Aarko Dacaan opened his eyes slowly, wincing as white light flooded his vision.  Disoriented, Aarko realized suddenly that he was lying on a cold metal table.  Aarko tried to control his panicked breathing as his burning lungs screamed each time he inhaled.  As his eyes focused, Aarko could see that he was in a large, dimly lit room.  The walls of the room were stainless steel and appeared to be quite sterile from what Aarko could determine.  Video screens along the walls flashed images that appeared to be x-rays of body parts, possibly human.  A strange type of writing appeared at the bottom of each image which Aarko did not recognize.

        “Were in the damnation pits am I,” Aarko croaked, his throat dry and sore.

        “Your query is phrased incorrectly Aarko Dacaan,” a loud, robotic voice seemed to echo from every corner of the room.  “Your culture has no known form of eternal damnation that resembles this planet.”

        “Planet,” Aarko repeated.  “What planet am I on?”

        “You are currently located on the planet your culture has classified as Sybaer.”

        “Sybaer,” Aarko whispered.  “Of course; how did I end up here?”

        “You missed your scheduled delivery,” the voice replied bluntly.  “A patrol craft was launched to locate your vessel and determine the reason for your failure.”

        “My failure,” Aarko asked defensively.

 “Correct,” the voice stated.  “Missing your scheduled delivery time is defined as a failure.”

        “I see,” Aarko replied with an agitated sigh.  The Sybaerians’ entire existence revolved around specific and exact schedules.  Aarko was annoyed, but not surprised by their reaction to his missed deadline.

        “The patrol craft found your ship drifting through space,” the voice continued.  “The patrol craft then towed your vessel into its hangar to enable proper inspection.  Upon inspecting your ship, it was determined that you had been attacked.”

        “Yeah, some kind of pirates,” Aarko mused.  “Although they were flying ships I had never seen before.”

        “A boarding party was sent to search your ship.  The party found you lying among a pile of debris.  Your body was in danger of deactivation.”

        “Deactivation,” Aarko shouted.  “You mean I was almost dead?”

        “That is a correct assessment Aarko Dacaan,” the voice replied, oblivious to Aarko’s distress.  “Your body was brought to Sybaer to initiate all necessary repairs.”

        It was at that moment that Aarko noticed the machine attached to his torso.  Aarko reached down to inspect the machine with a mixture of curiosity and panic.  Aarko ran his fingers along the metal tubes protruding from the machine, following them to where they entered his body.

        “What did you do to me,” Aarko demanded.  “You can’t just convert me into a Sybaerian!  This is illegal!  You are breaking the treaty!”

“Aarko Dacaan,” a robotic voice interrupted from a speaker built into the machine on Aarko’s torso.  “Remain calm.  Heart rate and adrenaline levels are increasing at a considerable rate.”

        “Don’t tell me to calm down,” Aarko shouted.  “Get this thing off of me!”

        “Negative,” the machine responded.

        “Negative,” Aarko spat.  “What the hell do you mean by that?”

        “Unable to comply,” the machine stated plainly.

Aarko began to feel waves of panic assault his mind.  Aarko had dealt with the Sybaerians many times in his travels.  As a result of his contact with the species, Aarko was fully aware of what it meant to become one of them.  The Sybaerians took life forms, usually humanoids, and transformed them into fully cybernetic beings.  The arms, legs, and most of the torso and head were replaced with robotic parts.  The Sybaerians would install circuitry into the brain of their victims which would erase their personalities and memories, and rob them of their individuality.  The creatures would become nothing more than mere extensions of the Sybaerian main intelligence.  Explorers had first discovered the Sybaerians decades earlier while on an expedition to explore new planets for potential colonization.  The explorers had been captured and converted into Sybaerians against their will.  It was not the intention of the Sybaerian race to enslave the whole of the galaxy; it was merely their means of survival to convert all living beings that came across their planet.  It was simply their form of procreation.  The incident led to the Council of United Planets decision to declare war on Sybaer.  The brutal war lasted seven years, left many casualties on both sides, and had far reaching effects on the future of technology.  The research of artificial intelligence, for example, was entirely banned by the Council of United Planets.  However, once a peace treaty had been agreed upon by both sides, the galaxy benefited from the Sybaerian technology as well.  The creation of the B.E.S. memory implants was one of many such benefits.  The Sybaerians agreed to halt their subjugation of all sentient beings in exchange of a regular supply of B.E.S. units provided to them for their purposes.  Aarko had supplied those units for the past year that he had been employed at Bio-Lab.  Now, it appeared that he was to join them in giving up his body and mind to become a part of the Sybaerian intelligence.  

        “I’m not becoming one of you,” Aarko shouted.  “This goes against the treaty you signed with the Council!”

