The Alliance Boxset Books 4-6

Chapter 5-1

Chapter Five

Sula piloted her transport over the sea for most of her journey to the cove where she was to meet Destin. The twin moons lit the water below her, the light from them reflecting off the gentle swell of the waves. She enjoyed following the trails of bioluminescence that curved through the water behind several of the large sea mammals that swam along the coast.

One of the females from the pod rolled onto her back and lifted her long, slender head out of the water. Sula could see the white underbelly before the female twisted back around. The vivid greens and yellows shimmered under the water, outlined by the tiny light-emitting organisms. Her large fins created a wake and the calves immediately swam forward to cavort in the small waves.

Turning back toward shore, Sula realized she had gone farther south than she intended. She retraced her path along the shoreline, approaching from the opposite direction than the trip she made this morning. She wasn’t worried; she would still be earlier than she had anticipated. Within minutes, she was circling around the cliff and into the cove.

The beach at the cove was fairly large and she had plenty of room to land the small transport. As she slid out, the cool wind coming off the ocean welcomed her, brushing against her face and tugging at her hair. The sound of the waves lapping at the shore drew her, just as they had this morning. This time, a peaceful feeling washed over her as soon as she stepped on the beach. She bent down and removed her shoes, tossing them into the transport before she closed the door.

Her toes sank into the sand. It was still warm from the heat of the sun. One day she would have a home of her own on the water where she could spend her mornings and evenings swimming.

Sula wrapped her right arm around her waist while her left hand rose to touch the medallion she was wearing. She had changed out of her formal clothing into something more casual. The black leggings and body suit hugged her figure. She wore the traditional silk covering over it. This one was a dark red with black onyx beading. The red, slip-on shoes were comfortable, but she had always loved to go barefoot when she could. The feel of the sand against the bottom of her feet and between her toes had always been a joy to her. Her mother still despaired about her habit of abandoning her footwear when she was home.

“I wonder what Destin would think of such a thing? A woman from the royal house of Usoleum who hates to wear foot coverings,” she murmured to herself with a smile as she curled her toes into the sand.

Sula turned toward the sound of a transport. It was hovering over the forest that lined the rocky landscape above.

She walked back along the beach to the narrow passage between the rocks to see if she could get a better view of it. Her fingers skimmed the rock on the inside as she walked through the narrow tunnel. She paused near the opening, peering down the beach before stepping out. She faced the narrow stone staircase leading up to the top, and her eyes widened when she heard a faint echo of an explosion and what sounded like laser fire.

“Something is wrong,” she whispered urgently, stumbling a few steps back into the shadows. “That is where Chancellor Razor’s dwelling is.”

Sula glanced back up to the top, unsure of what to do. Her eyes widened when she saw another transport sitting farther down on the beach. This one was much larger.

She turned and flew back through the gap in the rocks to her transport. Her hands trembled when she pulled the door open and reached under the seat for the weapon she had stored there. Pulling it free, she reached for the communication switch.

“Emergency transmission. Request immediate assistance at Chancellor Razor’s dwelling,” she stated in a cool voice that belied her fear.

“State your emergency,” a voice immediately responded.

“There is an unknown transport on the beach and I heard the sounds of laser fire and an explosion coming from the direction of Chancellor Razor’s dwelling,” Sula responded.

“Emergency personnel have been dispatched. Please remain connected until they arrive,” the voice ordered.

Sula glanced back toward the opening, looking in the direction of the transport she had seen earlier. She shook her head and refocused on the control panel of her own transport. If the Chancellor was in danger, she was sworn to do everything in her power to help.

“Negative,” she replied in a clipped tone. “This is Councilor Jersula Ikera of the Usoleum council. I will assist Chancellor Razor.”

Sula gripped the baton in her left hand. With her right hand, she released the fastening of her outer cover. It slid off her shoulders and she tossed it onto the seat of the transport. She closed the door and pressed in the code to lock it, then retraced her steps to the narrow tunnel between the rocks. The first thing she would do is make sure that the other transport was disabled, and then she would do what she could to assist the Chancellor.