Chapter 3
Amreth
I reveled in the intense sense of power blasting out my Lumiak always procured me. My fingers tingled as pure electricity flowed out of my hands as I refilled the crystals of my Light Quadrant. The crystals provided energy to the inmates serving their sentences in the less savage area of the four Quadrants of my Sector. Those Quadrants were ranked from Light to Dark, the former hosting the least dangerous criminals, the Gray Quadrant Q2 and Q3 holding increasingly foul individuals, and the latter containing the worst of them all, mainly unredeemable.
The survival chances of the inmates exponentially decreased based on the Quadrant in which they were incarcerated, as did their quality of life. In accordance with the law, as the Warden of my Sector, I had to provide my prisoners with the minimum requirements for their survival. That meant a certain amount of food, energy to power their basic electrical needs, a place to shelter in, and the means to improve their lot.
Food and energetic resources were provided in a flat amount every month. However, should they so choose, prisoners could work at harvesting and transforming some of the natural resources located in their Quadrant. It was entirely on a voluntary basis. But I would buy at market rate whatever they produced. In turn, they could use those credits either to upgrade their living conditions, acquire additional crystals for greater power reserves to be spent over that month, or to put in a savings account that would give them a comfortable leg up once they were released.
As was often the case in most Sectors managed by other Wardens, my Light Quadrant fared a lot better on that front. The inmates made a coordinated effort to be productive rather than spend all their time protecting themselves from the other prisoners—or plotting against them—which tended to be the norm in Quadrants Q2 to Q4.
And yet, for the first time in nine years, the extra crystals the inmates had acquired in my Light Quadrant wouldn’t be filled, nor would there be any leftovers owed to them. Thanks to Gaelec, they enjoyed that extra comfort for a while. During his twelve-year sentence, he performed impressive maintenance and optimization work. He wisely devoted most of his time here learning new skills that allowed him to improve all their lives in the process.
The first signs of decline appeared after the seventh month mark. The fools kept whining about how their living conditions had deteriorated. But that was all on them. They had known all along that Gaelec’s time among us was quickly drawing to an end. Someone else should have stepped up and learned what they could from him so that they could pursue his work after his departure. But they had been too lazy.
Their loss.
Still, it warmed my heart to know that, nine months after his liberation, Gaelec was not only thriving, but he had been paired with his soulmate who was now expecting their first child. Despite the countless rehabilitation programs I put at the disposal of my inmates, far too few people took advantage of them, and especially those from his species. I could only hope that his success story would be an inspiration for other Nazhrals like him.
In a silly way, thinking of Gaelec made me feel like a proud father. Well, okay, more like a proud big brother. After all, I wasn’t that old.
But I am growing older and feeling lonely.
The face of Malaya flashing before my mind’s eye immediately filled me with shame. Too many times over the past few years, the fleeting thought that she could have been my mate would resurface. It shamed me all the more that she was my best friend’s soulmate. Granted, I was not in love with Malaya, but I did love her. While genuine happiness filled my heart for my friend Kronos, I couldn’t quell the envy seeing them always awakened deep within.
I ached for that same type of wonderful connection they shared. Their love felt like a living entity that you just wanted to grab and hold forever.
That means your stupid self needs to socialize more to find your one and only.
Sadly, that was easier said than done. There weren’t all that many females overly keen on settling on a prison planet. The worst part was that Kayog could not even assist me in this endeavor. Us Obosians were far too advanced to fall under the umbrella of the Prime Mating Agency. And the odds of another wrongfully accused mate conveniently landing on Molvi needing the protection of a Hell Lord—like had been the case with Malaya—were slim to none.
Just as I was starting to fill Q2’s crystals, my com went off. My jaw dropped upon seeing the name of the sender. Kayog was requesting a call with me in forty-five minutes.
“What in Tharmok’s name is this about?” I whispered to myself.
My mind immediately went wild with speculation. Was it news of Gaelec? Had the Temern found a match for yet another inmate? Could the highly improbable wrongfully accused mate I’d been thinking about just moments prior actually have turned up?
I forced myself to focus on my tasks rather than losing myself in pointless conjectures. I swiftly filled the crystals of my other Quadrants. While I was a strong proponent of upholding the laws and dishing out fair but stern punishment to those who broke them, I wasn’t heartless. Looking at how little the prisoners from Q4 had produced over the last month discouraged me. Their earnings would barely top off their basic energy reserves. As they utterly failed to ration their usage, they would run out early and suffer this month… again.