        There was a long silence in the chamber that made Aarko want to scream.  A wave of panic, anger, and confusion washed over Aarko as his eyes darted around the room anxiously.  Just as he was about to let his panic overtake him and attempt to escape any way he possibly could, the robotic voice Aarko had been speaking with echoed through the room once again.

        “Aarko Dacaan, you have misunderstood the functions of the medical unit attached to you.  This unit is not attempting to alter the functions of your mind or body in any manner.  The unit is merely a medical attachment placed on your body in order to aid the healing of your highly fatal wounds.  Without the attachment, your wounds would prove far too terminal for you to survive.  You would cease to function.”

        “What do you mean,” Aarko asked.  “I feel like I’ve been beaten up, but I don’t feel like I’m close to death.”

        “That is a result of the medical unit,” the voice replied.  “The unit is controlling the pain receptors in your organic brain to minimize the agony you would experience.  The unit has created nanotech robotic units and dispersed them throughout your body to repair your internal organs and skeletal structure.”

        “So basically,” Aarko interjected, “you’re telling me that this little contraption of yours is the only thing keeping me alive right now?”

        “That is correct Aarko Dacaan,” the voice replied callously.

        “Like a portable life support system?”

        “That is essentially correct.”

        “Well, how long do I have to keep this thing on me,” Aarko snapped.

        “It is difficult to estimate an exact moment at which your wounds will be sufficiently healed.  The unit will inform you when it is ready to detach itself.”

        “Wonderful,” Aarko sighed.  “So I’m stuck with this life support unit until I’m fully healed.  Well, how bad is it?  Give it to me straight.”

        “Please specify the nature of your query Aarko Dacaan.”

        “My wounds,” Aarko grunted.  “Just how bad are my wounds?”

        “You suffered several broken bones,” the voice responded.  “Among the broken bones were four broken ribs, two of which had pierced one of your lungs.  One of your kidneys had ruptured.  Six of your vertebrae had broken, severing your spinal column in two different areas.  Your skull suffered severe trauma, causing-“

“I think I understand,” Aarko interrupted.  “It sounds like I could drop at any second!”

“That is highly improbable Aarko Dacaan,” the medical unit attached to Aarko stated.  “Support structures have been built to reinforce your broken bones.  Those structures will prevent you from falling.”

        “Thank you so very much,” Aarko said, feigning relief.  “But that’s not what I meant.  I was talking about death, namely mine.  I could still die at any time.”

        “That is also unlikely,” the medical unit stated, failing to reassure Aarko.  “Your life signs are continuously monitored during the entire healing process.  You will be alerted to activate emergency protocols immediately in the event of any circumstance that directly threatens your existence.”

        “Wonderful,” Aarko responded sarcastically.  “So, what happens when I’m fully healed?”

        “Once the medical unit has determined that your body has sufficiently healed itself to function without aid,” the voice in the room replied, “the medical unit shall detach from your body.  You will then be able to resume the normal functions of your existence.”

        “That’s good to know,” Aarko said, still suspicious.  “Then, I guess I don’t have much choice in the matter, do I?  I let this thing be attached to me, or I die.  I can accept that I suppose.  Just don’t get in my way.”

        “The medical unit is designed to perform its functions in an unobtrusive manner,” the voice stated.

        “Right,” Aarko scoffed.  “So, do you have a name then?”

        “Please specify,” the medical unit replied.

        “A name,” Aarko repeated.  “Something I can call you?”

        “You refer to a designation,” the medical unit stated.

        “Yeah,” Aarko snapped.  “Do you have a designation?”

        “Negative,” the medical unit replied.  “The normal functions of this unit within specified parameters do not require a designation be specified.”

        “What does that mean?  What normal functions?”

        “This unit is most frequently used to repair injured B.E.S. units.”

        “I get it,” Aarko snapped.  “They use you on the Bessies that don’t have a mind of their own.  So they don’t need to call you anything.  Fine, whatever.  But, I do have my own brain.  I might need to ask you about my status at some point, or something like that.  So, I need to call you something, and I think I will refer to you as Med from now on.”

        “Your requirement for this unit to have a designation is recognized,” Med stated.  “Designation Med has been programmed.”

“Good,” Aarko said.  “Now then, I need to communicate with Bio-Lab to tell them that I’m alive and explain what happened.”

        “You will be provided with a communications station to contact whomever you wish,” the voice in the room responded.

        “Great,” Aarko said, at last feeling some relief.  “Now we’re getting somewhere.  Now tell me how I’m going to explain all of this.”

        “A transcript of events leading up to this point can be provided for you if you require it.”

