the beginning of the evacuation.

Trudy was a short husky and rather plain woman who vaguely looked like Lisa Wilson. There was a vague family resemblance. It surprised the Queen that a Gamma bioperson, a bioperson designed to be a sexual plaything, would be the representative to her court. This had surprised the Queen. She had expected a Delta bioperson, such as Francine or Lisa. Knowing that the Deltas were the top of the line, she assumed that the recently emancipated world of Trojack would send a delta as their ambassador. She was also greatly surprised that any world would present their ambassador to her, especially one who was in fear of being taken back over by EBio.

"Welcome to Trena," The Queen greeted the ambassador. Standing beside her was her Marshal, Michael Wilson, and her Foreign Minister Lord Kenworth. This was a special audience with the few ambassadors still on Trena, and a few handpicked nobles in the throne room including Duke Horton. Though getting smaller in number with so many foreign nationals having left the free world there were still some fifty ambassadors in the audience chamber.

"Thank you for allowing me to present my credentials your majesty." She stepped forward and stood three feet from the queen. She presented a parchment to the Queen that held her diplomatic orders and a greeting from Roy. As the Queen took the parchment she reflected that even in this day of electronics, computers and such, credentials and other official documents were committed to paper. Even such papers like parchment that been superseded by modern paper.

This was a mere formality. The credentials had already been presented in private to Lord Kenworth and the Evacuation Command earlier in the day. The Queen at first didn't want to hold this audience as she thought it was a waste of time. Jill had been in her father's office when Kenworth and Wilson both insisted that Queen Agatha should have it. Her father put it succinctly, "They are a newly independent world who may become a great trading partner of our new world. We don't want to alienate anyone at this time." Reluctantly the queen agreed to the audience.

"Thank you for coming to our assistance." Queen Agatha said bringing Jill back to reality, "Considering the turmoil Trojack must be in I find it unusual that your manager would send an expedition to Trena at this time."

"I found it strange also majesty," the young woman said, "but Roy put it to me this way. Trena has always looked out for our people. Your people have always accepted my people. Not as escaped biopeople; but as human beings. You have accepted our people into your culture, and society. Most, if not all have become citizens of Trena. You didn't turn your back on our people when they came to Trena in need, so how can we on Trojack turn our back on you in your hour of need. My mission, your majesty is to assist you in getting every last mother's child off your world. The people of Trojack are at your service."

"The people of Trena welcome your assistance Madame Ambassador." Queen Agatha replied. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Trena Diplomatic Corps, and the Court of Trena; I present to you the Ambassador from Trojack." The Queen stepped out of the throne, and stood with the biowomen in the reception line. It was a little intimidating to stand with the ruler of a world and be presented to diplomats from across the galaxy. As a biowoman she might have been present at such gatherings but never presented formally to the nobles and upper class at court. Especially as a gamma clone she had been designed and trained as a sexual companion. She stood with the queen as she was presented to the diplomatic corps and nobles from Trena. The last people in line were Captain Kellogg of EBio's Containment and Alignment, who unbelievably was escorting an elegant looking delta biowomen.

Trudy bristled when she saw the notorious company officer. She turned to the queen and asked, "What is that man doing here? He's a closer from EBio!"

"Was a closer for the company," Marshal Wilson spoke softly, "Right now he is one of my special project officers. His current task is to hunt down and bring to justice, Captain Martha Hozenbur. He enjoys a crown pardon, and we have an understanding."

"I harm anyone he cares about," Kellogg injected, "there won't be enough left of me to blot."

"But he's a closer," The woman said, "How can you trust him?"

"Trudy how many of the clones you have in that three hundred man force are ex company security. Almost all," Wilson said, "Yet we are not going to sanction them or prevent them from stepping onto Trena. We think they may be of some help."

"Mr. Kellogg," Trudy said, "I have read your file, and I know what you did for the company. It's a good thing Lord Wilson is vouching for you. Or I would kill you where you stand."

Kellogg nodded, and it was time to say his piece, he didn't quite trust these clones. "My number one vocation and life's work is to see that the biopeople who have sought refuge on Trena never be apprehended by the company. My friends and I will start a storm the likes you have never seen if you turn out to be a bad actor."

"I see that puts us all on the same page," Lady Gray said pleasantly.

"Ambassador," Trudy replied, "can I meet with you at some time. I have a message for Maxwell and his justice department."

"What type of message," Princess Carroll joined her father's ambassador.

"As I was departing Trojack," The gamma biowoman spoke, "The security police were packaging several company officers for transport to Earth. They are being charged with crimes against my people in the Empire. I have a letter for your father asking his help in bringing these criminals to justice anywhere we can find them and try them."

"We will send your letter to Maxwell. On behalf of the Empire let me extend our heartfelt sorrow as to what has happened to your people over the years. I wish also to say that the Emperor has been working hard behind the scenes to stop the abuse to clones, and just couldn't get things to happen."

"I cannot tell you how many nights Dad and I have discussed how to free the clones." the princess said, "now with EBio's CEO helping to shut down the containment unit, and Lady Wilson's interview we have the best shot in years of helping you and your people."

Jill who was standing with her platoon witnessed the confrontation and wondered just what the bioperson had on Kellogg. She didn't know anything about him except that he seemed to be working behind the scenes to help find Captain Hozenbur. She also saw how the Princess handled the information and tucked it away.

Kellogg's statement sobered the biowoman from Trojack a bit. Then she looked to the tall and imposing figures of Lord and Lady Wilson who were standing with a tall Trena Mounted Patrol Officer who stood 10 inches taller than her. "Lady Wilson, on behalf of the people of Trojack, I wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to you and your husband for the courage you have exhibited over the years in helping our people. I also wish to offer my sincere condolences on the death of your father Marshal. He, like yourself, has a special place in the bioengineered community."

Wilson was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Thank you."

"I guess I should mingle," Trudy said, as Francine, Kellogg's companion came up with a drink for Kellogg. She just couldn't believe that a biowoman would be seen with a closer. Especially Kellogg!

"Come along Kell," Francine said. Seeing the puzzled look on the biowoman's face, she spoke to the woman from Trojack, "You don't have to worry about Kell. He's quite a reformed closer. He has done almost as much as Lady Wilson has, to make sure our people don't come to grief."

With that the couple walked away from the party, Kell taking Francine's arm. Shortly Trudy was wandering through the crowd. Her mission had several parts to it. One of them was to make diplomatic contact with as many diplomats to begin Trojack's entry into the community of Star Nations.

# ###

"Lady Hawthorne," the school mistress intruded into Lady Hawthorne's quiet review of the grounds. She was enjoying a quiet stroll by herself. Her kids were somewhere about being entertained by the cadets or being looked after by her kid's nanny. She looked around the grounds amazed at the progress that was being made by the cadets, and all the adults who were spending time at the school. A day didn't go by when some off duty group of Militia men, Imperial Marines, Imperial Space Navy, Interstellar Rescue Service or Thonian MPs, came in and helped out. Occasionally someone from the palace staff would show up. But what was interesting is that they seemed to know when they were needed and what they could do for the school. She had a good idea who was making things happen.

She didn't know how Sergeant Millie was getting it done. But she was. She spent a lot of her off duty time at the academy. She had managed to wrangle a transfer to Princess' staff so she was on Trena and didn't have to commute between the planet and her ship. She had even conned the navigator off her old ship to teach a math class every day. A librarian from the House of Commons had begun teaching a history course, a couple of Combat Engineers had started up a shop class teaching the kids how to work with tools. And of course every retired imperial marine or militia man on the planet seemed to be on the place teaching what they could and what it means to be in a military unit.

She hadn't thought the kids would be happy about all the discipline, and all the school work that was coming at them. But they thrived on it. Many of the kids had never received much attention from the adults in their life. The adults at the school were lavishing attention on the kids, and the kids were responding. Even a couple of the hard case kids that had been one step from juvenile hall, were working hard to stay in the corps.

It amazed her that the kids were coming around like the way they were. Now as she walked the grounds in quiet meditation, enjoying the results of her hard work and the hard work of the people who had bought into this super project of hers she was interrupted by the schools AI.

"Go ahead School Mistress," Delores answered.

"We have a landing craft in bound with twenty five fire fighters aboard. The Crown wants us to house them." The school mistress responded.

"Why us," Delores asked, "I know we got the room, but certainly there is some place else they could house these guys.

"Ma'am some of these guys are not that much older than our cadets and they shouldn't be that much trouble. They'll be mostly a self-contained, I had a long conversation with EmerServ, the fire department's AI, and I am happy they won't hurt my children." Lady Hawthorne snorted over the use of "my children" by the School Mistress, "In fact it might be nice to have these young people on the campus. We have a lot of adults in uniform but no young adults who have been cadets or like cadets. They could be a good resource to Colonel Wilson, and Major Atomi."

"Okay tell the duty officer," Lady Hawthorn replied, "Advise Colonel Wilson of the arrival so her officers can deal with the situation. I'll walk over to the landing pad."

When she got to the pad, a squad of cadets had formed up to offer honors to the arriving fire fighters, as well as an NCO from the Navy, who was acting as flight line chief for the school this week. The landing craft came in and gently settled to the ground. The front ramp opened as the chief made sure the craft was safe, out walked twenty people. They were all wearing coveralls that had the legend of the Trojack Fire Department over their left chest. They walked to where Lady Hawthorne was standing, the oldest one, a young man of almost 25 spoke, "Mistress, we were told to report to a Lady Hawthorne, or a Colonel Wilson at the academy."

"I am Lady Hawthorne," Deloris said as the cadets came to attention, "one second please, come with me for a moment. Just you," Delores was learning fast the ways of the military. Millie had been a big help to her.

He walked with Deloris to where twenty cadets were standing at attention. He got it immediately and walked quickly down the line of assemble cadets, in awe. There were Terran humans and Thonians in that group. They were offering him and his people honors.

No one had ever offered them honors. Not in this fashion. Some of the firefighters had heroically saved lives on Trojack; but none of his people had ever been honored in this fashion. Even from their fellow firefighters. The other fire fighters unconsciously fell into the same formation they did every morning when Army their captain, addressed them before their shift.

"Your developmentals look good miss," He addressed the developmental, not sure what the insignia on her uniform meant.

"Thank you sir!" the developmental responded, "Can my cadets assist you with your equipment and gear?"

He was speechless for a second; hoping Lady Hawthorne would help him but finally said, "Thank you. But it would be improper for me and my people to accept help from you."

"I understand sir," Mitch fired off a salute, and said softly, "Welcome to Trena sir. My cadets may be the first; but they won't be the last to say thank you for coming to our aid. If you need anything we can assist you with, we will be at your service. Squad! Hand salute!" The cadets came to attention and held it while Lady Hawthorne left the landing pad.

"All right cadets," the chief called, "get back to your duties. Sergeant Mitchum a moment please?"

"Squad dismissed!" Mitch called. The duty squad drifted back to their posts. Mostly back to study hall or the gym. One or two went up to the admin office where they sat studying, ready to be a runner for Lady Hawthorne's unit.

"Yes chief," Mitch asked after her squad was gone.

"You treat that man like an NCO." The chief said, "He's an engineer for the Trojack Fire Department. In case you are wondering, the apparatus officers are lieutenants, the station commander is a captain. He holds the same rank as a company commander. The Lieutenant holds the equivalent rank of platoon commander. The engineer is equivalent to a platoon sergeant."

Mitch nodded she would pass the word to her cadets.

"How much cargo do you have aboard?" the chief turned to the bioman who had reviewed the cadets.

"Not much," the fire fighter said.

The chief spoke to the bioman, "I've got a truck coming this way. We can load everything into it and take it to quarters."

"That would be nice." The bioman responded.

When the truck arrived at the landing pad, they backed up the truck and began loading the rest of clones gear. There were twenty boxes that contained the biopeople's turn out gear were put on first. They were followed by twenty five foot lockers, and twenty five duffle bags. Puzzled the chief asked where the other five kits were. He was told their officers, whose kits were missing, were with their officer's as they became familiar with the fire district they were being assigned to. Then of all things they loaded several musical instruments into the truck. The bioman shrugged, "Some of the older guys play fairly well."

Mitch who had nowhere in particular to be, was hanging out on the landing pad, helping a bit and talking with the people from Trojack, including one incredibly good looking young bioman. Something she wouldn't have done a few months before. She really didn't know what was coming over her. She saw the instruments. She helped the clones load them, as they loaded a guitar, the chief nodded to clone.

"Well everyone needs stress management," The chief replied, "I prefer poker but alas sometimes that can be stressful."

"But teaching youngsters not to bet a pair against a full house can be exceedingly profitable." the bioman smiled as they latched the tail gate on the truck. The chief replied,

"Exceedingly profitable."

A few days later Mitch while on her rounds as the duty sergeant found a couple of the clones playing their instruments in the Look Out, Mitch was very tempted to join them. If it had been near the end of her duty shift or had she not been on duty, she might have joined them. Provided no one was recording her. Although she had been a little upset at the School Mistress for distributing their recording, she had gotten over it as it was quite thrilling to have a recording being heard around the kingdom.

# ###

"The people of Trojack provided not only man power," General Jones was wrapping her class, "They provided us with several large ships. They were used to transport some very special people. Artificial Intelligences. Many of the AI's could not immigrate to other worlds, and Home was not built up enough to have many AIs. Some AI's were so part of Trena that they couldn't leave. DefConnie the AI that ran the kingdom's defense infrastructure couldn't be moved. Others like the Trena Space Control AI was moved to McKay and is still controlling space traffic around the Trena System.

"Many were able to be evacuated," General Jones continued, "Many are still in stasis to this day."

"General," the girl from Trojack spoke up, "Wasn't the Trojack Hostage Rescue

Team one of the groups Trojack sent to Trena?"

"Yes they were," General Jones answered the question, "and they became one of the heroes of the evacuation."

The bell rang and the general dismissed he class.

# Chapter 24: A Stretch of the Marshal's Legs

"Over the next few classes we will discuss one of the major incidents of the evacuation." The General said sitting on her desk instead of standing at the podium or behind the desk. "At this time the evacuation command had lifted almost three quarters of the people of Trena.

"Salvage companies were working around the planet salvaging what they could." The general continued, "We were getting word from Home how tough things were. People were living in the containers that had brought their goods to Home. We were not being able to keep up with the housing needs on Home. The crown reps were being ruthless when it came to using the planets resources to build homes. But there were now four factory ships in orbit and they were being fed by ships from Trena. But they couldn't keep up with it. But progress was being made in getting every last mother's child off Trena.

"In the middle of this the Marshal found time to do other things. It is amazing now that I think of it how he managed to be where he showed up." The general commented,

"Yet I learned more about leadership from him than from anyone else." "It started out as an ordinary day..." the general began.

# ###

It started out as an ordinary day. Lisa had prepared breakfast with Maggie for her family. She and Mike had compared their schedules. Mike wanted to get back to the palace to hear first-hand Lisa's doctor's report. He felt a bit guilty for not going with her. He had a full morning, with meetings with the Queen, As well as Bob Dupree from Boeing Space Works. Lisa was okay with him not going with her to the doctor, she sometimes like being alone with her doctor. Wilson then took Jill and Lamile to the academy. Both girls along with Mitch had stayed the weekend at the palace. Michael had made arrangement to do his morning run with the cadets. The cadets didn't know he was going to do this. Jill and he had planned it the night before. So dressed in his running clothes he took the girls to the academy and shortly before sun up he was standing on the quad with his daughter, her best friends, a couple of his protective agents and the school's NCOs. Wilson turned to one of his friends from the police academy who was the Academy's lead PT instructor and drill sergeant. "May I call your cadets out?"

"By all means Marshal," The man chuckled.

It had been a long while since Wilson had stood in the near dawn hours on a marine company's drill field, and called a unit to join him for PT. He wondered if he still had the voice to do what had once came naturally to him.

"It is now 0530, and your Marshal requires the presence of the Queens Own Corps of Kaydet to join him on the exercise field!" Wilson bellowed. He had refound his drill sergeant's voice.

The effect was nearly instantaneous. Out of the six dorms surrounding the quad, cadets of the Queen's Own Corps of Cadets flowed onto the quad. They formed up quickly and presented themselves to their officers and finally to Jill who snapped an about face and reported to her father. "Lord Marshal Wilson!" She called, "The corps of cadets are assembled. What is your pleasure Marshal?"

"I wish to stretch my legs this morning." Wilson said straight faced, "Would the cadets like to join me?"

The front rank of cadets answered for their commander, "yes sir!

"Then Sir Wilson, Marshal," and with devious grin his daughter quipped, "Daddy, my cadets would enjoy running you to the ground."

"Let's go!" Wilson called doing an about face and started out at an easy pace. As they passed the NCO barracks, the schools NCOs who lived on the grounds, were finishing up their morning roll call and the start of their own PT fell in behind the cadets. A few hundred yards on the biopeople from the Trojack fire department fell in behind the NCOs. As they ran through the grounds Wilson led nearly a thousand cadets, Black Guard, militia, and clones on their morning PT. And yes the cadets nearly ran him into the ground. He was used to running five miles a couple times a week to stay in shape; but he set a leisurely pace it would take him maybe an hour to run five miles. With the cadets nipping at his heels he ran the distance in almost 45 minutes. As they did their cool down walk, Jill and Lamile both walked without being winded. He chuckled remembering when he used to be able to put in that type of endurance and with a combat pack to boot.

"Well colonel, major, sergeant," Wilson said standing to one side as he let cadets pass him. "Your people look good. Thank you for letting me run with you."

As each company of cadets passed them they fired off a salute. He had expected that, and for the military to salute as they went by but not the company of firemen who dressed up their lines and as a unit did an eyes right and their officer saluted him. He was still getting used to the honors that were his because of his rank. He was still a little awed that he, a retired marine sergeant, would be entitled to the same privileges and honors of a general officer. It made him all the more conscience that he needed to do his job right.

McGregor came up with his car and waited quietly while he said his good bye to his daughter and walked to the car. Lady Hawthorne was waiting for him in the staff car.

"Delores," Michael said getting in the back, "You have done well with those kids."

"Thank you sir," Lady Hawthorne replied, "It's not what we thought I would be doing for you when I first approached you what six seven months ago?"

"No it certainly is not," he responded as his car began to drive to the main gates.

"I am concerned about all of these guys," Lady Hawthorne nodded to a bunch of young people walking to the mess hall who were not part of the cadet corps.

"So am I Delores," Marshal Wilson remarked, the children they had found and were still finding. "So am I"

"A couple of us have been talking," Delores turned to her boss, "hoping that the academy and the orphanage will become a crown institute on Home."

"I am worried about what will become of these kids when we get to Home," The Marshal expressed his concern as they approached the main gate. "I'll make sure these kids have a place on Home! These kids are our future. We have to do what it takes to make that future happen!"

"That we do," Lady Hawthorne replied as Mac stopped the car and let her out.

# ###

As Jill turned to walk back to her quarters to get out of her running clothes she spotted a young Gamma clone standing silently watching her and her officers. She had seen him with Kellogg a couple of times, she wasn't certain what he did with Mr. Kellogg. He seemed to report to Lady Hawthorne once or twice a week.

"Who is that?" Jill asked seeing the very handsome young bioboy.

"Now! Now!" Rhonda who was walking with them as they cooled down said. "I saw him first."

"She did," Mitch injected, as the young man walked over to them.

"Will you be able to get away tonight," the young man asked Rhonda.

"Yes," Rhonda answered, "But not to get off the grounds, I don't have duty, but the

Marshal has restricted us to the grounds it is getting too dangerous for us." "I'll see you later then," the young clone said as he left.

"Nice catch," Jill replied seeing Rhonda blush a bit.

"He is at that," Rhonda replied. She would never make her date with Stephen.

# ###

Her protective detail who normally lounged in the teacher's lounge with only Jenny standing post in the back of the class room, suddenly swarmed into the class room and took up positions near the door and the back of the room. Jenny went to the instructor and spoke into his ear, Sergeant Hanks, a retired Militia NCO was teaching the class. He turned and looked at the agent who just nodded.

"Colonel Wilson you are dismissed," the instructor said, "Colonel, my prayers are with you and your family."

"Thank you sir," Jill didn't ask what was going on. She just picked up her belongings and left with the protective detail wondering what was up. She knew something was up; but knew now wasn't the time to ask questions. They hustled her out to the quad where a landing craft was waiting light on gear for her. It surprised her that it was sitting on the quad not on the landing pad. When she was seated and secured, she asked, "What's going on?"

Before Jenny could answer they heard an explosion.

"Pilot! Get us out of here now." Jenny yelled as she turned to Jill.

"We have a Mountain Event." Jenny replied using the code phrase for a national emergency. It was the code phrase Jill had been taught to listen for, "we were instructed to pick you up and get you to the palace."

"We have an insurrection or something?" Jill asked.

Jenny's instructions were to get her charge to the palace, not to tell her charge that her step mother had been abducted and her grandmother injured. It went against everything she knew to be right, not to tell her. Jill was like a niece to her. That made her decision easier, "Jill, Lady Wilson has been abducted about twenty minutes ago,"

"Oh fuck," Jill cursed and got a stern look from her agent, "How's Dad?"

"Not certain," The agent said, "but he said to get you back to Serenity."

"Was any of the detail harmed?" Jill asked. There were a couple of agents on her step mother's detail that she liked. Georgia in particular.

"They used a stun grenade to take the detail down." The agent replied.

"Stun grenade," Jill said she had once suffered a stun grenade blast. She had been some place where she wasn't supposed to be, near a training area on Mars where the marines were having war games. They were not fun to suffer through. The killer headache would be around for at least a day. Then it dawned on her. Her step mother would have been hit with the grenade also, "Jenny, what happens when a pregnant woman gets hit with one of them?"

"Spontaneous labor if they are within the last month of their pregnancy," Jenny said, "But Lady Wilson was still a couple of months form delivery. She is a biowoman, and from what I know her type of biowoman is somewhat immune to those effects. It might not be fun but she shouldn't lose the children."

"Anyone else hurt?" Jill asked as the LC landed on the palace pad.

"Your grandmother," the agent said, "she was shot. I don't know more than that."

"Look!" Tom was point out the window where a pall of smoke was filling the sky near the academy.

"What the hell is going on?" Le'Gant, normally their driver asked.

Jill took her phone out and spoke into it, "Dad priority one," She told the phone. The phone would call her father's phone and even if it was shut off for a meeting it would come on. Seconds later his voice came on the phone. "You heard." "Jenny told me," Jill said, "Dad, are you at the palace?" "Yes. Where are you?" Mike asked his daughter.

"I am on the palace pad." Jill said, "Dad. Get your bones out here. Jenny, please tell the pilots to stand by to take us where grand mom is being treated."

"Aye-Aye," Jenny walked to the front of the landing craft where the pilots were.

"You're right. I'll be there in a minute." Mike replied.

"What about Abby," Jill asked.

"She's staying with Sally" her father answered.

In minutes the marshal with his detail, and personal assistant were on the landing craft, he stopped by the pilots and commanded "Take us to the Valliant."

"Aye," the pilot replied, "All stations combat lift!" With that the landing craft took off. As it sped to the orbiting hospital ship; four Space Air Superiority Fighters surrounded the landing craft. No one was going to get to the marshal and his family this time.

# ###

Near the old Trenaport Boarding School, the Evacuation Command was using a shopping mall near the school as an assembly point to evacuate people to the orbiting transports that would take them to Home. There was large crowd of well-wishers seeing people off. One of the well-wishers had walked away from the crowd to check out the large landing craft. He became fascinated by the landing gear. He found them extremely interesting. He felt the around one of the landing gear for a while leaving a small package. The man, part of a terrorist team sent by the theocracy, walked away from the landing craft his work done. He wondered why he had been told to sabotage this landing craft. By the time the landing craft was loaded the terrorist was several blocks away.

The landing craft carrying nearly five hundred evacuees suddenly exploded when one of its six landing legs encountered the package the priest left in its well. Although not a large bomb it was enough to cause the landing craft to crash and roll onto a small home.

Mitch had been searching for one of the little guys, who had turned up missing from the orphanage part of the school/academy. This was not the first time the kid had gone missing. Every time he had been missing, he had been found in an older couple's home just off the grounds. They usually called when he or any of the other children wandered into their home. No one knew how the kids were getting off the grounds. School Mistress was going nuts trying to find out how they were getting off the grounds. She knew there was a hole in her sensor net. There had to be. The kids were getting off the grounds somehow; but School Mistress had so far found no holes in her perimeter sensors. The kids would not tell them how they were getting off the grounds. They were eight, nine, and ten years old. So they knew how to keep a secret.

Mitch had just gotten to the home when the crash happened.

The landing craft had rolled when it crashed. Rolled right into the back of the home she was trying to enter. When she saw through one of the windows that part of the back of the house had collapsed. She didn't need any further incentive. She opened the door and went into the house to find the older couple in it. She found all them, including the little guy, all lying on the floor of the kitchen passed out. She quickly found that they were okay, just dazed. She decided that the little guy should go first. She picked him up putting him into a fireman's carry and took him out of the house. Once the kid was safe, she went back in and pulled the woman to safety. She laid the still dazed woman next to the little guy, and went back to get her husband. As she tried to get the husband to safety, he began to fight her. As she struggled with him part of the kitchen ceiling collapsed on her, knocking them both to floor. She brushed off the debris as she stood. Her right shoulder hurt like hell. She saw where the old man was. He was half buried under some of the ceiling debris. She quickly removed some of the debris and began to drag him out. Her shoulder wasn't cooperating. She couldn't put the old man into a fireman's carry as it was too painful. Instead she dragged him out of the house. She had almost got him to where the others were when she passed out from the pain. This is where one of the off duty Trojack fire fighter's found her with a piece of wood sticking out of her back. The next thing she knew she was in the school's infirmary with a worried Sergeant Green sitting beside her.

# ###

The landing craft landed aboard the Valliant about an hour after it lifted from the Palace pad. They were met by the ship's captain.

"Sir Mike," the captain greeted Marshal Wilson, "I wish you were coming aboard under different circumstances."

"So do I captain," Mike Wilson responded, "any news about Mom?"

"Admiral Wilson is still in surgery," The captain answered, "the chief surgeon is operating on her. It'll be a couple of hours before we know any more than she took a round in her arm and lost a lot of blood. She's critical but stable."

"Critical but stable," Mike replied. He knew that was not good news; but it was not bad news either. His mother was alive and in surgery. She wouldn't be in surgery if she wasn't stable. All he could do was find somewhere to wait until there was news about his mother.

"Marshal if you will come this way," The captain pointed to a hatch, "we have conference room set aside for your use."

"Thank you," Marshal Wilson replied.

They trooped to a conference room where a young ensign was assigned to stay with them. Liz, her father's secretary, captured a computer terminal and handled the com traffic that was still bombarding her father.

Hours later a softly spoken voice woke Jill up. "Marshal Wilson." "Keep your voice down please," Mike asked.

"Stephen?" She saw the young bioboy that caused so much excitement at the end of their run earlier that day.

"Hi colonel," The bioboy responded. "Kellogg sent me up to be with you." "Kellogg sent you up?" the marshal asked.

"Yes sir," The young gamma clone said, "He has some information for you. That he didn't want to discuss on the com. He didn't think the Evac would let him on the

Valliant; but thought I could get aboard."

"So he sent you," Her father stated, "instead."

"Yes, it's a message," the bioboy answered. "It was Hozenbur, Marshal," Her father nodded gravely at Stephan.

"She hasn't made contact yet; but as she didn't leave Lady Wilson behind, Mr. Kellogg has some hope that she won't be killed outright." Stephan concluded his message.

Her father gently got up and left. Jill could see the furry in her father's face. She had never seen her father that furious. She turned to the young clone.

"I hope I didn't make him angry at me?" Stephan turned to Jill.

"No," Jill returned, "You just confirmed what he suspected. He's mad at the situation. He's also very concerned about Mom. If we lose Mom I don't know if we won't lose Dad too."

"Oh," The young man said sitting down. "I am so sorry to hear about your mother. The Freedom association is trying to find her; but the witch who has got her, has gone to ground. But we'll find her Miss Wilson."

"Thank you," Jill said, "Would you give a message to Mr. Kellogg for me." "Sure!" Stephan replied.

"Please keep me informed of the progress you guys make. I want to be kept in the loop." Jill said.

"I'll let him know." Stephan said.

A few minutes later her father came in with the Chief Surgeon. "We have some news."

"Okay," Jill replied a little upbeat praying that being up beat matched her hopes for her grandmother.

"Your grandmother took hits in her right arm. The hits were through and through. One did hit bone and an artery. It bled a bit and that was what caused your grandmother pass out. She lost quite a bit of blood. But we have it under control and have cloned enough of her own blood to get her volume up. We have given her some nanobots. They will repair most of the damage that was done."

"How long do you think she will be here?" Her father asked.

"A week," the surgeon said, "We're going to keep her under while the 'bots are in. She is stable and she should recover 100%. She shouldn't have the problems she had twenty years ago. The damage is different and we've improved about tenfold." "Can we see her?" Jill asked.

"We have her in isolation Colonel Wilson," The Surgeon replied. "You'll be able to see her in a couple of days. We have quarters ready for you..."

"That's fine, but we'll be returning to the palace. You folks don't need me up here, and I have an evacuation to run." Her father said, "Ensign would you ask flight ops to lay on a bird to get us back home?"

"Uh Marshal," the ensign said, "The Elsy you came up in is ready to dock and take you aboard."

Her father asked, "Would you please tell the pilot we're ready to go home." "Will do sir," the ensign said.

Jill turned to Stephan and asked, "Do you need a ride?" "Yes," Stephan stated.

"Come along them," Marshal Wilson said as they walked to the flight deck.

# ###

It was the next day and Jill had stayed home from the academy hoping that they would find her step mother soon. She had been allowed to sit in on a briefing that Lord James held for her father, Queen Aggie, and Mylea. She could see the frustration on all of their faces. They were without a doubt at their wits end trying to find Hozenbur and recover her step mother. Now the next night she was sitting in the study trying to work on some school work so she wouldn't get behind when she was distracted by her father and her step sister.

"Dad, are you all right," Jill asked watching her father, where he was distractedly coloring with Abby. Normally he tried to sit with the child before she was put to bed, as often as he could. Sometimes he got home too late to do more than kiss the child good night after she had been in bed for a couple of hours. Sometimes the two of them went for a walk, or played some game. In some respects he was trying to make up from when Jill was growing up and he had to spend so much time away from her. Normally it was one of the best parts of his day. Tonight, the night after Lisa's abduction, she could tell he was getting little joy out of it. He looked up to his daughter not sure what to say.

He looked back to his youngest and then to the young protective agent who was sitting quietly by the study door ready to be of assistance to the family. "Sally would you see to Abby's bath?"

"Come on Little Bear," Sally said, "Let's get your bath."

"Will you tell me a story Aunt Sally," The little girl asked as they left.

"What would you like to hear?" Sally asked leading the child away.

Abby knew something was going on; but not what. They had told Abby that her mother was visiting a client on the other side of the planet, and she would be gone a couple of days. That would work in the short term, but not over time, Abby was a smart child for her age, and they would have to tell her. When her father had discussed the situation with Sally, Sally had agreed to the charade. Thinking the child wouldn't understand had happened to her mother.

"Let's take a walk Jill," Michael said standing up. "We need to talk." "Sure," Jill answered closing the book she was unsuccessfully trying to study.

They left the residence, and walked to the gardens. The gardens took up thirty or so acres in the center of the palace grounds. They were some of the most secluded areas in the palace, yet fully secure. Jenny walked a few feet behind them as they walked. As did Mac, her father's agent. Jill waited for her father to start, knowing he would have to do it his way.

"Jill, no I am not all right." Her father had turned and took both of her hands in his, "but there isn't a lot I can do about it. It is almost impossible for me to not join the search for Lisa. This may be the second and last time that I have lost her and I can't face that."

Jill said nothing, she had seen how close her father and step mother were. After her grandmother had chilled out and was talking to her again, she remarked on it to her. Her grandmother had nodded, not saying much only that her father had found that one special someone who had made it work for him. When she asked about her mother, her grandmother had said that her father had been in love with Killeen; but it was never the bond that Lisa and her father shared.

"Yet I must," her father continued, interrupting her thoughts after a few minutes, "face the fact that I might have lost her and that I have to go on. Hozenbur is one mean vicious witch. She is dangerous. I can't figure out what is going on with this. It makes no sense what she did. Lisa and Hozenbur have a history. Lisa has been associated with several of Hozenbur's failures. Hozenbur tried to kill Lisa a couple of times, and Lisa just survived, by out witting her. Dumped her into a life boat, and left her to die. For that and others Hozenbur wants her dead. When Lisa was seen on the holo with me that first night it told Hozenbur where to find her. I broke a promise baby. I promised never to put her or Abby in harm's way. And that's just what I've done. Put them into harm's way, and now you!"

"Dad," Jill spoke softly, just above a whisper, "Lisa and me talked about the danger. It was one of those nights when you were out with the troops and it was just me, mom, grand mom, and Lamile. She was so worried about you. Worried about all of us! She knew the danger she was in. Mom was afraid you were doing things to keep us safe, and not taking care of the business you needed to. She knew that this was the job that you were born to do. She was willing to take the risk so that the people of Trena got to safety!

"She knew that you had to do that and if she let you take her to safety she couldn't live with her self." Jill continued. "We just prayed that Kellogg would find Hozenbur before she could strike."

"Now what do I do?" Mike asked.

"Dad," Jill said sharply, "Lisa would say it maybe a little more politely; but she would, and you know she would say, Worry about me but get your ass in gear, you have a world to save now hustle your ass mister."

They walked for a while in quiet finally leaving the gardens, as they did Wilson turned to his daughter, "Yes, you are your grandmother's granddaughter. And Lisa would have my ass if I didn't finish this job. I can see that she is rubbing off on you."

Jill waked in silence for a bit and then said, "Dad I have had all types messages from the guys at school. They want to help."

"Jill it's too dangerous." he said as they began walking back towards the residence, "There is going to be death when Hozenbur's captured. She won't go down without a fight.

I can't and won't let your crew help."

