The two newcomers were guards that wore uniformed clothing. They made her think of a police force.
"Heir," one said. "You need to come.”
Khalzin nodded. "Let's go." He held the weapon out and clicked something. A snap retracted it to a smaller size, and he took Janae's hand.
"You are the heir. For your safety," one of the guards said, glaring at Janae.
"She is my Courtship," he replied.
The guard blinked as information had reset in his brain. "Come then. We have to hurry.”
The urgency these guards moved them shook up Janae. What in the stars had happened? They ran down a hallway outside his apartment, one guard in front, the other in the rear.
Janae wanted to ask so many questions. Where were her friends? What happened? Was everyone all right?
"What happened?" Khalzin asked
"Shots fired on the Galactic Alliance ship.”
Janae froze. "What?" She stood still in the center of the hallway, the guard in the rear running around her like she was non-existent.
"Janae, keep moving," Khalzin said.
"Wait, no!" Pain hit her hard inside. "But my friends," she said. "The people on the ship. What about any of them."
The guard stared at her. "I'm sorry--"
"We don't know yet," Khalzin said. "Come, and we can find out everything."
"Most of the ship's passengers had been offloaded to another location," one of the guards said. "We are moving them to a secure location, the same as you."
"We're going to them?" That eased her mind. She touched her necklace under her shirt. She would be using this sooner rather than later. She had to know about everyone. All the females in the program. Adryel, Graecey, even Roemary, and Selena. Friends or not, it made her sick to think they were hurt.
"A secure location for us," Khalzin replied. "They get their own."
That helped somewhat, but she still had many questions, and she touched the necklace again. Part of her wanted to call out immediately to Graecey and find out if they were well, but she hesitated because if they were being secured like she and Khalzin were, then it was very likely she couldn't answer even if contacted.
Logically, right? That made sense.
Sure, it did.
They reached a door and were ushered inside. It was a lift, and a guard rode with them as it moved. The other took post outside the lift, his weapon, very similar to the one Khalzin had, held out and ready to fight as the doors shut.
"You must be pretty important to your people," Janae said.
"Why do you think that?" he asked.
"I don't see anyone else being escorted by guards out of the building.”
"You did not tell her?" The guard asked.
"I was getting there. We are in Courtship. Have only had a short time together so far."
"And it has been a very crazy Courtship so far," Janae added.
He glanced at her, and his expression was annoyed, but she also noticed some mirth in his eyes.
"It's not over yet," Khalzin said.