But that was on them. My task completed, I took flight from the small island upon which the crystals rested. A small body of water surrounded it, filled with the kinds of fiendish creatures that would wreck anyone foolish enough to attempt to cross it in order to tamper with the Sector’s power grid.
I flew over the forest that divided my sector into the four Quadrants. No guards were necessary to keep the prisoners from escaping as the even more dreadful creatures that inhabited the forest made certain anyone foolish enough to venture too deep would meet a horrible demise. I absentmindedly tracked the Faernych populating my forest. Those giant, five-headed, draconic creatures constituted the main guardians there. Their acid and lethal venom could kill in minutes. Their insane flight speed also made them nearly impossible to outrun.
Finding everything in order, I flew up the mountain bordering my Sector, and at the top of which my dwelling had been carved directly within it. Even before I landed on one of the countless terraces looking over the breathtaking view of the landscape, I telepathically broadcast my emotions to my Nundars. Having sensed my arrival, they would start preparing dinner right away. But I wanted to wait until after my call with Kayog was completed.
Like every Obosian, I hosted a clan of Nundars, who we usually called our familiars. The highly intelligent species lived as recluses and fed off the energy we emitted. In exchange, they took care of all house chores, including cleaning, cooking, and even repairs or construction. The best part was that they also possessed impressive magic of their own, allowing them to defend our homes in our absence against potential invaders, as well as tremendous healing powers. Those talents had allowed Kronos’s own Nundars to save Malaya when rogue Faernychs attacked their home.
As I entered my office while removing my breastplate, a thought suddenly struck me. Malaya was expecting their first child. Could this be the reason Kayog was reaching out to me? He had shown an almost paternal affection towards her. Were he and Linsea planning some sort of baby present for them and wanting my input?
A few minutes later, my com went off again with the incoming call. I settled in front of my computer to accept it, projecting it onto the screen. My warm smile upon seeing his face immediately stiffened. Although I couldn’t read auras through technology, his face lacked the usual joyful enthusiasm that I always associated with the Temern.
“Greetings, Kayog,” I said carefully. “It is a pleasure to see you, as always.”
“As it is to see you,” Kayog replied, in an oddly tired voice.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, this time my worry audible in my voice.
He heaved a sigh and rubbed the side of his beak with an uneasy expression that threw all my senses into high alert. I had never seen him like this.
“The past two days have been quite stressful and disturbing,” Kayog said, as if choosing his words.
“How so?” I insisted, surprised by his somewhat evasive response.
From my experience with him, Kayog usually preferred the straightforward approach. What could possibly have him behaving in such an odd fashion?
“You may not be aware, but my mate and I were on board the Gladius,” he replied with a dejected expression.
My eyes widened in shock. “For the symposium?!” I exclaimed.
He nodded grimly. “Yes.”
“Tharmok take me! Are you okay? Is Linsea all right?!”
He nodded again and gave me a sad but reassuring smile. “Yes. We’re both fine. Thank you for your concern.”
I sighed with relief. “I’m glad to hear it. From what I saw in the news, many people were injured, but fortunately no deaths were reported.”
“That’s correct. Some people did suffer some serious injuries that they will thankfully fully recover from. But they all stemmed from the stampede of panicked people and not from the attack itself. What the authorities have not made public was that twelve people were taken during the attack.”
“What?! Who? And why?” I exclaimed, stunned that they would keep such a thing secret after more than forty-eight hours.
“Every single person kidnapped worked for the Interstellar Doctors Organization,” he answered calmly.
“Dr. Jacobs?!” I asked, my mind reeling at the revelation.
The Temern shook his head. “Jacobs was whisked away as soon as the attack began. He made it out safely.”
I narrowed my eyes, feeling instantly suspicious. “That’s odd. Why would they feel the need to take him to safety? A lot of high-ranking officials attended the symposium. Were they also escorted out early?”
Kayog once more shook his head. The hard glint in his eyes—something I had never witnessed before—had the seed of suspicion further taking root.
“The missing doctors all had different specialties. However, yesterday, nine of those doctors were returned,” he continued.
“Returned?!” I echoed, utterly baffled. “In exchange for what?”
“In exchange for nothing. They were placed inside escape pods that were launched onto the moon Delta 5. A beacon was activated and now we’re after their landing informing us of their location so that we could rescue them.