"Dad some of my older cadets can ride along with the MPs and Mounties, we can do some of the jobs that are safe and will let some of your cops help with the search. My guys can direct traffic and walk security beats near the landing zones. Simple stuff that a handful kids can do with a little adult supervision," Jill pleaded. "Why can't we help out? My guys want to help. They know it's dangerous; but not as dangerous as the Long March that Lamile led. But Dad if they can relieve one Mounty or MP or Companion to help find mom then it is worth doing."

Her father walked in silence.

"Dad my guys want to help." Jill said, "We need to be of help and this is what the Queen had in mind when she created the corps."

"Lieutenant," Wilson turned to his aid, who had been walking with Jenny and Mac a discreet distance away.

"Yes Marshal," The young man said.

"I know I am supposed to be on leave; but would you get a message to the XO for me?"

The young man nodded.

"I want The Queen's Own Corps of Cadets to be assigned such tasks as befit young people with the Mounted Patrol, and the Companions. Tell her that some of these guys could be of use to General Langtree and that might put a few more bodies on the street. Under no circumstances are they to be put in the search for Hozenbur." Michael ordered.

"Aye-aye," the young militia officer replied. He noticed a change in his commander.

"And LT," the marshal said ruffling his daughters hair, "Be careful how you raise your children. If they are smart, they may argue you into logical positions you can't back out of!"

"Aye sir," the Lieutenant chuckled. Jenny locked eyes with her charge and nodded. Jill didn't know if Jenny was approving the way she had cooled her father out, or because of her suggestion. Whatever it was she knew that Jenny approved of her, and for some reason even with the grief she was feeling, that was enough. She had to help find her step mother. Her father wouldn't let her kids go hunting; but there was no reason they couldn't help out where her kids were not in danger.

# ###

"I have never seen Dad that furious," Princess Lisa was reading from the diaries again, "If the Princess and later Aunt Mylea had not cooled him out I think he would have left the business of the evacuation and began the hunt for mom all on his own.

"Later as he tried to be with us, I could tell his mind was not on what he was doing. I guess I wasn't either. I am so worried about mom," the diary went on, "I haven't been told the whole story about Hozenbur; but everything I have heard of her makes me very concerned if we'll get Mom back. If we lose Mom I am not sure that we'll be able to keep Dad glued together.

"He seems barely glued together." Jill had written, "Our walk together seemed to help a bit; but I have been starting to read him. He is deeply in love with Lisa, Mom. I hope when I finally find that person we are as close as Mom and Dad are.

"I was so relieved to hear grand mom is going to be okay," Jill wrote. "At first I didn't want to believe the surgeon on the Valiant; but later the palace surgeon made a point of sitting with me and Aggie for a special private briefing. He convinced us both that she would be okay. I realize that I can't lose mom, or grand mom. I wish I had told Mom how special I thought she was before she was kidnapped. I will make sure that grand mom and Mom know what special women they are in my life.

"I didn't know it at the time," the Princess continued to read her grandmother's diary, "but that explosion we witnessed near the school, was an effort to cause as much chaos as possible. That explosion almost cost me another person dear to me. Mitch had been injured in the aftermath of the explosion as she rescued one of the little guys, who had wandered away from the school, and the people who owned the home the landing craft had crashed into. Thankfully she wasn't seriously injured; but she was almost taken from me too. Almost three in one day. God I hope I never have to go through another day like today!"

Princess Lisa close the diary wondering how she would deal with her mother, grandmother and one of her friends being harmed or kidnapped the same way.

# Chapter 25: With the Cadets

"Considering how adamant Marshal Wilson was about not wanting the cadets in harm's way," the general began her class, "to this day I am amazed that he relented and let the cadets help out. But he did. I wish I would have seen the first part of their deployment." "Where were you General," The princess asked.

"I was in orbit." The general said, "I had finally got a lead as to where the AI was that I was trying to find was. So I wasn't on world when Lady Wilson was abducted. So I didn't see when the cadets were deployed, but I sure heard about it."

# ###

"What do you think Millie," Lady Hawthorne asked walking into the office that Millie usually worked out of. The sergeant had become her principle advisor when it came to the Cadets. The older woman had the ability to tell Lady Hawthorne the way it was without seeming to scold or berate the younger woman. Delores didn't know how she did it. After working all night, as the night watch sergeant, she showed up bright and early at the academy to help Delores. She was connecting with the kids like few of the other NCOs had. Most, even the Black Guard soon were deferring to her as the academy's top sergeant. Several of the retired NCOs had been grateful when Millie had taken some of their duties.

"Major Atomi has talked to me about it." Millie responded, "I think we can do it, and we should. The kids need something to do after class, and this will keep them from chaffing at the bit, and keep their minds off the evacuation. I think it's a good blend."

"I'll tell Major Atomi that she should have her cadets ready to go in the morning." Delores replied. She looked at the pile of clothing Millie had handed her and the two gold oak leaves sitting on top of them.

Mille saw the noble looking at the pile and said, "Come on I'll help you get ready."

With that the two women went to Lady Hawthorne quarters where Mille helped the noble woman get her uniforms ready.

###

The next morning Chief Atomi went to the academy. She had picked up Jill Wilson as she drove he daughter back to school. She had received the order from Michael the night before and saw the wisdom of it. Now as she walked to the steps to the administration building at the academy, the Corps of Cadets were turned out and ready for deployment. As they came to attention and saluted her, she noticed that they were dressed in BDUs, about two hundred of them. They were all older kids over five crimens old, many of them around 6 crimen old. She nodded to their cadet officers and said, "As you were."

When she walked into the academy's main hall she found another surprise waiting for her, Lady Hawthorne, also dressed in BDUs, with about ten of her retired NCO instructors with her. She was just about floored. She had seen Deloris in work clothes and fine evening wear, and everything in between. Deloris was the type of person who could put on an elegant evening gown and have it a wrinkled mess before she walked out of her dressing room. There was always a bit of sloppiness about her. Now dressed in BDUs she looked as sharp as the NCOs around her.

"Chief Atomi," Lady Hawthorne said softly, "The Queens Own Royal Corps of

Cadets await your orders!"

Lady Hawthorne was enjoying the look on the First Officer's face, and the consternation she was causing her friend. She had made a long hard decision as to what she was going to do after the evacuation. It came after talking to several of the retired NCOs and Officers who were helping out at the academy. Especially Mille! She knew she would never be military, and she didn't really want to be military, it just wasn't her style. Yet she knew she was doing good work at the academy and to respect the young people who were in her charge, and to better communicate with the retired military that was her staff, she had decided to begin dressing as the commandant. There were still some things she had to do. One of the Sergeants had suggested that she go through boot camp. So she would know customs and protocols; she was in good shape, and didn't have to go through the physical part, just the head part of learning how to be military. She was considering it.

"You know Deloris you are a sight to see," Mylea commented, the noble woman was tricked out perfectly. She saw the single gold oak leaf on her collar and nodded, "I would have thought you would have made yourself out to be a general at least!"

"XO," Mille spoke up. "The Queen commissioned her last night."

"Really," the Thonian replied, she walked around the noble woman saw that her uniform was new but not so new it would chaff her. The NCOs had done their job again. "I see Sarge you are doing it again." She locked eyes with the ranking NCO, a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant who always seemed to be around the academy. She had also seen her working with the Princess too.

"Ma'am," the woman said looking her in the eye, "someone has to take care of you officers!"

"Indeed," Mylea said, "Let's talk about your deployment."

With that they walked into a conference room off the main entrance.

There Mylea got another surprise, one that she rather enjoyed. Lamile and Jill had already entered the conference room. She thought this would be an adult only meeting, but she soon found out different.

"Chief," Jill said reading from a note handed to her from one of the cadet NCOs, "My people are broken up into ten 20 man units. None of the kids is less than fifteen, and some are eighteen years old. All of them have either a cadet NCO or a Cadet Officer who will be in charge of them. They can be deployed immediately, and can stay in the field up to one week. My guys will need quarters; but they are ready for at least a week's deployment."

Taken aback Mylea looked at Deloris who simply nodded. She had learned through her tenure as head mistress of the academy what the cadets could and couldn't do and was still learning. After Jill called the academy and talked to the cadet duty officer, telling the young man what she had negotiated with her father, she had simply said make it happen. The young man working with the adult duty officer put a package together so that in the morning, they were ready. Lady Hawthorne and Lamile Atomi had been kept in the loop the entire way, and signed off on the program. Jill's cadet staff still had their problems, and they were still kids; but they knew an opportunity when they were offered one and made things happen for their fellow cadets.

"I have one squad that is a security police unit; I have one unit whose cadets are all wrench benders. They think it is fun to tear down an Elsy engine," Jill kind of rolled her eyes not understanding why anyone would to do that, "and put it back together. One team is a clerical support team. The others are just bodies."

Impressed again, Mylea turned to Jill, "Jill. I mean Colonel Wilson, you've been holding out on us. But well done! General Langtree will be happy to get your gear heads.

Most of your people will be providing over watch at the landing zones. I take it Major

Hawthorne that your NCOs' will be providing on site adult supervision?" "Yes Chief," Deloris replied.

"Well a couple of the teams will be traffic control, for both vehicles and people. There is no reason they can't guide people to the landing zones and to the embarkation assembly points. That way we can release maybe thirty or forty cops." Mylea said, "Also if you have an EMT unit I might stick them at the first aid station at the port embarkation area."

"Here's your deployment." Mylea handed a data card to one of the NCOs. They displayed the map that she and her staff had worked up. Jill pointed to the map and looked to Lamile, "Lamile I need to stay here so this is your baby. Where do you want to deploy your cadets?"

Lamile and Jill had talked briefly by phone, and much to her surprise she had found out that Jill thought she should stay at the academy. When asked why, Jill had said, "If they find Mom, I want to be someplace I can get to her or Dad in a hurry. Besides I need to see grand mom. I can't function out there if I am worried about Dad, Mom, and grand mom."

"Jill," Lamile had replied, "I will make you proud. Besides this has got to be easier than managing that herd of kids I did a few months ago."

Coming back to reality she said, "Squad one to LZ eight, Squad two and Three to logistics command, Squad four my squad will report to the police department to work with Lord James's team," Lamile said staring at her mother daring her to change her orders, "Squad five will be at the space port, Squad six will be at Fletcher in the MP unit. Squads eight, nine and ten will stand by as ready teams. Tomorrow, Team one will rotate into standby and Team 10 will go to the active LZ."

"Okay," Mylea replied "But I need a team at LZ 30, and one at Container Yard

Charlie."

Lamile looked at one of the cadets, "Trina make it happen."

"Aye major," the girl said. She whispered into a microphone and the display changed to show Lamile's deployments.

"Major," Lady Hawthorne spoke directly to Lamile, "I know you think your cadets can stay for a week in the field; but they'll be bused back here every night. I want you to personally ensure that every one of your squads have adequate water, and rations for the day. They should be back by lights out; but plan on things happening. I'll instruct the dining hall to have late rats laid on for your cadets."

"Sergeant T'rid," Lamile said to the girl she had spoken to earlier, "Will you see to that please? Please double check with the cadet officers."

"By your leave Major," T'rid asked getting up to attend the tasks she had been given.

Lamile nodded and thought how far they had all come. "Chief, thank you, for allowing us to help. I owe a lot to Lady Wilson, and then some. Tell Uncle Mike that my boys and girls won't let him down."

"I am sure they won't Major," Mylea said solemnly. This was the time for these kids to shine and she was going to help them. By letting them work with the authorities it solved a lot of problems for Lady Hawthorne. She knew that if you treated kids with respect and that you gave them tasks that were meaningful, within their abilities with adult support they could do wonders, "Now I got to get back to the palace. Major Hawthorne, thank you for the use of your cadets. Tony let's get out of here." "Yes Ma'am," her driver and aid said.

As they got in the car her driver commented, "Commander, I don't recall my recruit class looking as sharp as those children. Children? No young adults."

"Tony you have children don't you?" Mylea asked as they pulled out of the grounds.

"Yes ma'am a boy and a girl 7 and 8." Tony said.

"I hope your kids don't have to grow up as fast as these kids did," Mylea said, "But you know watching Lam grow into her adulthood has been a wonderful thing. It's been hard to accept her as nearly grown, but she..."

"I know Commander," Tony said softly he had been Mylea's driver off and on for a couple of years, he remembered Lamile all of fourteen standard years old trying to look so grown up in the prom dress she wearing to her first prom. "She's quite a young woman, our Lady Atomi."

"That she is Tony," Mylea replied thinking of her daughter's growing up, the skinned knees, the fights, with her, and the neighbor kids, the type of stuff kids got into. The good times too. The time she met the Ruler, when Mylea was stationed on Thonia for a while and the kid still in diapers had upchucked on the ruler's suit jacket. She smiled at that. Yes, her baby has grown up she commented to herself, wondering why it was so damn hard to accept!

# ###

With the meeting over, Jill left the administration block and walked the short distance to the infirmary, to check up on Mitch. She found Mitch trying to get out of bed.

Jill went to help her, asking, "Are you supposed to be getting out of bed?"

"No," Mitch said sheepishly, "But I have to go potty and want to use a regular

toilet."

Jill thought about calling the nurse to help Mitch, but knew Mitch would fight her. So she helped her friend to the room's toilet and waited for her to finish and helped her back to bed. Just that little bit wore her friend out.

"Over doing it again?" School Mistress ghosted in. She had almost called for the nurse when she saw the difficulty that Mitch was experiencing.

"I guess so," Mitch groused. Trying to get comfortable. Which was nearly impossible. Her back her hurt like hell.

"When will you get out of here?" Jill asked.

"Monday of next week," the School Mistress answered, "If she behaves herself!"

Mitch started to make a smart remark; but she didn't have the energy to do even that. She wished that her back didn't hurt. She tried to adjust the bed finally getting it into a position she was comfortable in.

"Is there anything I can bring you?" Jill asked.

"My guitar?" Mitch asked. Jill looked to School Mistress who nodded.

"You're the only one here," The nurse came in, "and if it will keep you from misbehaving then I'll let you have it. We'll get you up in a couple of hours. The therapist will be in later. Then we'll see about getting you out bed for a while."

When the nurse said therapist Jill almost asked if Mitch wanted her mother to be her therapist. Stopping in mid thought as she remembered her mother couldn't. When School Mistress saw the look on Jill Wilson's face she wished she could hold the girl and comfort her.

Jill visited for a little while longer until Mitch drifted off to sleep.

# ###

"Oh hello Chief," Jill said as the Chief James was escorted into the study. She had just gotten in from the academy. "What brings you here?"

"We have had contact with your mother's abductor." Chief James answered.

"I'll go get Dad," Jill said. Her father was in Abby's room. He was getting her ready to take a swim. The Queen had relieved him for a few days and he was trying to be with his family as much as possible. That meant taking Abby swimming. "Dad, Chief James is here, he has some information for us."

"Okay," her father said, "Go get your suite on you can come along too!" "Dad one of us has to be here...." Jill started.

"Jill there is not much I can do! Which means that there isn't that much you can do either. Less in fact," Mike said, "I need to get back to work; but Aggie isn't going to let me go back to work for a couple of days. Maggie, Mac, or one of the staff will come to get us if anything comes up."

Reluctantly Jill agreed; but she wanted to look at the reports that had come in while she had been at the academy. Her father had authorized her to see all the reports that were being generated about her mother's kidnapping. She also wanted to be near the coms so she could react as quickly as possible should anything come up. She had forgotten that the AI could connect them with anyone anywhere within the Kingdom, from anywhere in the palace.

"Let me see what James has then I'll meet you at the pool." Her father said.

"Dad I want to see the information." Jill pleaded with her father

"Jill please! I will share it with you; but later! Okay?" her father asked, fully aware what his daughter was doing, "Sally, will you take them down to the pool please?"

"Yes Sir," Sally said. "Come on Jill."

Jill nodded and went to get her suit. As much as she wanted to see what the Chief has brought, she had made a pact with herself that she wouldn't cause her father any more grief than she had to.

She went with Sally and her sister to the pool. She swam several laps and played with Abby for a while. Her father still not had come to the pool yet so she excused herself and went to find him. The press center was on the way to their residence. She was in time to hear Pete giving his evening brief.

"Good day," Pete Voinic said as he took the podium in the press tent. There were fewer people here now. Many of the local news organizations had given up as their circulation went down, and as the story moved to Home, many of the interstellar news agencies had sent their people onto Home. So where once there might have been two hundred accredited reporters to the evacuation command, there were might be half that many in the press center. "I have a short statement to read.

"We still do not know at this time where Lady Wilson is being held. We think we know who has her. Martha Hozenbur. An officer of EBio security. Although we're not certain; we believe it is she who has Lady Wilson. We have made that determination based on the people we believe are EBio Security officers who were killed during the kidnapping. We think we have identified all of the EBio dead at the hospital. We will be releasing their names. There were two marines killed in the incident, and no cops. Their names will be announced as soon as the Imperial Marines has releases them.

"The stun grenades took down a lot of the security personnel before Hozenbur could attack. Disoriented and confused the protective detail didn't have a chance. All of them were knocked unconscious. Admiral Wilson was able to return fire because one of the agent shield her with his body. At this time the Mounties are crediting Admiral Wilson with two kills. The rest were killed by the EBio officer.

"Now I'll take some questions now," Pete said knowing what the first one would be. He was fully prepared. The news media would never forgive him. But he really didn't care he had some good friends on Lady Wilson's detail.

"Why didn't the protective detail prevent the abduction." the first one asked the same question he had asked the day before, "Aren't they trained to give up their lives for their principles."

"That's correct." Pete said and nodded to a member of the Queen's Own Guard. Pete ducked behind the podium as the guard threw a practice stun grenade. It was one tenth the power of a live stun grenade, but still very potent. It detonated and knocked all the newsmen down. Pete waited a couple of seconds and said, "Now what was that about the protective detail being able to stand up to a stun grenade. Sometimes I think all of you people never learn the facts of life. It is very hard for anyone who is expecting the grenade to fight it; let alone someone who is unprepared for it. You have just been hit with a practice grenade. There will be no more discussion what the protective detail could or couldn't do at the time of the assault. That is unless one of you guys is Sergeant Rock and from what I see from here, that little practice grenade shows you are not. Now if you have other questions I will deal with them now."

"What is being done to find Lady Wilson," a woman reporter whose ears were still ringing asked. She didn't wait for the answered as she ran out of the center trying to find some place to vomit.

"The Mounties, and the Royal Protective Service," Pete answered watching the reporter leave, "are heading the investigation. I am not at liberty to say where they looking for her lady. I will say only that they, along with the Companions, and the Imperial Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division, are assisting in the investigation. The Mounties have canceled all days off. Many of these guys are already putting in sixteen hour days and to a man they have stood up and said they will pull extra duty. The same is true of the Companions, and the Marines. They have been given search sectors and have been searching the deserted portions of Trena."

"Do you think she is still on world?" A second reporter asked who was trying not to be sick.

"Yes. The Militia has issued a hard hold on any space craft leaving the planet. At the time of the incident; the Militia ordered all air borne landing craft to return to their ports of departure." The Public Information Offer answered, "None failed to return to their port of departure. We're nearly sure that Lady Wilson's captor has not be able to smuggle her off world!

"From now until Lady Wilson is rescued, any landing craft will need to have a written flight plan. Even military space craft need to have special clearance. All persons entering the evacuation landing zones are being positively ID with an additional check at the gate. Pregnant women are being carefully; but thoroughly checked."

"Could she have gotten off during the confusion?" Another reporter asked his ears still ringing as he repeated the question.

"No," Pete said, "Traffic Control grounded everything. Everything that was light on skids was ground held. Everything that was in route to orbit was returned to point of departure." The public information officer answered, "There were some protests but every one complied. Every landing craft and ground to orbit shuttle was searched. With no results or we wouldn't be here now. Everything in route from orbit to ground was returned to their points of departure. Everyone was checked and once again everyone was cleared. We're certain that she didn't get off world."

"What can the people do to help?" Another reporter asked feeling a killer head ache coming on. "There aren't many of us left; but can we help somehow?"

"We're are fewer and fewer," Pete said, "But those of us who are still here can keep their eyes open for strange things. Things that don't fit into the neighborhood. Granted there are a lot of comings and goings in the neighborhoods. But people know what's going on. If you see something that doesn't fit in, call the Mounties!

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen," Pete said, "Please except my apologies for setting off the grenade. But that was the only way to help you understand a stun grenade."

Pete left the podium. He saw Jill shaking her head and Pete wondered if she had gotten a piece of grenade. "Are you okay Jill?"

"Yes," Jill said, she smiled, "One of these days Mr. Vornic the press is going to give you grief."

"You mean they haven't already," Pete asked.

"I guess they have," Jill said, she had always liked Pete. He was one of the few guys running around the palace and her father's command that didn't put her on a pedestal and treat her with kid gloves. She kind of liked him.

"Mr. Vornic," she wouldn't call him by his first name as he wanted her to do, "did you know the Corps is helping with the search for my mom?"

"No!" Pete said. "Damn that would have been good to share. The corps doesn't get nearly the press it should."

"Jill, do you think that Lady Hawthorne would let a team follow your guys around," Pete asked.

"I'll ask," Jill said not knowing if it was such a good idea. Though she saw the wisdom of letting the press into the academy to publicize what Lady Hawthorne was doing, a lot of her kids were still a little nervous about the authorities. They had taken to being cadets and running a good bit of the academy; but they were a little shy about letting the world know what they were doing.

"Let me know Jill," The young man said, as he left.

"I will," Jill replied and went in search of her father. She found him in the study watching a hologram alone. Chief James had left. As her father replayed the recording again, she watched in silence.

Hozenbur's floated over the study's floor. She was of moderate height, with dark brown hair streaked with grey. Jill thought she might be her grandmother's age. Jill even thought, Hozenbur looked more like a grandmother than the murderous assassin she knew the woman to be.

"This is a message for Marshal Wilson," Hozenbur's image said, "but I guess we are not alone, and so to the assembled cops, investigators, etc. Hello." She waved, "To show you I have your halfwit wife Mr. Wilson here is a recording of it.

"Okay halfwit!" Hozenbur's voice could be heard as the holograph turned to show Lisa, "Smile for the camera. Now speak for your husband and the news media."

"Like what?" Lisa snapped, then looked to the camera and said, "Michael come and get me away from this psychopath! Tell Abby I'm okay and let Jill know I'll be back in time for the coronation day dance at the school! And Mylea if you let anything happen to my old man me and you will have that conversation! It may not be softly spoken!" The image changed to show Hozenbur as she began to speak again.

"I am Martha Hozenbur," the closer spoke into the camera, "I am on my last containment and I am returning the clone Lisa CD 1984 AOS to the company. I will be making arrangements to get off world with the halfwit in my own sweet time. When I can do it safely. If you try to find me and rescue the halfwit, I will kill it. I don't want anything. There is nothing I am willing to receive in return for its life. I only want to get the clone off world. I'll be in touch!"

The holograph went dark.

Her father shut the player down. He turned and saw Jill. He didn't say a word as he left the study. They left the recording in the player. The next morning Sally, Abby's protective agent saw that Abby was watching the first part of the recording. Sally quickly turned the recorder off.

"Was that lady talking about Mommy?" the toddler asked.

"I am not sure," Sally lied to the little girl. Hoping to distract the child Sally McBride said, "Let's start your lessons."

The distraction worked. Soon they were so immersed in Abby's schoolwork that the agent was certain Abby had forgotten about the recording Sally made sure that she had the recording when they left study.

# ###

Lamile's group was dropped off at the back door to central police station, as she followed her cadets out of the bus Frazier the police department AI's voice could be heard,

"Lady Atomi arriving with Squad 4 of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets!"

James had told the AI he wanted honors rendered to Lady Atomi. He had found out that she had never been honored since her coronation ceremony elevating her to a Trena noble woman. She was a knighted lady of the Trena nobility; although she was young; she was still a noble woman, and James wanted to also let Lamile know that it had been some feat she had pulled off bringing all those children in. He wished he could bring out the honor guard but that would be inappropriate. He met her in the central police station's main conference room. As she walked into the briefing room, where ten or so Mounties were discussing their assignments, a voice by the door called softly, "Welcome Lady

Atomi!"

When the room saw who was with their chief they began to clap. All had heard of what she had done and some had been there when her kids marched to safety onto the landing craft. Lamile nodded trying not to show her embarrassment, she turned to the chief, "Where do you want us Sir Patrick."

"We have this area here we want searched." James said, "Kellogg, would you brief Lady Atomi."

"Yes sir," Kellogg said and winked at the young woman. He knew what the chief was doing and why, he saw how uncomfortable Lamile was and said, "Major, we want your kids to canvas this area here. We want you to go door to door, and ensure that each house is abandoned. When you check a house and find it empty, you will insert this card in the lock and it will secure the house. The door won't open until someone puts the command key in."

"What about doors where the security system doesn't work, or there isn't any?" Lamile asked.

"Mark it with red X." he pointed to case spray paint on the table, "One of the cops covering you will note it and secure the door. When the door is secured, post this sign on the door."

The sign said, "DO NOT ENTER BY ORDER OF THE CROWN!"

"Post it so the sign is over the jam. The sign then acts like crime scene seal." Lord James said, "Just so you all know. To cut down on looting, the Crown and the Evacuation Command have issued an order that should one of these doors be reopened, or should someone be found in a secured building, they can be shot on sight. Now there are a lot salvage companies who are salvaging whole neighborhoods; but when they are done they have to secure the building. All of their people have to wear green helmets stenciled with the word Salvage on it. Salvage companies and their personnel are to announce where they are working and have to hold a crown warrant with an ID for each of their people. The cops have deadly force authorizations when they catch people looting a house without proper ID and warrants."

Lamile nodded, and said, "I think we can do this. I do want a police officer nearby in case we stumble across something."

"Major," a man in the back of the room spoke up, "I am Sergeant Mave. I will be your Mounty liaison. I'll have one or two of my guys nearby at all times with you. If trouble finds you, get your people to safety and lets us take care of business. Just so we understand each other Major Atomi, I will not be the one to tell Chief Atomi how her daughter came to grief."

"Lady Atomi," Another officer said, "that goes for all of us. We already lost the boss' wife we ain't going to lose the chief's daughter."

"Amen, right on, triple that from me," Various officers said.

"Well," Lamile said when the cops settled down. "Trust me I don't want you to have that conversation with my mother either. After she chews on you a bit, she'll start to work on my anatomy. That is if there is any left." That brought the room to laughter.

Kellogg let it go for a while, "Lamile, I am heading up the search for Lady Wilson. There will be search teams all around you. I don't expect that you will come to grief; but there will be some help nearby. We will be checking homes that we know may have someone in them. If you see one of our teams just back away and let them do their job." "What happens if we find some on in a house were checking," Lamile asked.

"Get their name," Lord James answered, "and give them this."

This was a letter that explained about the consequences of missing their evacuation date. Mostly that the crown and evacuation command would not be responsible for what happened to them. Considering the Command was picking people up and taking to their embarkation point there should be no missed evacuations.

"Anything else?" Lamile asked.

"No." Kellogg answered.

"By your leave chief," Lamile asked of Lord James. He nodded, and hoped that he wasn't making a mistake. Mylea had been very unhappy when Lamile had gone on her journey. Even though it had been wildly successful. Mylea was technically his boss now, not he, hers. She could give him a rough time if something happened to her daughter. The truth be known, he would kill anyone who brought harm to his two children, though they were grown and had children of their own. Once they were gone, he turned to Kellogg, "Kellogg if anything happens to those kids."

"Lord James," Kellogg replied, "I have made reservations for both of us to Dungeon." Dungeon was a prison world ran by the Galactic Council. Only the very worse criminals were sent to Dungeon, "That will be the safest place for us to be should anything happen to Lady Atomi. I know the line will be headed up by Chief Atomi, then the Marshal, then the Queen, then Francine, and that's after you chew on me or I chew on you!"

"Okay Kellogg," James returned, "You ready to brief me? Or do you want to go out with the field teams?"

"Between your best guys and my best guys," Kellogg commented, "I don't need to be with them. I'd just be in their way. Let's do the brief; or would you like to make arrangements with the palace to brief the Wilson family and the Queen."

"We really don't have much," Jamieson mussed, "We really don't have much to share with them. We have set up a briefing schedule. No news; is no news and there is no reason to brief them out of schedule."

"Let me brief you on what we have cooking and you can decide to take it to Marshal Wilson, and Queen Aggie." Kellogg said.

# ###

"I saw the holo from that witch that had Mom in it." Jill had written, "I couldn't really tell if Mom was okay or not. I was shocked to see her in a grey smock. It almost looked like a poncho and couldn't have been very modest with the open sides.

"When I asked Dad about it, he said that Hozenbur was trying break Mom's spirit." Jill's words from two hundred years ago swam up from the page.

"As bad as me and Dad are taking this, Maggie and Georgia are both taking this hard." Jill continued, "Georgia has asked to work on the hunt for Mom and has been refused. She won't look me or Dad in the eyes. Sally says she feels that she messed up. After seeing Pete's demo of the stun grenade and my memory of it from years before, when I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know how Georgia could have done anything else.

"Maggie has a stiff upper lip; but she's not fooling me. I walked into the kitchen for a snack and caught her crying." Her grandmother's words showed a side of her that was seldom seen in public. "I wish there was something that I could do for her. I hadn't realized that our housekeeper was so close to mom.

"But Maggie and Georgia aren't the only ones. I wandered by mom's private study and saw the flowers, and cards sitting in front of a picture of her. I had to quickly leave as it was too much of a memorial. They thought she was gone. Later I heard Maggie had taken a big trash can into Mom's study and trashed everything that was a memorial she saw there. I also had heard that she had read everyone's beads. Joan had told me that Maggie had told the staff she was not going to have her lady come back to a dysfunctional household and that she would be coming back to us!

"I hope she is right," the diary passage concluded, "So I guess I got my marching orders too."
Chapter 26: On the HPS Valiant.

"The Hospital Patrol Ships were the IRS first line responders to the Empire's serious medical emergencies and rescue incidents. Whether run of the mill rescues or serious illnesses on imperial worlds these ships were the first ones to be called on. The Valiant was one of these ships," The General continued her lecture series, "We were lucky to get her. Normally her patrol district was the other side of the empire. She had just come out of a yard period and so was nearby Trena when she was in route to her patrol district when she was ordered to Trena. While in the Trena system the Valiant treated over one thousand people including the Admiral.

"When Admiral Joyce Wilson was first injured on Trena," The General lectured, "she had been taken aboard Hospital Patrol Ship Valiant. The men and women of the Interstellar Rescue Service were not going to take any chances with one of their admirals, even if she had been retired for a couple of years. Ironically, the Valiant was Admiral Wilson's first command tour as a Landing Craft Squadron Commander. It was where she had met her husband almost thirty years before being brought aboard this time. She was their admiral, even though she had never shipped aboard the Valiant, when she got her eagle, or when she got her stars. She was part of the ships legend. Now the legend had come back to her roots. Most of the crew had never shipped with the admiral before, but several of the pilots had been one of her students over the years, either in primary flight where she had retired from or in the advance flight school. She was known as the Iron Maiden for her toughness on the flight deck when training young pilots. More so to the commanders who would command the pilots on a hospital ship or on an attack carrier! She had caused many a pilot to think about changing their career path. Many of the squadron commanders had come back to Mars and had made a point to leave her some remembrance from their first cruise as a squadron commander. Through the years when one of the nuggets she had given their primary flight training to, had made squadron commander, they sent her their nugget wings. She had been well respected in the fleet, and even though thought to be a royal pain in the ass, she had been loved by the fleet. She had never been a star man's admiral, but it was well known throughout the fleet that the pilots she had trained, were some of the best in the business. Delivering their charges either into Hot LZs or getting them out of there with little or no problems.

"The crew of the Valiant took very good care of their admiral..." The general spoke softly and displayed the images of the patrol ship and Admiral Wilson.

# ###

In her hospital room where they had yet to awaken her from the deep sleep they induced, so that her injuries could heal a bit faster and so she wouldn't fight the drugs, a Marine Black Guardsmen stood guard at the door. The Admiral was almost as well loved by the marines as the IRS. Not only was she their most famous marine's step mother, she was also one of the few IRS, or Imperial Navy Pilots, who knew the sharp end of the stick and how the marines used it. She had been at one time prior to her husband's death, a member of the Black Guard. Only a hand full of pilots ever qualified for the Black Guard. Being a flag officer, the Valiant had opened one of its VIP suites for her. In the reception area to the suite, pilots who had been trained by her had left get well cards. A few of them had left a bloody glove where they had taken their dress uniform saber, drew it across their palm and with blood flowing had taken their white uniform glove to stop the bleeding, swearing a blood oath to get the person who had done this to their admiral.

Joyce knew nothing of this. She had been in a medically induced coma for most of the week while the treatment the hospital staff had commenced took. They knew from her records that the fast healing tanks used by other sick or injured people didn't work for her. So the chief surgeon of the ship, a man on his first chief surgeon tour, kept her under while the drugs and the nanobots repaired the damage. Finally with most of the damage repaired with only a small laceration left that the nanobots were healing, the surgeon decided to wake her up.

"Chris," the surgeon turned to the nurse who was the admiral's primary care giver, "It will be an hour or so before she wakes up, but I don't want her left alone. If you need to leave for any reason you get someone up here pronto."

"Yes Doctor," the nurse who had been aboard the Valiant when Joyce was injured the first time years before, was in the emergency room when they had brought her in this time. She had always felt a bit guilty for not being good enough then. She was now very good at her job. "I or one of my girls will be here until she is awake."

"Okay Chris," the surgeon said, "I'll have the captain call Admiral Wilson's family."

The surgeon left as the nurse started to make her charge presentable. She pulled the blanket up around her a bit, brushing her hair as best she could, and making her comfortable. She also dimmed the lights a bit and brought up some gentle music. When the admiral awoke, she wanted the admiral to be in the most serene, calming environment she could manage. She also brought in some of the flowers from the sitting room that had been left. She settled down for a bit of a wait. It wasn't long, about an hour or so later, her charge started to stir.

"It's okay admiral," Chris laid her hand on the woman's good hand, "You're in good hands, you're aboard the Valiant. I'm Chris your nurse."

"What..." Joyce said her eyes opening, she looked at Chris, then around the room and said, "Oh shit they got the arm again." She started to move her arm but it was still immobilized.

"You can't move the arm. We have it in an isolation field." Chris said, "Who are you?"