“Yeah, that’s not quite what I meant,” Aarko said.  “But, uh, thanks for the offer.”

        Dr. Merac sat at his desk, casually looking over paperwork for the next shipment of B.E.S. units, when he was interrupted by the chime of the intercom on his desk.  Mumbling to himself, Merac activated the intercom with a slap.

        “What is it?  I’m a little busy here at the moment.”

        “I’m sorry to bother you Doctor,” Merac’s assistant replied from the opposite end of the intercom.  “There’s an urgent call coming in for you.”

        “I don’t have time to talk to anyone right now,” Merac barked.  “Tell them I’m in a meeting or something.”

        “I’m very sorry sir,” The assistant pushed.  “They are very insistent on speaking with you immediately.”

        “Very well,” Merac hissed, letting out an annoyed sigh, and cursing under his breath.  “Who is it then?”

        “It seems to be Aarko Dacaan sir,” the assistant replied, pausing briefly to determine how to proceed.  “He says he’s calling from Sybaer.  Security says the voice recognition checks out.”

        “He’s dead,” Merac stated bluntly.

        “According to the reports, yes sir,” the assistant agreed.  “But he’s calling from Sybaer, and he says he needs to talk to you now.”

        “Then by all means, patch the call through to my office.  I’ll figure out what exactly is going here.”

        “Yes sir.  Please stand by while I complete the transfer.

        Merac stared in disbelief as the image of Aarko Dacaan’s bruised and beaten face filled his communication screen.  Shaking his head in confusion, Merac took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to gather his thoughts.

        “Hello,” Merac croaked after a long moment.  “Aarko, is that really you?”

        “Of course it’s really me Doc,” Aarko replied.  “Who else would claim to be me?”

        “Well,” Merac responded, “it’s just that, we all thought you were dead.  We received a message from the Sybaerians that said your ship had been attacked.  The last we heard was that you were on death’s door.  That was two weeks ago.  We haven’t heard anything since then.  Now, all of a sudden, here you are, alive.  What am I supposed to think?”

        “Two weeks,” Aarko repeated, his voice cracking with surprise.  “I’ve been missing for two weeks?”

        “Yes,” Merac replied.  “Since we hadn’t heard from you since before the attack on your ship, we assumed you had died.  I’m glad to see we were mistaken.”

        “Actually,” Aarko said, “you’re not as far off as you might think.  I was almost dead.  Luckily, I was pretty close to Sybaer when the attack happened.  They found me and fixed me up.  They attached some kind of medical robot to me that’s supposed to keep me alive and heal me.  I guess I owe them my life.”

“Well then,” Merac said, “I suppose I owe them as well for saving my best pilot.  I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear that you’re alive, Aarko.  So, when are you going to come home?”

        “The Sybaerians tell me that my ship is just about ready to fly again, so I should be home within the next day or so.”

        “That’s excellent news,” Merac said, hoping he sounded sincere.  “I’m sure everyone here will be happy to see you again.  So, hurry back then, won’t you.”

        “Of course Doc,” Aarko replied with a sly smile.  “I’ll be back before you know it.”

        “Good,” Merac said.  “Oh, there’s just one more thing Aarko.  I know you’ve just recovered from a bad injury, but we’ve been getting a lot of calls from our customers about your shipment.  I’d like to be able to give them a definitive answer on the B.E.S units that you were scheduled to deliver.”

         “I’m afraid the news isn’t good,” Aarko answered after blowing out a long, hard breath.  “The Bessies were all killed, except for one particular one.  The orc Bessie was stolen by whoever attacked me.  They took the whole incupod and everything.  They took her away, and left me for dead.”

        “I see,” Merac stated calmly.

        “But, there’s something strange about the attack,” Aarko added.

        “What do you mean,” Merac asked, leaning forward slightly.

        “I have never seen ships like the ones that attacked me before.  I’ve never encountered anything like them, I’m certain about that.  I couldn’t even find anything that matched them in my ship’s database either.  The ships didn’t even register on my sensors until they were right on top of me.  And that boarding party that they sent over to attack me was made up of some kind of mechanical beings that I’ve never seen before either.  I don’t know if they were cybernetic, like the Sybaerians, or some kind of illegal robots.  Not to mention the fact that they were specifically searching for the pod containing the orc woman that I was supposed to deliver to Erainor.  I’m starting to suspect that the orc was more than just an ordinary Bessie.  You must know something about her that you’re not telling me Doc.  You’re the Head Administrator; you know everything that’s going on at Bio-Lab.”

        “Yes, I do know about her.” Merac replied gravely.  “But I’m not allowed to divulge that information with anybody.  It’s strictly classified.”

