“I told you, I’m fine,” she said.
“You avoid medical care. I am making sure.”
Adryel waved her hand. “Go, do something official like file a report or some such.”
“Is that what you think I do?” Stron asked.
“I really don’t care what it is you do. I’m concerned about my friend.”
“As am I,” he replied.
She glared at him for a moment, then turned back to Janae.
Stron stepped away, because arguing with Adryel would not help Janae or Khalzin, regardless of how stubborn and obstinate that female was. Slipping around the corner back into the main part of the residence, he noticed the guard positioning.
One of the senior guards stood at the main comms station in the home, where Khalzin did much of his work. A hologram displayed a figure, and it wasn’t until Stron walked around the station to be near the guard did he realize it was Khalzin’s mother, the Priestess of Light.
“And now?”
“He is recovering,” the guard said to the hologram.
She nodded. “I’ll be arriving shortly.” Her gaze moved, and she noticed him standing there. “Stron.”
“Priestess,” he said just as the hologram went dark.
He glanced at the guard. “Be sure everything is in check for her.”
“Already preparing,” he replied, and started heading toward the other guards. A soft murmur spread between the protective detail as they adjusted their positions in preparation for the Priestess’s arrival.
Making sure both she and her child are secure remained of paramount importance after the attacks.
Though in the back of his mind, he had a feeling this wasn’t just about the off-worlders coming.
Stron pressed a few controls on the table, logging himself into the computer system. He brought up a list of messages he’d received, reports from news sources that he trusted.
And some that he didn’t. If only to see what the spin was.
The attack on Terra North hadn’t gained much attention thus far. The majority of the information remained on the explosion of the arriving ship. Much of the reports were the same—though none seemed to be fully aware of the true purpose of the arriving vessel.
However, it was important news, regardless. Kantenans didn’t get off-worlders landing in such formal capacity. Not so publicly, anyway.
Many were claiming it was some kind of ambassadorial mission, possibly for the citricite trades, since allegedly the citricite export was not doing well.
Allegedly, of course.
Stron sent messages to a few of his friends, looking to see if anyone had heard any important information about the attack on the Galactic Alliance ship, to also attack them on Terra North.
It was too coordinated to be a very small group. There had to be a good deal of Kantenans working together to organize this.
That also meant if there were, then they had access.
That’s what Stron needed to find out. Who they were, and how they were getting access. Because if they couldn’t find the leak, then they couldn’t stop it.
And he wanted to get these messages sent and be on his way before Khalzin’s mother arrived. While his mother and Khalzin’s had been friends for many years, Stron had never been close to her, and would prefer to stay out of her gaze as much as possible.
He finished what he was doing and headed back into the bedroom. Adryel glanced at him when he came back in, though she stayed close to Janae.
Janae seemed completely focused on Khalzin.