"Joyce Wilson," the older woman said, "the last thing I remember was a fire fight and me getting shot. Where's my daughter in law."

"Admiral," the nurse said carefully, "Lady Wilson was kidnapped by the woman who did this to you. There isn't much known about her whereabouts, but we know her to be alive. The marshal will be here in a little while."

"I got to get to Mike and my granddaughter." the retired admiral struggled to sit up, "They must be in sorry shape."

"Easy Admiral," Chris said, "you are in mild restraints while the nanobots finish up with your arm. You didn't have it shot off this time. Only a break and a bad cut; but until the 'bots finish their work you are not going anywhere."

"I have to get to my family," Joyce said, still struggling to get out of bed, "You've got to let me go them."

"Easy Admiral," the surgeon walked in. "You keep thrashing around like that and you'll mess up some of my best work. That will piss me off. And it will delay you getting home another week. Nurse shut the restraints down to one eighth power." the nurse tapped a command on her pad and the restraints lowered their strength. The surgeon tested Joyce's hand strength. He also had the nurse adjust field so that it allowed her to move her elbow and hand a bit.

"Well Admiral," the surgeon said, "It'll be another day at least before we can release you. The nanobots are sewing up the wound and repairing the muscle damage. I won't allow you to be even medically transported until they are finished."

Resigned to her fate, she said, "Commander, can you hook me up with a com, and get someone to tell me what's going on?"

"Chris," the surgeon said, "See that she has a com, and I'll see if the Intel Officer can come down and give you a briefing. Oh the Marshal and your granddaughter are on their way. They should be here in a little while."

"Tell me what happen to my arm," the woman finally asked.

"During the fire fight, after you had accounted for I think the MPs said two of the bad guys. You took a round in your right radius. The round took a two centimeter piece out of it. The ulna wasn't harmed at all. Some muscles and blood vessels were messed up. The Medics at the Evac Hospital got to you soon enough to control the bleeding. They supported you by giving you fluids. The bots rebuilt your radius and have just about finished with your arm muscles and skin. It'll be another day before they will be done. The bots controlled a little bit of infection, and fixed a little bit of damage from your earlier injury. Once the bots are done you shouldn't have any restrictions."

"I got lucky," Joyce said, "Thank you commander. You say Mike and Jill are on their way up?"

"Yes," The commander said.

"Chris can you get me a robe or something," The Admiral asked. They had seen no need to clothe her while in isolation and no one but the doctors and nurses seeing her.

"Sure thing," Chris said going to a closet where a robe that was the admiral's size was waiting for her to put it on.

# ###

The flight of three space craft approached the HPS Valiant. Evac 1, the landing craft carrying Marshal Wilson to the HPS Valiant was being escorted by two space air superiority fighters from the militia. Because of the kidnapping, Marshal Wilson and his family never went anywhere without a beefed up protective detail. Before it would have been Mac and one of his team members escorting the Marshal, now it was a six man team. They were very obviously armed. When they went anywhere on the ground they were escorted by two weapons jeeps with the heavy laser mounts manned and ready. They had already lost Lady Wilson. No one was taking a chance with the boss. Although Wilson didn't want it, he knew what was going on. His team was making sure that Hozenbur didn't get him. She wanted to cause his wife as much grief as she could and get him in the process. She was playing a mental game. She wanted him and the evacuation command so rattled that they couldn't do their job. She wanted to get even with the clone as pay back for all things she had one to her. She didn't care if half a million people died in the process as long as she got her vengeance. The protective detail wasn't about to let her try to get to him. The one thing she had succeeded in doing was diverting resources that were needed for the evacuation. He didn't need this type of protection. Now as the flight approached the hospital ship the escorts peeled off and began to fly a Combat Space Patrol about the hospital ship.

As the landing craft settled to the flight deck and pressure was brought up on the deck, an honor guard of marines and star men formed up on either side of the ramp from the landing craft. The Captain and the Chief Surgeon were waiting with the honor guard. As Wilson stepped down the ramp, thinking only of how his mother was doing the 1MC bellowed. "Evac 1 arriving."

As he and Jill stepped aboard the Valiant, the NCO of the detail bellowed, "Present

Arms!"

As the Honor Guard snapped to attention and the boson put a pipe to her lips and piped Wilson aboard. It was the only time in his life that honors had ever been bestowed to him as he stepped aboard a ship. Especially this one! Normally when he had stepped on board an HPS he had been coming back from a deployment to protect the doctors, or had been the reason they had been deployed to come and get him, and he was in a casualty liter headed for the hospital, not the marine berthing spaces. He nodded to the Chief and the Sergeant as he returned their salutes, and went to where the Captain and his Chief Surgeon were waiting. He thought that the honor, while appreciated was out of place. He wasn't making an official visit to the ship he was coming up to visit his sick mother. He considered if he should say something to the captain.

"Welcome aboard Sir Mike," the captain greeted the marshal.

"I was hoping to visit. But not like this." Mike answered, "How is she?"

"Doctor O'Keefe has taken personal charge of the admiral's care." The captain introduced the chief surgeon.

"Yes sir, we met earlier this week." Although the surgeon usually refrained from the honor brigade, this time he couldn't nor would he avoid it. The admiral was a legend among the IRS and her son was equally a legend among the marines. "If you'll follow me

I'll take you to the admiral."

As they walked through the ship to the VIP quarters in the hospital, marines and starmen all seemed to be in the passageway to lay their eyes on a living legend. Jill watched her father react to the attention. She could tell that he was little embarrassed by it; but was also enjoying it. He never got a chance to be around common soldiers, or police officers doing their jobs, he spent most of his time now around admirals, generals, and high ranking civilians. Finally the Senior Chief who was escorting them bellowed, "All right you apes, get your asses back to work! What do you think this is a cruise ship? Now hustle your butts to where you need to be!"

With that the crew drifted away. As they entered the VIP suite the marine on duty came to rigid attention.

"As you were," Wilson commented softly. "Jill, please wait here while I see Mom."

"Okay Dad," Jill said and noticed the gloves on a small table by the door to her grandmother's room as her father entered it. She picked one up to look at it better. Seeing the dark red brown stain across its palm and asked, "What's this?"

"Miss Wilson," The young marine on duty began. He was only a few years older than Jill. He had to ask what the pile of gloves meant when he saw them for the first time on table outside the admirals room. "The officers and enlisted people have sworn a blood oath that your grandmother's assault will be avenged. Every glove on that table represents one officer or enlisted man who has sworn such an oath."

"I see," Jill said looking to Mac and Georgia to see if they understood. The look on their face said they did. "My family is honored that your officers and fellow enlisted would swear such an oath. Truly honored; but it would be just as much a tragedy for one of you to wind up in sickbay or in this ship's morgue because you took matters into your own hands. Pass the word private that if anyone gets in the way of the authorities trying to rescue my mother I'll dine on their bones!"

"Yes ma'am," the private said. Later when he went off duty and was talking with his squad mates he repeated word for word what Jill had said, in hours every marine in the fleet knew that Jill Wilson could be as tough as her old man and grandmother.

"Come in Jill," Michael said through the open door.

"How are you grand mom?" Jill asked.

"I have had better days," Joyce said, "Looks like I'll be a bit delayed in getting the house built on Home."

Georgia followed Jill into the room. She wanted to see the admiral. Joyce looked up and saw Georgia, and said, "Mac. Georgia is assigned to me. Make it happen!"

"Aye-aye Admiral," Mac said, he had walked in with Jill, and Georgia. He turned to protective agent, "Georgia, please take your post."

"I am only borrowing you young woman," Joyce said, she knew what was going through the young woman's mind, and while it showed a good deal about Mac's leadership, she knew Georgia's soul would still be hurting. "When Lisa is back among us, you are going back to her as her primary agent."

"If she'll have me," Georgia replied. "I messed up Admiral Wilson."

Jill's father sighed, but knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had been there and understood what she was going through.

"Georgia," her grandmother continued, "I am sure she will. You couldn't have prevented that abduction. Hell the marines, and MPs couldn't stop it and they were much better armed than you were."

"But if I could have gotten her attackers!" Georgia said she felt immensely guilty for having lost Lady Wilson. She had been very surprised that Mac had let her stand post with the rest of the team. This was the second time her charges had been harmed because she wasn't good enough. Not only did they get Lady Wilson; but injured Admiral Wilson on account because of her ability.

"Looks like the doctors will be releasing me tomorrow. " Joyce said changing the subject, "How are you guys holding up."

"Mom," Michael said, "We're doing okay. I am very worried. I know Hozenbur, is an animal. I know what she is capable of. I try not to think about what she might be doing to Lisa. I also pray that we find her fast. As for Hozenbur I hope to hell that she is killed in the assault because if she comes out alive I will kill her with my own hands. I'll show her what a Marine Black Guardsmen is capable of when pissed off and provoked!"

"Dad!" Jill said sharply, "Lisa will kick your ass. That last thing she wants is for you to go berserk getting to her or Hozenbur, before, during, or after Hozenbur's capture. The Queen will also kick your but as will Aunt Mylea if you don't let the courts convict and execute that bitch. But you will let the system work. You trained them, you lead them, and you will by god let them do their job. Just like you have told me on occasion!"

"Marshal," Joyce commented, "I think you got the wrong grade on that girl!"

"I am beginning to wonder," Michael replied wondering how to react to his daughter. He was realizing that with every passing day Jill was no longer the little girl he had left on Mars.

"Sounds like a chief I had in boot." Joyce said, "Or like a certain young marine I knew when I was going through Black Guard Beast!"

A little sheepish at having lashed out at her father, Jill didn't say a word. They visited with Joyce for a while, when she tired they took their leave.

As the landing craft left the flight deck and headed back to the planet, a bemused Wilson turned to his daughter and said "Pass the word private, that if they get in the way of the authorities trying to rescue my mother, I'll dine on their bones."

Jill looked sheepishly at her father. She hadn't realized he had heard her.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." The older Wilson said, "I see the academy is wearing off on you."

"No," Jill said, "Just your daughter, and Grand mom's granddaughter. You two have been very instrumental in my upbringing."

"Jill," her father said, "You should have seen the look on your grandmother's face when she heard you speak to that marine."

"Marshal," Mac spoke up he had kept his marshal in eye sight when he had gone in to talk with his mother, "As exquisite as the admiral's expression was, yours was better!"

Wilson let loose with the first good laugh he had, had since Lisa capture. "I image so."

As they landed on the palace landing pad, Jill's fate was being sealed on Home.

# ###

"I saw grand mom today," Jill had written in her diary that night before she went to bed, "She looks good. She was moving her hand around and she didn't seem to be in much pain. The doctors say she is going to make a full recovery. Yea!

"I can't believe I yelled at Dad and that marine," She continued, "I couldn't believe that they would make that type of oath. I can't believe that I told that marine I would dine on their bones. I wonder what got into me.

"Dad really scared me. I thought for sure that he was going to dump everything and start searching for Mom. I have never seen that look on anyone's face. He frightened me." The diary continued, "I need to talk with Lamile, or Mitch. I would bother Aunt Mylea; but she is now running the whole show, and I would hate to disturb her. She is doing both Dad's and her own job. Maybe I can talk with Sergeant Green or Sergeant Lucas, they both seem to be fairly accessible even though Sergeant Millie tries to make it seem she isn't.

"I am worried about Mom. When I first came to Trena I was all set to hate her. I was certain that she was the reason why I couldn't be with dad. Over the last few months I

cannot hate Lisa. She and Dad are so close and she allowed me to invade their space and made me part of her family. Dad was right about this Captain Hozenbur. I asked Mac and Kellogg to tell me what they knew about her and it wasn't good. I want to keep my hopes up but it's hard with what they have told me.

"I want to join my guys in the field." Jill had written, "As I told Lamile earlier I need to be some I can be gotten a hold of quickly if the find Mom. So here or home is where I have to be until we get Mom back.

"I looked in on Mitch again today," the princess read, "and talked to her nurse. She's not badly injured. She'll be back on her feet next week. I already miss her. I didn't realize how much she did around here. I'll have to remind her to start grooming her replacement.

"Oh enough of this," Jill had written, "Time to get some sleep! Tomorrow comes real early."

# Chapter 27: Special Weapons and Tactics Training Center on Trena

"I was up on the space station for the first part of the Lady Wilson incident." The General began her lecture. "So I was not present when they put the team together that would make her lady's rescue. Princess Carroll was made over all SpecOps coordinator for the evacuation command.

"The training center had been set up months before. Marshal Wilson and the Queen had allowed the Black Guard to take over a small isolated town away from prying eyes, to practice in. Everyone one knew that the SpecWars of the Empire, the Realm, and the Militia would be called on at some time to either make a hostage rescue, or to take out a barricade subject holding part of a town on an evacuation route hostage. Some soul who thought he should go before others. Various units of the Mounted Patrol, The companions HRT and SWAT unit, the Black Guard, and Militia routinely practiced at the facility. At least once a month all of the units worked a combined unit operation to make sure everyone understood the other's signals and procedures.

"With abduction of Lady Wilson they began assembling at the training center. Although Marshal Wilson had issued the order that the Companions Hostage Rescue Team would be the lead for recovery of his wife, (mostly because they weren't emotionally involved like his SWAT team) he knew that all of the SpecWars would play a part, including one that no one had expected."

# ###

"They're not going to let us join them!" the driver said as the truck with the twenty men from the Trojack security detachment approached the training center. They were company cops, all clones who had worked in Trojack's security's Strategic Response Team. Simply because most were clones generally nonviolent didn't mean that some clones or others on Trojack didn't occasionally cause some problems. Every once in a while a clone went rouge and the security unit had to go in. Although some people in the company would just take a kill them all attitude; others thought differently. The team on Trojack was not the premier team in the company; but they knew their business and hadn't lost a suspect yet.

"We'll find out," Crandle, the fifty year old team leader said. He ha1d spent 35 years in the hostage unit. He had trained people from all over EBio, and worked with all types of closers, including Hozenbur, who he had sworn a blood oath against. He had to clean up one of her messes. He still couldn't believe that Hozenbur was a company officer.

"Good morning," one of the Mounty manning the check point greeted them, "You'll have to turn back this is a restricted area."

"We know officer," Crandle said to the officer at his side of the car. "I am going to take out my papers and present them to you."

"Okay," the young officer said, as his partner took up a position to blow away everyone in the truck if needed.

Crandle presented his papers, and then asked that the officer call the ranking officer on the post. After the young officer reviewed the papers Crandle presented him, saw that it would be best to call the ranking officer. It just happened to be Princess Carroll.

When the Princess saw who it was at the check point, she told the Mounties to let them past. Crandle had asked permission a couple days before to train with her Black Guardsmen. The Princess thought it would be good for everyone. Besides they were getting to know everyone's moves. So the training exercises were becoming a game. The Trojack team would add some new challenges for all of them.

"Okay folks." the Princess said as she led Crandle into the skull session before the first practice extraction for the day. "This is Captain Crandle, formerly of EBio Security on Trojack. He is the subject matter expert for EBio company goons. He has worked with Hozenbur before and can help you get into Hozenbur's head. He's also volunteered his unit to be your opposition. Crandle?"

"Good day," Crandall said, "first off let me assure you that my guys and girls hold no grudges against any of you. If we do hold a grudge it is against the closers who continue to harm biopeople who just want to be free. I know you have been briefed about Hozenbur but you haven't had this. This is a confidential file that was given to me prior to our departure on Trojack. Roy our manager thought he had seen something where she was on

Trena and I was instructed to bring her in."

"I didn't know that was your assignment," the Princess said thinking that this might not be a good idea to use these people.

"We didn't want it to be advertised, because we didn't want it to be known we were hunting her. We thought, (and still do) at the time of the assignment, that since the Trena Authorities are known to be hunting the woman that, if we were inserted clandestinely, then we had a better chance of nailing her. Now with her having abducted Lady Wilson it might not make a difference. But we can give your troops some live experience with dealing with a containment cop." Crandall said. "I will assume that you know that there is no one Captain Hozenbur hates more than as Lady Wilson. Lady Wilson foiled two of her biggest recoveries and has eluded her for at least fifteen years."

"So there's a good chance we'll be doing a recovery," someone from the back of the room asked.

Princess Carroll bristled at that and snapped. "This is not a recovery! It's the rescue of Lady Wilson. Anyone who doesn't think that way is gone!"

"General," the marine who had spoken up said, "Ma'am, as distasteful as that thought is, we have to be prepared for that eventuality. If this woman is as psychopathic as everyone claims, it's a possibility."

"She'll only kill Lady Wilson as a last result." Crandall spoke carefully, "Hozenbur's a torturer, and tormenter. She'll be planning a way to harm Lady Wilson physically and mentally prior to killing her. She might induce labor to bring Lady Wilson's children into the world and kill them before her eyes. She would find that immensely satisfying. She would let the children live long enough for Lady Wilson to bond with them, and then either kill them in front of her, or possibly take them from her and kill her letting Lady Wilson know that her children will be sold into slavery as she does the coup de grace.

No we won't be on a recovery, but we might find our victim in sorry shape."

"We assumed that," Lieutenant Anthony of the Trena Fire Department spoke up. His team had drawn the air ambulance assignment. They were the best next to the IRS. The XO had decided that Lady Wilson would feel more comfortable with someone other than the IRS on this one. She had trained this man's team when they had stood it up. Lady Wilson had discovered that the lead medic on this team had the same empathic abilities as she had and had worked with the young medic that was part of the Lieutenant's flight crew. "Tina will be ready. We're also requesting an obstetrics team fly in with us. General Langtree's got my bird and is turning it into a mobile PICU. We should have the bird back in a few hours."

"Do I need to say something to the General not to be so fussy?" the Princess asked.

"I doubt if he would listen to you," Corithia, the Thonian MP unit commander injected, she had great respect for General Langtree, and knew how he approached his work, "but in this case, if he says a couple of hours it will be not a moment longer, and possibly a lot sooner. He's not tuning the bird; but he will make sure every piece of equipment is installed properly, and its backups are fail safe."

"Okay what type of house would the captain choose, to hold up in," The Mounty SWAT team unit leader asked.

"Well first off she's not going to be in the traditional places these people hold up." Crandall said, "She will be in a house near or at the port; or by an air facility. Some place she can make a getaway from in hurry. It may not be isolated, it may be surrounded by other houses where she can put her over watch system in place or have loyal people watching the approaches for her. She would prefer that if she has to escape in a hurry, there would be more places for us to search. The bad news is because of the evacuation and the amount of abandoned cars left around she's got plenty of cars to get away with."

"Not Really." A sergeant from Mounty SWAT unit spoke, "All of the evacuees who didn't take their cars with them were told to pull the power. The Crown didn't want to have the cars become a problem. They were told to park them on their lawns or if they lived in an apartment to leave them in the lot. So anything on the street is a working vehicle and should be being used by someone."

"Well that will help some." Crandall said, "The biggest thing you can count on is that Hozenbur will do exactly what you think she shouldn't. She'll hole up in the top floor of an apartment building with no apparent escape path. Just when you expect to get her, you'll find she has escaped. The one thing we have in our advantage is that she won't harm

Lady Wilson until she has too."

"We have got a holo from her. There was enough stuff on it to give us a good idea what the room Lady Wilson is being held in looks like. The techies are a finding house that looks like it. Soon as they find it we'll try an extraction." The facility commander said.

"We'll be doing a different house every day until the time they find where she is being held. We can't all be training. We need to have a reaction force that can deploy quickly. I want to put the 83rd on alert tomorrow, the Mounties will go into crew rest and the Guard will go into practice against the OpFor." "We can be the OpFor," Crandle injected.

"Crandle," the princess spoke up. "We have enough folks here to be a different OpFor every day. Besides they would learn your moves and be able to best you if you were to be the OpFor every day!"

"May we be put into the alert rotation," Crandle asked.

Everyone was quiet while the Princess who was the Evacuation Command's special operations commander pondered the request. She had no doubt that the team was good. When she asked Kellogg about it he confirmed that they were good. But she didn't know how much she trusted them. She was going to let them train with her people as a way to keep them close. But she didn't want to commit them to the rescue of Lady Wilson until she got a better feel for their true allegiances.

Sensing that the Princess didn't quite trust them, Crandle spoke up, "Let us earn your trust. We want to be part of Lady Wilson's rescue, and the arrest of Captain Hozenbur. That won't happen if we don't work as a team. If you don't trust us then we can't build the team."

The Princess when she spoke did so with a little relief in her voice, "Thank you for understanding Mr. Crandle. You can be of great help to us."

"But we have to earn you trust," Someone from Crandle's team spoke up. "I guess we need to get about that."

Over the next few days the special operations team from Trojack earned if not the trust of the other special operations teams they did earn their respect. Although not nearly as aggressive as the Black Guard, or the Companions HRT, they did get the job done. Often with fewer simulated casualties and usually before the hostage came to grief.

The Black Guard unit leader and Crandle were sharing a meal after a day of heavy simulations, "I thought my guys were good at infiltration. But we haven't been able to detect you in the last couple of passes. Even the cyber watches didn't catch on."

"The whole key captain; is over watch and cyber skullduggery," Crandle replied. "We have a good electronics counter measure suite to begin with and we know most of the Imperial, Thonian, and Trena's surveillance devices. The company went to great pains to know what their capabilities were."

"That makes sense," the captain said, "We always had trouble infiltrating your guy's places."

"Oh that reminds me," Crandle said looking to one of his people across the dining hall. "Lincoln!"

"Yes boss," the older man spoke.

"You get with the cops and the guard and let them have everything we have on company electronic counter measures and such." Crandle called, "They'll need that to make their infiltration and rescue!"

"Already done boss," the man said, "I sat down with them yesterday!"

Crandle smiled his people were doing everything to earn the other SpecOps people trust. The next day the Lor'ns, the thonians who were nominally the special operations site manager came up to Crandle. They sat with him after a practice rescue and said, "Starting tomorrow, your team goes into the rescue rotation. If you are not on when the balloon goes up we want you to be part of the over watch unit." "Thank you," Crandle said.

"You are welcomed," They got up and went about their tasks.

# ###

"Grand mom's back," Jill had written in her diary, "Though she seems not to be herself. I wouldn't say moody; but maybe so. When I talked to Dad about it, he said she remembered when she had been shot the last time. I think it's more than that. I think she is really worried about Mom. But then so are all of us. I see her and Georgia walking the grounds. Often in animated conversation. Georgia is still hurting from the assault

"But so are all of us." The diary went on, "I am so worried that hardly an hour doesn't go by when I don't wonder and worry about Mom. Mom, I would never have thought I would call Lisa mom. I was all set to hate her after all she had taken Dad from me. Yet over the last few months I have become quite close to mom. Grand mom and I had a good relationship. There was little I couldn't discuss with her. When I began to see that Lisa was not the evil step mother I had envisioned and could be trusted, I began to trust her and actually enjoyed her company. Especially on those nights when Dad was away and it was just me and Mom sitting in one of the gardens just talking. I don't know when I began to love her, I just hope that nothing happens to her. I really don't know how I will deal with losing her. I already miss her terribly.

"The last few months have been so unpredictable I wonder what will happen next," Jill concluded her entry.

# Chapter 28: Home gets a Government

"From reading the Queen's diary," Princess Lisa said in class the next time the class met, "she had no idea what was going to happen next. But I don't think anyone else did either."

"Yes the Queen and her father had given the planet of Home or a large part of it to the refugees from Trena." The General commented, "They had deliberately down played the formation of a government on Home. Queen Agatha, felt that because of her charter, and the opinion of her regent, and the Galactic Council that her monarchy was tied to Trena and the Trena System, didn't extend outside of the Trena System. Because of this she could not be the planetary ruler oh Home. Truthfully I think that she didn't want to be queen after the disaster on Trena. The Wilson's for their part really didn't want to be planetary rulers either and was hoping they wouldn't be. But as you know that didn't happen.

"Here is how it fell," The general began her lecture in earnest.

# ###

"Jill," her father accompanied by Princess Carroll and her grandmother came into the study where she was reading a few more of the reports that the searchers had filed about the hunt for her mother. She was considering hiring some private investigators, but did not want to have the argument she knew she would have with the Princess and her grandmother. "We need to talk!"

"They found Mom?" Jill asked expecting good news.

"We wish!" her grandmother answered, as Queen Agatha came into the study.

"So what's up?" Jill asked disappointed there was no news about her mother. She was glad for a distraction as there was nothing in the report she was reading that indicated where her step mother was.

"Well the four of us need to discuss some stuff going on, on Home." Her father replied.

"Oh," Jill commented, "I thought things were going okay."

"They are! But something's come up that we have to decide on." Her father replied,

"They want to form a government."

"Oh," Jill commented, "I thought that as the owner that I ruled it. But I was all set to let Aggie take charge. To cede it to her like I did Trojack a while back. I don't want to be a ruler or a queen."

"We know that Jill," her father said, "but we're running into a hand full of problems."

"My charter prohibits me from colonizing another world," Queen Agatha said, "So

I can't just take over Home. But you know that!" Jill nodded.

"It's more complicated than that," Aggie said, "We've been talking with experts and they say that my charter being the way it is, and your ownership of the world they feel that I cannot rule the world. But you can!"

"Well since I own it I guess I can rule it; but I don't want to." Jill injected, "I can't image running a planet! I have trouble enough running my life!"

"It can be a challenge," Aggie commented, "From what we can tell a couple of the nobles from Trena are forcing the issue. What we thought made sense is for you to authorize a grand council of all the districts."

"Larry thinks that none of the nobles have enough of a backing to be named the leader," her father said, "But we think if you authorize a grand council of the districts one or two people from each district to meet and settle some issues. May cool out the nobles."

"Also it is time to form some sort of government on Home," Aggie injected. "You are not going to want to be the answer girl for everything. Also by letting the people choose their form of government it might work."

"But what if one of the hot heads gets appointed or takes charge," Jill asked.

"We don't think that will happen," Aggie said, "With Larry's help and that of your agents we have identified a lot of people who would be good people to have on the council. Larry seems to think planting the seed for these folks to be included in the council will more or less keep it under control."

"So they would be a constitutional convention and create the formal document of how Home is to be governed," Jill asked. Everyone nodded, "What if I abdicate and choose not to rule the planet."

"We think there will be revolution," her father said,

"I see," Jill replied. "So you think this will prevent a revolution."

"We don't know Jill," Aggie answered, "The very least thing that will come about is that you will rule the planet as you do now with benign neglect. The worse thing will be that you will not be able to just do what you want when you want. Though something in between is more likely to come about."

Jill sighed with exasperation. She didn't want to be a planetary ruler she really didn't want to own any planets. She just wanted to be a girl!

"Jill we have a couple of options," Her father spoke softly, "You can cede Home to the people of Trena and ask permission to live on the world you own. You can abandon it to the people of Trena and not worry about what happens next. Or we can throw the dice with this council and see what happens."

"What happens if we just let things take their course?" Jill asked.

"Maybe nothing," Her father replied.

"Grand mom, Princess," She turned to the older women who had said nothing during the conversation. "What is your opinion?"

"I am not certain you can cede the world to the people of Trena or give it to Queen Aggie," the Princess answered, "I've talked with the Galactic Council, Ambassador Gray, the Thonian Ambassador and a couple of galactic law specialists they all seem to think that you have to make a positive statement on how you will treat the people of Trena. But they all seem to think that you are the owner of the planet and must rule it, run it, or govern it in some fashion. You can abandon it but unless you sign the title over to the governing body of Home you will still be responsible for anything that goes on, on the planet.

"Logically," the princess general continued, "Aggie should be the one you turn the world over to."

"When this is all over I hope to be just a common citizen!" Aggie responded, "I...I am not certain that I can...handle being a ruler of a world after what is happening."

"Aggie," The princess replied, "We understand. The other option is to let the refugees form a government and then turn the world over to them. Have a small preserve on the planet that is your family's home. Then do your best to stay out of things." "That will be no problem!" Jill said.

"What about your children and other descendants," her grandmother asked. "How will you set it up so they won't want to retake the world and rule it?" "This is not going to be simple," Jill remarked, "is it?" "No it isn't," the Queen answered.

"What are you suggesting," Jill asked.

"Let them have their council," the Princess replied, "Then we can do what we have to do at that time. Accept their form of government or try to put one to our liking in place, or just sign the world over and get out of dodge."

Jill nodded and asked, "What do I need to do?"

"Just authorize your agents to allow the formation of the council." The Princess answered.

Jill nodded. With little more fanfare Princess Carroll handed her the document. Jill read it ever. It was simple statement authorizing the people of Home to form a government to govern the planet. She noticed that there was a statement telling the people of Home that any government they formed would have to be endorsed and approved by Jill's guardians.

When she was alone with her father once again she turned to him and asked, "Dad did you have an idea that this might happen?"

"Not really," her father replied, "we suspected that some of the nobles might want to become the new monarch, president or what have you. The agents that we sent with the flights were to be the local government. Some of the agents were from the parliament. People who we knew to be moderates. Most of the problems we have been having on Home are from the extremes. They are pushing for the government. We've been so busy trying to get people there that we didn't give much thought about how to run the planet."

"I wish Aggie," Jill commented, "wanted to be queen of Home. You don't want to be king. I don't want to be queen. I wonder if the queen's heir would want to be the king?"

"That would be Duke Horton," her father replied, "No. When Aggie abdicates he becomes king. Although Aggie doesn't want to be queen over Trena, even with destruction of Trena herself, he'll have a kingdom that is mostly intact. There just won't be a habitable planet in the system. We know what's going to happen to everything in Trena's orbit, a lot of the space stations will be destroyed. If the asteroids were going to clobber us thirty six days earlier, or later, McKay would shield us by being the asteroids main targets. If McKay wasn't airless we could have evacuated to McKay. Evacuating seventy five million to an airless moon would be a disaster all in itself. Duke Horton is no Aggie; but I think he'll be a good king. Unfortunately he'll feel he has to lead the remnants of kingdom here in Trena, and not rule Home."

"I had heard that," Jill continued, "The Queen and her cousin don't get along that well."

"They don't," Her father remarked. He had met the man. He wasn't certain why the Queen and the Duke didn't get along. "I don't know why."

Jill sighed, realizing that there really wasn't anyone to be Home's leader, but maybe herself.

"Dad I really don't want to be Queen, or manager, or the ruler of a planet." Jill turned to her father expressing her feelings. "It's just too much to comprehend now."

"I know baby," Mike said, he too was feeling overwhelmed with everything that was going on. Between his wife abduction, continuing to deal with the day to day operations of the evacuation and now this thing with Jill, it was a lot to handle. "Just try to take it one thing at a time."

"That makes sense." Jill said, "Dad what have you hear about mom?"

"Not much," her father replied, "Chief James will be briefing us later. Maybe they have something that this stuff doesn't." he pointed to computer display that showed the reports she was trying to get through.

"I think I'll try to muddle through these some more." Jill said. Knowing he couldn't change her mind her, father nodded and left. Wondering as he did if they were throwing too much at his daughter.

# ###

Suzy Gabriel was one of the many people traveling from all over Home, to Ellis, the capital of Home. Suzy Gabriel was coming down river on the Maritime Rescue Boat Deliverance. She had been approached by one of the agents of the Evacuation Command's Civil Affairs unit to be a member of the Great Council in Ellis, where they were to meet to form a government. When the crew had found out that she was going down to Ellis, the Captain had talked to her headquarters and got permission to take Suzy her down river.

The Captain had given up her own quarters to Suzy for the three day trip to Ellis.

Suzy and the crew had been discussing the upcoming assembly before they had left Sunrise Cliffs, Suzy's home. It had been one of the many homes that EBio either had built for their employees, or had found on the vacant world. No one had wanted it so when it was offered to her she took it. She shared her home with Admiral Klond, and the crew of the Deliverance. As the trip continued downriver the crew felt free to continue discussing the upcoming assembly.

"I don't see why the Queen can't be our Queen here on Home." the chief of the boat said the first night out, "It just seems silly she can't be!"

"The Queen doesn't own Home." Suzy replied, "Because of that, the Queen's rule doesn't extend here. Since Jill Wilson owns the planet she could be considered our monarch. But Miss Wilson hasn't set up a system to run the planet. She more or less has decided to let us do our thing. I don't understand some of this myself. It is benign neglect. I would have thought Lord Mercer and a couple of the others would have formed a government. I don't know why they haven't."

"I heard that some of the lords are angry that they have not retained their nobility." The cook said, "There has been some talk about forcing Miss Wilson to recognize their special status."

"Yeah, I had a show down with one of them a few months ago." Suzy said, "They want to have what they had on Trena. That's just not going to happen.

Their nobility is tied to the Trenan Court. As such there is no court here. If I understand what the Evac guy said, the Queen's monarchy ends when Trena is destroyed. There is some question about her rule over the orbital industries and the things off Trena. But the

Trena Court will cease to exist once the planet is destroyed."

"So the Queen will no longer be our monarch," The chief said, "So this Jill Wilson is our new queen?"

"Well she does own the planet," Captain McNally commented, "Just like Queen

Agatha does Trena."

"So she is for practical purposes our queen," the apprentice asked.

"I think all but the nobles will agree to that!" the petite woman retorted. That brought a round of chuckles around the mess table.

"So this assembly or council is not to find a planetary leader but to develop a system of governance that Miss Wilson will accept and our people will want to live under." The captain asked.

"More or less," Suzy answered. "With the Wilson family our new royal family?" Most of those around the galley table nodded.

"But what form should our government be," Suzy asked.

"Why not the same as we had on Trena?" the gunners mate asked. "That seemed to work."

"Trena has what is known as a balanced democracy." Someone said, "The Queen is the planetary leader; but the Prime Minister is head of government; elected from the parliament, the crown departments are managed by the prime minister. The courts are independent of the monarch and the parliament. The courts act as a balance between the monarchy, the government and the people. The courts handle all the issues that can't be resolved by the crown or prime minister and to handle other legal matters."

"That seemed to be working," The chief commented, "Most of the time. The in fighting in the parliament was getting fairly bad though."

"Before the evacuation," the captain remarked, "it was almost grid locked. It surprised me that the Queen has had as little trouble with the parliament as she has over the evacuation."

"I am surprised she is having so little trouble also," Suzy remarked as the apprentice spoke up.