        “Classified information,” Aarko repeated in frustration.  “Doc, I almost lost my life and my ship over this!  I think, under the circumstances, I have a right to know.”

        “I’m sorry Aarko,” Merac said.  “I just can’t tell you.  This is way above both of our heads.”

        “Merac,” Aarko growled, “I’m starting to lose my patience here.  If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll have to investigate for myself.  Either way, I’m going to find out the truth.  You know I will.”

        Merac let out an angry breath as he rolled his eyes.  “All right Aarko, I’ll tell you the truth.  But, this could get both of us in a lot of trouble. You’re right, that orc that was stolen was not actually a B.E.S. unit at all.  She is an ambassador for the orc homeworld, Anpaar.  You were supposed to transport her to Erainor.  That’s it; it’s as simple as that.”

“No it isn’t,” Aarko said, his eyes squinting with increased suspicion.  “Come on Merac, you know I’m not that stupid.  The elven have their own ships. They could easily have transported her in one of those.  If not, then there are plenty of public transports they could easily have used.  Why have me deliver her under the guise of being a Bessie?  It’s not adding up.”

        “All right Aarko,” Merac sighed.  “I can see you’re not going to let this go.  The truth is that Anpaar and Erainor are on the brink of war.  The entire galaxy is aware of that fact, it’s not a secret.  Anpaar wants to break away from Erainor’s rule and be declared their own sovereign planet.  They want full acceptance in the Planetary Council.  The elven ruling family doesn’t want to let their colony rule themselves, for obvious reasons.  It has been a heated conflict for some time now.  Anpaar is fully prepared to go to war with Erainor tin their freedom if that is what it should come to.  However, the elven ruling family has made a peace offer to their colony in an attempt to solve the matter without bloodshed.  They have proposed that their son, Prince Modui, marry someone from Anpaar’s ruling government in an effort to unite the two planets.  They had hoped that such a pairing might lead the way to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  The orc woman you were supposed to deliver, Governor Xuelle, was chosen to marry Prince Modui.”

        “All right,” Aarko said.  “But that still doesn’t explain why I had to deliver her.”

        “Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t figured that one out yet,” Merac laughed.  “The orcs feared that this plan might be some sort of deception on the part of Erainor and the royal family.  Therefore, they came to me with a plan.  I was supposed to have Xuelle delivered to Erainor disguised as a B.E.S. unit.  It was kept a secret to all except the rulers of Anpaar and Erainor, and to me.  That is why you were not informed of her true identity.  The rulers of Anpaar felt that this way, there would be no chance of Xuelles life being put in danger.  If no one knew of her trip, no one would attack her.”

        “Except, someone who know how she would be traveling,” Aarko added.

        “Exactly, that is why Anpaar suspects Erainor of staging Xuelle’s kidnapping to gain the upper hand in their conflict.”

        “And, do you suspect them as well,” Aarko asked.

        “It really isn’t my place to say,” Merac replied.  “However, they were the only others that knew about the specifics of the governor’s delivery.  And, the attackers you described used some impressive technology.  The elves do have a research station in orbit around the Erainor that could have produced that kind of technology in secret.”

        “I see,” Aarko said gravely.  “And how are the orcs taking the loss of their governor?”

        “Not well,” Merac replied.  “The orcs are blaming the elven for Xuelle’s disappearance.  They are giving the Erainor ruling family some time to try to prove that they didn’t kidnap her, but they are growing increasingly impatient. The elven, on the other hand, appear to be at their wits end trying to find her.  That’s what they are claiming at least.  Either way, it’s out of our hands.  You might as well return to us.  We’ll just have to continue on with business as usual and pretend that none of this has happened.  Fortunately for us, the details of this mess were kept a secret, so our other customers have no idea what has happened.  They still believe that you lost your cargo to pirates.  We have already been working on replacing their orders that were lost.  Everything should be fine, so, we need you back here making deliveries again.”

        “Understood,” Aarko responded.  “I should be back in a couple of days.  I’ll talk to you then.”

        Doctor Merac stared at the communication panel on his desk as Aarko’s image faded into blackness.  Letting out a long, frustrated moan, Merac punched a new set of numbers into the keypad of the panel.  Merac rubbed his hands together nervously as he waited for someone to answer.  When his call finally connected, Merac held his breath in an attempt to ease the anxiety welling up inside of him.  Merac could feel his blood pressure and heart rate rise the moment the angry man on the other end of the channel appeared on his screen.

        “What is it,” the man barked.  “What do you want now Merac?  Are you calling about your payment again?  I already told you it was on its way.  What more could you expect from me?”

        “No Zaida,” Merac replied quickly.  “That’s not why I’m calling.  We’ve come across a little problem in the plan I’m afraid.”