“The abductors wanted enough time to leave,” I said with instant understanding, as Kayog nodded. “It is very good news, although a strange one. You would expect abductors to either ask for a ransom or to kill prisoners deemed useless. That said, why are you telling me this?”
“Because of the three people still missing, one of them is of great importance to you,” the Temern replied, the oddest expression of guilt, sadness, and commiseration on his face throwing me for a loop.
“To me?” I repeated, confused. “In what way? Who is it?”
“Her name is Ciara Stark. She’s a forty-one-year-old human. Like the others, she works for the Interstellar Doctors Organization with a specialty in epidemiology. She’s been with them for over fourteen years now,” Kayog explained before displaying an image of her.
My heart skipped a beat upon seeing the stunning female. For half a second, I almost thought she was an Obosian. She had dark brown skin and pure white hair. An organically V-shaped white spot on her forehead almost looked like a silver circlet. However, I suspected it was the result of piebaldism, which would explain the unusual color of her hair for someone of her ethnicity. Obviously, she lacked the horns, pointy ears, and bat wings of my people, but that took nothing away from just how breathtaking she was.
“She’s stunning,” I blurted out.
“I’m not surprised you would say that,” he replied with that same sympathetic expression, making me frown.
“What does that mean? And why the sad face?” I asked, my stomach knotting with tension as another even more potent suspicion reared its head.
“You know why, Amreth,” he said in a dejected fashion.
I stared at him as his words sank in, the realization I refused to acknowledge forcing itself on me.
“No way. You can’t be implying what I think you are,” I said, unconsciously shaking my head.
“Yes, Amreth. I am indeed implying what you think. Ciara is your soulmate.”
“That’s impossible!” I exclaimed.
“It’s undeniable. I met her the night of the attack on the Gladius. I instantly recognized her soul as belonging with you. In fact, she and I had a long talk where I told her about you. We were supposed to pursue that conversation in the morning so that I could put the two of you in contact. But the raid occurred.”
“That was two fucking days ago!” I snapped, suddenly angry, my chest constricting at the thought that I might have lost my soulmate before I ever even got a chance to meet her. “Why are you only telling me now?”
Although visibly upset by my reaction, he forced a stoic expression on his face and responded with a controlled and reasonable voice.
“Because there were over twenty-six hundred passengers and crewmates on board. It took time to get all those people to safety and account for them all. I didn’t want to message you with some terrible news before knowing for certain what had become of her.”
“Where was she when the attack occurred?” I demanded, my mind still reeling.
“Ciara was with my mate and me.”
“And you left her behind?!” I shouted, shock, anger, and disbelief filling my voice.
This time, the Temern clenched his jaw, his silver eyes darkening with outrage, although their rim appeared to slightly glow as if from constraining some sort of psionic powers. Did he possess any?
“Absolutely not!” he snapped. “As soon as they opened the gathering hall’s doors, I flew her to the safest exit so that she could board one of the escape vessels. She should have been safely gone while I went to fight and assist other people in distress. But while I was fighting, she went to rescue someone who was hanging on for dear life to one of the railings of the balcony. And unfortunately, both of them fell down.”
“SHE DIED!” I shouted, jumping to my feet, horror clawing at my heart.
“No!” Kayog exclaimed, raising his palms in an appeasing gesture. “She did not die from the fall. The attackers caught her and the Darwandir female she had been attempting to rescue. They released the Darwandir but kept Ciara.”
I ran a shaky, nervous hand through my long, silver-white hair while dropping back down onto my chair. Relief and worry twisted my insides.
“But why? What do they want from her?”
“I don’t know, Amreth,” Kayog said with discouragement. “The security videos showed her being carried away like the other nine who have been recovered.”
“So there’s a chance they might return her as well?” I asked with a sliver of hope, instantly crushed by his defeated expression.
“Everything is possible, my friend, but it is highly doubtful. If they intended to release her, why not do it at the same time as the other nine?”
Obviously, that thought had entered my mind. I simply wanted to cling to any possibility that she could be safely returned to me. I examined the Temern with confusion while trying to sort out my conflicting emotions regarding this entire situation.
“Why bring this to me instead of to the Enforcers? Are they not setting up a rescue mission?” I asked.
His shoulders slouched, and he uneasily shifted his massive maroon wings. “Because there currently are no plans for the Enforcers to take on this mission. They do not handle cases where there are ‘only’ three civilians involved. Such a matter is left to the local Peacekeepers.”
