those in the SPEC OPS divisions of the military during the
war but was rarely found in Law Enforcement or even in soldiers after the
Armistice of 2125.
Iaido knew one thing for certain; the two men in the
front seat of the skimmer were much more deadly than the bumbling Federal Agent
sitting next to him.
Chapter 10
Finished with the day’s clients, Talia moved
through the lower parts of the Sylvan Embassy.
The Empire had chosen this location carefully. The
storefront was only a small part of a much larger complex. Talia knew that the
lower sections extended into the ruins of old Atlanta but hadn’t had the time
to explore. However, it was to these lower chambers that her mistress had
summoned her. Arriving at the innermost sanctum of the embassy, Talia paused to
smooth out the folds in her dress and to check the placement of her hair. It
wouldn’t be good to seem harried in front of her new mistress; not after the
visits they had today from the Galactic Marshals, Federal Agents and the bounty
hunter Iaido Spartan.
Talia felt her pulse quicken slightly at the
thought of the grey-eyed bounty hunter. Sure, he was a barbarian compared to
the Sylvans. The whole Terran race was barely six millennia old, whereas the
Sylvan Empire spanned over two-dozen millennia. Still, there was something
special about this race, something…
“Enter young one,” came the voice of Madam
Aleksandra from inside the sacred chamber.
Moving slowly into the room, Talia kept her eyes
lowered as was the custom but she couldn’t resist peeking at her surroundings.
The room was a simple square with two other doorways visible. The wall she
entered through was draped in green silks, while the wall to her left was
draped in red and to her right was draped in blue silks. The wall straight
across was draped in yellow and along its center wall was a large stone tablet
surrounded by four candles. In the center of the room was a low table carved
entirely out of black marble and surrounded by pillows.
Talia bowed low before her mistress. “You called
madam?”
Madam Aleksandra gestured at the table between
them. “Read the cards. What do you see?”
Talia saw that the cards were laid out in one of
the most complex patterns known to the Sisterhood. However, it was one that she
had studied in the Seminary, so she calmly sat herself at the table and began
to count her breathing. Feeling herself fall into the meditative trance needed
to read the cards properly, Talia held her hand momentarily over each card,
feeling the meaning in the placement.
“The hound of darkness shall harry the paladin of
light and his fate shall rest on a knife’s edge.”
Madam Aleksandra nodded her head in agreement.
“That is nearly the exact interpretation I got when I read these cards.”
“But what does it mean?”
“My analysis? The bounty hunter Spartan is in
trouble.”
“What can we do about it? We have already warned
him as much as the Directive allows, have we not?”
Madam Aleksandra stood up and began to pace slowly
around the room. Even agitated, her grace and poise was something to admire.
“Talia Stargleam, I will be blunt. The Empire is
in trouble and without the aid of the Terrans the Empire will fall. Every
divination I have cast shows this to be true.” Stopping at the ancient stone
tablet, Madam Aleksandra caressed its rough surface before continuing. “There
is a great debate within the High Council concerning the Terrans. Many see them
as the slaves of the past while others see them as the saviors of our future.”
Turning back to face Talia, “I left the service of
the Emperor over this debate. I could not sit by and watch others poison his
mind any longer.”
“But mistress, the Directive clearly states that
we are not to directly intervene or aid the Terrans, only observe and guide
through our wisdom.”
“So it does,” Madam Aleksandra responded. Moving
back to the table, she knelt down opposite her newest
war but was rarely found in Law Enforcement or even in soldiers after the
Armistice of 2125.
Iaido knew one thing for certain; the two men in the
front seat of the skimmer were much more deadly than the bumbling Federal Agent
sitting next to him.
Chapter 10
Finished with the day’s clients, Talia moved
through the lower parts of the Sylvan Embassy.
The Empire had chosen this location carefully. The
storefront was only a small part of a much larger complex. Talia knew that the
lower sections extended into the ruins of old Atlanta but hadn’t had the time
to explore. However, it was to these lower chambers that her mistress had
summoned her. Arriving at the innermost sanctum of the embassy, Talia paused to
smooth out the folds in her dress and to check the placement of her hair. It
wouldn’t be good to seem harried in front of her new mistress; not after the
visits they had today from the Galactic Marshals, Federal Agents and the bounty
hunter Iaido Spartan.
Talia felt her pulse quicken slightly at the
thought of the grey-eyed bounty hunter. Sure, he was a barbarian compared to
the Sylvans. The whole Terran race was barely six millennia old, whereas the
Sylvan Empire spanned over two-dozen millennia. Still, there was something
special about this race, something…
“Enter young one,” came the voice of Madam
Aleksandra from inside the sacred chamber.
Moving slowly into the room, Talia kept her eyes
lowered as was the custom but she couldn’t resist peeking at her surroundings.
The room was a simple square with two other doorways visible. The wall she
entered through was draped in green silks, while the wall to her left was
draped in red and to her right was draped in blue silks. The wall straight
across was draped in yellow and along its center wall was a large stone tablet
surrounded by four candles. In the center of the room was a low table carved
entirely out of black marble and surrounded by pillows.
Talia bowed low before her mistress. “You called
madam?”
Madam Aleksandra gestured at the table between
them. “Read the cards. What do you see?”
Talia saw that the cards were laid out in one of
the most complex patterns known to the Sisterhood. However, it was one that she
had studied in the Seminary, so she calmly sat herself at the table and began
to count her breathing. Feeling herself fall into the meditative trance needed
to read the cards properly, Talia held her hand momentarily over each card,
feeling the meaning in the placement.
“The hound of darkness shall harry the paladin of
light and his fate shall rest on a knife’s edge.”
Madam Aleksandra nodded her head in agreement.
“That is nearly the exact interpretation I got when I read these cards.”
“But what does it mean?”
“My analysis? The bounty hunter Spartan is in
trouble.”
“What can we do about it? We have already warned
him as much as the Directive allows, have we not?”
Madam Aleksandra stood up and began to pace slowly
around the room. Even agitated, her grace and poise was something to admire.
“Talia Stargleam, I will be blunt. The Empire is
in trouble and without the aid of the Terrans the Empire will fall. Every
divination I have cast shows this to be true.” Stopping at the ancient stone
tablet, Madam Aleksandra caressed its rough surface before continuing. “There
is a great debate within the High Council concerning the Terrans. Many see them
as the slaves of the past while others see them as the saviors of our future.”
Turning back to face Talia, “I left the service of
the Emperor over this debate. I could not sit by and watch others poison his
mind any longer.”
“But mistress, the Directive clearly states that
we are not to directly intervene or aid the Terrans, only observe and guide
through our wisdom.”
“So it does,” Madam Aleksandra responded. Moving
back to the table, she knelt down opposite her newest
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