        “A problem,” Zaida repeated angrily.  “What are you jabbering about?”

        “Zaida,” Merac replied, swallowing a lump that had begun to grown in his throat, “Aarko is still alive.”

        For a long moment, silence was Zaida’s only reply.  When he finally spoke, his voice was calculated and calm.  “What do you mean he’s still alive?”

        “He just contacted me,” Merac replied sheepishly.  “Apparently, his ship was found and rescued by the Sybaerians.  They healed him up, and now, he’s almost back to full health.  He’s on his way back here as we speak.”

        “That is unfortunate news,” Zaida stated bluntly.

        “Unfortunate news,” Merac repeated in disbelief.  “Is that all you have to say?  That damned fool could ruin everything!”

        “Calm yourself Doctor Merac,” Zaida warned.  “He is a minor problem.  I’m sure you will know how to deal with any problems he might cause.  However, I sincerely doubt that he will be a problem.  Just create a new batch of B.E.S. units for him to deliver to the customers that lost units in the attack, and that should be the end of it.”

        “It’s not that simple,” Merac said.  “I’ve already taken care of the lost deliveries; that’s not the problem.  Zaida, he knew his attackers weren’t pirates.  I told you he would figure that out, if you’ll recall.  He started asking me all kinds of questions about it.  I didn’t know how to respond.  I’m not good at reacting on the spot like that.  So, I told him about the governor.”

        “You did what,” Zaida asked, his calm demeanor rapidly disintegrating.  “You told him everything?”

        “No, not everything,” Merac replied nervously.  “I only told him about the governor, and the impending war.  That’s all I told him, I swear.  He wouldn’t stop questioning me, so I had to tell him that much.  It was the only way to keep him from investigating tings on his own.  But now, he thinks that the elven ruling family is behind the kidnapping.  I made sure to steer him in that direction.  I think that satisfied him.  He won’t check into things any further than that.  He has no interest in the politics of the elven and orcs.  His ship is repaired and he’s all healed.  That will be the end of it, I’m sure of it.”

        “Well, that’s good to hear Doctor,” Zaida replied with a tone full of venom.  “I, on the other hand, do not share your confidence. Dacaan is now a potential threat to the success of my plans.  One I fully intend to eliminate.”

        “You see Zaida,” Merac whined.  I told you he’d cause problems if we got him involved.  I knew things wouldn’t go smoothly.  I tried to tell you.”

        “Shut up Merac,” Zaida growled.  “Just shut up and let me think for a minute.”

        “Yes,” Merac whispered.  “I’m sorry.”

        Zaida let out a long, angry sigh as he contemplated the situation.  After a few minutes of silence, Zaida addressed Doctor Merac.

        “Contact Erainor,” Zaida ordered; his voice once again calm and calculated.

        “I don’t understand,” Merac responded.

        “Contact the royal family you fool,” Zaida growled.  “Tell them that you have finally heard back from Dacaan.  Tell them that he’s alive.  I have no doubt that they will want to speak with him about the theft.  I’m sure they have many questions they’d like to ask him.  When he tells his story, they’ll have no choice but to arrest him as the only suspect.  That will keep him out of our way.”

        “Zaida, that’s brilliant,” Merac said, smiling with excitement.  “I’ll get on that immediately.”

        “Of course you will,” Zaida responded in a condescending tone.  “And doctor, try not to screw up any more.  I’d hate to have to dissolve our partnership so soon.  I still have a use for you.  Am I making myself clear?”

        “Understood,” Merac replied quietly.

        Aarko sat quietly in the cockpit of the Slave Driver, staring at the lines of stars passing by the ship at high speeds.  Despite the fact that the ship was on a direct, computer controlled course straight to Bio-Lab that did not require his presence in the cockpit, and that his weary body needed rest, Aarko’s mind would not allow sleep to come.  Concerns about the pirates who had almost killed Aarko while kidnapping the governor clawed their way to the front of Aarko’s thoughts.  Aarko relived the memory of the attack several times as he attempted to find a clue that might lead him to the truth.  It wasn’t concern over the governor or the elven ruling family that haunted him, Aarko did not care about ether party.  Aarko’s only concern was the part he had been forced into for their political sport.  Someone had seen fit to use Aarko as an unwitting pawn, a tool to accomplish their goal and then be casually discarded.  Aarko decided at that moment that he could not let the party responsible for almost killing him to escape his vengeance, no matter the cost.  Aarko’s thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the chime of the cockpit communication panel signaling an incoming call.

        “Who is that,” Aarko sighed.

        “Doctor Merac is hailing you,” The ship computer stated.

        “Fine,” Aarko growled. “Put him through.”