“You and I both know they will be useless in that matter!” I said angrily. “Whatever happened to the UPO’s harsh new rules against piracy? Those kidnappers went after a top-of-the-line vessel on board which countless high-ranking officials had been present. And they walk away?”
“They’re not walking away from this entire incident,” Kayog amended in a soothing voice. “But their focus is on identifying the pirates as well as understanding the type of technology that was used to disable the vessel without actually damaging it. They also want to know why they left after Elias did.”
“So what you’re saying is that the missing people are not important enough to be worth the time of the Enforcers,” I hissed.
I was being unfair to the Temern by directing my anger at him. Nothing he said surprised me. Those were not only the standard procedures, but they also made sense. It would be illogical to send the elite law enforcement team to investigate every small case of missing people. Their skills would be more useful specifically tackling the issues they were currently going after. It didn’t make it any easier knowing that the people entrusted with rescuing my soulmate possessed far less resources and talent.
Thankfully, Kayog seemed to read my remorse for snapping at him on whatever expression my face displayed. He gave me yet another apologetic smile laced with understanding.
“What about Maeve?” I asked, suddenly struck by a thought. “She and Helio really came through for Malaya and Kronos. Technically, they aren’t Enforcers anymore.”
The approving smile that stretched his beak indicated he always meant for us to get to this point. I almost asked him why he hadn’t stated as much right from the start, but I suspected he was toeing a fine line as to what he could say or the suggestions he could do.
Although he was technically merely a matchmaking agent, Kayog Voln possessed an extremely high security clearance. In theory, it was due to his marriage to one of the top-ranking ambassadors of the United Planets Organization. But like Maeve and Helio—who were officially bounty hunters but unofficially secret agents for the Enforcers—I was increasingly suspecting that the Temern also performed covert missions for the UPO.
“Technically, you are correct,” he replied in a non-committal fashion. “The main reason Maeve resigned her position within the Enforcer was so that she could take on the type of cases that would be deemed too small by them. That said, while I do not doubt she would be eager to assist you, both her and her mate are already working on an important mission. But that shouldn’t stop you from reaching out. Whatever they can do, they will.”
He didn’t have to go into further details for me to understand his underlying meaning.
“I will make sure to contact them at once,” I grumbled. “I need to see all the files available on the attack, and especially the recording. Do we even know who the attackers were?”
The strangest expression fleeted over his features. He hesitated for a second before appearing to settle on the answer he wanted to give me.
“I do not have the files. After all, I am just a matrimonial agent. You, on the other hand, are a Hell Lord. Surely, you have access to far more things than I do?”
I snorted and smiled. “Correct,” I conceded.
As a high-ranking Warden, I indeed had access to a lot of things. But in this specific instance, I would have to stretch the limit of my clearance and get creative in pushing those boundaries further in order to get the answers I sought.
“Find her, Amreth. Ciara was truly eager to meet you. She has a beautiful soul.”
“I will find her and bring her home. Thank you, Kayog.”
He smiled then ended the communication. I immediately contacted Maeve. Thanks to the fantastic work she did helping prove Malaya’s innocence, I also collaborated with her, sharing my own testimony and information about the unlawful sentencing the corrupt judge had done.
The speed with which Maeve responded hinted that she had been waiting for my call.
“Hello, Amreth,” Maeve said in a gentle voice. “It is unfortunate that we should speak again under such circumstances.”
“Greetings, Maeve. It is good to see you seem to be faring well. The circumstances are indeed unfortunate, but I dare hope you can be of some assistance.”
She pursed her lips in a way that indicated she was carefully choosing her words before answering. “As you may be aware, my mate and I are currently working on a very sensitive mission that we cannot stray from. However, I will assist in what little capacity I can.”
“I’ll take anything I can get. Right now, I have nothing, not even the species of the attackers.”
She nodded, a slight frown creasing her brow. “This is a very unusual situation. Our biggest asset is the fact that all the members of the Interstellar Doctors Organization who go on field missions are required to receive an organic tracker implant. It helps with rescue efforts if anything happens to them while on some godforsaken planet.”
I instantly perked up, my heart soaring with hope. But a single look at her face dampened my blossoming excitement. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.
“The good news is that we were able to follow her to the edge of the Northern Quadrant before we lost the signal,” she said apologetically.
“Lost the signal?” I echoed. “Did they detect the tracker and block it?”
