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  “Collectors” by Foxfeather and Kelara/Anastasia   (for the email address see the author's page)
Part 3 written by:  Foxfeather
All persons mentioned here are property of their respective owners. Earth: Final Conflict © Tribune Entertainment Co., Lost Script Prod. Inc., Atlantis Films und VOX. Please don't publish this story without permission of the authors.
 

 

COLLECTORS

Chapter 3

 

It was late in the afternoon when Agent Ronald Sandoval, Major Liam Kincaid and Captain Lili Marquette met in Da'an's office for a conference.
The sun stood near the horizon and shone through the virtual glass of the windows of the Taelon embassy in Washington in a deep orange light.
Da'an looked excited, what suggested that something important had happened.
For some days one conference on the mothership had followed the other. Taelons and Jaridians had started a huge project on the moonbase two months ago. Nobody knew exactly what was going on up there. It was rumored that human technicians were involved, too, and that the project had something to do with maintaining the just made peace.
And now it looked like the big secret should be finally revealed.
Da'an stood in front of the wide area of the window and watched the scenery below. Liam coughed slightly behind him.
Lili could tell by his face that he was dying to find out why Da'an had called them together.
“Uhm, Da'an?”
Like he was woken out of a dream the Taelon turned around and examined his visitors. When his gaze reached Lili, his façade flickered for a moment.
The sunlight shone through his body and made him flash up in a strange color.
Quickly he caught himself.
“I have called you because I have news for you. As you all know have both Jaridians and Taelons involved other races in their war and exploited their planets or even destroyed them. I am far from proud about the fact that most of the orders for these outrages came from me.”
A shadow crossed Da'an's features. His stay on earth, the contact to humans like Boone and Lili had changed him. That much that the memory of what he had done threatened to crush him. In those days everything had seemed so right, but now...
“The Synod and the Jaridian government have decided that we will send out a spaceship to start negotiations of reparation with the races we involved in our war. The peace treaty with the Jaridians are closed except for a few trifles and do not need the presence of the officials of our governments.”
Da'an looked at Sandoval.
“Zo'or is starting off on this journey as the highest official of the Taelon race. Fe'lazz, the Leader of the Jaridians, can't come with us. The aftermath of the putsch on his homeworld causes quite a stir, so he can't leave his people alone at the time. For him, Ter'kozz and his brother U'math will join the party as Jaridian officials.”
Da'an blushed again.
“Zo'or has decided that I will have to come along as well, because I have been the commander-in-chief during the war. Qa'vra has offered to accompany us for support and as a counselor for everybody aboard.”
Lili swallowed. How hard had it to be for Da'an to look in the eyes of the people he had suppressed and exploited. But it was the chance to overcome his guilty conscience and beg for forgiveness. If that forgiveness would be granted was a different matter altogether.
“Will humans join this company?” she asked. If it were possible, she would accompany Da'an and try to help him through this hard time.
During a sharing Da'an had shown her scenes from his past. Scenes of this horrible war. Scenes she would never forget. Scenes of a Da'an who had done terrible things to save his people.
Scenes of a Da'an who existed no more like this and who was eaten up inside by his guilt.
“Yes, Lili. The Humans will appear as arbitrators like they have done during the Jaridian-Taelon treaties. You have coped with questions like this many times in your past, fought many wars and survived. You have learned. Perhaps the other peoples will learn from you.”
Da'an smiled a warm smile at Lili.
“I had hoped you would join me... us.”
After a short silence Da'an turned to face all persons present.
“Agent Sandoval, you, too, will accompany us.”
Da'an looked at Liam and added: “As my protector.”
Liam's head jerked up.
“But...”
“You, Major Kincaid, will stay here on Earth.”
Da'an fixed the young man with his gaze.
“You have good contacts to the humans and their governments and other important groups as well as to the Taelons. You will serve as an agent between humanity and Ki'va, my successor as North-American Companion. He has not much experience with humans and will be thankful for your help. The Synod has been decimated badly during Fa'loth's attack. Many of the Taelons left have to fight with the difficulties of a work they are not trained for. You will have a hard task to fulfill, Major.
“And besides that I entrust you with the task to have an eye on our special friends.”
He gave Liam a meaningful look that had the word “Liberation” written all over.
Liam slumped down in disappointment. He didn't like the thought of letting Da'an go like that; and to be dismissed from his job as his protector hurt badly.
“I understand, Da'an. I will sort everything out. But I have one question.”
“Ask it, Major.”
“If Sandoval is your protector, then who'll protect Zo'or?”
“Dru.”
“I see. WHAT?!?”
“Is was Zo'or's idea. She is going to be equipped with a special kind of CVI and a skrill on the mothership in these minutes.”
Sandoval had winced hearing the news. Not that he didn't trust Dru, but this... girl as his successor... nice prospects!
He had watched the odd relationship between her and Zo'or for some time now and couldn't make a head or tail of it. They seemed to really like each other but nevertheless they handled each other with kid gloves. Then again one slipped into teacher-mode and lectured the other. And oddest of all was that Zo'or endured that well-behaved and without flipping out.
Now both were as thick as thieves, like children cooking up a prank and the other day one didn't trust the other.
But what had Da'an said one day? Comparatively Zo'or was as young as Dru was. And as the last Taelon born he never had a real childhood.
It looked like he was catching up on his youth. With all that belonged to it.
With a shake of his head Sandoval called himself back into the present.
“What ship will we use?” he asked.
“That is the ‚big secret’ the media rack their brains over. Humans, Jaridians and Taelons have built a ship on the moon that unites the technology of all three races. We named it “Unity”. The last tests have been completed a few hours ago.”
“Technology of ALL races? I hope that doesn't include Windows”, Liam murmured.
Augur had been seldom home in the last weeks, but when he had been there, he and Liam were trying to get an old computer running again. A “Pentium” Augur had called the thing.
Everything had been pretty easy until they had installed the operating system.
“Liam?”
“What? Oh... I was somewhere else.”
Lili grinned. She had heard the last comment about that project and knew about the outbursts of rage it had produced. She actually could write books about it.
“Better listen, Liam!”
“We will have some technical engineers on board, just in case something goes wrong with the compatibility. The Taelon Qu'ul, the Jaridian Do'pac and the Human Marcus Deveraux will complete our crew.”
The name “Marcus Deveraux” made Liam prick up his ears.
Lili's jaw figuratively hit the ground.
“Augur?!? Augur is coming with us? Then let's have fun!” Liam couldn't believe it.
“That's why he was away all the time!”
“Liam, look, you will have free access at his home. I'm sure he'll leave his keys with you”, Lili said.
Da'an interrupted their conversation.
“You have one week time to settle your business here on Earth. Then we'll start to the planet Zelar.”

 

 

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