        “Hello Aarko,” Merac chimed as his smiling face appeared on the communication screen.

        “What is it now Doc,” Aarko asked sharply.

        “Well Aarko,” Merac replied nervously.  “First of all, let me apologize for disturbing you at this hour.  I’m sure you are trying to get some much needed rest before you get back here.”

        “Don’t worry about it Doc, it’s fine.  Just get on with what you called me for.”

        “Oh, of course,” Merac said, clearing his throat before continuing. “Well, I just spoke with the ruling family of Erainor.  I have informed them that you had survived your ordeal and had finally contacted me.  They seemed very interested in hearing your side of the story.  They have requested an audience with you as soon as possible.”

        “Are you serious,” Aarko moaned.

        “Yes, quite serious,” Merac replied.  “They were quite adamant about speaking with you.  They insisted on it.  We have no choice in this matter but to comply with their request.  We don’t want to lose a valuable customer, after all.”

        “No, of course not,” Aarko responded sarcastically.

        “Right,” Merac continued.  “Then, I want you to change your course and head to Erainor immediately.  Speak with the ruling family.  Then contact me afterwards.”

        “Fine Doc,” Aarko growled.  “Tell them I’m on my way.”

        “That’s excellent,” Merac squealed.

        “Yeah, excellent,” Aarko moaned as he reprogrammed the auto pilot of the Slave Driver to head for the elven homeworld.  “Can’t wait to see what happens next.”

        Aarko stood in the enormous waiting room of the Elven ruling family palace, staring at the majesty of the Erainor royal gardens outside.  As a delivery pilot for Bio-Lab, Aarko spent the majority of his time in space.  It was only on a rare occasion that he would ever spend more time than it took to complete his deliveries visiting any one planet.  Erainor, despite all of its high class and high levels of technology, still maintained much of its natural beauty.  The elven people prided themselves on their kinship with nature.  Every building on the planet was designed to seamlessly assimilate into the natural surroundings of the forests and mountains of Erainor.  Although the level of technology on Erainor was equal, and in many ways superior, to that of the congested human planet Paxterra that Aarko had grown up on, the planet had the appearance of a far more primitive world.

        The fact that he was unaccustomed to such natural splendor left Aarko feeling strangely uncomfortable on Erainor.  Even as he stared at the elaborate system of extravagant waterfalls that surrounded the palace, Aarko realized that he was eager to return to the comfort of space.  Although most would find the cold emptiness of space intolerable, it was there that Aarko felt that he truly belonged.  Erainor held no mystical calming properties for Aarko, as had for the countless travelers that chose the planet as a vacation destination.  After several minutes, Aarko’s musings were interrupted when a young elven woman dressed in the robes worn by the aides of the royal family approached him.

        “Good afternoon Aarko Dacaan,” the woman said with a pleasant smile.  “I am Kohli, chief aide to the royal family of Erainor.  The royal family is ready for your audience now.  If you would follow me please?”

        As the Kohli led him down the long hallway to the audience chamber, Aarko found his attention focused on the ornate designs of the palace walls.  Several of the walls were decorated with hand carved engravings depicting key moments from Erainor’s diverse history, while other walls were covered with beautifully detailed murals of scenes from elven religious tales.  Kohli stopped in front of two doors at the end of the hall that Aarko guessed were easily twice as tall as he was.  Kohli told Aarko to enter the doors and stand on the platform directly in front of the dais that seated the royal family.     Kohli then warned Aarko to keep his eyes directed at the floor in a respectful manner until the royal family addressed him, as was the elven custom.  When she felt that Aarko understood what was expected of him, Kohli turned down another ornate hallway, leaving Aarko by himself.

        Aarko stared at the oversized wooden doors, took a nervous breath, and cautiously entered the audience chamber.  The chamber, completely empty except for the dais and platform, was a large room with a preposterously high ceiling.  The light blue walls were decorated with portraits of the ruling families of Erainor’s past.  Aarko heard each footstep echo throughout the hollow chamber as he approached the platform he had been directed to stand on.  Aarko stepped onto the platform, turned his eyes to the floor, and waited anxiously for the royal family to enter the chamber.  The floor of the platform, in keeping with the ornamentation found throughout the elven palace, was engraved with a large, leafy tree surrounded by mountains that Aarko recognized as the elven royal seal.  

On the rim of the seal, encircling the tree and mountains, several words were inscribed in an old, elven language that Aarko could not read.    Though completely foreign to him, Aarko surmised that the words most likely spoke of elven pride or honor.

        As Aarko studied the intricate details of the carving at his feet, he heard a door open followed by the sounds of several footsteps.  Aarko could see several people in his peripheral vision moving towards their seats along the dais. Though tempted to look up at the people as they took their seats, Aarko decided it would be best to respect the elven customs and continue staring at the seal.