"So this council," the apprentice asked, he was a young man barely 19 years old with brown hair. He had no real assignment on the rescue boat. He spent his time between the deck division, the galley, the engine compartment and occasionally the bridge. His real job was to learn all the systems aboard the seventy five foot craft, "is to build a complete new government. Or is to create a government for us?"

"I think it is to create a government for Home," Suzy replied. "But what type of a government. A constitutional monarchy like we have on Trena or some hybrid? We come from the Thonian Realm, the Earth Empire, the Republic, and of course Trena. All of them have working systems. I am no political scholar; but it seems to me we have an opportunity to take the best from all of our worlds and make a gestalt of them."

"Do you think that the Marshal and his daughter would stand still for a constitutional monarchy," the captain asked. "I mean they own the planet. Why would they consent to something like that?"

"Well if their duties were somewhat ceremonial they might sit still for that," Suzy replied. "But I can't see the Marshal allowing his daughter to be a figure head."

"You know," The chief spoke softly, "would it make any sense at all for a parliament to rule the planet to write the laws that a head of government would enforce; but leave some of the power in the hands of the monarch." "What do you mean chief," Suzy asked.

"I am not sure," the chief a man in his early sixties who's whole life, since the passing of his wife was on the boat. "It makes a bit of sense to me for the monarch to be the commander in chief of the military and maybe the emergency services. Be the top cop, fire fighter, medic, dog catcher, as well."

"That's a lot of power chief," Suzy remarked.

"It is but; she could only mobilize the troops for a planetary emergency she couldn't go to war without the parliament's approval," The chief continued. "It seems to me there should be one and only one commander in chief for all of us. The monarch would be the CIC and wouldn't change because of whim of politics. Also it might prevent a prime minister from going off halfcocked if the monarch didn't feel a threat existed. If the situation was such that there was ample evidence that there was a threat and the monarch and the prime minister disagreed either to the scope or whether to prosecute or not to prosecute the emergency then the planetary bench could be asked to rule. But if done right that will never come about."

"So you would put the welfare of the people in the monarch's hands rather than the crown departments." Suzy asked.

"Yes," The chief said, "within reason. I would put all life safety operations in the monarch's hands. But have her advised by crown departments. In other words like Captain McNally here. She is the Deliverance's master; but her department heads advise her on the status of her boat and the best way to approach a given situation. Then she takes the best action accordingly. The crown department heads who would be populated out of the parliament or other political body would advise her on the rules and regulations that her various emergency service and military organizations would follow. I don't know but there has to be a balance between the power of the monarch to use the military and the power of the parliament and the ministers."

"That makes sense," Suzy commented, "So you want a parliament, a representative government in other words?"

"Yes but it has to work better than the republic's and the one on Trena," the rescue tech said, "Two houses. One house where one person who represents so many people. The other house, a senate or a house of lords would represent a large district or province."

"But done in some way that the partisan politics can be hosed down and controlled," Captain McNally commented.

They discussed the prospects for a government all the way down river to Ellis. It gave Suzy a lot to chew on.

# ###

Days later Suzy sat in the council and listened to the proposals that various people were offering for the formation of their government. The arguments were going around and around. No one seemed to understand that they had a queen and that Jill Wilson was her and she was asking them to form the management system for the day to day running of the planet. Some of the proposals went from installing a particular noble as the monarch to having no system and everything in between. Finally losing patience with the entire group Suzy left the council one morning to go sit on the dock watching the burgeoning river traffic flow up and down the river trying to clear her head a bit. It was there that captain McNally found her.

"Good morning Mrs. Gabriel," the captain said handing her a cup of coffee. The Deliverance had made another trip down river to pick up some medical supplies for the

Outpost 1 Clinic. "I saw you sitting here and thought I would join you."

"Hi Captain," Suzy took the coffee. "Thank you."

"I've heard you been having some problems," the captain stated.

"Yeah, no one wants to listen." The thirty year old woman complained, "The Contras are fighting the Royalist, the Royalists are fighting the newbies, it's a mess!"

"No one's taken charge," the captain commented, "There doesn't seem to be one voice trying to unite them."

Suzy looked at the captain, "Yes! The speaker doesn't seem to have a back bone. He's afraid to be too pushy because he doesn't want to lose his position. He doesn't get it that we are to be short lived, create a government and go home. It's happening like it was in the Republic."

"Then someone needs to read the riot act to them." The captain said.

Suzy nodded, and said "Thank you skipper. I think I know what I have to do."

Suzy finished her coffee handed the cup to the captain and walked back to the assembly. She entered a small auditorium where the five hundred members of the assembly were meeting, and spoke with the secretary of the assembly to put her on the speakers list. She found out that it wouldn't be until the next day that she would be able to speak. That suited her. It gave her some time to talk to some people, and write her speech.

"Gentle Souls of the Home Council," she began the next day, "I ask that you listen to me for a while, and as you listen to me ask yourself are we getting the job done we have been asked by our friends, families and fellow citizens to do. To form a government; one that will help Miss Wilson govern our new world. The planet she is allowing us to build our new homes on. We are not here to decide who will be queen. We have one Jill Wilson.

"I have sat in this assembly for over a week," She spoke, "and listened to your proposals. Most if not all seem to ignore the facts I have just mentioned. Nothing has gotten done. We have argued and talked and argued but; nothing has gotten done. I know some of you have the belief that we can take weeks to make this happen, others feel we should import from Trena our former home world's governmental structure just to be done with it. We don't have time to argue this! The people who have put their trust in us want us to get this done. We are not on Trena anymore my honored colleagues! We are on Home! A world given to us by Marshal Wilson's daughter! We don't own this world, the marshal's family does. They haven't given it to us they are just letting us live on it. Queen Jill has asked us to come up with a way to govern a world that has no government.

"Some of you have forgotten the nobility of Trena have no standing here on Home. That their nobility dies, except possibly their title, dies when the asteroids kill Trena. But they are not alone in having no standing. In fact none of us have standing except for the very special title of representative to the Home Constitutional Council. As such when we form the government that Queen Jill has asked us to form, our roles will be over. Many of us may be asked to be part of the new government we will form. None of us know. But we can't be concerned with our future appointments or positions in the government. Our job is to create a government and go home. Not to spend weeks and months to do this job.

"Last night I met with several of you to go over some ideas I have about forming the government. Although not all of you agreed with my thoughts and what I presented, many of you thought it might be worth a shot." Suzy pressed a button on the console and the assembly saw the constitution that had been forming in her mind since her conversation on the Deliverance.

"We come from many worlds, From the Earth Empire, From the Thonian Realm, the Theocracy, the Republic, and of course our own home world of Trena." She spoke softly, "All of these worlds have both good and bad political systems. My own native world, the world I emigrated from to Trena is a democracy. Yet I find a constitutional monarchy more stable. It has both the stability of a long standing monarch, and yet by electing people to a parliament we can reign in the power of a monarch who has stepped beyond its bounds.

"What I propose is this," she spoke with passion.

"I think a constitutional monarchy is what would work for us. The monarch would be the head of state; but not the head of government. Similar to what we have now, the monarch would be the ruler of our world and would have the power to call parliament into session, have the right to overrule the parliament when it takes us into an unprovoked war, or when it raises taxes too high, or enters into a treaty that is not in the interest of the Kingdom. The monarch will be the commander in chief of the armed forces. Many of the same powers Queen Agatha currently enjoys.

"I have mentioned a parliament. This parliament will be made up of two houses, a house of commons where common everyday citizens would be elected to a term of ten years. Once they served their ten years they could never be reelected to the House of Commons. Every five years half of the House of Commons would be elected. They would represent 200,000 souls. And this would include artificial intelligences, as well as flesh and bone people like us. The second house would be a Senate or House of Lords. To be inducted into the House of Lords, the monarch would nominate someone and at first the House of Commons would approve them. Then as time goes on, the House of Lords would nominate their own to the monarch who would have veto power over the appointment, and the House of Lords would have the right to overturn the veto by a super majority. They would after a few years have the right to reject the monarch's nominations by a super majority. The Monarch would always be able to nominate someone to the House of Lords.

"The prime minister would be elected from these two bodies, but could be rejected by the monarch. If parliament feels the monarch is wrong they can by super majority vote the prime minister in. If the monarch still thought the nominee was wrong, then the Planetary Bench would try the case and then all the justices would have to vote either in favor of one side or the other. It has to be unanimous.

"The parliament would create the crown departments whose heads would make the prime ministers cabinet. All who would need to be nominated by the prime minister and approved by the House of Lords, and then presented to the monarch for their approval. If the monarch disapproves of a minister, then the entire parliament must vote by a super majority to override the veto.

"I know it seem like I am putting a lot of power in the monarch, but not really as this forces the monarch and the parliament to work together."

Suzy took a sip of water to let some of what she was saying sink in. She was watching the reactions of her peers. She was a long way from selling it. But people were starting to read the details on their displays. Now she went on to the third part of her government.

"Now to balance off the Parliament and the Monarchy, a judiciary will be established. This judiciary will be modeled after the Crown Bench on Trena, and the Empire. All capital cases will go before the Queen's Bench. A bench will be established in all districts. The House of Commons will nominate judges for their home districts. The House of Lords will approve the nomination with the monarch having the final say. With a standard super majority to override her veto! From this group of judges the queen will nominate judges for the appeals bench, and the Planetary Bench. The Monarch will preside over the Planetary Bench, which is the court of last appeal for all capital cases, and constitutional cases, except when constitutional cases involving the monarch. To ensure fair trials, and access to equal justice, no private attorney's or counsel will be permitted for criminal cases. All attorneys will be in a pool that will trade off cases between defense and prosecution. Both sides will be able to call on witnesses and pay them out of the monarch purse."

She paused again before finishing her presentation, "This is my proposal. It has taken the best of the royalist world, the best of the democracy world, and a bit from here and there. It is by no means perfect, and we will need to spend long hours to make this become reality. I will yield the remainder of my time to the representative from Ellis."

The representative from Ellis stood up and began speaking he was an old hand from Trena's House of Commons, an independent that was respected by both sides.

"The representative from Outpost 1 has spent long hours putting this together, and like her I believe it is not a perfect document," the man continued, "but it is better than anything we have come up with so far. I move that we table all other proposals and debate the gentle soul from Outpost 1's proposal."

"Second the motion," the representative from Near Port the next town up river from Ellis stood.

The speaker asked, "A motion has been made and seconded to table all proposals except for that of the representative form Outpost 1. If there is no objection I call the vote."

He waited a few minutes then said, "All in favor of tabling all other proposal say yea."

To Suzy's surprise it passed. A couple of days later to her surprise and with only minor changes her proposal was approved. The one detail she had clearly forgotten was to allow the people of Home to colonize other worlds. She had not thought of a bill of rights, but the representatives had. It included a provision that sentient people were not possessions and could not be owned on Home. This also included Artificial Intelligences. She thought that was very astute. There were provisions about search and seizure, and selfincrimination. The right to appeal directly to monarch on capital cases was a guaranteed right. That capital punishment when it was applied was not to include execution unless a crime against the people of Home, or Humanity occurred. She thought that overtime the constitution would be amended and that had been something that she had not put in her original draft.

"May I address this assembly," A voice from the back of the assembly called.

"Yes," the speaker replied.

"We have approved our constitution and we will set a date for our House of Commons to be elected. But now we have to take this proposal to Miss Wilson and get her approval. I believe we also have to somehow formally acknowledge her as our monarch." the representative from Westport a small port town on the west coast spoke up. "How shall we do this?"

Suzy who was now the speaker of the assembly spoke up, "Yes, Jill Wilson is our monarch. Yet somehow we need to reinforce this."

"What if she refuses to listen to us," Someone asked. "It is possible that she has her own idea of how to rule Home."

"I don't know," Suzy replied, "But she asked us to form this council and come up with the government for Home."

Another stood up to be recognized. Suzy recognized him.

"That is something we will have to deal with after we advise Miss Wilson what we have done here." The speaker said, "Until we do, we are only speculating what her response will be. One thing I think we need to do is to formally accept Miss Wilson as our queen. I therefore move that this assembly confirm that Jill Wilson is to become our very first queen."

"Is there a second?" Suzy asked.

"I second the motion," Someone called.

"All in favor of the motion say aye!" Suzy asked.

The room thundered with ayes.

"Very well then, let it be known that on this day, the Home Council does hereby acknowledge Jill Wilson as our monarch, and accepts the constitution as proposed." Suzy spoke from the podium and crashed down the gavel, "Unless there is any other business I hereby close this council."

There were no objections, and Suzy closed the assembly, "I now close this assembly with the hope that our people will find peace and happiness on Home!"

After the document had been prepared for publication Suzy went to the main office of the community affairs office of the evacuation command. There she formally presented the document to the evacuation command. The man looked it over and said, "Thank you.

When do you leave for Trena to present it to Miss Wilson?" "Isn't that your job?" Suzy asked.

"No Ma'am," the gentleman said, he had been a member of the Trena Emergency Management office. "This is now a political thing, not an operational activity. That means civilians need to present it to Miss Wilson. That means you."

She turned to the representative from Ellis who said, "As speaker of the assembly it is your job to take the constitution to Trena and present it to the Queen Jill, and Queen

Aggie. It is your creation you should be the one to take it to Trena." Suzy sighed all she wanted to do was to get back up river to her kids.

# ###

"Suzy Gabriel," T'harla asked, "Wasn't she the one whose husband was killed in that container accident right after the announcement."

"Yes," General Jones replied remembering the short almost chubby brunet with the coal black eyes. "Her husband tried to smuggle her and her three kids off Trena. A hoist broke and the container popped open as it fell. When he fell out of the open doors, he managed to fall in such a way for the container fall on him."

"Yet she was on the first lift to Home!" Princess Lisa commented. "That smells of a set up."

"No it wasn't," the General answered, "she was chosen to be one of the network installers on Home. She was that, until the people of Outpost 1 asked her to represent them.

She was our very first prime minister, and some think our best."

Anthony Gabriel was sitting in the back of the class, a senior in his last year of the academy. He had heard that General Jones was going to lecture on his grandmother and wanted to hear the story from someone who had been there and had known his grandmother. He locked eyes with the humbot who acknowledged her presence.
Chapter 29: The End of a Very Long Day.

"Cadets, your predecessors were a great help to the evacuation command," General Jones began, "Some of the cadets worked with General Langtree at the Maintenance Group headquarters. Some of the cadets worked traffic control and crowd control at the LZs. Things that a group of young people can do with a little adult supervision. One of the most tedious and time consuming tasks was making sure that the abandoned buildings were abandoned and that the neighborhoods were clear.

"The work they were doing put more and more police officers on the search for Lady Wilson, and helped the Evac Command get its task done.

"The command was getting reports of people missing their evacuation dates, or simply deciding not to evacuate. One group of people led by Lord Wallace, had even built an underground shelter on the opposite side of the planet from where the asteroids would initially impact. It was vital though for Lord Wilson's charter to make sure that every last mother's child who wanted to get off Trena could. Double checking the evacuated portions of Trena was a job that had to be done.

"So Lady Atomi's group was one of the groups searching neighborhoods for strays," The General said. "It was long hard and hot work..."

###

They were pulling into the academy after a long day working with the police to find Lady Wilson. Lamile had lost track of the number of homes that they had searched, and they were all bone tired. Lamile wanted to do nothing but find a piece of mattress and read the back of her eyelids for a few hours. The truck bringing them back to the academy stopped before the dining hall. As she got off the truck she noticed a crowd of people standing around on the grass before the dining hall looking into the sky.

"What's going on," Lamile asked, wondering why they were all looking to the sky.

"This is the first night we can see the asteroids," Someone replied, "with our own eyes!"

"Are they that close?" Lamile asked searching the sky. Sergeant Lucas pointed them out to her. They were not much bigger than the stars in the night sky. She could hardly see them even though her eyesight started in the near infrared.

"I can hardly see them," Lamile observed.

"They are about two months out." One of the adult commented, "From here on out we'll be able to see our damnation."

"How did it go Major," Sergeant Lucas asked seeing the young woman. Lamile still thought it was someone else who they were talking about when they called her major, or Lady Atomi.

"Not good," Lamile said following the cook into the dining hall. He had sandwiches for them. When Lamile saw the chocolate chip cookies she smiled. Sergeant Lucas always seemed to know how to treat the cadets. "Thank you sergeant," Lamile bit into a cookie, "We didn't find Aunt Lisa, but we found several people hiding in abandoned homes."

"How you holding up Major," The sergeant asked. Sergeant Lucas was like an uncle. He seemed to be there when one of the cadets needed an adult. He wasn't as imposing as Lady Hawthorne, or Sergeant Green. There was always a mug of coco and a willing ear for a cadet who needed to talk. What Lamile didn't know was, that the sergeant was playing his part. Millie Green had asked him to stay on and be the person she couldn't be. As the lead NCO for the school she couldn't be mother confessor, or the one that the cadets came to when they were in trouble or needed a friendly adult. She was part of the disciplinary chain for the cadets.

"Oh we're all tired," Lamile said as Rhonda, one of the kids from the long march came up to her. She held a plate for both of them. Lamile took it as the cadet sat down with her own dinner. "We did a lot of walking today. And we spent a lot of time in cars. We can't be doing this every day." Lamile said seeing Mitch come in.

"Major," Mitch approached them, "this came in from Serenity for you." "How are you?" Lamile asked as her friend hand her an envelope.

"Getting better," Mitch replied. She didn't have much pain, it just seem to take more energy than she was used to; but not as much as it did the day before.

"From Jill," Lamile asked. She was terribly worried about her friend and her parents. She was thankful for the work she was doing or else she would have too much time to dwell on things. She had spoken with her mother briefly and could tell she wasn't doing well either. She and her aunt were terribly close. More so as Lisa helped her mother adjust to the loss of her father. For a non thonian, the biowoman seemed to understand the ramifications of the aqaut and the bond that lifemates formed through it. She didn't know who the person that was holding her aunt but it didn't sound good.

"No ma'am," Mitch said and gave Lamile the note. It had the royal seal on it.

She opened the note it was hand written, "Lady Atomi, I know you will be getting this late, so I won't keep you long. I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of the crown for you and your cadet's service in the hunt for Lady Wilson. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.

"Queen Agatha I of Trena," Was how the note was signed.

"Mitch get this is in the bulletin for tomorrow. Make sure that all of the special cadets get a copy slipped under their door tonight." Lamile said.

"Aye," Mitch said, she too looked tired.

"How is Jill holding up?" Lamile asked.

"She's doing okay Major," Mitch said, "We took a run earlier today that seemed to mellow her out."

"Where is she now?" Lamile asked.

"In quarters sound asleep." Mitch said, "It all finally caught up with her. She nearly collapsed. Lady Hawthorn and Sergeant Green put her to bed an hour ago."

"Thank the gods," Lamile commented. She had talked to her friend, after Jill got back from the Valiant, she could tell that her friend wasn't doing too well either.

"She was running on adrenalin." Mitch said seeing the fatigue in her friend's face. "You okay Lamile?"

"Nothing a few hundred hours of sleep won't cure," Lamile said and turned to Rhonda, "Not that I am liable to get it. Rhonda, I am off to bed. Get our unit ready to move by 0800. I want everyone showered and ready to board by 0800."

"Aye-aye Lamile," Rhonda said. She too was tired; but she wasn't going to let Lamile down.

"Mitch before I stumble to my bed to read the back of my eyelids, is there anything else I need to deal with." Lamile asked.

"No," Mitch replied. "We have everything under control."

"I am off to bed then," She looked at the plate of cookies and took one more and turned to Lucas, "Thanks Sarge."

"You're welcomed Major." Lucas said. He watched the kids troop off to their dorms and then shut his kitchen down. They were the last ones in. When he made sure that the kitchen was ready for morning chow he called Sergeant Green at Fletcher.

"Hi Steve," Millie said, "Once second! Tell Hawkins that he needs to report with that platoon to the South Mall in morning." "Sure thing Sarge," a voice said off phone.

"How are they?" Millie cut right to the chase.

"They all are tired," Steve said, "But they'll be okay. They all are proud as hell to be doing this."

"It's a big thing for these kids," Millie said, "They are being given a big responsibility. I saw the roster that Lamile and her people put together."

"So did I," Steve said, "There isn't a dud in the group."

"I'll try to get out among them tomorrow." Millie said, "Thanks for calling me." "Okay Sarge," Lucas said, "I'll see you in the morning."

He went back outside and looked to the skies. He could barely see the asteroids.

# ###

"I asked the museum if I could borrow this," T'harla said at the end of the class. He stood and took what he had borrowed from the exhibit about his grandmother. He placed it on the first cadet's desk the original note that the last Queen of Trena had sent his great grandmother.

All the cadets looked at the document, many had seen this as they toured the museum as perspective cadets; but until now it was just an exhibit, something from the past. Now they were beginning to understand how much of their history was tied to it and their first cadet class.

"The efforts of the class 1 of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets set the standard for all cadets and officers who have graduated from this institution." The General spoke passionately, "Your predecessors were not the children of Trena's Nobles or the elite of the world; but the waifs, the abandon and orphaned children of the evacuation. But this was only the beginning. Throughout the long history of the corps, your predecessors and fellow cadets have always stood tall when they were called to help."

# Chapter 30: On High Port Space Defense Station

"General," the princess asked the next day in class. "Weren't you instrumental in rescuing great grand mom?"

"Yes," the General replied, "I was part of the rescue force. I was not part of the entry team; but the intelligence cell that determined where she was."

"But wasn't it by accident that you even found where she was." Georgia Hawthorne asked.

"It was," the General answered, "If it hadn't been for the other work I was doing..." **###**

"Hey Alice," the lieutenant came up to her where she was finishing her latest report on some cyber skullduggery that she had just put an end to.

"What's up LT?" Alice Jones asked. Alice had come in early that day so the lieutenant could get part of the day off. She had become not just his one of his top people; but his deputy. He had no idea that she was a humbot designed by the logistic officer to help with cybernetic security. She had replaced the unit sergeant when the thonian had gone back home to Thonia. She had been on the station for only a couple of weeks. He had no idea that part of the reason she was on the station to continue her chase for the traitorous artificial intelligence. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have the master sergeant.

"One of the guys up in surveillance thinks they have a problem." The lieutenant replied.

"What type of problem," Alice asked.

"It seems they have a section of northern Trenaport that has become blind to them! DefConnie in the Mountain reports it is not blind to her, but the guys upstairs think it might be a computer security problem. Go up and take a look." The lieutenant ordered.

"Okay LT." Alice replied. She got her tool kit and went up to the surveillance shop. It didn't take her long to get there and five minutes after she got there she knew what the problem was.

"You have been hacked." Alice told the unit commander, "Loos like an AI has been messing with you! I've put in a better firewall, and an alarm, so if anything is blocked again, you'll think the GQ alarm got switched on. I've located the records and have emailed them to you Captain."

"Do I need to deactivate the AIs." the captain asked.

"No," Alice said. The bugs she had placed around and in the computer would tell her the story. It was the best lead she had gotten so far while in orbit. Her suspicion concerning DefConnie was growing. DefConnie was the only AI that could misdirect the surveillance system without drawing attention. "No it wasn't the expert system. It was a ground based AI that was messing with you! I think we've got a handle on it." "Thanks Sarge," the captain said.

"Anytime captain," Alice replied and left the center. Before finishing with the surveillance computers she had sent herself a copy of the surveillance data that she sent to the captain. She reviewed them as she went back to the cyber cops shop. When she did it stuck out like a sore thumb. The time span for the outage was the same time span that Lady Wilson had been abducted for. They were for a twenty block area of Northern Trenaport.

That part of Trenaport that was mostly evacuated. She was sure that was where Lady Wilson was being held. She needed to get back down and talk to the people hunting for Lady Wilson.

As she walked into the security shack she quickly had a set of orders written for her, assigning her to the Trena Mounted Patrol team hunting Lady Wilson. When the lieutenant told her about the new orders she, she quickly reported on her activities in the surveillance shack, before leaving to pack her bags. The orders said for her to immediately report to Mr. Kellogg at the Mounty headquarters. With Bugs in his carrier she started for the departure lounge. Bugs had made a lot of friends on the station. No one knew that he was a robot! He was becoming the unofficial mascot for the unit; but no one understood why they had never seen him chase the occasional rodent that popped up in the security spaces.

The LT thinking that Alice would be on station until they closed up shop, was surprised to see that she was being transferred out. Already she had found several cyber computer criminals and fixed several dozen leaks in the system. He was enjoying her competency. None of his other investigators, including the AI had her skills. She was going to be sorely missed as they began to automate the station, and prepare it to be bombarded by the asteroid field. He made a call to his boss at the computer security division at the Mountain on Trena.

"Major," the lieutenant spoke into the communicator. "I know it's highly irregular, but I want to field promote a Tech Sergeant to a Second Lieutenant." "Why," the major asked.

The lieutenant discussed what he knew of Sergeant Jones' background, what she had done for him, for the logistics command, and for the palace. He felt she had earned a promotion to lieutenant.

"Okay Ralph," The major said, he had recommended the lieutenant to his current posting, and the lieutenant had been a warrant officer before he had been promoted to lieutenant. He knew that the LT was not one to promote his people ahead of zone, or to recommend his people for an unusual promotion. He was a good officer that nurtured his people and prepared them for their next assignment. If he was recommending one of his cyber cops be promoted to an officer she had to be hot shit. The major pulled up Alice's personnel file and made a snap decision. The promotion may only be valid for a couple of months, but she had all the paper work, education, as well as the skills to become a lieutenant. He saw her new orders and then added an addendum. Upon completion of her current assignment Alice was assigned to the Mountain as a first lieutenant in charge of a cyber-security platoon. They were short a lieutenant in that unit and the sergeant that was running it refused to be promoted to a lieutenant. It was a fix the officer liked. The promotion was immediate.

Alice had just gotten to the debarkation lounge for her trip to Trena when a private from her old unit came up to her.

"Sarge," the private greeted her, "new orders from the Mountain. Oh the LT said to give you these."

He handed her two single silver bars.

"He also said to keep up the good work, LT." The young man stepped back brought himself to attention and gave her, her first salute. Not sure why he would salute her she returned it.

"Oh," Alice commented as she took the paper from the private's hand and then read the orders. A little stunned, she said "Tell the LT, I have received my orders and will comply. Oh, and tell him thank you."

"Aye-aye LT." the private a young kid that Alice had been working with over the last week showed a lot of promise and had a bit of a crush on her. He saluted her again and left in a hurry. As he left one of the officers waiting to go planet side turned to her and asked, "What's going on sergeant?"

Alice showed him the orders, he shook he is head saying, "You know this is the first time I have ever heard of being given a promotion in transit. What gives?"

"I don't know," the humbot replied, "I will be heading up a cyber-security platoon when I get down."

"Lieutenant," the major said, "You're out of uniform!"

"I am at that," Alice replied, "By your leave sir?"

The major nodded and walked away shaking his head. Things were sure a changing. Alice checked the time, and decided to treat herself. She had two hours to go before her flight. She left Bugs with the departure clerk in the departure lounge and went to the station's uniform shop. She emailed them her sizes and what she needed. She showed the clerk her papers and soon had her uniforms. She left the shop and was just in time for her flight. On the flight down she changed from her enlisted uniform to her officer's uniform. Wishing it didn't look so new.

Once down, she got a port police officer to take her to Mounted Patrol Headquarters. There she went into the emergency operations center where Lord James was working with Kellogg on the latest intelligence. Kellogg who knew Alice, as did Lord James were both speechless when they saw what uniform she was wearing. Kellogg assumed it was a cover, James for his part didn't know what to think. Alice presented her orders to Kellogg who nodded and asked, "What do you have for us lieutenant?"

"I know where Lady Wilson is," Alice had been talking with Frasier, the Mounty AI, while in route to Mounty headquarters. She had shared what she had discovered with him. Frasier double checked the information and was ready to display the data when Alice walked into the center, "Frasier please display what we have been working on."

Lord James looked at the thirty something officer realizing that Alice was not who he thought she was. It was one of the very few times that Alice had ever let on that she was other than a human being.

Frasier displayed the section of Trenaport that the AI had blocked. He then laid down a grid map of the same area. He had worked with the municipal service computer and found out what homes and buildings were still drawing power and might be occupied. There were five hundred buildings that someone might be in. Once the display was complete, she explained how she had come about the data.

"DefConnie thinks she's a smart computer. She is rather dumb." Alice said with some venom after she made her presentation. Alice was a computer packed into a human looking body, "She doesn't know I am on to her. I'll get her next week. After we rescue Lady Wilson, she gets fixed!"

Kellogg and Chief James both noticed the venomous tone of voice. They both thought that it might not be a bad idea to stay on Alice's good side.

"We can use those cadets for this." Kellogg said, "I also want to set up staging for the SWAT units here."

James nodded. Pointed to a police officer and said, "Move the SWAT to this fire station here. I want them to go from twenty four hour alert to eight hour pad alert. They roll on anything suspicious in the area."

"I am going to the forward OP at the fire station!" Kellogg said, "Alice I want you forward deployed, to provide com security for the team." Kellogg commanded "It's too early to tell Lord Wilson."

"Aye," James agreed.

# ###

"It was that simple," The princess asked, "I mean half the planet's military and police hunting for grand mom and you found it by accident!"

"To this day," the General replied, "I have trouble believing it myself. It was so off the wall and unanticipated that it could have been over looked. Especially when you consider how the surveillance net was off and on over that portion of Trenaport for weeks. It wasn't until it went out for a week and the other maintenance guys were busy that we wouldn't have even had what I found."

"A couple of us have reviewed that data," Lamile Mitchum commented, "Last night it seemed to us that, this was a long shot! Especially after in hindsight what we knew was going on."

"It was at that." General Alice Jones commented, "But it was the best lead we had.

So we went with it."

# Chapter 31: SWAT Forward OP

"It was an awesome sight to see the gathering of heroes that began assembling at the fire station." General Jones was sitting on the edge of the desk, the following class, "We had police officers from Trena, the Companions, Trojack and SpecWars from the Black Guard. We had cadets, militia, and fire fighters begin assembling at the fire station. But it was a waiting game..."

# ###

It was a waiting game now. Although the SWAT team was now on 8 hour alert, all of the teams, the Mounty Team, the Trojack Team, the Black Guard, and Companion Team were all sitting in the abandoned fire house's common room. Their gear was laid out by unit in the abandoned equipment bay. This was the worse time for the teams. They were looking over maps, and building diagrams. The waiting was in the early part. All of the advance training was over. All four teams had played both aggressor, and rescuer. All four teams thought they were the best, but in General Alpine's opinion they were evenly matched with maybe the Trojack security unit being a little better at entry and recovery, with her Black Guard being a bit better in the infiltration with both police units being about evenly matched on infiltration and entry. She hated to admit that her Black Guardsmen were being second best by the biopeople; but her guardsmen lacked certain finesse when it came to gaining entry quickly and quietly without killing the subject. They also knew how to clear a building quickly. The detachment commander told her over dinner one evening that her NCOs were learning big time from the clones.

"Part of it is that when these guys were doing their thing, on Trojack, they didn't want to destroy company merchandise. So they learned very early how to make an entry that didn't get clones killed. "The captain said, "But they are good. Their infiltration has a lot to be desired. They don't usually have to cross into an enemy held position and take it out without being spotted. I am really surprised that the MPs and the cops are good at that."

"Yes they are good as they need to get in close and not be seen before they make an entry. So when they make entry they can do it fast and furious." the Princess had said. "We could learn some stuff from the Companions and the Mounties. I think once we clear Trena I think I will mention to Lord Wilson, that Home might set up a Special Forces hostage rescue academy. There will be a lot of Mounties that can teach the course, and

there might be a call for them to be an on call hostage rescue team."

"They'll need to earn some money somehow." the captain said.

Now the Princess stood silently watching as the four team leaders began to work out how they would do things.

"Look we know that there will be more than Hozenbur in the area. They may not have heard that we're hunting for Hozenbur. They may think we could be hunting them. There may also be people in there ready to support Hozenbur. So we need to set up a response protocol." The Companion Team leaders spoke. The Trojack, the Mounty, and Black Guard teams had generally accepted them as the overall Tactical coordinator. General Alphine had to admit the woman and her lifemate were good. It was unnerving to be around them sometimes. As one would start to talk then the other would finish what the other's thought was. Or they would both begin speaking together as they were doing now and you couldn't tell one from the other. "Unless someone objects, I have divided the twenty block area into four strike areas. Each of our teams has been assigned a strike area.

Black Guard is assigned blue; Mounties, Red; Companions Green, Trojack Yellow. Get the feel of your sector. When the sector is entered by the sweep team, I want you guys to deploy half your team forward. I want us to be ready to make the infiltration and the extraction. If your team makes the infiltration, we'll back you up. The Mounties are securing the area. There'll be no foot traffic and road traffic in or out of the area.

"The sweep teams will be made up of cadets from the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadet Academy. Major Atomi will be their lead." the Companion pointed to Lamile who was studying the map. She had been pulled from her team to attend this briefing.

"We think," the companion continued, "That if we work out from the center. Spiraling out. I've been talking with Lieutenant Jones here and she agrees with me. It is significant that these twenty blocks have been blind to the surveillance team. We think that the center of the zone is where Lady Wilson is being held. It could be an elaborate spoof. But that's where we're going first.

"Lady Hawthorne will be here soon and she'll oversee the deployment of the rest of the cadet teams. The rest of Lady Atomi's guys will be arriving in the next hour or so. We have about three hours of day light left. Princess Carroll, Kellogg, are the cadets authorized to work after dark."

"Negative." The marine commandant said, "My guys can work after dark. They own the night, to repeat a corny phrase. You guys might miss something in the dark.

Besides it would be out of cover to doing the survey after dark."

"Maybe we'll get lucky," someone commented, "and get this done tonight."

The Companions looked at each other shrugging in unison and turned to the group speaking in unison, "That would be outstanding. To continue...

"The sweep team will be doing what they have been doing for the last week or so. Checking buildings and such. The Marshal doesn't want them in harm's way; but they will search these buildings to ensure everyone is out of the area. Major if you stumble upon anyone call for an officer and we'll take over. If you stumble upon Hozenbur, disengage and get out of there. We don't want you harmed." Lamile nodded.