She shook her head. “We do not have any communication satellites or relays in that area. It is the Dead Zone before entering the Eastern Quadrant.”
My eyes widened with shock and disbelief. “Are you saying that the pirates are Sectarians?!” I exclaimed.
Her frown deepened, and she shrugged in a way that expressed uncertainty. “In truth, we don’t know. Some facts seem to be pointing in that direction, but we don’t have enough concrete evidence to confirm it. And that’s why the Enforcers are so adamant about figuring out their identity.”
“Exactly!” I said as if it was self-evident. “What better way to identify them other than finding her?”
“Because wherever they dropped her isn’t where they ultimately headed afterwards,” Maeve explained. “You see, the ship that we managed to capture on the surveillance cameras of the Gladius doesn’t belong to any species from our Quadrant, at least none that we know of. The cameras on board also kept glitching, preventing us from performing any type of facial or species recognition. Even the bio scanners faltered.”
“So they deliberately sabotaged our technology,” I replied.
She nodded. “But they didn’t damage anything. They only disrupted them for the duration of the raid, which confirms they wanted to hide their identity.”
“But what of the guards? I understand they fought the pirates. Surely they saw them and could give some kind of description,” I challenged.
“All the guards were Obosians. Every single one of them reported that they sustained some sort of psychic attack that completely messed with their heads and even their ability to fly,” Maeve replied. “The enemies that they could see wore some sort of holographic disguise that made them look blurry and disjointed. It was impossible to say what they were except that they seemed humanoid. If not for Kayog, they wouldn’t have been able to fight back at all.”
“Kayog? What did he do?” I asked, taken aback.
“He is an Edal. It grants him a broad range of unique powers that other members of his species do not have. His ability to recognize soulmates is merely the one he makes public. There’s more to the Temern than meets the eye,” she added in a mysterious tone. “He can disrupt psychic attacks, which allowed the guards to resume pushing back the enemies. But their technology was far too powerful, and I suspect it involved more than that. We honestly have no idea what we were dealing with.”
“Are we talking about a potential invasion?” I asked, my mind reeling from these revelations.
Relief flooded through me when Maeve shook her head with conviction. “This was targeted. They wanted something, although we believed it was someone.”
“Ciara?” I asked with confusion.
She shook her head again. “We believe they were after Elias Jacobs.”
“Why?” I asked, the suspicions that had taken root while talking to Kayog resurfacing.
“We’re not sure. He claims he doesn’t know either, but he lies. His early escape seems a little too convenient. He suspected an attack was imminent and planned accordingly. Rest assured that we are investigating.”
“But why take Ciara and the other two doctors? What could they possibly have that the kidnappers might want?” I insisted.
“That is the main question. Ciara is an epidemiologist. Mehreen is an immunologist, and Ernst is a molecular biologist,” she said pensively. “The three of them together is an ideal team to investigate an epidemic.”
“You think they’re sick? Or are they trying to develop some sort of biological warfare?” I asked, my sense of unease cranking up another notch.
“We’re leaning towards the first hypothesis,” Maeve replied. “Their attack was surgical. All the injuries that the passengers sustained came from their own panic, none from the actions of the kidnappers. Like with the Darwandir female that fell with your mate, the attackers protected all the people who fell or would have sustained grievous injuries. Whatever they want, we don’t think they’re evil. But their technology makes them an undeniable threat that we need to assess.”
“Be that as it may, they still kidnapped three people after attacking a vessel that caused injuries, despite their best effort to limit them. If they only needed help, they could have asked. Why this? Why come from the Eastern Quadrant for this? Where have they taken them?”
“Truth be told, we’re beginning to suspect the kidnappers might have been hired hands for a third party,” Maeve said carefully. “Like I mentioned earlier, we lost Ciara’s signal at the edge of the Dead Zone. But after the ship dropped the nine people they released, it left our Quadrant from a different direction. That vessel is back in the Eastern Quadrant, but Ciara’s implant never left the Dead Zone.”
“What’s over there?” I asked, baffled.
“Just a handful of extremely primitive planets under the strictest Prime Directive guidelines. The only species over there with whom strictly controlled interactions are allowed are the Sangoths. They possessed a certain level of technology, and we interact with them to a comparable extent as we do with the Ordosians.”
“You think they have her?”
“It’s a long shot and pure speculation,” she admitted with an apologetic look. “The Sangoths do not have the capacity for interstellar travel. We have to go to them. But they have ways of contacting us through very slow relays.”