        “Aarko Dacaan,” a male voice said, reverberating off of the walls of the chamber.  “We appreciate your respect of our traditions.  You may now address us directly.”

        Well, you certainly went to a lot of effort to make sure that I did, Aarko thought as he glanced up towards the dais.  King Thos, father of the royal family, was seated on a throne directly in front of Aarko.  To the kin’s left sat Kireen, wife of Thos, and mother of the royal family.  Princess Lorelei, daughter of the king and queen, sat directly to the left of her mother.  Directly to the right of Thos sat the son of the royal family, Prince Modui.  Kohli, the woman that led Aarko to the audience chamber stood directly in front of the dais, her arms folded at waist level in a dignified gesture.  

        “We thank you for coming on such short notice,” King Thos continued.  “It is very important that we hear the details of Governor Xuelle’s kidnapping from the man who had witnessed the ordeal firsthand.  Therefore, if you have no objections, please relay the information to us as you remember it.  And please, do not leave out any details.”

        “Of course your majesty,” Aarko replied with a respectful nod.  “I was on my way to my first delivery on Sybaer when I was attacked by a battle cruiser of unknown origin.  They must have had some sort of cloaking device as my scanners failed to detect them until it was too late.  The kidnappers attacked with extreme precision, immobilizing my ship and puncturing my hull immediately.  A handful of pirates, either some type of humanoids wearing some new type of robotic armor, or actual robots themselves, destroyed my cargo, and stole the incupod containing Governor Xuelle.  They nearly killed me as well.  In fact, the only reason I survived the attack at all is because the Sybaerians had sent out a patrol to find me when I missed my scheduled delivery there.  The Sybaerians found me just in time to save my life.”

        “I see,” King Thos said, rubbing his chin calmly.

        “I have brought you a video disk recording of the attack,” Aarko continued, pulling a small, plastic disk out of his pocket.  “My ship computer records everything for security purposes.”

        Kohli took the disk from Aarko and inserted it into a computer terminal located on a podium near the dais.  Small monitors built into the dais in front of each member of the royal family replayed the attack as Aarko waited patiently.  The puzzled look on the king’s face as he watched the recording seemed to confirm Aarko’s doubts about the kidnapping plot originating with the royal family.  After studying the recording for several agonizing minutes, King Thos addressed Aarko once again.

        “The technology of these pirates is certainly unknown to me,” the king stated.  “I do not recognize either their ships, or even the armor as any I have seen before.”

        “I don’t recognize them either your majesty,” Aarko responded.  “I’ve never encountered anything like them before.  In fact, I can’t even determine with any kind of certainty whether they are armored humanoids or some kind of robotic creation.”

        “They couldn’t possibly be robotic,” King Thos stated.  “All research into artificial intelligence was ruled illegal by the Planetary Council after the Sybaerian war.”

        “Yes, I know your majesty,” Aarko said.  “But I’ve never seen anything like those things before.  The ships are a completely new design.  They seemed to have cloaking devices, which are also highly illegal.  I find it hard to say for certain what they were.  Their voices sounded robotic, but their manner of speaking was more like that of living beings than of artificial intelligence, like you would encounter with the Sybaerians.”

        “I see,” the king said.  “And what did they say to you directly?”

        “One of them kept asking me where the orc incupod was,” Aarko replied.  “When I refused to tell it where, the thing seemed to get angry.”

        “Interesting,” the king said.  “And, you are certain that these kidnappers were not simply common pirates?”

        “Yes your majesty,” Aarko replied.  “Quite certain.  I’ve never known pirates to use such advanced technology before.  Pirates tend to ambush ships similar to how I was attacked, but sneaking up in cloaked ships is not generally how they operate.  Even pirates have difficulty getting their hands on cloaking devices.  Something that rare comes at an incredibly high price.  Not to mention the fact that pirates would have taken as many of the B.E.S. units as they could.  Wasting time on one particular pod would not be profitable unless they knew who was actually in that pod.  As I understand it, only the rulers of Anpaar, Doctor Merac, and yourselves knew about the governor’s delivery.  Even I didn’t know she was in my cargo hold.  I don’t see how pirates would have gained such highly guarded knowledge.  That leads me to conclude that even if the attackers themselves were some kind of pirates, someone else was pulling the strings behind the attack.  Someone would have had to provide them with the high tech weapons and the information about Governor Xuelle.”

        “You make several valid points Aarko Dacaan,” King Thos said.  “You seem to have quite a vast knowledge of pirates.”

        “I’m a delivery pilot your majesty,” Aarko pointed out.  “I’ve had my share of dealings with all types of pirates.”