"If Lady Atomi stumbles on Hozenbur she'll get out of there and we'll go into stack and rack. If someone else stumbles upon the captain we'll get the cadets to safety and then go in." the companions were quiet for a moment. Watching their faces and body language, it was obvious they were discussing something. They looked to the map then finally turned to Lamile, "Lady Atomi I want you guys to work on the edges. The more we think about I think it will be safer for you to work in."

Lamile nodded again. She had mixed feelings about her assignment. She was concerned about the danger her cadets were in. Not certain how Hozenbur would react to them should she find them.

"Force Leader," She turned to the thonians, "Is there any possibility that Hozenbur will know who I am? Am I putting my kids and Lady Wilson in more danger?"

"We know you have been in the news Lamile," Kellogg said, "We have let it be known that your cadets are searching the neighborhoods and securing the abandon homes. But no one has even mentioned that you are hunting Lady Wilson at this time. To answer your question. I can't answer how safe you will really be; but we think that you will be okay!"

Lamile nodded and knew she could trust Kellogg. He had made a point of checking up on her personally every day and making sure she was okay.

"Let's go around the table one more time," the Force Leader said, "Go or no go!" "Medical," She asked.

"We're staged; with the landing craft is sitting at Trenaport Main. The crew is sleeping in the bird and that includes all my medics. The Valiant has been named to receive our casualties. I have an ISR team with me they'll be first in after you guys clear the house." a woman in the livery of the Interstellar Rescue Service spoke up. She had been living with the team since they had started practicing. At first a fire department medic unit had been assigned but they were needed by Trenaport Fire as they were getting short on staff and the IRS team knew something about hot landing zones. "We'll triage your injured and Lady Wilson then yell for the Calvary. They'll be on the ground five minutes after light on skids."

"Logistics?" the Thonian asked.

"I'm ready," Sergeant Hoi had been seconded to the team when they moved to the fire station. Langtree hadn't even blinked an eye when the team said they needed a top logistic sergeant. Langtree had turned to his aid and asked why are you still here? He turned to the team commanders. "There'll be a mess team here in a while. Some of the cadets will be making up your bunks. I think we have everything we need." "Fire?" the Companion asked.

"The Trojack team will be staging in the fire house and they will be your fire suppression team," A fire fighter wearing the white shirt of a battalion chief spoke up. He had been on duty since the announcement had been made of the disaster. After leaving Trena he would end his fifty year career as a fire fighter.

"Traffic control," the Companion asked.

"As planned," a captain in the Trenaport Mounted Patrol replied. "My guys have the outer perimeter, the MPs have the warm zone, and the SWAT units have the hot zone. This is the entire 20 block area. One block out from the hot zone the MPs are setting up road blocks. Everyone in this area is now to be positively identified. Three blocks out from the warm zone we have closed everything down. No traffic in or out unless the CP has cleared them. I don't have enough people; but General Qoum is loaning me some militia men, a lot of my off duty people are coming in to help. We can do it. But force leaders, you and I both know we cannot secure a neighborhood this big." "PIO," both thonians nodded as they asked.

"No press in the command post, and I have set up a press center in a park in the cold zone. At least it's ready to go. Any newsmen found in the hot zone are instantly violated and will spend the night on the Prison Ship."

"Okay it is now 1700 hours. " The captain gave the time hack turned to the team and asked, "Go no go one last time."

"Entry go," the SWAT commander called.

"Survey go," Lamile called.

"Fire go," The chief called.

"EMS go!" the IRS office called.

"Perimeter go," the Mounty called.

"Logistics go!" Sergeant Hoi said.

"TacCom and ComSec go," Alice said she had not been asked to report, but thought she should speak up. "I have a com black out. Only our stuff will work in here. The major and her cadets will have a camera attached to their uniforms and a secure com back to here.

The area will be swept continuously until we are contained. Again go!"

"Flight Ops!" the force leader called realizing she had forgotten the quiet lieutenant in the corner.

"Flight is go!" the militia forward air controller called.

"Mr. Kellogg" The companion turned to the former closer. "We are go." "Execute!" Kellogg said softly.

"I'll be with my cadets!" Lamile called and left the fire station. One of the police officers drove her to where her cadets were waiting for her.

The drill was simple! Four kids would approach a house and knock on the door. They would announce themselves. Rattle the door knob and then enter the house. Two other kids would stand by the door as their team members went in, ready to assist if needed. The team captain stood by the door and marked an X on the wall beside the door. The captain would mark the time they entered and exited, and what they found. If they found nothing they would secure the building and flash weld the door lock shut. They had been given a small hand held laser welder that one kid in each of the teams had been shown how to use. Anyone entering the building would have to use forcible entry tools. They would then leap frog the house next to them as another team was already been in it.

If the teams found a home with people in it they called for an adult and moved on. They didn't find many, Mostly drunks and derelicts that were running from the authorities. The few kids they found whose parents were not to be found were taken directly to the academy. This neighborhood had been declared evacuated a month or so before.

By nightfall the teams wandered into the fire station. They were tired. Lady Hawthorne watched her cadets enter the fire station and collapse in small groups around the dining tables or just on the floor. As she watched, a couple of them went right into the squad bay and right to sleep. She was proud of them. Each and every one of them had volunteered for this mission. A mission that some adults would find daunting! Not only was it exhaustive, it was potentially dangerous. She was having trouble justifying the use of her young people this way. But all of them knew what the risks were and what could happen.

"Major Hawthorne," Millie approached her with a cup of hot coffee distracting her quiet observation of her cadets. She took the coffee. "Want me to get some more guys form the school? I think maybe ten or twenty of the NCOs can be broken out of their duties. You want them."

"Check with Mr. Kellogg and see if he's okay with it. Then make sure that Jenkins is cool with it I don't want the school shut down because of this." Lady Hawthorne said.

"Understand ma'am," the master sergeant replied. She made her call and came back to the head mistress. "Jenkins said he would see what he could do. They'll be here in the morning."

"Good," the noble woman responded.

"Major can I borrow a minute of your time." The marine sergeant asked.

"I guess so," they sat down at a nearby table.

"I can retire at the end of the year." The sergeant started, "If I were to show up on your door on Home would you hire me."

"Millie," Lady Hawthorne said, looking the older woman in the eye, "In a heartbeat

Millie. I owe you! I couldn't do this without you."

"Thank you," the master sergeant replied then looked oddly at the noble woman

"May I say something else Major,"

Deloris nodded, unused to this woman addressing her as major.

"A lot of the guys have been watching you and over you for a while now. Without a doubt everyone is in awe of you. What you have done with those kids, is nothing less than admirable. Whatever it is you have, I have not seen it in any of the officers, or the guys I have been looking after for years. They wouldn't say it to your face, they would be ... I don't know the word for it, but they would want you to know that even if you hadn't accepted the commission in the militia they would still call you General. We all think you have it between the ears."

"Thank you Millie," Lady Hawthorne wasn't really hearing the sergeant, as she was distracted as another group of cadets coming in. This time it was Major Atomi. She came over to Lady Hawthorne and said, "That's the last of us Major. I am going to get some food and then stretch out for a while."

"Okay get some hot food and some sleep. Have you talked to Colonel Wilson today?" Lady Hawthorne asked.

"Yeah, as we came in. I briefed her on my plan for tomorrow. Told her how I was using the cadets. I made sure that she didn't need me or the guys back." Lamile said, "She wants to be here; but knows it will be counterproductive. One of us has to be at the academy so it can still function."

"Okay Lamile. Call your mother, let her know you are okay and then get some rack time." the sergeant chimed in. Lamile took two steps back saluted and was soon sound asleep on the floor amongst the cadets having forgotten to call her mother.

That is where Mylea found her the next morning when she stopped by the fire house to see how things were going. She looked so peaceful. Someone quietly called, "XO on deck!"

That broke the spell and her sleeping baby stirred and sat up.

"Hi mom," a groggy Lamile called seeing her mother as she got to her feet, "I meant to call."

"Sergeant Jones called and told me where you were." She looked over to a recliner where the humbot was apparently sound asleep. She was surprised to see the silver bar on her collars. She would have to talk to the security officer about the promotion to lieutenant,

"Let's go the galley let these guys sleep."

"Commander, Major," a marine came up to them as they sat down in the galley holding a plate of food and a cup of orange juice for both of them.

"Thank you private," Mylea said, as they found a place to eat and talk.

"How many did you check yesterday," Mylea asked.

"Maybe twenty," the young woman replied, "It's much too slow. There's got to be a better way."

"There is," Kellogg sat down with them. "We've been back checking the surveillance data. We think we know where she is. I have been pouring over the aerials and I think I have found fifteen homes that seem to have people in them. Homes with a heat signature that were not there a couple of weeks ago. This one in particular was empty for months, and now it is lit up like a Christmas tree! These houses here and here are empty. Everywhere we have found people in here, there's been a concentration. Like here and here." He pointed out a couple of concentrations on several of the hard copy prints.

"Chief," Kellogg looked at Mylea, "I need Lamile for a special job that none of these cops can do. I don't trust my guesses 100%. So I need to send Lamile in with a couple of her cadets to check out this house."

Kellogg waited for Mylea to say something, anything. He knew the order she and Marshal Wilson had issued about the cadets. They were not to be put in danger. He agreed with them. Some of Lamile's cadets were barely sixteen. He didn't want them harmed. If someone was asking to use his son on this he would be anything, but calm.

"Go on," Mylea said knowing Kellogg was waiting for her.

"All I need is for her and a hand full of her older cadets to do a survey on the houses across the street from we think Hozenbur hiding in. She'll be able see the cadets from them her front windows. Then do the houses on her side of the street. We need to know that Hozies in here. She won't blow her cover if she thinks we're just doing the survey. As much as most of us hate her, we know she is a professional. She will not kill or endanger

Lamile unless she feels threatened. Lamile's cadets can get in and get out." "Mom," Lamile said Mylea held up her finger to quiet her daughter.

"Okay Kell," Mylea said, "I won't disagree with you. And I have been observing how you been watching over the kids. Lamile you did know that your drivers have all been SWAT or Black Guardsmen, and except for when you go into the houses, they never lose sight of you. That time you were in that house for fifteen minutes and they lost connectivity with your camera a couple of the guys were on the verge of rushing in."

"I know," Lamile said. "You're okay with this?"

"Hell no," Mylea replied, "But there's a lot of things I don't like when it comes to you growing up. But I sure as hell can't stop it. No one ever said motherhood wasn't worrisome. Even when their children grow up! Kell, the major and her cadets are yours to use. But if you think Mike would ream you out if you got Lisa hurt what do you think I'll do if Lamile gets hurt?"

"Uh Chief," Kellogg looked the evacuation command's second ranking officer in the eye, "You can send my remains to Shannon's on West Third if Lamile comes to any grief."

They understood each other.

"Now you go and rescue my friend." Mylea said, "I'll stay in the CP. Alice!"

"Yes Chief?" Alice stirred from her slumber. While in recovery mode regenerating she often looked as if she was asleep.

"I want a complete com black out. I don't want Lord Wilson in here and I don't want the Queen in here until we have Lisa out. I want to know that she is safe before Michael gets any info. If there is any grief, I want to be the one tell him. I owe him that much!"

"Done," Alice replied absently stroking the cat that was nuzzling her. A few seconds later the cat jumped off her lap and went in search of Lamile. Alice had told the robot to stay with the XO's daughter.

# ###

"Was it dangerous General," Lamile Mitchum asked.

"To a certain extent," The General replied, "We had an idea that Hozenbur was in the house. But we didn't have an idea who else was with her. When she abducted Lady Wilson she killed everyone on her team. We had no idea if she had recruited more or if she was running solo. We weren't certain if her ladyship was there or not. We weren't really certain how Hozenbur would react to the cadets. There were a lot of unanswerable questions. But we were almost certain that she wouldn't harm the cadets needlessly.

"Why did grandmother Mylea relent and let the cadets do this," T'harla asked.

"She had been receiving reports from Lord James and Kellogg on what they were doing with the cadets, as was Lady Hawthorne." Alice said, "Those kids were almost as well protected as the Queen. Maybe better, as the SpecWars were well armed and ready."

"In her biography," Georgia Hawthorne injected, "The XO doesn't say much about that time. Only that she couldn't believe how well her daughter handled it."

"Yes," the General said, "They all did a wonderful job, Lamile, Mitch, her majesty

Queen Jill, though she wasn't at the forward op."

The bell rang and the General dismissed the class.

# Chapter 32: The Entry

"The entry," The General began, "was the most intense time we had during the entire episode. If there is any time that is most dangerous to the hostage, it is during this time. When the Hostage Rescue Team knows they have to go in and do a physical rescue. The team knows that they could lose the hostage and take casualties.

"But they have to do it," the General continued remembering her own part of the rescue. "So they began to get the job done. Everyone was tense. Real tense!"

# ###

They had been working slowly all morning. No one except Lamile, Mitch, and her adult chaperons knew what was going to happen. She didn't want any of the kids to know that they were close to rescuing her Aunt. She didn't want her kids to know that Hozenbur was so close. She had set things up so she would do the house that they thought Hozenbur was in. She had rearranged her team so that she had only older kids with her. She had wanted Rhonda to be her back up so she didn't have to bring Mitch in. She couldn't as Rhonda was needed as one of the team captains as did the other cadet officer that were with them. Then as she thought about it; she wanted Mitch. She had learned to trust the sometimes shy and soft spoken Mitch. Mitch was like a rock at times. Rhonda on the other hand sometimes seemed to let her emotions get the better of her. She had requested that Mitch be released from her duties to be her back up. When Mitch got in Lamile had taken her aside and told her what the deal was, and had sworn her to silence. She was finding that Mitch knew how to keep her mouth shut and she was very loyal to her and Jill. The last thing she asked Mitch, "Can you do this?"

Mitch had thought for a moment flexed her back, it was almost pain free. The fatigue the injury had caused was almost nonexistent. But even if there was pain, even if her injury tried to prevent her from accomplishing her duties, there was nothing in the world that would stop her from helping to find her friend's mother. She looked in Lamile's eye and said, "Try to stop me! I owe that much to Jill!"

"Let's get this done," Lamile had said. With that the two young women went and joined their team.

The entire morning had been tense. She had just wanted to go directly to the house and knock on the door. But she knew better. So she watched her kids work the other side of the street between doing her own assessments and walking between the houses. Finally they were ready. Mitch had a hand on her belt as she approached the door. As she was about to knock on the door she looked down and saw Lieutenant Jones cat at their feet. He had been with them all morning as if he was keeping an eye on them. He was almost underfoot at times. As she observed the cat, she thought she saw the cat blend in with its surroundings.

The Black Guardsmen who was her driver and chaperon had pulled the hover jeep up to just easy eyesight of the door. He even had his sidearm out laying it beside him on the seat, ready to go. Just out of Lamile's eyesight was an APC containing the Trojack HRT. Should she get in trouble they would make an entry to get her to safety. As she approached the door she tapped her ear twice and heard Alice say, "Connectivity is good

Major. We're ready!"

Hozenbur had been watching the kids check the houses across the street. She had heard that cadets from the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets were checking abandoned buildings to be sure that they were abandoned. She hadn't been out of the house in a day or so and hadn't seen what they were doing until this morning. The Evacuation Command always posted what streets they were going to work each day on the Evac net. But not just the Evac net; but on the law enforcement network; and also on the news nets schedule so people would know what was going on. For some reason she hadn't heard they were going to work her neighborhood. She had thought about offering the kids some drinks; but changed her mind; she didn't want to have eyes seeing too much of her. She knew her face had been posted not only the law enforcement nets; but also the general news nets. She thought of not opening the door; but saw they were opening doors and going into the abandoned home when no one came to open the door. She had no choice but to answer the door when they knocked. She opened the door and saw kids.

"Oh hello," The young Thonian said, "We didn't think this house was occupied."

"For a little while yet." the sixty year old slender woman replied, "I go at the end.

I am on one of the last lift. So I just stayed in my home."

"Okay then," Lamile took out a data pad and began to write on it. "Who are you? I need to enter this into my notes so that you won't be bothered again."

"Martha Livermore. I am a widow." Martha said. "I live alone."

"I see," Lamile said as he ear bug came alive. "Lamile I am in the back of the house. I am behind a force field that I can't disable. There appears to be no self-destruct. It is a prison style containment field. What is Sergeant Jones cat doing in here?"

"Okay, Mrs. Livermore," Lamile heard her aunt trying not to let on she said, "I think we got everything. I am required to tell you that should you not be here for transportation to your departure point, or miss your evacuation date the Crown will not try to find you. That you are on your own after that date!"

She handed the paper she had been told to give anyone they found in the houses.

"I understand," Martha said taking the paper from Lamile's hand. The kids left going to the next house.

The kids did the whole street. It was maddening, Lamile wanted to clear off to get her people out of danger. Especially as her aunt was keeping a steady narrative while they were in range. She asked when she was out of ear shot of Hozenbur, "Aunt Lisa, are you okay?"

"Yes," Lisa answered, "It's good to hear you."

"It is good to hear you too!" Lamile responded, "I may be out of range in a bit so I'll make this short we'll be getting you out. Hang on it won't be long!"

Lisa couldn't believe her luck that she had been found. But hearing Lamile also frightened her, as she didn't know what was going on. As she lost connectively with the Thonian teenager she hoped that they wouldn't be long in getting her out.

Lamile was tense. She was afraid that her conversation with her aunt had been over heard by Hozenbur. She knew that her aunt had an implant that allowed her access to computer and communications systems, but wasn't certain that her aunt's captor could monitor it.

Mitch heard only Lamile's side of the conversation as they searched the rest of the street. As the cadets searched the rest of vacant houses on the street Mitch stayed with Lamile outside sending the cadets in. She knew that her friend was greatly distracted and she had to run the team for Major Atomi. Thankfully they found no one else in any of the houses.

When they finally got to the end of the street Lamile found her mother waiting for her, with Lady Hawthorne.

"You did good," Lamile was fiercely hugged by her mother. "Mitch, thank you."

"You're welcomed," Mitch replied, she had come a long way from the time she had been assaulted in the Trenaport Children's Shelter. Lamile had been one of the reasons she had made so much progress.

"Major Hawthorne, get them out of here!" Mylea commanded

"Aye-aye," Lady Hawthorne said. "Come on Lamile. We'll go to the fire house. I am sure Mr. Kellogg will want to talk with you."

Lamile nodded. She looked around for the Lieutenant's cat and didn't see it. "Mitch do you see Bugs?"

"No. I haven't seen him since before we did the house where Lady Wilson is being kept." Mitch said looking for the cat also, "He must be in there!" "Lieutenant Jones will kill us!" Lamile said.

"It is okay Lamile," Lamile heard the Lieutenant's voice in here ear bug, "Bugs is doing his job. He'll be okay."

"Okay then," Lamile touched her ear bug. "Did you hear Aunt Lisa?"

"Yes," The lieutenant answered, "We'll see you in a bit."

She followed the commandant to the jeep and soon they were at the fire house. When she got to the fire house she found the Trojack team mounting up. They had drawn the entry and extraction. They had wanted to be the ones to rescue Lady Wilson. They didn't think they would get to do it; but the house was in their sector, and the other teams had been deployed for the over watch of the cadets. If they had moved out of their spots, they might be seen. They had the house bottled up. The Mounties had the back of the house, the Black Guard had the left side and the Companions had the right side. One squad of the Mounties and one squad of the Companions were the backup team.

Crandle was ready.

"Major Atomi," Crandall called as he saw the cadet, "We saw the images from your camera. Is there anything they didn't tell us?"

"I don't know! Did you hear Aunt Lisa talking to me?" Lamile asked, "She told me she was in there."

"We not only heard her Lamile," Alice Jones came up to where Trojack entry team was prepping. "She gave us this." Alice had been monitoring Lamile very carefully. She wanted to be able to tell the over watch team to get her out if things went crazy. As she was listening and watching Lamile, she noticed that there was a second data signal over laid on the audio. When she took it apart she had found pictures of what Lady Wilson had seen of the house. She had also sent a complete set of images of the containment system that kept her locked up. Alice shared them with the team.

"Bugs has managed to roam the house a bit," Alice said. Unknown to Lamile and Mitch, Bugs was a robot. She had ordered Bugs to infiltrate the house when Hozenbur answered the door. "We now have a direct link with Lady Wilson's implant. We'll be able to tell her to duck and cover as you go in. Bugs has found a couple of hand guns, one assault riffle. He hasn't found any heavy weapons, and Lady Wilson confirms there are no others in the house. Lady Wilson hasn't seen any heavy weapons in the house either." "Can Bugs create a distraction," Crandle asked.

"Bugs has dropped off a 'bot on the electrical panel," Alice replied, "When you knock, the lights will go off. Bugs is trying to infiltrate the force field panel. There he's in." Alice appeared to be working the robot from a remote terminal, "I'll have Bugs make a pest of himself a few seconds before you enter. I can have him to try to get Hozenbur to go to the door right before you hit it. Then as you hit the door, he'll get in between her legs and trip her. You can go in anytime you want. I have the back and front doors."

"We need to go in fast and furious!" Crandall said, "Randy, you have the key."

"Yes sir," an Alpha clone patted a three inch diameter, three feet long pipe with four handles. Capped with a solid looking plate. Someone had written 'Universal Key!' on it. He commented, "Me and baby will get that door open!"

"Lieutenant, I know you can defeat locks; but I think just for effect and disorientation, when you defeat the lock, Randy will open the door as violently as possible. And then we go in as practiced. I'll be last in the stick with the medic behind me. While you guys take Hozie down, we get Lady Wilson out."

"Crandall," Mylea having come in with the last of the cadets spoke up, "I want Hozenbur alive. She has killed several people on this world and she will be tried for the criminal she is. She gets the Queen's Justice."

"Chief," Crandall said returning the ice cold stare of the Chief, "That lady has murdered thousands of clones, and has been responsible for the repression of hundreds of thousands of others. I want that bitch. But I want her to be brought up on charges to show biopeople all over the Empire, that some of us who worked for the company are moral, ethical people and don't support animals like Hozenbur. She is going before the Queen's Bench. Where if the Crown Attorney does his job right, the woman will be found guilty and executed. My team hasn't lost a suspect yet. I don't intend to now. But we both know that Hozenbur may have other ideas."

"I know you know your business Mr. Crandall." Mylea said formally, "I've seen you work. I know what you can do. I am not questioning your abilities. I have a duty to the People of Trena to make sure we are all on the same page."

"Chief Atomi," Crandall as he stood to his full six foot two inches, "I understand.

Mount up people!"

As they walked out to the truck they found the Queen and Francine, Lady Wilson's personal assistant, walking into the fire station.

"Your majesty, please tell me that Mike isn't with you!" Mylea asked.

"No, General Langtree picked him up a while ago," The Queen answered, "The General wanted to go over some paper work with him, and General Langtree suggested

that they catch a meal at the Fletcher O club while they discuss it."

"Okay." Mylea said. "Black Guard to me!"

"Yes ma'am," A lieutenant came up to where the XO was standing. He was the secondary team leader for the guard. The primary team had the over watch on the street where Hozenbur's safe house was.

"Your mission has been changed! You are to stay with the Queen, at least one team." Mylea said sharply turning to the young queen, "Later I will discuss with the Queen how her presence here is not the brightest thing I have ever seen her do."

"I know Mylea," the Queen replied, "I know. But shouldn't you be back at the Evac command post not here also."

Princess Carroll wearing fatigues and weapons came up at that time. She was about to say something to both women, that none of them should be there, (Maybe even herself), when she heard a chuckle behind her. She turned with the two others to see Lamile smiling at them, "Mom, Your majesty, Princess. I will remember the example you are setting, when

I become in charge."

"Let's get out of the shooters way," The Mylea said shaking her head. She hoped her daughter would never be faced with this situation.

They went and stood with the medics waiting for the word that Lisa was safe. As they were standing there Francine, who had come in with the Queen, gave the medics a small overnight bag. "This is for Lady Wilson when you get her out. It's her own clothing. Maggie sent them over."

The medic made sure it was on the armored ambulance that had been staged at the fire house. It was only seconds away from Hozenbur's safe house.

# ###

Crandall's team stacked up and began to move on the house. They had chosen to stack two doors down from the house just to be sure that Hozenbur wouldn't spot them. They slowly approached the house waiting for the over watch team to clear them to the next one. Hozenbur had not poked her nose out of the house since Lamile had knocked on her door. They finally got to the front door. Another entry team had worked up to the back door. They would take Hozenbur down if she tried to escape through the back.

"Do it!" Crandle yelled as they heard a cat screech and cry out, on the other side of the door. Randy battered the door open with the "Key". As it swung open and Randy got out of the way as the number two man threw a stun grenade into the house. They wouldn't collapse the force field containing Lady Wilson until Hozenbur was under the control of the entry team. It would protect Lady Wilson from the effects of the grenade. Seconds after the grenade went off; the team flowed into house yelling, "Police! Down! Police! Down!"

Lady Wilson had been given a heads up of the entry, had buried herself in her make shift cell's bath room and waited. She knew they had control of everything; but she wasn't going to take any chances. She pulled the thin mattress over her and waited.

Hozenbur was bewildered. Between her stepping on the cat, that had come out of nowhere, the lights going off, the door flying open and the stun grenade going off she was completely disoriented. She had tripped over the cat and fell as the front door burst open. She saw the grenade just in time to open her mouth and squeeze her eyes tightly closed before it went off. She didn't have time to recover as her attackers piled onto her. They had her secured in seconds.

They kept her down until they got Lady Wilson out of the house.

It all went to hell when they started to get off her. They thought they still had her secure. But Hozenbur was just waiting her time. As the fog cleared and as they stood her up she broke free and went to the back of the house. As she got to the door she pulled a gun she and fired into the biopeople. Two died instantly. Another lost an arm. Finally one of the biopeople got a clear shot and fired. Hozenbur was shot through the eye and died instantly.

"Suspect down!" Randy yelled. "Scene is secure! Medics! I need Medics now! I have two dead and one injured, and Hozenbur's dead!"

Lady Wilson was already out of the house in an armored ambulance that had roared up to the house as the entry was made. The medic and Crandall had almost carried her out of the house. They barely allowed her feet to touch the ground as they hustled her into the waiting ambulance. They had gotten her to safety before they tried to stand Hozenbur up. Once inside the ambulance, Crandall called on his communicator, "All units, all units, we have Healer. Repeating we have Healer and she is alive!"

A landing craft roared to a landing at the fire station, its front ramp already down.

Another ambulance roared off it just as the ambulance carrying Lisa got to the fire house. As soon as the other ambulance was clear, the ambulance carrying Lisa roared up onto the ramp. As soon as it was aboard the landing craft, the landing craft made a combat lift with the ramp closing as the Elsy cleared 100 feet.

"Is she okay," Mylea had scrambled onto the landing craft while the ambulance loaded onto vessel. She wanted to be one of the first people Lisa saw. She saw Lisa sitting in a web seat on the ambulance looking a little worse for wear; but looking okay, "Are you all right?"

"I am all right Myl," Lisa said activating her implant's communications suite, "Let me call Mike!"

"Mike is in route to the Valiant. David's getting him there. You're in route to the

Valiant."

Mylea had gotten word to David when they had found Hozenbur, and were rescuing Lisa.

"I guess I can wait." Lisa said, "Who is the team leader?"

"I am Lady Wilson," Crandall had been waiting a little ways away from the noble woman letting the medics check the noble lady out.

"Thank you." Lisa returned. As they got her onto the ambulance she had heard someone yelling about the casualties, "I am sorry about your team."

"Lady Wilson," Crandall said, "We got you out alive. Every one of my guys had been on Hozenbur's team at one time or another and had found a way to get off it. They were ready to die to get you out of her hands."

The Queen who had scrambled with Mylea onto the landing craft listened to the conversation and knew what she had to do.

"Mr. Crandall," Queen Agatha spoke to the bioman, "The Crown will honor the blood price your team paid."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Was all that Crandall could say as the landing craft landed aboard the Valliant. The ramp of the landing craft opened. It had barely touch the deck before Marshal Wilson was scrambling onto the landing craft and then into the ambulance and finally pulling her into his arms.

"God I was so afraid that I lost you!" Michael exclaimed hugging her, and kissing her passionately. "I promised you I would never put you in danger, and I couldn't even protect you!"

"It's okay Mike," Lisa responded, "I'm okay."

"I'm never going to let you out of my sight again." Mike hugged her again. He let go of her and helped her down the ramp of the Life Saver ambulance and the ramp of the landing craft where a nursing team was waiting for her. They had gotten the word that she was not injured.

"I need a team at the casualty dock!" a chief called, "I have another landing craft coming up with casualties. One of these birds needs to go."

"This way Lady Wilson," A nurse came up and led Lisa to an antigravity chair,

"Now don't argue with me you're under my care now." "Okay," Lisa replied and sat down in the chair.

"Marshal," the nurse said as they cleared the air lock. "We're going to examine Lady Wilson. Check her babies, and make sure she's none the worse for wear. It'll take an hour, but she'll be back in your care shortly."

Wilson knowing there was nothing he could do nodded went with his best friend and the Queen to a waiting room to wait for Lisa to be released.

"Well Lady Wilson," The nurse practitioner that managed the obstetrics unit spoke to her a few minutes later. "Both children appear to be healthy. From what you said you have a normal gestation period of 9 months. It looks like you will give birth in a month or so. Your ordeal has in no way compromised your health, or that of the children. I would suggest that you speak with a counselor about your ordeal."

Lisa was impressed. The nurse practitioner didn't pamper her, or baby her; but wasn't brusque or rude. She quickly and professionally examined her, drew some blood, looked at the children, and in general doing one of the most thorough examinations Lisa had ever witnessed. Then she gave her results just as professionally without getting into medical jargon.

"No one knows anything about assisting you to deliver your children in the IRS," the nurse continued, "Is there anything significantly different that your midwife should know."

"No, child birth is similar to that of a non-bioengineered woman." Lisa remarked, "It shouldn't be that bad I have been pregnant before and while labor is no fun, it's something I can deal with."

"Okay then," The nurse said, "There is no reason to keep you. I am discharging you. Lady Wilson, until the Valiant is pulled out the com computer has instructions to find me anytime time you call. I'll come to you if I have to."

"Thank you," Lisa said getting to her feet reaching for the rough gray colored smock that Hozenbur had made her wear. It was what clones in a production complex wore. Hozenbur had done her best to intimidate her and control her.

"Oh Lady Wilson, your maid sent this up." She pointed to a small overnight bag.

"I'll leave you now so you can dress."

"Thank you," Lisa said. It was then that Lisa learned that she wasn't in a standard examination room but a VIP suite. A few minutes later after a shower and in her own clothes, she left the suite to find her husband waiting for her. The Queen, and the others had left for the nearby VIP lounge. Lisa hugged Mike as fiercely as her pregnant belly would let her. He returned her hug with a passionate kiss.

"And," Michael asked when they broke their embrace.

"Every thing's okay," She replied, "The babies weren't hurt, Hozenbur wasn't going to hurt me until she was ready. She wanted to kill the babies after they were born and either let me live or kill me hideously. Did they really kill her?"

"Yes, she's dead," Michael answered coldly, "Which is most likely better, she would have made a spectacle. That no one wanted. I don't think we could have tried her."

"Well I can't say I am unhappy about her passing." Lisa commented keying up her implant and sending out a query about her mother in law. She found that Joyce was now out of the hospital. Resting in the palace. She read the medical report, and said aloud, "How is Joyce?"

"She's okay. About back to her old self," Mike said, "Ready to go and tackle the estate on Home. Would have been gone but she wanted to know you were safe."

"I see from the records that she recovered fast this time," Lisa said, "Good time. I guess twenty some odd years does make a difference in medical treatment."

When they left the suite's lobby they found Mylea and the rest of them. Lisa went right up to Mylea and hugged her

"Thank you," Lisa said. Once she got connectivity back with her implant she was slowly but surely wading through the terabits of information about her kidnapping, and rescue. "You did a very brave thing allowing Lamile to make contact with Hozenbur."

"Lisa," Mylea said quietly, "I would do it again if I had to. We had to get you back! Mostly because as much as this big strong marine thinks he is a manly man, he really needs you around to keep him in line. I tried but damn he's a hard case!"

"Oh yes! He can be bullheaded, stubborn, and generally hard to manage." Lisa with a wicked smile and glint in her eyes responded, "But ya know what would I do without him."

"I know," Mylea said, she had seen the bond between her two friends, she didn't quite understand how it could be so strong without the Aqaut that made her people telepathic and empathic with their lifemate; but it worked for them. In some respects she sometimes thought their bond was stronger than she had with Garth, Lamile's father.

The Queen saw the by play between her seniors and didn't quite understand it. If she had been held captive for nearly three weeks; she wouldn't be bouncing back as fast as Lisa appeared to be. She would want some very quiet time, and some close friends around to help her cool out. Though as she thought about it; there was tension between the Wilsons. Mostly from Lord Wilson, as he wondered what was going to happen next? Lisa for all her brave front was not wholly immune from had happened to her. She was just going to deal with it. Which the Queen thought, as they walked to the flight deck, was the best way to handle it, just get on with it. Don't dwell on it, don't wallow in it but acknowledge it and go on.

Lisa had noticed the Queen's steady survey of her and Mike before they had trooped to the landing craft. She knew what was going on in the young woman's mind. Lisa made a note herself that she would invite the Queen to lunch in the next day or so, so they could talk.

The landing craft landed at the palace, and there was Jill in one of the electric carts that they used on the palace grounds in place of bigger cars.

"Mom!" She said getting out of the cart running to her step mother, "are you okay!"

"Yes," Lisa said returning the girls embrace. "Lamile, Crandall and all of them did their job."

"I am so glad you're back," Jill hugged her step mother again. She hadn't realized until her step mother's abduction how much she needed her step mother.

"I am glad to be back," Lisa said. She got into the cart sitting next to Mike, "Get us home Jill."

"Yes ma'am," Jill said getting back into the electric cart and taking the three of them to Residence.

"How's Abby," Lisa asked.

"She's okay," Michael said, "We haven't told her what's going on. We thought it best not to until we knew for sure."

Lisa was quiet for a while then said, "Sally most likely had some strong opinions about that."

"Yes," Michael said, "but she understood." "Where have I been for a month?" Lisa asked.

"You were working with a client," Michael said.

"I see," Lisa commented. "You know there is no way we can prevent her from learning about this."