“Even assuming some Sectarian came to our Quadrant to help them out, why wouldn’t they simply request our doctors if we already have a relationship with them?” I challenged.
“I don’t know, Amreth. But maybe it is because the trust was breached. The serum that made Elias famous was derived from a random event that occurred on Kestria, the Sangoth homeworld.”
“Why in Tharmok’s name didn’t you mention that earlier?!” I exclaimed. “That’s the obvious connection!”
“Maybe, but maybe not. We have to handle this whole thing extremely carefully. If Jacobs wronged them somehow, tipping our hand too early might jeopardize the welfare of the prisoners. There is also the matter of the extremely strict restrictions to go onto that planet. Even the peacekeepers will not be allowed to land without strong enough probable cause.”
“You have the three doctors’ implants!” I said in an evident tone.
“Yes, but the Peacekeepers do not have powerful enough technology to track them without entering Kestria’s atmosphere, which they can’t do without cause.”
“Then give them the damn technology!”
“We can’t. It is too powerful and could be abused in the wrong hands. That’s why the Enforcers strictly control who has access to it.”
“So we’re supposed to sit back and do nothing?” I exclaimed, anger seeping into my voice.
“No, Amreth. I’m merely explaining that the Enforcers are tied up elsewhere. And the Peacekeepers do not have the necessary tools to enter Kestria without cause. But if a civilian ship going through that region happened to have an unexpected malfunction, nobody could fault them for making an emergency landing.”
I gaped at her. She smiled shamelessly.
“The Peacekeepers—and the Enforcers for that matter—only need the slightest evidence of probable cause. An image or video of one of the three missing people would suffice to justify them entering Kestria’s atmosphere.”
I shifted uneasily in my seat.
“This would be a deliberate violation of the laws,” I said.
The ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ look Maeve gave me had my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
“Seriously, Amreth… I realize your species is raised indoctrinated about the importance of upholding the law. But with all due respect, you need to remove that self-righteous stick out of your ass and focus on what matters. What is more important to you? Rescuing your soulmate, or righteously upholding some law?”
“That is an unfair question! However good one’s intentions may be for breaking the law, they were created for a reason. Don’t you humans have a saying about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions? What if me going there with a conveniently timed accident ends up creating even more diplomatic problems?”
She shrugged. “Then don’t go, and hope for the best.”
I bared my fangs at her, her unimpressed look stinging even more. Obviously, I would never just sit back and do nothing while my other half was potentially in danger somewhere and being held against her will. But breaking the law…?
“You mentioned occasional interactions with the Sangoths. I seem to recall that they offered contracts for seasonal trade workers. If I joined one of those teams, I would legally enter their airspace,” I offered.
Maeve slowly nodded. “You heard correctly. Unfortunately, there won’t be any such trade missions for another five months. Are you willing to wait that long?”
I didn’t have to answer. My face did all the talking. She once again gave me a sympathetic smile although her dark brown eyes sparked with mischief.
“Look, I know how difficult this must be for you to even contemplate. Sometimes, bending the rules is necessary. What do you think I’m doing right now even sharing all of this with you? More often than not, the Enforcers—and their greater network that I am a part of—have no choice but to toe the line, and sometimes even trample it. What do you think would have happened to Malaya and Kronos had we not bent those rules? How many more innocent lives would Judge Wuras and his father have destroyed?”
I gave her a stiff nod.
“I’m telling you all of this because we implicitly trust you. You are a highly regarded Warden and an elite Warrior. Both Kayog and Linsea vouched for your outstanding moral compass and diplomatic skills. You are the best candidate the Enforcers could have wanted to investigate the situation in that area without making waves.”
My jaw dropped from sudden understanding. The Enforcers were not washing their hands of the fate of those three missing people. They were recruiting me as their silent agent to protect their plausible deniability.
“I understand what you are saying,” I said at last.
She smiled with approval. “I will transfer all the tracking info you require to your com. Go in stealthily. To the extent possible, avoid contact with the locals unless absolutely necessary. Get the proof we need and then leave. Do not try to play the hero. Communications will be slow as any message you send will need to travel to the nearest relay before it gets picked up. But keep us apprised as much as you can about any development. We will assist you in any way possible.”
“Thank you, I will.”
“Good luck, Amreth. And bring your girl home. You deserve every happiness.”
As soon as we ended the communication, I began preparation for my immediate departure.