        “Yes,” the king said with a tone of suspicion.  “I’m sure you have.  In fact, as I see it, you may be in the best position to aid us.”

        “I’m sorry,” Aarko said, raising his eyebrows with concern.  “I don’t understand what you mean your majesty.”

        “Aarko Dacaan,” King Thos responded in a commanding voice.  “The royal family of Erainor officially requests your assistance in tracking down the location of Governor Xuelle, returning her to safety, and apprehending those who have committed this most egregious crime.”

         “Whoa, wait a minute,” Aarko exclaimed, taking a step backward and raising his arms in protest.  “You expect me to find her?  I’m not a bounty hunter; I’m just a delivery pilot.  I’ve given you all the information I have about the attackers.  My part is done.  I’m sorry I can’t help you any further, but I’m not about to put my life on the line for something I’m not even involved in.  Now, if you don’t mind, I really should be getting back to Bio-Lab now.

        Aarko stormed off the platform, and headed towards the door of the audience chamber.  Although he wanted to repay the people that had attacked him and endangered his life and livelihood, Aarko was not willing to face death once again to do it.  Aarko opened the doors to the audience chamber only to find a small squad of elven security officers waiting for him.  The security officers stormed the room, surrounding Aarko and leveling their weapons towards him.

         “I must apologize to you Aarko Dacaan,” King Thos said, smiling politely.  “I’m afraid I have misled you.  I should learn to use my words more precisely.  I mistakenly told you that we were requesting your assistance.  The truth is that you really have no choice in the matter.  As it stands, you are the only solid lead we have on the kidnapping.  Therefore, we cannot allow you to just leave us when you choose.”

        “Just what are you getting at Thos,” Aarko asked through clenched teeth.

“Well,” King Thos continued, “it seems just a bit odd that you were the only one to survive the attack on your ship, wouldn’t you say?  Which leads us to the conclusion that you may somehow have been involved?”

        “Are you trying to blame me for this,” Aarko roared.  “You saw the recording.  I almost lost my life in that attack!”

        “We are not directly blaming you,” King Thos replied calmly.  “We don’t have enough evidence to prove your involvement.  However, you are currently the only suspect we have.  That gives us the right under interplanetary law to arrest you and conduct a full interrogation.  The law gives us the right to detain you until you can be proven innocent.  That could take a very, very long time.”

        “I don’t believe this,” Aarko shouted.

        “You should definitely believe this Aarko Dacaan,” the king stated.  “I assure you we are very serious in this matter.  So, you see, we are left with no other option but to imprison you while we conduct our investigation.  If your innocence can be proven, you will then be released.  However, if we cannot find evidence to prove your innocence, or lead us to another suspect, we may be forced to punish you to the severest extent of the law.  That leads me back to our earlier request.  You could offer to help us with our investigation.  You would thereby be aiding us in finding Governor Xuelle while also proving your innocence in this whole ordeal.  Of course, we leave that decision entirely up to you.”

        “You’re giving me the choice of finding Xuelle for you, or rotting in prison?”

        “That is correct,” King Thos replied bluntly.

        Aarko glared at King Thos as he quickly reviewed his situation.  With the armed security surrounding him, Aarko realized that there was no possibility of him escaping alive.  It appeared to Aarko that his only chance of survival was to agree to the King’s proposition.  Aarko knew that if he tried to back out of the deal at any time, the royal family would have him declared a wanted fugitive, destroying Aarko’s entire life.

        “Fine,” Aarko declared after letting out a long breath.  “I’ll do it.”

        “Excellent,” King Thos beamed.  “I knew you’d see things our way.  Our aide, Kohli, will provide you with any supplies you might require.  In the meantime, get some rest and enjoy your time on Erainor.  Prince Modui will meet you at the spaceport in six hours.”

        “Prince Modui,” Aarko asked in confusion.  “What am I meeting him for?”

        “He’ll be joining you, of course,” King Thos replied.

        “What,” Aarko spat.  “No way!  I’m not taking him with me.”

        “Of course you are,” the king insisted.  “He will be keeping in constant communication with us to inform us of your progress.  The prince feels that since Xuelle is to be his wife, he should take an active part in her rescue.”

        “Let me guess,” Aarko groaned.  “I have no choice, do I?”

“I’m afraid not,” the king replied.  “We simply cannot trust you to embark on this mission by yourself.  Who’s to say that you wouldn’t just leave our planet and disappear from existence completely?  We can’t afford to take that risk.  I’m sure you understand.”

        “Yes,” Aarko sighed, “of course.  It shall be a pleasure to have his company.”

        “That is good to hear,” King Thos said with a smile.