"I suspect she knows," Jill replied, "I saw her seeing a part of a news holo of your abduction."

"How did she react," Lisa asked.

"She asked if that was you they were talking about," Jill answered, "I told her I didn't know."

Lisa was deep in thought as they approached the residence. Lisa saw Abby sitting on the steps of the residence with her mother in law. Lisa got out and saw how Abby's face lit up as the little girl ran to her mother. "You're safe!" "Yes I am safe," Lisa said.

"I was so worried," the little girl said, "Daddy and Jill wouldn't say anything; but I

knew you were in danger."

"How did you know that?" Lisa sat down on the steps with her daughter.

"That woman on the holo said that you were kid...napped," the girl said hesitantly. The child had been in the study trying to find her holo of Star Pony when she saw Hozenbur's. She had kept the secret to herself.

"Oh," she turned to her family, "I'll be in a while."

"Will you be okay," Joyce asked her daughter in law as she sat down next to her.

"In time," Lisa answered as the girl climbed up on her lap. "In time. Let me be with

Abby for a while. I'll be in, in a while."

"Okay," Michael bent down and kissed his wife on her head and then took Jill and his mother inside.

"Abby," Lisa said trying to get her head around what she had to tell her daughter. "Yes I was in terrible danger. But that woman will never hurt any of us again. She was a terribly bad woman who hurt a great many people." "Did Daddy rescue you?" the child asked.

"Daddy helped," Lisa replied, "he, Aunt Mylea, Lamile, and Jill all worked to make sure that I came back to you."

The girl was quiet and Lisa wasn't certain what to say next. They sat on the front porch until the sun set, Abby falling asleep in her mother's lap. Concerned, Michael came out and saw both of them asleep on the porch. He tried to gently take his sleeping daughter from his wife, trying not to wake her. Of course that didn't work, she woke up. Michael reached down for his wife with his free hand helped her to her feet. The three of them walked into the house together.

# ###

"I couldn't believe how good Mom looks," Jill had written in her diary, "I can tell though that she isn't as cool and collected as she is letting us believe.

"Lamile called me after Mom was on her way to the hospital. Lamile had given me a heads up that Mom was safe and the rest of the kids were also. She told me how she had helped. At first I was shocked that Mr. Kellogg and Aunt Mylea had let her do that, especially after dad's edict. But they had and from what Lamile had said everyone had performed outstandingly.

"Mitch called after she got back to the academy," Jill continued, "She told me what Lamile hadn't. That Lamile was scared that they had put Mom in danger when Mom had talked to Lamile over her ear bug. I need to do something special for both my friends. I will need to talk with Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Green to see what I can do." The Princess closed the book as she finished reading aloud.

"It wasn't Queen Jill who let it be known how much she appreciate what her friends did," The General commented, "Queen Agatha, Chief Atomi, Princess Carroll, Lady Hawthorne, and Lady Wilson held a very private dinner for the cadets who were instrumental in Lady Wilson's rescue, as well as the police officers and others who helped rescue her. The biopeople were given an award of valor for their rescue as well as Mitch and Lamile for their courage. The award, The Queen's Citation for Bravery is issued only to cadets who put their lives in danger while rescuing others, was given out for the first time. It wouldn't be the last time that Mitch would be cited for gallantry and bravery in the service to the Queen and people of Home."

The medal, only awarded to Cadets of the Queens' Own Corps of Cadets, materialized in the class room. It was a simple design, with the corps coat of arms, a Shield shaped device with two scarlet red crowns opposite each other on a field of space black with tiny jewels simulating the star system of Trena. In addition the shield showed a figure carrying another in a fireman's carry with a bomb burst behind them. Around the shield were the words "Queens' Own Royal Corps of Cadets". The medal hung from a navy blue ribbon.

"The Medal of Bravery has been award only 12 times since Queen Agatha first awarded it." The general continued, "About half posthumously." The end of class bell rang.

"Next week we'll discuss the founding of our kingdom's monarchy." General Jones reminded the class before saying, "Class dismissed!"

# Chapter 33: Equals

"It has always amazed me," the Princess said at breakfast before class the next week, "that through a series of circumstances that I could be just another girl attending this academy."

"It does seem ironic," Peter McAlister commented, "That had Great Grandmother's charter been different I would be the Prince. But in some regards I'd glad to be another cadet here without all of the pressure that you have."

"Sometimes it can be a little much," Princess Lisa admitted. As the heir to the throne took her tray the window for reprocessing, she thought about how the expectations of her could be overwhelming.

"Can you imagine how over whelming it was to the Queen though," Princess Lisa asked as they went to Langtree Hall for the beginning of their morning classes. She lapsed in silence as two upper classmen came nearer. Underclassmen were not to be talking on the walkways between classes. They entered the hall and climbed up to the classroom.

"I guess it could be," Queen Agatha's great grandson commented as they took their seats.

"She went from being a marine brat to that of the ruler of a world in less than a year." The princess remarked, "That is one hell of a change."

"But it doesn't say much how it affected her," T'harla commented.

"No it doesn't." Princess Lisa said softly.

# ###

It was late afternoon, and Jill was working quietly in the commander's office at the academy. She was looking over the Mast report for the Saturday morning Commander's Mast when she was interrupted by Princess Carroll, and her grandmother and a short chubby brunette she didn't know.

"Jill, this is Suzy Gabriel," her grandmother spoke up, "She is the Speaker of the

Council that you authorized a few weeks ago to form a government on Home."

"Oh!" Jill gave her full attention to the three women before her. "I see. Speaker

Gabriel, are you here to brief me on the government you folks designed?" "Yes Majesty," Suzy Gabriel replied.

"Grand mom," she turned to her grandmother ignoring the woman calling her, majesty, "Carroll have you reviewed Speaker Gabriel's document?"

"We all have," Queen Agatha and Larry Mercer walked into the office.

Suzy handed the document to Jill who read it in silence. She nodded at it in a couple of places. Then looked at the Queen asked, "What do you think?"

"It's really good," Lord Mercer spoke instead. "It is something that is elegant and simple yet not so. The big thing Miss Wilson is that they have formally accepted you as the Queen of Home."

"I see the proclamation." Jill commented, "I see something in here about a regent?"

"Yes Majesty," Suzy answered, "Several of us felt that since you were so young and new to this planetary ruler business; it would be better for us and for you to have regents or proxies running the planet for a while."

"I see," Jill remarked. At nearly eighteen years old she thought she was old enough to manage her own affairs. She was a little insulted that strangers felt that she wasn't old enough to run her own affairs.

"But only until you are twenty five standard years old," Suzy answered, "Did you read who we wanted to be your Regents?"

"No," she hadn't read the full document.

"We are recommending that Queen Agatha and Marshal Wilson be your regents," The brunet replied, "It wouldn't be that different from the setup that you have with your grandmother, and the Princess. Instead of handling your financial resources they would both advise you and handle some of the day to day running of the departments under your supervision."

Jill opened the document and read the passage then asked, "So Carroll and my grandmother will handle my finances until I am twenty five and Dad and Aggie will advise me and help me manage Home's Crown Offices until I turn twenty five?" "That is correct." Suzy replied.

"Speaker Gabriel," Jill asked, "let me have some time and I will have a response for you shortly. I would like to talk to my father about this."

"Your majesty," Suzy spoke, "take as much time as you want."

"Thank you!" Jill said then called, "School Mistress, would you and Lady Hawthorne see that Speaker Gabriel is given quarters. Also I would like Sergeant Mitchum to be her aid while she is on planet."

"I will make it happen, Colonel Wilson," School Mistress answered.

"Thank you," Jill replied, "Oh and you can post the Mast Report."

"Will do," School Mistress replied while alerting Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Mitchum they were wanted in the cadet commander's office.

"Have you spoken with Dad about any of this?" Jill asked.

"No," the Queen answered, "we should have but he was having lunch with Lisa when Mrs. Gabriel showed up at the palace. This is the first time they have had any Mike and Lisa time this week so I didn't want to disturb them."

Jill nodded, trying to find a way to get everyone out of her office except Aggie. She was about to say something when Mitch showed up.

"Sergeant Mitchum," Jill spoke up, "Would you escort Speaker Gabriel to the VOQ and look after her please?"

"Aye," Mitch said turning to the only person she didn't know in her friend's office, "Speaker Gabriel I am Sergeant Mitchum, the Cadet Sergeant Major. If you are ready I will escort you to the visiting officers' quarters."

Suzy nodded and said, "By your leave Majesties."

Aggie and Jill both nodded. The woman left and Jill turned to the others. "Could you give me Aggie a few minutes?"

The two nodded and began to leave. Princess Carroll waited for a second before following the admiral and noble woman from the office. When they were alone Jill motioned for the Queen to shut the door. "School Mistress I want you make sure me and the Queen are not disturbed. I also want you to turn your sensor off in this room for fifteen minutes."

"Will do Colonel," School Mistress faded out giving them some privacy.

When they were alone Jill turned to the Queen, "Aggie if you don't want to be my regent then we'll find a way to get you out of it. I think it is a good idea."

"Thank you for that," the Queen said though she didn't really know how she felt about being Jill's regent.

"Though before your make you decision Aggie you might want to consider it." Jill commented. "There is a certain sense to it Aggie. You, a young monarch who came to the throne after the death of your parents know what I will be going through. You can show me the ropes so to speak. Also you, Dad, and Mom have a close bond; the three of you

won't allow harm to come to me. You will also help me to rule."

The Queen was silent as she digested what Jill was saying.

"Aggie I turn 18 in a couple of weeks." Jill spoke into the silence. "That means you only have to put up with me for seven years. More importantly I would be greatly honored if you would be my regent and one of my principle advisors."

Jill lapsed into silence to await her friend's response. Aggie's mind was reeling over the prospect. The evacuation was taking great emotional toll on her. She was sometimes right on the edge of a complete breakdown. It was the combination of the great disaster befalling her home world and the worry of was she doing the right thing for her subjects. She had made up her mind that once Trena was gone she would not be queen. She was coming to grips with that, and was looking forward to being just Agatha McAllister, private citizen. Yet she also wanted to continue to helping her people as best she could.

Finally she took both of Jill's hands looking her in Jill's deep dark blue eyes and spoke,

"Jill I swear fealty to you. I will serve you to the best of my ability."

"I will serve our people to the best of my ability Agatha," Jill returned.

"How do we tell your family?" Aggie said brushing a tear off her face.

"Very carefully," the teenager replied, "Dad may have a heart attack over this!"

"I am more worried about Lady Wilson," Aggie returned, "I was getting the feeling she wanted to go back to being a simple house wife and healer. Not the step mother of a queen!"

"Flip a coin to see who tells who," Jill suggested with a smile.

"Tales you tell your dad and mom," the Queen answered, "Heads you tell your mom and dad!"

"Such bravery!" Jill giggled. "But it's the same thing I would have suggested."

"I am brave; not stupid," Aggie said, "the only good part of this is that your family already knows you will be the planetary ruler of Home!" "Let's get to Serenity," Jill spoke.

# ###

They drove from the academy to the palace. Jill looking out the window couldn't help but notice the sharp contrast between the first time she had rode to the palace with her father and now with Queen Agatha. It had been a couple of weeks after the announcement. Although traffic had been controlled as they went to the palace there had been a lot of it. She could remember police officers blocking cross traffic as they crossed intersections. Now with the population nearly evacuated, there was almost no need for the traffic control as they went to the palace. At the intersections their police escort stopped traffic at, there might be as few as five or six cars, where before the intersection had been loaded with cars and traffic snarled for miles. Now there was hardly any traffic on the roads.

"I almost hate to do this," the Queen said.

"What? Driving through the city?" Jill asked.

"Yes," the Queen replied, looking out the window and seeing her once vibrant capital city; was almost a ghost town now. "I mean no. I hate to disturb you parents! I think your mother's abduction has made them closer."

"It has your majesty," Joyce Wilson who was riding with them commented. "Mike was protective of Lisa before the abduction; but now he is even more so."

"I know," the Queen said, "he is trying to carve out some time for her every day!"

"Oh shit," Jill suddenly said realizing what today was, "It's their anniversary! They were going to spend the entire day together! That was I why still at school. We were to have dinner later tonight to celebrate."

"Can we wait 'till morning to tell them?" Princess Carroll asked.

"No," The Queen answered, "We have to tell Mike tonight. He has to know from us and not some news leak or in a report from the command."

"She's right," Lord Mercer agreed. "They need to know from us."

Jill nodded wishing that this announcement could wait until the morning. She resented that she was going to intrude on her parents' quiet time. She had been amazed at how close her father and step mother were, more so after the abduction. Where before, her father would try to find some what he called Mike and Lisa time, now he was making and keeping dates with her step mother. It wasn't anything special. Often just a quiet dinner with none of the family around, other times he would come home for lunch and they would take a walk. Without telling her parents, she had been staying at school more and more to let them have more privacy. She suspected that they knew what she was doing; but were not saying a word. In some respects, she and her parents had become closer in the last few weeks also.

As they got closer to Serenity and they continued to ride through the nearly deserted town, Jill wondered how her parents would respond to her becoming, not just the owner of Home, but its ruler. She didn't really know how she felt about it. It was exhilarating to be asked to be Queen of Home. Though in retrospect she realized she could have claimed to be the queen and ruled Home as she saw fit because she owned the world. Yet as exhilarating as it was, she was frightened, of what it could mean to be queen. The power she could weld. She wondered what would happen if she refused it. She and her family had been planning to move to Home, but not be involved in the planet's day to day operations. Which would have suited her fine! She was planning to remain at the academy and then go onto college, either on Home or on Earth. Although was extremely proud of her accomplishments at the academy, she wished at times she could just be an ordinary teenage girl. But now that was impossible, her heritage made it impossible.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the limo pull into the vehicle entrapment at the palace until the limo drove through the other end of the entrapment.

"Let me go first," Jill asked as they neared the residence. She didn't want to embarrass her parents by having a bunch of people walk in on them.

Everyone had cleared out of the house. Her step sister was spending the day with a couple of the neighborhood kids from her old neighborhood. Her grandmother was spending the day aboard her yacht and Jill had been at the academy. It had been a well orchestrated day to give her parents some time to themselves. Maggie had given her staff the day off and was keeping mostly to her rooms in the servant side of the house. Jill came into the family room and saw her step mother lying on the sofa with her head in her father lap. She couldn't help but notice that Lisa's blouse was open and where her father's hand was. She turned around and quickly left.

"Mom! Dad!" Jill called opening and slamming the front door of the residence.

"One second Jill," her father called and Jill tried to swallow a chuckle imagining what her parents were scrambling to do. The same thing she might have done if someone had walked in on her and a boyfriend getting really friendly. Finally Lisa called, "Okay

Jill!"

"All decent now?" Jill asked needling her parent a bit. Her father actually blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Sorry! I wasn't planning to be home until dinner later to let you guys have some time together. But...Well let me get the reason why I am here."

She left and brought the adults with her. When Lisa saw the Queen and the Princess she frosted over until the Queen spoke, "Lisa I am sorry. I know what you had planned. I am really sorry but this couldn't wait. We have some news that has to be shared today." "What it is Aggie," Jill's father asked.

"We have a government for Home," Aggie replied.

"Well that's certainly news; but it could have waited a bit!" he father said exasperated, hoping that his daughter and the people with her would get the message, and let him and Lisa get back to what they were doing.

"Yes that could," Aggie replied, "but we didn't want it to leak out that we are to be Jill's regents before you knew about it. They have fully accepted Jill as their queen with only that stipulation. That me and you become their queen's regent."

"Oh," Michael responded, "How do you feel about that?"

"I think I can deal with it," Aggie replied, "besides it will only be for seven years.

Then we'll turn her loose on the universe."

"God help the universe!" Lisa remarked, all thoughts of enjoying her husband now pushed out of her mind. "Have you seen it Jill?"

"I have," Jill took the document out of her uniform jacket. "I want to read it some more before I make my final decision. Aggie, will you see that Dad gets a copy of this?"

"It is sitting in his mail box." Aggie responded, "We'll discuss it in the morning. We just wanted to make sure that you heard about this portion in case it leaked."

"Now if you'll excuse us," Jill remarked with a twinkle in her eye. "We'll let you get back to what you were doing."

Jill ushered the others out. As the double doors to the family room closed, Lisa looked over to her husband, "Now where were we?"

"I think right here," Michael said unbuttoning his wife's blouse. Though his heart wasn't into making love with his wife, Jill's news distracted him.

# ###

After Aggie and Lord Mercer left, Jill went to her room and re read the document, several times occasionally using the palace's AI to help her research the royal library to see other models of government. She became quietly impressed with the crafting of the document. As she checked it against other forms of government she quickly found that whoever was the major author of it had done their homework.

She was also very impressed with the bill of rights. She was very impressed when it extended rights to artificial intelligences. She wasn't certain that she as the monarch should pay for a defendant's lawyer; but as she researched that part of the constitution, she began to see the wisdom of it. She made a note to talk with Princess Carroll to see about setting up some sort of a fund to cover it. At dinner that night she was distracted as were her father and mother. Everyone was so lost in their thoughts that the anniversary party was subdued. After the party broke up Jill went back to her research. Near dawn she placed a call to the academy and extended an offer to have Mrs. Gabriel breakfast with her at Serenity.

After leaving a message for Maggie that she was inviting Speaker Gabriel to breakfast, she showered. As she showered, she thought of all the ramifications of what she had read. She surprised herself when she agreed with most of it, and could live with the parts she was not sure she understood well. She didn't want to change anything. But she wanted some guarantees too. As she finished brushing her hair, there was knock on the door. When she asked who it was, her father answered. She made sure her robe was closed and allowed him to enter. He had a copy of the constitution with him.

"What do you think," her father asked.

"I like it," Jill said suppressing a yawn. "I stayed up all night and read it did some looking around the royal library. I think it will work."

"Did you see the point about succession?" her father asked.

"Yes, it was one of the things I didn't quite understand," Jill admitted.

"Well from what I understand," Her father continued, "They want the right to approve your successor. The way they have it set up, is that say you nominate your first born as your successor and say he has a gambling problem. One that has him spending more time at the casino than at school for instance, then the parliament has the right to reject your son as your successor. But they can't nominate a successor. Only you can. But should you find that you want the boy to be your successor then, you can go to the planetary bench and let them settle it."

"It doesn't sound that simple," Jill replied. "But there is a whole section on the right of succession and how to go about replacing me if I become incapable of doing the job because of medical frailty."

"So will you accept it?" her father asked as her mother came in and leaned on the door frame.

"Only if you, Aggie and Mom will be there to help me." Jill answered. "I will need all of your help to do this!"

She had thought long and hard about becoming queen. She had decided that she would become queen. When she realized how many people had stepped up to do jobs that they hadn't done before, or the sacrifices everyone was making to get their people to safety she felt she had to stand up and be counted. Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Jill," her father interrupted her, "when you were born I swore an oath to take care of you and to be there for you, to protect you and to help you become whatever your destiny was to be. I can do no less now. I know I know I left you for five years; but you were well looked after by your grandmother. But I will be there for you."

Jill didn't know what to say and was trying to formulate her response when her step mother came and stood next to her father, "Jill we will be there for you. Jill I won't let anything keep us from helping you. We won't run off again. I won't let him."

"Miss Jill," Maggie came into her room. "Your breakfast guest will be here in a few minutes. Miss Mitchum just called."

"Thank you Maggie," Jill answered, as her mother cocked an eyebrow at her. She was supposed to clear all guests with Lisa before the invitation was issued.

"I'm sorry mom," Jill looked a little sheepish, "I asked Speaker Gabriel to breakfast with me."

"Do you want company?" Her father asked.

"Yes I would enjoy having you both there when I give Mrs. Gabriel my decision," Jill returned.

A few minutes later Mitch and Mrs. Gabriel were escorted into the smaller less formal dining room.

"Welcome to Serenity Mrs. Gabriel," Jill greeted the woman. "Let me introduce you to my father, Lord Michael Wilson, and my mother, Lady Lisa Wilson."

"It's good to meet you," Mrs. Gabriel replied shaking her father's and mother's hand. She turned to the young woman beside her and back to Jill and said, "Majesty thank you for the loan of your sergeant major. I couldn't have asked for a better aid."

"You are quite welcomed," Jill returned, "Mitch is one my top cadets."

"If she is one of your top cadets, and from what I saw, I can well believe she is, then she will go onto greatness," Suzy replied. She had been quite surprised when she had found out that her escort and aid was that Valerie Mitchum. She refrained from getting the young woman's autograph!

"Yes she will," Lisa rubbing the girls back, "Come on sit." Jill nodded at Maggie who brought breakfast to them.

They spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries, before Jill decided to breech the subject of the government.

"Speaker Gabriel," Jill said getting the document out, "I am inclined to sign this thing without any revisions or demands."

That shocked Suzy. She figured there would be long discussions over some of the points in the constitution. No one in their right mind would just blindly accept the thing. She was about to say something; but was cut off by the young woman as she continued.

"Although I am inclined to accept this with no changes or demands," Jill continued,

"I do want some guarantees."

Suzy knew that it wouldn't be simple, "Such as?"

"The Queen's Own Royal Corps Cadet Academy is to be a royal institution on Home." Jill said, "And Lady Hawthorne is to be its commandant. The Commandant's position is to be a hereditary position from the lady's family. Her chief advisor is to be the last duty post of the most senior ranking NCO in the militia. I believe that Lady Hawthorne has done a good job; but if it hadn't been for the sergeants who have shown up to help, she wouldn't have been able to pull it off. I also want all military education, and training to be by disabled military personnel, or officers on their last duty station. All of the officers and the NCOs are not to have had any disciplinary problems, and they are to be the best of the best in their MOS. I want the Militia Officers and enlisted people to think of an assignment to the academy as a reward."

"That makes sense," Suzy said, "As you are the Commander in Chief of our militia what you want at your service schools is what you get."

Jill nodded then went on, "I want a monument erected in the center of Ellis that lists every man woman and child whose life was lost during the evacuation. In addition I want a monument erected to the people of Earth, and the people of Thonia as a thank you for the assistance they have given us during the evacuation."

Jill's statement surprised her father. Michael knew that Jill was no slouch when it came to school and current events. He hadn't been aware though, of how much she had been paying attention to the losses of the evacuation forces. Though not many, there had been a few. Jill's voice brought him back to reality, "I also want a memorial to the Trojack

HRT to be erected. Without them Mom would not be here."

"Anything else," Suzy asked so far not upset at the young woman's request.

"Yes! So there is unity between all people of Home, I would like to be formally sworn in on Home." Jill said, "By her majesty. I will take my oath of loyalty and fealty to the people of Home on the Rock"

Suzy nodded, she like the symbology of it.

"I want to make sure my cadets are safely loaded onto transports, and I will accompany them to Home." Jill spoke quietly. Mike was about to say something, but decided against it. It was fitting.

"I'll make it happen," her father ordered.

"There is nothing else." Jill concluded.

"I need to get back to Home, and tell the assembly that our queen has approved our constitution with her requests." Suzy replied.

"You'll make the announcement here," Michael said, "Then you'll go aboard the

Traveling Lady and go to Home."

"Why the Traveling Lady," Suzy asked not sure what the vessel was.

"My mother is leaving for Home in the next day or so and her ship is the next best thing to get you back," Michael replied.

"Very well then," Suzy replied, "Your majesty, Jill, thank you for your gift and for willingness to be our Queen."

"You are welcomed," Jill said as Mitch suddenly stood turned to her friend and said, "Your majesty the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets stands ready to serve you."

Then her father stood and turned to her, "Your majesty. I stand ready to serve you and the people of Home."

"Long live Queen Jill," Mitch called. She was joined by the others in the room.

"That's enough!" Jill pleaded, "I am, still Jill!"

"Okay Jill," Her mother replied, "we'll knock it off." "Jill," Mitch asked, "So what happens next?" "Dad," Jill turned to her father.

"We make it happen," her father replied.

# ###

It was late at night again and the Princess was in the day room this time. She had, had to relocate to the day room as all the first year cadets were making a habit of sitting in her dorm room to hear her read aloud from the Queen's diary. The room had become too crowded for all of the people who wanted to hear the details from the diary.

"I had a quiet conversation with Home's envoy," Jill had continued, "She is not much older than the Queen. Although I had made some demands, Mrs. Gabriel didn't bat an eyelid. The more we talked, the more I liked her. Surprisingly she understood some of the stuff that was going through my mind.

"To think less than nine months ago I was just a junior in West Mars Port High School when I first heard Dad on the holo and came here. Now I am a ruler or will be a ruler on a world that I hadn't any idea that I owned." The diary went on.

"I have had a good example in Aggie," She had written, "I hope that I can be as good a ruler as her. This will be the toughest thing I will ever do and it has to be right. I am frightened that I will mess it up. If I do a lot of people will be impacted. God I hope I don't mess up."

The future queen of Home closed the diary and wondered if when she became queen she would be as good as her great grandmother.

# Chapter 34: Silver and Lead

"I was shocked," The Princess was reading the diary on a Saturday afternoon, "by some of the fallout from my acceptance of the government on Home. We made the announcement from the palace press center. That was the first time I have ever had to deal with the press. I didn't know how shielded I was! But that was minor compared to some of the other stuff.

"I was sitting with Mom and Dad in the Princess Garden at the palace," her grandmother had written, "When the Queen, who was walking in the gardens stumbled on us. She was plainly upset. We soon found out why."

# ###

"What's wrong Aggie," her mother asked seeing that the young monarch's agitation as she entered the Princes Garden. Jill couldn't recall seeing her friend so agitated.

"I have been asked to abdicate," Aggie answered.

"But you are," her father exclaimed, "when we leave Trena you are planning to abdicate then!"

"I have been accused of treason by allowing our people to be taken to Home and letting Jill, a foreign queen to have sovereignty over them." Aggie replied, "The charge is expected to be heard in the Lords in the morning."

"Who is making the charge," Her father asked.

"Duke Horton along with Trena Orbital Industries, and the space habitats," Aggie replied sitting down with them.

"This doesn't make much sense," Her father commented, "No one was forced to go to Home. It is purely voluntary."

"Not really Dad," Jill said getting 'a what are you talking about look' from her father, "People have been told they have to evacuate. You haven't let them make their own evacuation plans. You have told them we'll provide you with transportation and a world to go to, to live on. So they make a good case Dad!"

"They brought that out in their charges," Aggie added.

"We don't have time for this," Mike said, "This all came about after the announcement of the government on Home. Duke Horton has been against this evacuation from the start. He may think he has an issue now with so many people on Home. He may think that you are over reacting."

"But how do I deal with this," Aggie asked. "He may sue for an embargo on the rest of the evacuation."

"It would impact the evacuation should he try that," her father remarked.

"Aggie," Jill suddenly spoke up, "I seem to remember something from my Trena Civics class that if someone accuses you of treason and if they fail; then they themselves are accused and tried for treason."

"That's right," the young woman turned to her young friend. "Why?"

"I am not certain; but if you meet with him and lay out that should he fail in convincing the parliament that you are a traitor; then you would be well with in your right to take issue with what he said and resolve the issue according to crown law." Jill commented.

The adults looked at her as she had suddenly turned a bright light on.

"But he's going to want something," Aggie said getting up and starting to pace in the small garden. "What does he really want?"

"The space habitats," her father said suddenly, "He and the orbital industries folks think they can survive the asteroids." "Can they?" Lisa asked.

"Well not the stuff around Trena." Her father answered, "It's going to take forty eight hours for the Trena to move far enough in its orbit to be out of the asteroids' way. So anything in orbit about Trena at that time will either be destroyed or seriously damaged. That's why all the crown properties in orbit will be evacuated and set to automatic."

"Could you cede the off planet territories and habitats to them," Jill asked shocking the adults again, "from what the holos said and some of what I have overheard when you, Dad and the others have been talking at dinner, you all think that except for the near Trena orbital habitats, the others can survive without Trena being inhabited."

"That is true," Aggie said thoughtfully, "they are all self-contained and the ones farther away could survive without a planet to draw on. We just think that the ones in orbit about Trena can't survive the asteroids. None of the transfer stations, ship yards, and factories will not survive. Some of the orbital industries have already given us some problems."

"All our planning has been to evacuate Trena first, then the habitats." Her father stated, "Some of the orbital communities and industries believe they can survive the asteroids. They can't; but try as we might they just can't see that even the habitats that are not in the direct paths of the asteroids can't survive."

"But can't the off world habitats survive without Trena," Jill asked.

"Yes," Wilson replied, "Yes, with McKay to support them the off world industries and habitats can survive."

"If I offered the off world habitats their independence then this charge of treason might go away." Aggie brightened. "I need to meet with Duke Horton. Jill I want you there."

"Why?" Jill asked.

"The habitats are going to need someone to be in their corner. Someone who can come to their aid if something happens," Aggie replied.

"Won't the Empire and the Realm still have to honor their treaty commitments?" Jill asked.

"Maybe," Aggie said, "it will depend on how we separate the off world territories from me. Jill and the people of Home could offer them protectorate status. They would have their independence yet they could call on Jill and our people to come to their aid if they got into trouble."

"Can we guaranty that?" Jill asked, "We're going to have our own problems establishing Home!"

"We'll be able the protect ourselves," Jill's father commented, "We could come to

Trena's aid if we need to."

"Would he accept us being Trena's protector," Jill asked still not convinced they could offer Trena any help should Trena need it.

"Oh he'll accept it," Aggie replied, "He's always wanted to be king. This will allow him to be king."

"The challenge will be to sell it in a way he drops the Treason charges" her father commented.

"Not a problem," Aggie replied, "Have you ever heard of Silver and Lead?" "Not exactly. Isn't some old earth thing to do with criminals," Mike asked.

"It goes something like this," Aggie said, "You take my deal and you get silver. If you don't take the offer you get a lead bullet in the back of the head. So the silver is; Duke Horton, you get the off world habitats and the lead is if you don't take the deal you had best be successful in proving my treason or you and all your conspirators could be executed for high treason if you don't."

Jill had never heard anything like that come out of her friend's mouth. The look on Aggie's face was almost frightening. It was a face she would always remember.

"I have a call to make," Aggie remarked leaving them.

When she was out of ear shot Lisa turned to her husband, "I have never seen her that agitated. Even when she was almost killed by that bomb blast at the convention center she wasn't this agitated."

"Me either," Her husband commented turning to his daughter, "do you understand what's going on?" Jill nodded, "and the repercussions?" Again she nodded. "Good! Jill this is very dangerous. If you two don't handle it right we could be in serious trouble."

"I know Dad," Jill said, "A month to go before we are done and if we don't handle this right we may not be able to finish."

"I think you do understand," her father replied. Jill nodded stood up and hugged both her parents as she walked to the residence deep in thought.

# ###

The next day as Jill walked out to the limo that would take her to the academy Aggie came up to her and her detail.

"Duke Horton will meet with us at the school later today." Aggie told her, "Around

9."

"Should Dad be there?" Jill asked.

"No only me and you," Aggie answered, "This needs to be only me and you."

"All right," Jill replied. "I am usually in my literature class at the time. But when you guys get to the academy we'll capture Lady Hawthorn's office for our discussion,"

"See you then," Aggie replied. She got into the car and went with her now beefed up detail to the academy. Where before it was Jenny and a driver, now there was a jeep before and after her car. The jeep was armed with a gun and the gunner was if not up behind the weapon, sitting beside it ready to take care of business. She sighed realizing that would be a fact of life for the rest of her life.

She looked out the windows of the limo and watched the city of Trenaport go by. It was deserted, or mostly deserted. What people that were still in Trenaport were either the authorities trying to finish up securing the city, a few people waiting for their own evacuation, or the salvagers picking over the bones of what was left. She watched silently as one of her father's team set up their remote sensors to record the devastation that was about to fall her adopted planet. As they skirted the bay, on their way to the academy, she realized that she had never been to the ice caves, or the falls the captain from the IRS had told her about that night on her way to Trena. The only thing she had visited was the convention center. The car turned away from the bay road, onto the road that would take them up to the academy's main gate. She wondered if she could find some way to visit the falls and caves before she left Trena.

They arrived just in time for the cadet's morning assembly. Jill hustled out of the Limo to take her post beside Lamile just in time to get the reports. Lamile turned on her heel having seen Jill take her position beside her out of the corner of her eye. "Colonel Wilson, the corps of cadets are all preset and accounted for."

"Thank you Major Atomi," Jill replied, as she listened to her friend read out the day's announcements she wondered if she should mention the fact that they would have royalty on the grounds this morning. She kept her counsel and didn't mention any thing during the assembly.

When the cadets were released to morning classes Lamile turned to her, "Cutting it kinda close today!"

"I know," Jill replied, "I am either going to have to live on the grounds even on the weekends or turn it over to you early!"

"Don't even think of it," Lamile retorted, "I can wait for that dubious honor."

"I hear you," Jill answered, "Look, the Queen and Duke Horton will be here at about 0900. The Queen hasn't asked for anything special; but as I have to meet with her I can't be the Queen's escort. I want Mitch to be the Queen's escort, and you to be mine." "What about the Duke? He is Heir after all," Lamile asked.

"Who's the next Senior Cadet?" Jill asked, she had forgotten who the next senior cadet was. It was a combination of grades, demerits, and seniority. Simply because the cadet had been an officer longer than other cadets didn't necessarily make him the senior cadet.

"Cadet Morgan," Lamile answered.

"Make sure she knows she has a detail this morning," Jill replied.

"Uh Jill," Lamile said pulling on her ear, "I think it would be more proper for Mitch to be your escort and for me to be Her Majesty's escort. It could be construed as a snub to have Mitch be the Queen's escort."

"Okay," Jill answered, as Jenny came up with her books. A gentle reminder she needed to get onto class.

She was distracted all morning. She was concerned about the meeting to be had between Duke Horton and the two of them. It was the most political meeting she had ever attended and one fraught with the greatest consequences. Whatever the results unless the Duke could bring an army against her she would still be the Queen of Home! Aggie on the other hand might find herself in prison because of being accused of treason, or possibly executed. She was very concerned that the heir to the Trenan Crown might try to take over by force if the meeting was not to his liking. As she hurried from her math class to the history class she turned to Jenny.

"Jenny," she looked to the older woman, "I need a favor."

"Yes ma'am," the older woman said aware what was happening that morning.

"Get with Lady Hawthorne and tell her that I am concerned for both the School's safety and the Queen's. The Duke may try something. He may not!" Jill admitted, "But I want you and Lady Hawthorne to be ready for anything. Tom!" "Yes majesty?" Jenny's partner spoke up.

"I want you to be close by should we need it." Jill said. "I just hope I am over reacting."

"Do you want the cadet escorts armed?" Jenny asked.

"God no," Jill said, "Aunt Mylea and Dad will have some heads if they find that out!"

"Yes Ma'am," the protective agent responded, "Get to class we'll make sure you two are safe."

When she left her next class Mitch dropped in beside her. She was wearing a side arm. Jill cocked an eyebrow at her. Her friend just said simply, "As your escort and a member of your and Aggie's military I am required to be armed."

"Okay Mitch," Jill replied. "I just hope you don't have to use it."

"The Queen's detail briefed me" Mitch replied shocking Jill still more. That told her how much the adults at the academy trusted her young friend. "Oh we're meeting out in the open. The detail doesn't like it but Duke Horton wouldn't meet in doors." "So where," Jill asked.

"The pad," Mitch replied, "The detail has got it secured and a couple of your guardian's people have it under surveillance."

"I hope this is all silver," Jill commented.

"Me too," The young woman said, although as part of her cadet training she had to qualify with both pistol and riffle she hoped she wouldn't have to deliver the lead. As they walked to the pad Jill noticed that her friend was walking better than what she had in a while since she had been injured. She was back to her old self.

She met the Queen on the landing pad with Lamile who was also armed.

"Are you ready for this Your Majesty," Jill asked.

Aggie nodded as she asked, "Are you ready Your Majesty?"

Jill chuckled nodding as a landing craft came in. When it settled to its gear and the small executive space craft opened its hatch, a tall, handsome middle aged man, walked out down the ramp and approached the Queen. He went to one knee. Agatha asked him to rise.

"Duke Horton," Agatha spoke, "I want to introduce you to Her Majesty, Queen Jill of Home. Your Majesty I want you to meet Duke Horton, my heir and the protector of the off world habitats."

"Your majesty," Duke Horton spoke softly.

Jill reached her hand forward and shook the man's hand, "Your grace."

"I'll make this short," Aggie said, "I am not abdicating. I have a solemn obligation to get the people of Trena to safety. Queen Jill has graciously allowed my subjects to find refuge on Home. We have almost gotten everyone who wants to be evacuated off Trena. Next month if the people of the Space Habitats desire after the planet has been destroyed we will begin their evacuations to Home."

"And if we don't want to be evacuated," The duke asked.

"Then I will make every attempt to ensure that the dukedom is protected by the people of Home," Jill said her piece, "You may of course choose some other star nation to be your protector but Home desires to be your protector with no strings attached."

"What about the people who were taken against their will to Home," the Duke asked.

"If they wish to leave Home and come back to Trena or to any other world I will not stand in their way. Within reason I may even provide the means for them to leave." Jill replied surprising Aggie.

"And if I refuse," The duke asked.

"Should you proceed with your charges of treason, and should you fail to prove your case," The Queen replied, "then it will be my very sad duty try you for treason and should it be proven you have committed treason I will order your execution."

The noble began a retort, but Aggie held up her hand, "All I want to do is get our people to safety. I don't want to play these political games; but if I have to, I will. Now it is your turn to respond to my proposal. How say you Duke Horton?"

The Duke was quiet for a moment then asked, "You will not stand in our way if we try to re-inhabit Trena?"

"When I leave Trena, I will abdicate my sovereignty over Trena and her environs," the Queen answered, "Whoever feels they can live on the planet is of no concern of mine. It has been brought to my attention that the planet will not be livable and will be destroyed, so it may not be of much value except as salvage."

"And you will not interfere in the running of the remains," the Duke turned to Jill.

"That is none of my business," Jill said, "You will govern the remains of this system. I will not interfere in the governing of Trena System. Should you ask for any help what so ever, I will be obligated to come to your aid!"

The Duke was quiet. He then asked, "Will your heirs and regents stand by this decision?"

"Absolutely! I will sign a treaty that outlines what we have discussed and what I and my heirs are required to do and not do where Trena is concerned," Jill answered.

The Duke was quiet as he obviously mulled things over. Finally he said, "I need to talk to a few people."

"Duke Horton," The Queen said, "This deal has a sunset!"

"I know your majesty," The man said turning to both of them, "Let me go to my landing craft and make a couple of calls and talk to a couple of people. I won't be long."

The Queen nodded and turned to Jill as the noble man climbed the ramp to the landing craft, "What do you think?"

"I don't know," Jill responded, "He didn't seem opposed to it."

"No. He just wanted me to deal with the space habitats and guaranty that he has some sovereignty over them," Aggie replied.

"As long as we let him do what he wants here within reason then he'll not fight us," Jill replied. "I think we have to find a method to insure that the people who stay here in the system can come to Home if they want to leave the Trena System."

"I think," Aggie commented, "That your first ambassador should be to the Trena Off World Habitats."

"Ambassador," Jill commented, "Or may be a crown officer. I am out of my league here Aggie."

"We'll work... here he comes," Aggie said as the Duke stepped down from the landing craft.

"Your majesties," The Duke addressed them, "The people of the space habitats can agree to your suggestion. Are you prepared to cede the space habitats to me?"

"I am," Aggie responded.

"Queen Jill," the Duke turned to the young monarch, "We will accept enter into a treaty where you will come to our aid in time of distress."

"I swear an oath," Jill said, "That if any harm that comes to the people of the Space Habitats obligates the people of Home to come to their aid."

"On behalf of the people of the Space Habitats," Duke Horton said going to one knee, "I accept Queen's Jill and the people of Home's pledge to come to our aid if we request help."

"Arise," Jill said feeling goose bumps form. Outside of her family no one had formally acknowledged her as a sovereign. They had not been playing it up trying not to make an issue of it. Now for the first time ever a stranger had acknowledge her sovereignty over Home. "Duke Horton. May the people of Trena Space Habitats and the people of

Home always be friends!"

"That is my hope too, your majesty," The man said rising he turned to Queen Aggie and said, "Your majesty, the charge of treason will not be brought against you in the House of Lords. I trust you will pardon me and those of us who were bringing this charge against you?"

"Duke Horton," the Queen said, "Provided all who have signed the charge statement recants in public, and swear fealty to me and the people of Trena then they will be pardoned! Don't spend a lot of time getting them to recant; as I may have to reconsider."

"I understand your majesty," the Duke answered and asked, "By your leave?"

"Of course," Aggie nodded. She and Jill watched the noble man leave. When the landing craft was off the landing pad a few minutes later they both slumped.

Jill turned to her two friends, "I know it was window dressing, but thank you Lam,

Mitch."

Both young women dressed in their office dress uniforms came to attention and saluted Jill. Together they said, "It is the corps honor to serve and protect the queens of

Trena and of Home."

Jill looked at Aggie and back to her two friends, "Thank you for the honor. But will you two knock it off so I can get back to class!"

"Aye-Aye Colonel Wilson," Lamile said winking.

Aggie smiled and turned to the three young women, "Carry on cadets!" Jill did an about face to face Aggie properly and called, "Aye-aye your majesty!" The three young women saluted and ran off to their classes.

# ###

It was night time, the academy grounds were quiet and Princess Lisa was sitting on a bench in a secluded area of the grounds. There was a high hedge around a reflection pool. At the right time of the day, one could almost believe they were the only person on the planet as they sat by the pool, it was so secluded and quiet. She needed the quiet time as she reflected what she had read in her grandmother's diary.

"I was surprised at the Duke's reaction," she had read, "I had thought he would argue and fight for Aggie to abdicate right then and there. I was also surprised that he came alone. There might have been someone in the landing craft but he talked to us alone.

"Some of this stuff just overwhelms me," she had read, "It is hard to just deal with it and go on. But this had so many consequences. Still has so many consequences. There has always been low level resistance to what Dad and the Queen were doing. Not everyone thought Dad had the answer or the planet had to be evacuated. It had occurred to me that the Duke might have tried to assassinate both of us in his attempt to keep the space habitats. That was why I had asked that some of the protective detail take up positions around the pad."

She looked into the pool watching the water as it was disturbed by the fountain. She knew about security and the possibility of being assassinated. Unfortunately it was a fact of her life. Even as she sat at the reflection pool there was a security agent with in ear shot to come to her aid if someone tried to harm her. But she was never in the type of harm her grandmother had ever been in.

"I don't know if he would have tried something or not," Jill had written. "But trust me I am just as happy he didn't.

"Later in the day we signed the treaty. I couldn't believe how simple it was. I have heard of treaties taking years to hammer out." Her ancestor continued, "We had a couple more details added to it. Some of it minor stuff. It surprised me when the Duke named me as the protector of Trena Off World Habitats. I almost refused, but Lord Mercer convinced me it would be good.

"So now I am not only Queen of Home, but protector of the Trena Off World Habitats," She had mussed, "But it makes sense. Only the planet will be destroyed, and then some of the orbital infrastructure, but the off world enterprises will survive. I am still worried about messing this up. Every time I turn around something new is being thrown at me. I wonder what else I will have to deal with now."

# Chapter 35: The Republican Debacle

"We were about a month from being completely off world," the General began her class, "We knew we had Republican agents on world, that some were working with the Theocracy agents to disrupt the evacuation. We suspected that the near Trena Orbital Industries and possibly some of the nobles in the space habitats were in talks with the Republic of the Stars.

"The Republic's agents were causing all types of trouble," the General continued, "some of it was real subtle. There were anonymous statements in the press stating that the evacuation command had messed up on the calendar and we were not going get everyone off world before the rocks hit. Another one was that the Queen had left the world. It wasn't until she addressed a group of evacuees at a marshalling area; did that rumor go away. There was some very low key stuff. Some of it was very active and bordered on sabotage. It wasn't until later we realized that the most of the sabotage was directed at military targets. It didn't seem so at the time. We thought they were malcontents. We were getting incidents like pot shots at landing craft. There was an explosion at an armed vehicle park. We thought that was an accident. But later we knew it was an attempt to slow the militia response to an invasion.

"My original tasking was to find an artificial intelligence that we knew was betraying the kingdom," General Jones continued. "That was why I had been built. I had transferred by this time to the Mountain. The Mountain was near the capital, in a mountain that held the Militia Headquarters. I now suspected that the traitor was the main defense AI at The Mountain. I needed one more bit of proof to lower the boom on DefConnie. I was fairly certain that I had her. Or thought I did.

"The Evacuation Command was in the process of getting ready to dump a lot of the kingdoms special weapons into the sun. These special weapons were things like nuclear mines, large EMP devices; fuel air explosives. They were weapons that we couldn't take with us to Home and stuff no one wanted to buy from us. Some of the stuff we didn't want to sell! We were concerned that they might be used against us!" The general spoke softly.

"Several weapons barges had been built by my mother to hold the several million tons of small arms, tanks, and heavy weapons," she displayed pictures of many of the weapons that the barge carried. There was a division of tanks, several hundred large field guns, crates and pallets of small arms. Even explosives.

"The Marshal and General Qoum had made a decision that Home didn't need all these weapons. We did take many weapons with us; but Home didn't need all of this stuff. So the plan was to dump this crap into the Trena's Star. We wanted to make sure that none of the stuff would fall into the hands of the Republic or the Theocracy. Or possibly some other element we didn't know of to be used against us or others.

"We had wanted to blow the stuff in place," The General continued, "But Lord Mercer said no. He had been concerned that if we blew them in place we would be accused of causing the very disaster we were fleeing from."

"So we created several large barges that would hold everything that we were not taking with us to Home. My mother had successfully transferred herself to her new home on the space dock that would take her to Home. As Mom was looking around her new home making a list as to what she wanted to improve or change she noticed that the weapons barge was powering up. That surprised her as she had not told it to get under way.

Yet as she watched, the barge had cast lose its mooring and left the dock. She went aboard the tug to see what was going on. As she did she realized that their disposal plan for the weapons barge had been compromised. Generals Qoum and Langtree, Marshal Wilson, Queen Aggie and Lord Mercer had been the only ones to know about the actual date of the transfer." She continued, "What we didn't know was that DefConnie, who was the main defense coordinator had been compromised and taken over by its back up. Junior, as he was known. He had somehow locked the main AI down and was controlling all the data coming into the Mountain. He had managed to make a portion of the asteroids that were approaching Trena to look normal, masking the signatures of the Republic's invasion fleet that was hiding in them.

"Junior made his move as part of the Republic's invasion...

# ###

It was near lunch time. Although many of the kids had either been returned to their parents or reunited with their families, or had been adopted; there were still a great many kids still on the grounds. There was also a great many small children, younger than 12 who had not found homes yet. As they all trooped to the dining hall, for lunch the general alarm sounded.

"This is not a Drill!" The School Mistress was calling over the public address system as the alarm tones muted. Her image was seen everywhere it could be. There wasn't a computer display that didn't have her image on it. "All students and staff report to emergency shelters. Immediately!"

"What's going on School Mistress," Lady Hawthorne asked as she put her coffee cup down on the instructors table where she was eating lunch.

"We have just been informed that a fleet of Republican war ships have been spotted among the asteroids and are heading our way." The School's AI projected her image in a seat in front of Lady Hawthorne. "The Mountain says maybe a day or so before the full fleet gets here; but light space craft could at arrive anytime."

"All right continue getting the kids and staff into the shelters," Lady Hawthorne replied wondering where her kids were. As if reading her mind the School Mistress said, "Your boys are with Lieutenant Morgan and heading towards the shelter under the gym."

"Thank you School Mistress," Delores said watching the kids make an orderly exit from the building. Sergeant Lucas came up to her, "Major. I'll have box lunches at each shelter in an hour."

"That sounds good," Delores replied as she saw Sergeant Green coming her way.

"They'll be in the shelters in fifteen or so minutes major," Sergeant Green reported.

"I want to arm the instructors and some of the cadets." "How soon do we have to do that," Delores asked.

"We can wait a bit," Millie said, "But we don't want to be handing out weapons as Republic troopers enter the grounds."

"Hold off on the cadets," Delores then it dawned on her, "do we have enough weapons?"

Millie Green realized that the noble woman had forgotten that the cadet weapons were real and could be armed with the insertion of power cartridges, "Yes ma'am. It'll take an hour or so to make the cadet's weapons live. The other instructors will get theirs from the armory."

The noble woman nodded and ordered, "Make sure everyone of the adults who know how to use a gun has one. I want the guards at the gates and the patrols along the fence to be doubled up! Adults with older cadets."

"Aye," Millie left to be about her business.

Delores went to the gymnasium shelter where she found Jill. The gym's concessions had been set up as an emergency command post for the school and for Jill. The rest of the gym was the shelter. Jill and Queen Agatha were talking over the secure communications system. Another addition they had made for Jill. "We only know that a Republican fleet is hiding in the asteroids. The weapons barge has been taken over by an AI and is in route to this fleet. General Qoum reports that the combined fleets of Earth and Thonia are on their way to do battle. It's a good thing they are here because we have very few militiamen left."

"Aggie," Jill asked, "You don't know if there will be an invasion or not?"

"No one knows Jill," The Queen answered, "We're getting everyone to shelters and praying that the fleets can do the job they were built to do. How are things there Major Hawthorne?"

"We'll be under lock down shortly," Delores replied, "I am distributing arms to the adults and am thinking about the senior cadets."

"Major Hawthorne," The Marshal broke in, "Slow down on arming the cadets. This thing is going to happen in space. Even if the Republicans win, they'll be so bloodied that an invasion is unlikely."

"We don't need this now," Jill commented, "We still have several million to get off world. Dad will we still be able to do that?"

"The fleets are using dedicated ships," Her father said, "None of the space lift and star lift vessels involved in the evacuation are impacted. None of the landing craft the defenders are using will be from the space lift group. I have suspended current ground to orbit flights. I have told the ships in orbit that can head to Home; to do so!"

"Okay," Jill said, "I guess I need to be out of your hair Dad. We won't know what's going to happen for a few hours."

"I'll keep you both in the loop." Her father cleared the com.

"Your Highness," Delores asked, "Would you be safer here at the school?"

"No Delores," the Queen replied, "I need to be here where everyone can find me. I also think it's not a good idea to have both me and Jill in the same location. Home can deal with the loss of me or Jill but not both."

"We'll let you go," Delores agreed cutting the connection. Delores looked around the cramped shelter. She wanted to see where her kids were and saw Rhonda quietly rocking her youngest. To see the short small girl, who was known as Lamile's whip quietly rocking the infant, holding a baby bottle surprised her. She figured that Rhonda would be in one of the other shelters or out with the cadets on watch.

"Hello Major," Rhonda said. She knew she should be out among the cadets, working with her unit getting them to safety; but the woman who normally looked after the Major's kids had left the night before to be with her family on Yonkers station where she had found a position as a nanny.

"Thank you Rhonda," Delores took the infant from the girl's arms, "See to your cadets."

"Yes Ma'am," Rhonda left the shelter.

"Colonel," A runner came into the shelter and addressed Jill, "Major Atom's compliments. She reports that the security team is on their posts, and the school's secure.

All the cadets are in the shelters, as are all the kids."

"Tell the major I'll relieve her or Mitch will in a couple of hours," Jill said as Millie came in.

"Major Hawthorne," the Sergeant said, "Your heard Major Atom's report?"

Delores nodded not saying a word as Billy her youngest was sound asleep. Jill saw her friend still holding the baby and turned to Mitch who was working quietly at the next desk taking reports from the dorms and other shelters, "Mitch get someone to the

Commandant's Quarters and bring Billy's crib." "I'll see that it's done," Mitch said.

Millie and Delores watched the cadets handle the emergency. She looked up at the Sergeant and nodded, "Millie pass the word to everyone good work! Jill, please tell your cadets that I am very pleased with what I am seeing."

"Thank you Major," Jill said her voice barely above a whisper. The gymnasium shelter was holding mostly little kids who were now sound asleep for their afternoon nap. Jill was astounded at that. She figured with the alert and the excitement that the kids would not be anywhere ready to settle down. But they were.

Later one of the outside cadets reported seeing a big explosion in the sky. Shortly thereafter Jill's father called to say that the emergency was over and that the Republican fleet had been destroyed. He didn't think they would rescue many survivors.

"Oh, Lady Hawthorne," Her father said, "We lost Jonesy. She was aboard the tug towing the weapons barges. She took the weapons barge to the middle of the Republican Fleet and directed fire from the Majestic onto herself. Oh that other issue, the traitor. He was on the barge fighting Jonesy. The same fire that killed Jonesy also destroyed the AI we've been searching for."

Delores was silent as she digested the information. Jonesy, the Artificial Intelligence was the Evacuation Command's Chief Logistics officer, had been one of the

officer's that Delores worked the closest with. "She'll be greatly missed."

"She will at that," The marshal said. "We're standing down. You can also."

"We'll stand down," Delores said. "School Mistress, get the word out."

"It's going out now Major," the school's AI replied. The AI who had become friends with Jonesy as she tried to get things for her kids was not her usual upbeat self. "Major, okay if the flags go to half staff?"

"Make it so School Mistress," Jill commanded. She had, had frequent contact with the AI herself. She got up from the cot where one of Lady Hawthorne's kids had curled up beside her. Most of the kids were asleep.

"We'll let the kids sleep here tonight," Delores said, "Jill, make sure there's a CQ here tonight."

"Yes ma'am," Jill said and as she left the shelter, she saw Mitch standing a post with Jenny her principle agent outside. Jenny had a laser riffed draped casually over her shoulder, and Mitch had a pistol belt around her waist. "I think you can return that to Jenny, Mitch!"

"Gladly," Mitch said removing the belt and handing it to the agent. "Tom had to go off duty and Jenny needed someone to stand post with her. I got picked."

"Aunt Mylea is not to know of that," Jill commanded wondering where the res t of the detail was.

"We're stretched," Jenny answered her unasked question. "We're actively patrolling the grounds."

"I see," Jill remarked then turned to Mitch, remembering he last time they had armed Mitch and Lamile, her Aunt had almost taken her scalp over the issue, "Thank you for looking out after us."

"You're welcomed," Mitch replied.

With that, Jill walked the grounds to see what her cadets had been up to and see how they were reacting to the alert and the stand down. She was pleased the way they had responded to the alert. They had practiced the alert a couple of times and had worked out some of the problems. As she walked the grounds Mitch walked with her, as did Jenny.

"Major Atomi's compliments," Gene came up to them.

"Go ahead Gene," Jill replied returning the cadet's salute.

"Major Atomi reports, that the cadets are back in their dorms and the CQ watch has been mounted." The boy reported, "Lieutenant Morgan is taking the CQ watch in the gym." "Pass the word Gene," Jill asked, "good work. Everyone did well." "Yes ma'am," Gene replied saluted and left.

"He's grown up bit hasn't he," Jenny commented, "But so have all of you."

The trio walked down to the amphitheater to see if there was anyone hanging out there. There was a burst of light and everyone looked to where it was and saw that McKay appeared to be on fire. As the fire died in intensity, School Mistress materialized beside them.

"Your majesty, Major, there's been reports of wide spread sabotage in the off world habitats. McKay's primary settlement had a nuclear bomb detonated in it as did a couple of the bigger settlements in the asteroids and space habitats. Only the orbital facilities around Trena were not impacted."

"My god," Jill commented, "all those people! Was it part of the attack?"

"Sarge at Fletcher thinks so," School Mistress replied, "They think some Theocracy agents took the opportunity to strike."

"Look at that!" Mitch pointed to the port. It looked like it was on fire.

"Dad is going to have his hands full," Jill remarked.

"Sergeant Green, I want us secured and arm the cadets!" Delores commanded from where she sat in the shadows with sergeant Green, "Until things settle down I want us secured!"

"Yes Ma'am," the sergeant said watching as Jill principle agent handed Mitch a pistol belt. "Sergeant Mitch you are to stay with Her Majesty."

"Aye Ma'am," Mitch said as she buckled the pistol belt on.

They watched as other fires erupted around the capital. Jill became worried as one of the fires appeared to be close to Serenity. She tried to get through to her mother; but secure communications link to Serenity had failed. Even using her emergency set up, the same one she had used when her mother had been kidnapped couldn't get through to her family at Serenity. She wanted to know how they were. Finally near mid night the School Mistress put through a call to her from her mother.

"We're okay Jill," she said, "we've been in the shelter with Aggie since the attack. We stayed there when the other stuff started. How are you?"

"We're okay," Jill answered, "Everyone's a little frightened. We've been watching the fires, especially the big one near the palace."

"They are getting them under control," Lisa reported, "The Trojack Fire Fighters have been deployed to the palace and they have the fire near us almost under control. Your dad and General Qoum have been hunting these people down and have been taking care of business."

"We heard they might be Theocracy agents." Jill remarked.

"They are. They are working with some republican agents," Lisa replied, "Chief Able is getting most of the fires under control. The fires were set for the invasion. Many have set in mostly in abandoned building. Distractions to keep us busy so we couldn't fight an invasion effectively."

"That figures," Jill commented, "we're safe here for the time being. I am going to stay here. Do you want to join us?"

"No! We'll be okay," Lisa replied, "Your father doesn't want us together until this is over. He wants you and Abby to be separated just in case. We don't want to lose either of you. So we need to make sure the succession is secured by keeping you and Abby apart!"

Jill didn't like it much; but she understood. She said her goodbye and decided to take a walk around the facility. It had always felt odd to be shadowed by Jenny, now doubly so with Mitch, who was quietly shadowing her. It surprised her how easily Mitch seemed to take to the duties of being one of her protective agents.

"Mitch," Jill spoke to the girl, "I don't want you to get too comfortable being my protective agent."

"Jill," the dark haired girl replied, "If this is what my life's work is to be; there are a lot of worse things I could be doing."

"And I thought you wanted to be chief of the Home Patrol!" Jenny quipped.

"Eventually," Mitch answered back as they once again were at the amphitheater. They looked across the bay to the capital and saw that many of the fires were out. A pall of smoke was hanging over the city. Jill shook her head wondering why now.

# ###

"We're less than a few weeks before the asteroids hit us," the Princess was reading the diary again in class. "Trena will be destroyed, if not destroyed, unlivable, and the Republic attacked us! No one has explained to me why the Republic hates us so much. They were going to invade Trena and occupy us. It makes no sense to me. It's like they didn't believe we were going to be destroyed. Yet they used the very instrument of our destruction to hide in as they snuck in to invade us.

"Ironically they were defeated by a simple act of heroism. I have read about marines, and others calling fire down on their position, sacrificing their lives to save others. Jonesy's sacrifice was not only heroic; but totally unexpected. Usually it is impossible for an AI to completely leave her host computer. But Jonesy had shifted to the space dock that she would make the trip to Home aboard, abandoning her old computer at Boeing. Then she went aboard the tug taking the weapons barge to the sun. Someone shut her down on the dock.

"We lost a great person when we lost Jonesy." The future queen of Home continued reading aloud, "I never thought I would mourn the loss of an AI. We treat them like so much furniture, take them for granted, yet they are there working all the time in the back ground making our lives easier. Jonesy was special. She was the Evacuation Commands logistics officer, she made things happen. Even for us. She was the one who helped me get Mitch's guitar. When we needed something for the little guys she made it happen. The delivery of all the stuffed animals and toys for the little guys came at the right time. Where she got the rocking chairs I was afraid to ask. Sergeant Hoi, General Langtree's Sergeant just showed up one day with two truckloads of them and said compliments of Jonesy. But she was part of us. She was as much one of the officers who volunteered at the academy as all the flesh and blood people who were helping us. She'll be sorely missed. We had a memorial at Boeing SpaceWorks yesterday to honor her passing.

"Trenaport looks like a ghost town. It's spooky sometimes riding through town." Princess Lisa read, "Especially as we pass through the burned out buildings that had been destroyed during the Republic's failed invasion. I like to sit at the amphitheater and watch the capital come to life as the sun set. The lights would come on in quiet majesty. We are far enough away that we can't hear the city noises. It was soothing to watch; but no longer. There is an angry looking scar where the buildings had been set afire. It is too painful to watch now. Now though as I sit here in the amphitheater writing this, I can see the asteroids. They are a splash or a stain across the night sky. They get bigger every night. It's getting to the point that I find it too disturbing to watch the night sky. Even though I know my guys and I will be evacuated, it's just too scary to comprehend, that if something goes wrong again, that we may not get off this soon to be dead world. The Republic's debacle just points out how fragile everything can be.

"That fragility of life became a terrible reality to me during the Republican's failed invasion," Jill's writing continued, "Duke Horton was on McKay when the bomb went off in McKay's main settlement. Most of the nobles who were meeting for the first time to form their parliament were killed. The Duke's heir, a young teenage boy barely thirteen is now the Duke of the protectorate. I wonder how this will affect the treaty that Aggie and I signed."

She closed the diary, as an officer walked into the room. She was of moderate height, dressed in the uniform of the Home Emergency Response Team. On her collar was a badge consisting of two sabers crossed under a crown with five stars surrounding everything. The young princess knew who the officer was immediately, Marshal Jonesy.

As the room came to attention the officer spoke softly, "as you were." The cadets took their seats.

"Good morning," the officer said, "I always like to stop in about this time when my daughter Alice gets to this point in her lecture. As you just read I was killed by calling fire down on the tug I had hopped to. I had no choice in the matter! I had to prevent the barges from being turned over to the Republic. I was trapped on the tug. Junior, the back up to DefConnie, had somehow managed to lock me out of the tugs controls, and I couldn't return to my new home as someone had turned me off on the space dock.

"I knew what I had to do.

"I didn't even think twice about becoming the target for the Majestic's guns. By doing that, I would accomplish two missions. By calling fire down on me I was ensuring the weapons barges destruction, and with its destruction, caused the invasion fleet to be destroyed. By calling down fire onto myself, I ensured the kingdom's safety. No one thought to bring me back until the HERT was founded. Then I was brought back from my back ups and put in this body. I became the operations coordinator of the Home Emergency Response Team working directly for Marshal Langtree and her lifemate. I served with them for another thirty years before they retired."

The cadets were quiet as one of the living legends of Home spoke. Only Princess Lisa and her cousins and aunt had ever met the Marshal.
Chapter 36: The Academy Is Evacuated.

The princess was sitting by herself in the archives, as she read the diary. It was the only place where she could get some privacy as she read. She really didn't mind sharing her reading with the cadets, but she was also using the diary to write her paper. It was time now to knuckle under and get it written. She couldn't read aloud and write the paper she was doing about Jill, Lamile, and Mitch. So she had captured a study carrel in the archives to read the diary, and to work on her paper in peace and quiet.

"Great news!" she read, "My aunt and General Langtree got married! The last couple of times Aunt Mylea was at the house for dinner and not on business General Langtree was her escort. Lamile told me about it last night.

"I heard that Dad made some sort of a wise crack that if either one of them thought they are going to be reassigned so that Aunt Mylea didn't supervise David directly they could think again.

"Now as I think about it I have noticed over the last few months that the haunted look that Aunt Mylea's face often had when I first got here has disappeared. Lamile had mentioned something about the aqaut slowly dissipating. Lamile tried to explain to me about the aqaut. Something about that when thonians make love for the first time the woman passes a virus that makes it impossible for them to make love to anyone else. I don't quite understand it. I think it has something to do with the couple being empathic and telepathic between only each other.

"But it is great news," Jill had written, "I guess they will wait until we get to Home before having an official ceremony. I have to say though that Aunt Mylea couldn't have chosen a better lifemate. General Langtree is not only a great guy; he has a special place in my heart for how he has helped me and my kids.

"Speaking of which," Jill had written "it is time to wrap this up as tomorrow we evacuate the kids from the academy. It is going to be a long day."

The princess concluded the passage and looked at the time and realized she had better hustle on to class. She arrived just as the General began speaking.

# ###

Lady Hawthorne was tired. She had been up for forty eight hours straight making sure things were ready for the school's evacuation. She was bone weary, and exhausted. But she wasn't alone, her staff had worked themselves to exhaustion as they made sure each kid, cadet or not was ready to be evacuated. They had made sure each and every kid was packed as well. Lady Hawthorne had spent extra time with the little ones, ensuring they were ready. Somewhere in the process she had made one more trip back to her estate making sure that her place had been packed by her girls. There had been only so much they could pack. So many of the fine furnishing that her mother in law and she had furnished the home with were going to have to be left behind. She had heard from her brother. He was safely on Home as were her mother and father. Her life on Trena was drawing to a close. Only the evacuation of the academy and few loose ends remained.

Now as she waited for the landing craft that would take everyone up to the school ship to land; she wondered if they were really ready for this? She was concerned that they had gotten everything that the kids owned packed. Normally she trusted her staff to make things happen. She had learned that from her missing husband, find good people and let them perform. But this time she was having trouble doing that; as the stakes were so high.

Sergeant Millie had gotten her aside and tried to cool her out when she was obsessing. It worked a bit.

Now as she stood with Jill and Lamile sipping coffee waiting for the first landing craft to land; she worried if there was anything they had forgotten. It would take fifteen lifts to get all the kids, their adult supervisors and their stuff to the special transport that had been built for them. Lady Hawthorne and Jill had been to orbit to check it out and meet the crew. They were all from the IRS, on loan to them by the IRS to get the ship to Home. They had been handpicked by Captain Stevens of the Majestic. The school ship would be their home for several weeks maybe moths, before their digs on Home were built. They had been impressed. The late Jonesy had done a good job. It was large enough to hold the entire school with room for athletic fields and other facilities to support the academy.

"You look tired Lady Hawthorne," Jill observed, though she was tired too. She had a full plate on her schedule today also. She with Lamile had to be at the Parliament to witness the parliament's abdication.

"We get this mob transported to the school ship and I'll be able to collapse in my stateroom and make friends with my long suffering kids." Lady Hawthorne stated. Although she had moved into the academy and brought her kids with her, and though she made time for them every day, sometimes it was only to tuck them into bed at night. She was planning to turn the running of the academy over to the School Mistress for a while as she took a few days. She had thought of turning it over to Millie for a couple of days; but that plan had been changed at the last minute because of Princess Carroll. As she thought about that, she smiled, Millie would indeed make a good School Mistress. She was just stern enough to get the kids to do what she wanted them to do, but soft enough to let them get away with kid type mischief.

The marine chief gunnery sergeant had explained to her one night over late coffee. "I usually get officers after they have been messed up by their parents, their colleges and the academy. Now I might get a chance to fix some problems before they get out into the fleet."

"Lady Hawthorne," the first marine to ever set foot on the academy came up to her, breaking her out of her reverie, "I've put this off as long as I can. If I don't get to the port and to the Majestic, I'll be AWOL." "Okay Sarge," she said.

"I will be back to check up on you two." He nodded to Jill, "Your highness. I don't know what to say to you. You are ..." The sergeant was at a loss for words. He had seen this young woman in action and had been impressed with her from the beginning. He didn't want to sound mushy; but he wanted the girl to know he was impressed with her.

"Sarge," Jill spoke to the sergeant as she walked to him and hugged him. "Thank you for everything you have done for my kids. I couldn't have done this without you and your buddies help. Pass the word sergeant, that I know each and every one of your guy's

names. If you get in trouble just yell for help, I will get help to you." "Thank you." The sergeant replied nodding to Sergeant Millie Green.

"Company Atten-hut!" Millie Green yelled.

Jill heard a commotion behind her and turned to see every adult, civilian and military person who had helped her kids and who were still on Trena standing at attention. Standing in the formation were Black Guardsmen, Imperial Marines, Imperial Naval Officers, retired Thonian Space Forcemen. Militia, police, and fire fighters from across the kingdom, and civilians who had made it possible for Delores to provide services to her kids. There were thonians, humans and biopeople. Some who were citizens of Trena and some who were from Trojack; all standing at attention waiting for what would come next.

"Ma'am," Sergeant Lucas turned first to Delores, then to Jill, "Your majesty. May we ask a favor?"

"You may," the Queen of Home replied.

"We request the honor and privilege to be known as Company A of the Queen's Own Royal Cadet Academy's Permanent Staff." The sergeant asked.

"Permission granted," Jill responded.

In unison the men and women of Company A called. "Thank You your majesty!"

Then as tired as she was she walked the line of a hundred of so officers, enlisted people, and civilians who had donated their off duty time to her kids. Lady Hawthorne followed discreetly behind her young monarch also thanking a couple of people. Millie was standing to one side of the assembled group. Deloris knew that they were going to do this but had kept quiet about it. She wanted Jill to take the honors. Jill had worked her butt off to help these kids. It was fitting that she accepted the honors being offered. The adults had seen her work and respected her to a man. Especially Millie who owed the Marines at least three weeks leave for all the time she had spent working at the academy. But Lady Hawthorne had two surprises for the Master Gunnery Sergeant.

"So sergeant you think you are going to go home and leave me all alone to handle this mob?" Lady Hawthorne asked the middle aged sergeant when she had gotten to the front of the formation again. "I think you should think again."

"Ma'am," the sergeant said bewildered, not knowing what was going on. Lady Hawthorne smiled. It was perfect! She wasn't sure she could keep this from the Sergeant, as her connections were good. Much too good!

"Attention to orders," She snapped, as Sergeant Lucas had drilled her and drilled her to do. It would always feel uncomfortable to sound like an officer, but in time she knew it would be second natured. The entire assembly of enlisted men and officers came to attention.

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Millicent Green, is here by detached from the Imperial Marines Corps and assigned at the request of their most royal highnesses, Queen Agatha of Trena, and Queen Jillian of Home, and General Alphine, Commandant of the Imperial Marines, to the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets, as Command Sergeant Major of Company A.

"Furthermore, as this is not a hardship or hazardous duty station, you will be allowed to have your dependents on post." Lady Hawthorne spoke, "Your tour of duty is to be limited to not less than one year, nor more than five years, and at the pleasure of her royal highness, Queen Jillian and the school's commander."

She handed the parchment to Millie and said, "Sarge you are out of uniform!" and handed her a silver diamond for her collar tab. The insignia of the units top soldier. Millie looked over to where General Alphine was now standing. Standing with her, were two young boys. They were her boys. The Princess General nodded and released the two boys. The two boys who ran over to their mother and hugged her fiercely. It had been almost a year since she had last seen both boys. They both had grown like weeds. They had been being taken care of by her mother in law. Their father had been missing in action for nearly ten years. He had never seen Jimmy.

"Sergeant," Delores said, "You are dismissed!"

"Lady...Deloris thank you. I wouldn't have seen the boys for another six months." Millie said. She hugged Lady Hawthorne.

"Thank Princess Carroll. She made this all happen." Deloris said.

She nodded and walked to where Jill was standing, "Colonel Wilson, I mean Queen Jill, I will do you proud."

"Sergeant Millie," Jill said, "I'll remember what you told me when I became the commander of the corps. I hope I never let you down. I'll see you on Home after your leave."

"Jill you will never disappoint me. You may disappoint yourself but never me." the older woman replied, "By your leave?" Jill nodded.

"Thank you General," Millie said when she went and stood beside the general.

The future empress of the Terran Empire nodded saying, "Serve them well Millie. They are our future."

"As you command," She saluted and stood with the boys as Jill and Lady Hawthorne finished thanking the assembled staff of Company A for all they had done. As they finished the first of the landing craft landed. Jill turned to Lady Hawthorne and said, "Let's get back to work."

Deloris nodded as she saw Marshal Wilson step out of a jeep that had pulled up to where they were standing. He had driven across the capital to be here. She had no idea that he would be here.

He came up to her and asked, "Deloris, what can I do to help?"

Delores was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that the Marshal would be on the grounds. She knew he had a lot stuff that needed his attention today. "Anything you can. We have to get all these kids and their stuff on to the landing craft. If you would go to dorm three and bring those kids down that would help."

"Aye-aye," Mike said nodded toward the dorm and was followed by Mac and Lamile who would soon become the cadet commander of the school. She would finish high school on board the school ship and later when the academy was completed enough for the kids to be on the ground she would be enrolled in the first cadet class of the Senior Academy of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadet Academy.

They found the kids milling around the halls excited about what was to come next. The senior cadet in the dorm, yelled for them to settle down. In seconds the kids settled down. He lined them up in the halls waiting for the word to be given. The Marshal turned to Lamile, "It is your show, what do you need done."

"They need to go to the dining hall where they will be final processed. Mitch here can get them there." She pointed to Mitch, "What we need to do is go to the top floor and sweep down. Some of these kids are not convinced we are taking them to safety. Other may try to play games with us. So we go into every room, and open every closet. The beds have been rolled back and the frames taken apart. When we get done we seal the room. It will take a laser blast to open the door from the outside."

Mike was glad for the easy work. It wasn't difficult. They would climb to the top floor of a dorm and sweep through the rooms. Several adults and cadets helped. There was a name plate on each door, when they closed and sealed the door they would pull the name plate. When they left a floor they would hand the name plates to a cadet or NCO or adult on the landing to the floor. There they were checked against a master list, and when all the rooms had been checked off the list they would close the doors on either end of the hall to the rooms and seal them. They would then as a group go on to the next floor.

In this fashion they swept through the academy grounds ensuring that all of the buildings had been evacuated. It took a few hours but every child was accounted for. Even a preschooler who thought it would be cool to play hide and seek with the adults. When Jill caught up to her she didn't scold the child, or anything; just picked her up and carried her to the dining hall where she turned the kid over to the cadet who had been told to watch over her. "Cadet Johnson. You almost cost us a life. You were told to make sure all your kids got to the dining hall. Five demerits and you'll walk an hour's punishment tour with riffle in the gym." She swept a withering look at the cadet NCO who was the girl's dorm officer and said, "Sarge your squad will do the punishment tours also, as will I!"

A few hours later as the last landing craft loaded with cadets lifted from the pad Jill marched up to Lady Hawthorne came to attention, and said, "Major Hawthorne, the grounds of the academy has been evacuated! With your permission I would like to stand down and turn things over to Major Atomi."

"You are relieved Colonel Wilson," Lady Hawthorne turned to the few adults that were left waiting to go up to the ship then back to Jill. "Jill I want to thank you for the effort you have been giving us. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Delores," Jill said, "I will cherish and try to follow the example that you and Sergeant Millie have shown me. I will be around."

The noble woman nodded and turned to Marshal Wilson, "Sir, I would like to report that all the children you have entrusted me with have been evacuated."

"Thank you Deloris, You may close this facility," Wilson accepted the noble woman's report, "I'll see you at the parliament in a little while."

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, I will see you on the ship. We are closed!" Deloris turned to her staff, and dismissed them. When they were gone Deloris walked quietly to the main gates where Millie was waiting for her. She had never felt as lonely as she did as she walked the drive to the entrance. The grounds were empty of children and cadets, as well the adults that looked after them. It was hard to believe that less than twenty four hours before the grounds had been chocked full of people. She took one last look at the academy. She marveled at the changes that she had witnessed in the last few months. The academy had gone from a near trash pit to a clean and nearly serene campus. She had gone to school here when it was a boarding school. It now looked like the school she had attended. She turned and finally walked through the gates.

With Millie's help she closed and locked the gates for the final time. As they closed the gates the news media quietly recorded the event. It was nearly the last crown facility to be closed and the news media was recording it for posterity. The two women piled into lady Hawthorne's sedan that was almost too crowded for them. It was filled with Lady Hawthorne's five kids and Millie's two boys. Deloris' oldest climbed into the lap of

Millie's oldest and Millie drove them to the parliament. Where Lady Hawthorne had one more official act to perform, as did all the remaining nobles of Trena. Though her nobility was tied to her missing husband, she had been asked to take his seat in the parliament.

# ###

"So the evacuation of the academy went without a hitch," General Jones started to wrap up her class for the day. "There was a lot of behind the scenes work to get these kids ready. It not only included making sure the ship was kid safe, but making sure that School Mistress had a computer to transfer herself into and then had to be in two places at once while the school was evacuated. The school ship had been special built by Jonesy.

"Several people had voiced very vocal opposition of the cadets being given that ship," The general continued. "But most of the people left on Trena, who knew about the academy and how the cadets came to it, were just as adamant that it was proper. It was settled when the Marshal, and his Family as well as Queen Agatha said they would travel to Home on it. There had been a large liner that was going to take them to Home now it would be used for others.

"Of the nearly two thousand young people who first sought refuge at the academy, fourteen hundred were left, the others had either been reunited with parents, or family, or had been adopted by others. The remaining fourteen hundred children were evacuated to the school ship." She concluded by saying, "The School Ship house our academy for nearly three months until our new academy had been built. The School Ship has been towed to the Nameless Moon where she waits to be dismantled with several other ships."

The bell rang and the general said, "Your papers are due in two weeks. They are a full seventy five percent of your final grade for this course."

# Chapter 37: The Last Session of the Trena Parliament

"The last session of parliament was very somber," the General started the next class. "I was not there as I and my sergeant were at Fletcher helping General Langtree get the base shut down.

"The thing that has amazed scholars and others was that the parliament behaved so well during the final days." The General continued, "Even the incident with Duke Horton had not been much of an incident. We hadn't known at the time; but Lord Mercer had worked behind the scenes to get the real trouble makers off world without appearing to. Making sure that those who had gone to Home were dumped in areas where their energies would not harm the people of Home. This would be found out on his death bed. Although he violated several of the evacuation rules by doing this, Queen Jill pardon him for his actions. He had the best interests of the kingdom at heart.

"So now it is late afternoon and the parliament was assembling for the last time. They had to wait until the last citizen of Trena were evacuated and that was the academy before they could abdicate."

# ###

It was the last session of parliament. The immense chamber was nearly empty. Jill now dressed in a simple business suit with Lamile, who was now in her full dress uniform sat together on the floor of the House of Lords. She was the invited quest of Lamile. It would be the first and the last session that Lamile would attend as Lady Atomi. Lamile was there for the one final act that the parliament had to do. This act had to be done in the presence of interstellar witnesses. It had been researched and there was no precedence for dissolving parliament, and abandoning a planet's government. Usually when a government left a planet it was after they had been removed during a rebellion. No one had given up power willingly in the way that the Parliament of Trena was going to dissolve itself.

As Jill waited for events to begin she looked around the ornate room with its lofty arches, and statuary. The old stone work with stained glass windows piercing the walls made the building feel almost like some of the ancient cathedrals she had toured on Earth instead of a house of the people. As she thought that, she felt it appropriate that the house of the people had near church like appearance as the protection of the citizens of Trena or any people should be a near religious endeavor.

The gallery was nearly empty. The family members of the members of parliament were aboard the liner that would take them to Home. The gallery was populated by only a few of the remaining news media people. The members of parliament were in a somber mood. No one was in the raucous mood that the assembly could be. No one was in their robes, or in their usual finery. The Queen waited outside the hall with Jill's father. They would wait there until the speaker lead the members of parliament to where they stood.

"Is there any business before Parliament," The speaker of the House of Lords spoke breaking into Jill's quiet observation of the chamber.

"Your lord ship," Larry Mercer the oldest serving noble of the House of Lords, who rarely took his seat, drew himself up to his five foot eight height, "I have business before our august body."

"Lord Mercer is recognized." The speaker called.

"With our people now fully evacuated, save those of us in this chamber, our purpose to support, defend and govern the people of Trena no longer exists. Therefore I move that the government be dissolved along with parliament. With parliament dissolved that we leave the world of Trena."

"Is there a second?" the speaker asked.

"I second the motion," Lamile spoke. It had been determined that Lamile as the newest and youngest noble woman of the Kingdom of Trena be the one to second the motion.

"Is there any debate?" The speaker asked.

He waited a few minutes and said, "Hearing none, I call the question. All in favor of dissolving the government of the Kingdom of Trena say aye!"

The one hundred remaining souls who made up the last session of parliament voted to dissolve the government. There was not even the solitary traditional, no vote to be heard in the chamber.

"In accordance with your vote I now declare that the government is dissolved and parliament disbanded." He banged the gavel one time and stepped down from the Speakers desk and inserted the printed copy of the motion into the old fashioned notebook book that was the ceremonial record of the parliament. He signed his name and closed the book and walked to the great ceremonial doors of the chambers. He stood at the doors and watched as the members filed past him. He shook each and every one of their hands. Lamile, being the most junior noble present was the last to leave. Together with her help, the speaker closed the great ornate ceremonial doors of parliament. A little over four centuries after they had been opened for the first time, the doors were sealed for the last time. Once the doors were sealed they assembled near a curtained alcove. There the Speaker revealed a marble obelisk. Carved were the names of the last sitting members of the parliament and their home regions. Below the names read the inscription,

"On this day, four hundred and eighteen years after the founding of the Kingdom of Trena, The Parliament dissolved and abdicated its responsibilities for the governance of the Kingdom of Trena. This was a peaceful act, there was no rebellion, no discourse with our citizens or with our monarch, Queen Agatha the First. A cosmic disaster befell our kingdom, one that destroyed our world. We wish that the discoverer of this obelisk; peace!

If you wish to know of our people we are here."

Engraved on the obelisk was a star chart showing the location of Home in relation to Trena and the distance to their world of refuge.

"We will not be forgotten as long as one of our descendants are alive to carry on our traditions!"

The assembled members of parliament passed the obelisk, each touching the massive stone, leaving their DNA to be discovered maybe in centuries to come.

They left the main part of Parliament and found the Queen and her party waiting for them. The Speaker handed the book to the Queen, an identical to one that was buried in the obelisk. He went to one knee and said softly, "My Queen, It is my sad and sacred duty to humbly inform you that we, the government of the Kingdom of Trena have abdicated and return the ruling of this planet to you."

"Arise," Agatha said softly. "The crown thanks you for your service, and that of all of the members of parliament. There is a landing craft waiting to take you to your families.

Thank you."

"Your majesty," the Speaker spoke softly, "The people of Trena owe you a great debt of gratitude. For without your efforts and that of your marshal many of us would not now be safe. By your leave, my Queen?"

"Granted," the young queen nodded standing by herself as the remaining members of parliament filed past her saying their farewells. Until now she had no idea how many of these people felt about her. Some she knew would have fought against anything she did. Others wouldn't, and still others would do what their party told them to do. But all of them were near tears as they bid her farewell and left the parliament building. As per her station, the last Lady to be so named, Lamile was the last one to present herself before Queen Agatha. With tears flowing down the young woman's cheeks as she bowed before her monarch and then hugged her fiercely. The Queen turned to Jill who was with Lamile and handed Jill the book that had just been given her.

"Queen Jill." The Queen said turning to Jill, "This is the book of the last session of parliament. I give it you as a sacred trust so that the universe knows that the parliament abdicated gracefully their responsibilities."

"It is a great honor to receive this book from your hands." Jill said solemnly holding back some tears herself, "When the Home parliament assembles for the first time I will ask that this book be forever displayed in the lobby of parliament to show that the people of Home have their roots as Trenan citizens. That Trena is the foundation for the future of our home!"

"It is all I can ask," Agatha said trying not to cry as the few remaining news people and the Galactic Counsel recorded the event. She was determined not to breakdown and cry until all her duties were over. The palace surgeon had given her a pill to help her get through the day; but she didn't think it was working.

# ###

"The parliament," The General began to wrap up the class for the day, "the beautiful ornate building that housed the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the legislative body of Trena, lasted until a rock the size of a house bursts through its roof and destroyed the building eighteen hours after the parliament abdicated."

The General was playing a holograph of the parliament's destruction. The room darken as a hologram lit up to display a rock the size of a house as it came screaming in past the elegant convention center, glowing cherry as it seemed to zero in on the building. The last image was that of the beautiful stained glass windows showing the early days of the Kingdom of Trena being shattered as the rock destroyed parliament.

"We do not know at this time if the obelisk with the record of the last session of the Trena Parliament has survived or not" The general finished her class for the day.

"It is still waiting to be found," The general remarked, "No one has ever mounted an expedition to find it. The Queen and the Duke have never authorized such an expedition and currently laws in place on Home and in the Duchy of the Trena Off World Habitats prohibiting anyone from even trying to determine if it survived."

# Chapter 38: Abdication

"The Marshal had said that he would make sure that every last mother's child who wanted to leave Trena could." General Jones was teaching her next to last class for this session. Today she would begin to wrap everything up. "Try as we might we couldn't get everyone evacuated. Some people just couldn't leave Trena or wouldn't. So while the last session of parliament was in session, General Langtree was at Fletcher getting the last bit of work done.

"We were securing the last bit of supplies that we could. We had hardened ten landing craft hangars burying the hangars ten feet underground. They were loaded with supplies. He and a few of his engineers had dug pits under them and had made them as survivable as possible. We loaded them with everything we could. Hoping the spares and supplies left in them might survive. The supplies had included trucks, heavy earth moving equipment, medical supplies communications gear, food, militia survival shelters. But no weapons; we didn't want people to have the means to kill each other over the supplies. In deeper hard shelters were landing craft. His team was sealing everything in.

"Earlier they had taken what else they could out to the space habitats. There were not many people left in orbit or on the habitats. The ones around Trena were thought to be in extreme danger. They would be in the path of the asteroids for forty-eight hours. We believed that the ones in orbit about Trena would all be destroyed. Most of the supplies went to McKay or other settlements and habitats that were in no danger of being hit by the asteroids.

"What was left, the evacuation command had hoped that any of the survivors who we couldn't convince to evacuate might wander onto the remains of the base and several other dumps in the years after the rest of us evacuated and find the equipment usable.

"They had done this all over Trena. To this day we don't know if they survived or not! We believe not; as no one has escaped from Trena using the catches.

"We finished closing General Langtree's command and left for the palace. "The Marshal and the Queen had one last duty to perform..."

# ###

Lisa had seen the last of her family's belongings packed and transported to the school ship. There was only one other thing she had to pack. If pack, was the right word? She was in Queen's Garden. The ancient American Beauty Rose bush that had been under cultivation since the first queen planted it over four hundred years before was the final item to be packed. She was having Georgia and Maggie carefully dig the rose up and place it in a bucket of soil so they could transport it to Home, where Lisa was hoping to baby it and keep it under cultivation. She wanted to bridge the soon to be destroyed Serenity and the soon to be created royal compound on Home. She took pictures of her two friends as they carefully dug the rose bush up and transplanted the centuries' old rose in the large bucket. With it safely in the bucket the women walked out of the garden Abby holding her mother's hand. They put the bucket on one of the electric carts where Maggie drove it to General Langtree's landing craft that had been moved from Fletcher to Serenity.

As they walked to the main building where they would witness the Queen's abdication, Lisa looked to her daughter realizing she would be the one to fulfill her husband's charter. Abby had no idea she would make history when she boarded the landing craft to leave Trena. She would literally be the last mother's child to leave Trena. When they got to the queen's residence they found that everyone but the Queen had joined the group standing before the landing craft.

Shortly after they arrived, the limo carrying the Queen pulled up in front of the landing craft. As the limo slowed to a stopped Mylea called, "Honors front!"

The assembled officers and enlisted men snapped a salute to the royal party as they stepped out of the vehicle. When they were at the foot of the landing craft's ramp Lisa, and Abby walked up the ramp to the cargo bay of the landing craft, symbolizing that every last mother's child had been evacuated from Trena. When her friends were safely aboard the landing craft Mylea turned and marched to where Marshal Wilson stood with Queen Agatha. She came to attention and requested, "Marshal Wilson, I request permission to report."

"The Executive Officer's request is granted." Wilson said more formally than he would have otherwise. The eyes of the universe were on them.

"Sir the citizens of the Kingdom of Trena have been evacuated or accounted for." Mylea said knowing that press of the galaxy was watching them. They were recording the formal abdication of Agatha, and their departure.

"Thank you XO." Wilson said "You may case the colors!"

"Aye sir," Mylea said, she turned to the command staff, "Attention to the colors"

All eyes turned to the flag post that held the flag of Trena. A starburst on a field of navy, the motto of the free world emblazoned on it "He who dares to succeed will never fail!"

"Lieutenant Jones!" Mylea called, "Case the Colors!"

With that Alice, Sergeant Anderson, Sergeant Hoi, Lamile, Mac, and Georgia all now dressed in their dress uniforms marched to the flag post in front of the Queen's residence. At the flag post, Alice lowered the flag to the national anthem of Trena. When the flag was lowered, the honor guard folded the flag. Alice then presented it to Mylea who saluted and received the flag and in turn handed the flag to Wilson. He received the flag and commanded, "The command staff is dismissed."

"Company," Mylea turned on her heel and called "Dismissed!"

With that the assembled officers and staff of the evacuation command team boarded the landing craft. As they passed the Marshal and the royal party they shock each of their hands. When the last one boarded, Mike turned towards Agatha and said, "Your majesty with the presentation of your colors, I declare to you and the people of Trena that every last mother's child has been accounted for and those who wanted to; have been evacuated from Trena."

"You may stand down Marshal." Agatha said she reached forward hugging him and whispered in his ear hoping that no one would hear her, but of course they did, "Thank you for the wonderful job you have done Michael."

"Agatha," Mike said hugging the young woman just as fiercely, "It has been an honor to serve you and our people."

"It has indeed," the young queen replied she released Michael and then walking with Jill to the assembled news people. She noticed that the Trena Primary was almost touching the horizon. She thought how fitting that the sun was setting on not only her world but on her monarchy.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the galaxy, Friends, and Enemies in about sixteen hours the beautiful planet of Trena will be destroyed. When I leave here in a few minutes my reign as ruler and monarch of this world, the world of my birth, the world that has kept me warm and safe for many years will be over. I am abdicating. There will be no Trena to rule. I have discharged my sacred and solemn duty to protect and serve the people of Trena.

As such I can stand down and join them on Home.

"I hereby abdicate my position and responsibilities." The young queen stood quietly trying not to cry openly, but having a difficult time of it. Lisa who was watching from the top of the landing craft's boarding ramp wanted to go to the young woman who had over the months she had become quite close to. But it would only make things worse for the young woman.

Lady Gray and the Galactic Council Representative now approached the Queen. The Council of Worlds had elected them to take the Queen's abdication and retire her charter. The Queen signed a simple piece of paper giving up all claim and title to Trena. In effect letting it become salvage for the taking. It was countersigned by the representative to the Galactic Council. It was also witnessed by the young boy who had succeeded his father as Duke Horton. He would be the ruler of the Trena Off World Habitats, his father having been killed in the Republican attack.

"Agatha McAlister," Lady Gray, the Ambassador from Earth, "With the imminent destruction of Trena it is with great sorrow that the Galactic Council accepts your abdication."

"Cousin Aggie," the young noble man spoke to the young queen, "I am sorry that you have given up your crown and that our kingdom is soon to be no more. I will try to rule the habitats as wisely as you have demonstrated. May the future bring peace to you and to the remains of the Trena System!"

"Thank you," Aggie said, she turned from the ambassadors and began to walk to the landing craft. Numbly Queen Agatha walked to the landing craft. She walked up the ramp never looking back. As the ramp closed she nearly slumped. Lisa and Jill quickly helped the now abdicated queen to a seat. As Lisa sat down she grimaced a bit and said, "My water just broke."

"What?" Michael asked, Lisa nodded and Michael looked to Langtree and said,

"David get this bus out of here now!"

"On the way sir," David said and went to talk with the pilot.

Sixteen hours later as the first rocks began falling on Trena; Lisa gave birth to her children. Mike Jr., and Joyce, the twins born to Lady Wilson would be officially the last children born on Trena. They would be the very last mother's children to leave the planet of Trena.

###

"We left Trena then," Jill had written, "we were the last ones off world. Well almost. The news media, the galactic council rep, Princess Carroll, and a couple of others would be last. Sergeant Hoi would actually be the last Trena citizen to leave Trena. He escorted the rock to Home. He and a group of cadets with Lieutenant Jones stood watch in the main docking port of our ship. It was probably the most sacred icon of the Kingdom of Trena.

"Some of us watched the asteroids fall on Trena through the remote sensors that Dad had set up. I couldn't; and neither could Aggie, it was just too painful," The young monarch had written. "But I was too busy to watch the bombardment anyways. Dad and Mom let stay me with Mom while my brother and sister were born. It was the first time I have ever seen birth. It makes me understand how precious every mother's child is. As the midwife gave me my little brother to hold while she gave little Joyce to Dad and Lisa to inspect, I too marveled both at my little brother and how far I had come in the last months.

"As Dad sat on the bed with Mom marveling at Joyce's small hands," Jill's writing went on, "and I held little Mike in my arms; I wondered if I was up to the task of being these guys' queen. Not just their queen but first their sister, then their friend. I wondered if I could keep them as safe as Aggie had tried to keep our people safe on Trena. Making if not the ultimate sacrifice, then a sacrifice a lesser woman wouldn't. I pray that I am up to her standard."

The future queen of Home closed the diary as she finished her reading.

The bell rang and the general spoke as the cadets left, "remember your papers are due next week."

# Epilogue

It was the very last class of the general's course. The general started the lecture as the class room darkened and the whole front of the class was taken up by the image of the landing field outside of Ellis, and a small landing craft landing. The cadets had seen this several times on the anniversary of Landing Day. That day over two centuries ago when the last evacuee from Trena had first set foot on Home and Jill Wilson was formally enthroned as the Queen of Home.

# ###

The crowd had been growing for hours. The small space port outside of Ellis was crawling with people. Not just the new colonists of Home, but the interstellar news media. They were there to witness a rare event; the coronation of the very first monarch of a world. It wasn't just the news media; but dignitaries from around this portion of the galaxy. Diplomats, presidents, kings and queens from worlds near and far were present. The list included Maxwell, the Earth Emperor, and Qau'lin, the Ruler of the Thonian Realm. The two of them wanted to show their continued support for the people who had evacuated from Trena to Home. They sat with many other dignitaries awaiting the arrival of the abdicated queen of Trena and the soon to be inaugurated queen of Home.

Finally the landing craft came in low over the space port made one pass and landed. As soon as the engines were shut down and the line chief made sure the safeties were in place, the ramp of the LC 4 opened. As its ramp grounded a band made up of the former members of Trena's symphonies began playing ruffles and flourishes. While they played, a solitary young woman descended the boarding ramp. Queen Agatha. When the crowd saw her they burst out in applause. The sound was almost a physical wave, assaulting her. As she approached the podium that had been set up, the crowd got almost deathly quiet.

"Good day," she began speaking, "Many months ago I swore to you that I would get every last mother's child to safety. With the arrival of Abigail Wilson, the last mother's child to leave Trena and now the last child to be safely landed on Home I have completed the task that I set upon all those months ago." As she said Abigail Wilson, the daughter of her marshal, the last child to be officially evacuated from Trena came down the boarding ramp. She carried a now beaten up and disheveled stuffed teddy bear. She approached the former queen.

"Thank you Aunt Aggie," She said to the young woman who she had first met months ago in her mother's kitchen.

"You are very welcomed," The young woman took the child's hand in her own and walked with her to the foot of the ramp to await the arrival of Jill.

With the former queen and the princess of Home now in position the Galactic Representative, in the person of Amanda Gray, the former ambassador to Trena from Earth, now the Galactic Council Representative to Home began speaking.

"This world is called Home," Ambassador Gray spoke, "The very word home is charged with emotion. Such emotions of refuge, of shelter, of security and of peace come to mind when the word home is spoken. And while a home came be source of great turmoil, it can be place of tranquility, of joy! The people of Home have come together in an effort to end their turmoil and form a government. The people of Home through their newly installed government confirmed the owner of this world as their first monarch.

"It is with great pleasure then, that I introduce to the people of Home their initial monarch." Lady Gray spoke clearly.

With that, Jill dressed in a white business suite came down the ramp of the landing craft to step on a world, that she had up to a few months before had no idea that she owned. She came down on her own, with no escort. At the foot of the ramp Aggie and her sister fell in beside her and escorted her to where the ambassador stood at the podium. As she was escorted to the ambassador her father dressed in his splendid Trena Mounted Patrol uniform escorted two home patrolmen and two home guardsmen who were carrying the rock. The symbol of the fealty the monarchs of Trena had sworn to the people of Trena upon; that Jill would swear her own fealty to the people of Home upon. They placed it before the podium.

"I present to you Jillian Wilson," Amanda Gray continued when the party had reached the podium. Amanda waited a moment for the applause to settle. "With me are Agatha McAllister and Marshal Wilson who will be the Queen's regents."

Another round of applause erupted from the assembly. Jill looked out and saw a sea of faces including the entire corps of cadets, who were the most vocal. The sound was almost overwhelming.

When the applause subsided, Amanda continued, "Lady McAllister will witness the oath of office Jillian Wilson will take." Agatha nodded, "Miss Wilson, are you ready to take the oath?"

"I am," Jill said. Although she said she was ready she wasn't sure she was. The oath, which was mostly symbolic, was a method to unite the people of Home.

"Jill Wilson do you agree to become the first monarch of the Kingdom Home," Lady Gray asked.

"I do," Jill replied.

"Then repeat after me." Lady Gray said as the girl put her hand on the Rock, "I, Jillian Wilson do hereby swear this oath of fealty to the people of Home. Making this solemn oath with no reservations, and of my own free will!"

"I swear to protect the people of Home against all enemies foreign and domestic. To abide by the charter as presented to the Galactic Council that further protects all persons on or about the environs of Home."

"Then finally I swear to faithfully serve the people of Home, to provide for their defense, and their welfare, assisting the people of Home in the pursuit of a future that will bring prosperity for all of my people!" The oath concluded.

Then surprising Jill and all who were there, two cadets brought forward a crown. Mitch escorted Lamile, who Jill realized was carrying Aggie's crown. It was the crown that the young queen had last worn on her own coronation some ten years before. She looked to Aggie who nodded. Not knowing what to do, Jill knelt before her friend as the two cadets brought the crown forward and presented it to Aggie. Aggie took the crown off the scarlet satin pillow and placed it on Jill's head.

"Arise," Aggie said, then turning to the assembled citizens of Trena she continued, "It is with great pleasure that I present to the people of Home and the Universe at large, Queen Jillian I, the inaugural monarch of Home. Long may she reign in peace and tranquility!"

With that the assembled citizens of Home thundered "Long live Queen Jill!"

When it subsided, Lady Gray said, "Her majesty has a few words she wishes to say."

As the crowd settled a bit, Jill steeled herself for the words she would speak. Finally, as a near hush came over the crowd she began to speak, "Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. I will honor you by being the best that I can be.

"I have given great thought to what I would say today," Jill continued, "But in the end it came down to a simple thing. I have seen how our people are living on Home, how some are living in the containers that brought their goods from Trena. How some are now living in the homes built for them from the precious resources of Trena, and some not even that. My father swore an oath that he would get every last mother's child to safety, he has done that. I will not dishonor his or Queen Agatha's effort to get us to safety. Because of this, until every last mother's child has a safe and secure place to sleep; my family and I will not live in the residence that my grandmother is building for us. I cannot live in a dry, secure place while so many of our people have no proper home to sleep in.

"I will be working tirelessly to help get every last mother's child under roof!" Jill spoke with passion. "I will be meeting with my regents, and those of you who can help to get this done in the next few days. We will get you under roof."

The assembled citizens of Home were quiet as their young monarch spoke. Everyone had seen the palace that the girl's grandmother was building. It had caused some dissention among the people who had no building to live in. Yet most had understood that, as the owner of the planet she could have a home built for her and occupy it before anyone else had a place for themselves.

"As you have requested that Queen Agatha be one of my regents, I am nominating her to be the first of Home's Nobility. It is fitting that the last monarch of Trena be the first noble woman of Home. I present to you Lady Agatha McAllister, my regent." Shocked the former queen nodded a tear slowly creeping down her face.

"We have a lot of work to do," Jill said, "and the sooner we get to it the sooner we'll be able to finish getting everyone under roof. Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. Together we will work to make Home great!"

With that she concluded her remarks and walked to a reviewing stand and watched the parade that had been set in her honor.

# ###

"The last diary entry for this period, is simple," The descendant of the very first queen spoke softly to the assembled cadets and the general officer, "As I got into the limo to be taken to the containers that would be my home for a while I was overwhelmed seeing all the people, I couldn't help but wonder if I could be as good as Aggie.

"Yet as we drove to palace grounds, I couldn't help but know that with Aggie's help we would make Home great." The young queen had written, "Now it is up to me to be as good as Aggie, Dad, Lady Hawthorne, Grand Mom and of course Mom, I think I can be and learn from their example."

As she said example three images materialized near where the general usually taught the class from. Princess Lisa recognized them immediately. They were older maybe forty, but all three of them were easily recognizable.

"I greet the reader of my diary," Queen Jill seemed to look her granddaughter in the eye. "I hope that you have found it illuminating and it has helped you to understand the great disaster that brought us to Home. Mine is but one story of the Great Diaspora."

"As you study the story of our people," the image of Lamile Atomi spoke, "remember that you will be asked to step up and be counted. Many of you will go on to greatness, some of you won't. Whatever you do, remember you are a future filled with promise!"

Finally Mitch who was wearing the insignia of the Home Patrol spoke up, "Learn well my friends. You future is filled not only with promise, but all of you are the future of Home. All of you great and small will continue to set the customs and standards that will become the traditions of our academy's future generations."

With that the three women came to attention saluted, and said in unison, "Go forth and serve our people and always remember it's people dummy!"

The entire class came to their feet and returned the salute of the long dead queen and the officers who set the traditions of their academy.

The bell rang and the class left. They had sent their papers to the general the night before. As the cadets filed out the general turned to her three long dead friends and said to their frozen images, while the images of Lady Hawthorne, and Sergeant Millie Green both in their later years ghosted in. Their hair gray, but their eyes still shinning with life, Alice

Jones said quietly, "It starts again ladies. Another generation is in the forge."

# ###

Hi! I hope you enjoy reading To Forge a Queen, as much as I did writing it! It was a labor of love that has taken man years to finish. But finish it is!

The question I am pondering what to work on next! I have one nearly complete story that is the sequel to this one. I also have a couple of stories that are basic seeds. One of them is how the thonians got the aqaut. Another is the story of the first joint administration of a human-thonian space station. And of course the evacuation story has several more stories. Such as how Mylea Atomi deals with being her sergeant's deputy?

Or how Queen Aggie deals with losing her kingdom.

Hopefully once I start writing on these it won't take years to finish the next one.

I would enjoy hearing from any reader who wishes to discuss To Forge a Queen, or my previous story Every Last Mother's Child.

You can write me at: wcarty14@yahoo.com

I look forward to your comments good, bad, and otherwise.

Bill Carty
