The V'Dan (27 page)

“That
is
good news,” Li’eth agreed, familiar with the tedious process of capturing, processing, and refueling the Terran ships. The
Embassy 1
hadn’t had to do it on their way to V’Dan, thanks to the ships that had gone ahead of them to stock those supply caches, but the
Aloha 9
had, on their initial trip back to Earth.

The lift, which had been moving during her explanation, came to a gentle stop. Grand Captain Tes’rin spoke as they stepped into a broad lobby-like area. It, too, had more Elite Guards standing watch, along with two Marines. “These elevators are attached to certain zones, according to which hangar floor is being used. This one goes specifically from Hangar 3, North 5 and 6, to the new Terran zone, formerly the K’Katta zone. This particular lift goes to only three of the floors within your zone, and only this level has free access; the upper two require biometric scans.

“This way to the security station,” he directed, gesturing at the reception-like desk in the center of the lobby. “Your profile has been transferred from the
Dusk Army
’s quarantine medical records; you need only confirm your arrival by placing your hand on the scanner pad and stating your name for our records. Once you do that, Grand High Ambassador, you will have full and unrestricted access to every portion of your zone.

“All openings that have closable doors have biometric scans; doors that are already shut will not open for anyone with the wrong signatures. The scanner frames for the lifts and main entryways are also set to detect known explosives and chemical toxins, but those are a matter for the security teams on both sides of the zone to handle. The doors are a predominantly interior-security measure. As the head of your Embassy, naturally, no door will be locked to you within your own zone.”

“Thank you,” Jackie murmured. Her personal head of security spoke next.

“I have already reassured the Elite Guard that no one here would abuse such full and free access and have arranged to have
the furniture we brought with us given deep scans down on the hangar-bay floors, since the density of some materials can interfere with their scanners. As can our ceristeel plating, but the only objects we will be bringing that have that kind of plating are our backup hydrogenerators and the portable relay station,” al-Fulan stated. He gestured toward a stack of what looked like data tablets. “They have prepared explanation packets, complete with maps and emergency-procedure drills to study.

“All of our military personnel of the rank of sergeant and higher have been vetted for emergency access to all locations for security reasons, as will all medical personnel for their own reasons. Beyond that, the expectation is that you and Honorable McCrary will also have access as the two highest-ranked members of the civilian side . . . though technically as our on-site commanding officer, you would already have that level of access.”

“For now, as not all of your own security personnel have arrived, we have stationed Elite at all access points, including the restricted upper floors where the residential suites are located,” Tes’rin added. “If your troop numbers are lower than you like, our policy is to supplement public areas such as this lift lobby, the service lobby on the opposite side of that wall,” Tes’rin stated, pointing behind the elevator they had emerged from, “and the three entrances of your zone that connect to the Guard Halls—you may have noticed the shape of the Winter Palace upon your approach; the wall-like buildings between the bulkier structures are the Guard Halls, which is where we house the majority of the Winter Palace defenses.

“The Guard Halls also provide a checkpoint for anyone wishing to approach your embassy, so that your people can double-check all arrivals and ensure that those who are supposed to arrive actually do. In this manner, you will be assisting us in protecting the Imperial Family,” Tes’rin concluded, glancing at the prince standing behind her.

“As a good guest should,” Jackie agreed mildly. At the direction of the female Elite manning the nearest side of the reception desk, she placed her hand on a scanner pad and stated her name, then accepted the pad offered to her. Its controls weren’t too different from the ones they had seen up in quarantine, so she was able to turn it on, then off. Li’eth sent her a
pulse of inquiry, but she lifted her chin at the broad, transparent monitors ringing the reception desk every few meters. “I’d like to see a map of the facilities.”

“Of course, meioa,” the guardswoman stated. Her hands glided over the controls, and the holding screen on the nearest one shifted, turning into a floor plan. “What would you like to see?”

“I’ve already seen the floor plans for all areas within this particular zone,” Jackie explained, “but I’d like to see how everything relates to our fellow tenants, the Solaricans and the Tlassians.”

“I cannot show you all of their zones for security reasons, but I can show you the general block of chambers reserved for them,” the guard warned her. The map shifted to a three-dimensional display of a truncated, overgrown pyramid. “The blue territory is now the Terran zone. The pink territory is the Solarican zone, and the green area is the Tlassian zone. All beige areas are either buffer zones filled with shielding and emergency life-support equipment, or Elite-controlled areas.

“This corridor connects to the Guard Halls, where visitors from the Third and lesser Tiers will be checking in,” the guardswoman continued, tapping a corridor that led to the relatively narrow “wall” that overlooked the great plaza they had seen. “This corridor connects to the section where Second and First . . . and Imperial Tiers,” she amended, sneaking a peek at Li’eth, “would have access to your zone.

“This corridor over here is for all ambassadorial visits from the other races, including the Solaricans and Tlassians within the North Embassy Wing, and the other races from the South Embassy Wing. The Choya are this orange area here, the K’Katta have moved into this purple section, and the Gatsugi are this silver zone; pale gray is their preferred colormood for diplomacy, as it is completely neutral,” she finished.

“You won’t have as much face-to-face interaction with them as the other races, when it comes to diplomatic meetings,” Tes’rin explained. “They prefer to use communications systems that blank out the actual colormood they are feeling. The Choya prefer to communicate more often by commscreen than in person, but for reasons of climate. They prefer the air to be hotter and wetter than most V’Dan find comfortable.

“The same for yet a third reason would be suggested for all
dealings with the K’Katta nation; we have been apprised of the possibility of any of your people reacting adversely to an unexpected encounter with members of the K’Katta race,” Tes’rin said. “It has been suggested that, for the first few months, members of your delegation go nowhere without an Elite Guard escort to help smooth any accidental meetings, and that the majority of your initial contact take place via commscreens, which is psychologically more comforting to our kind.”

Jackie smiled. “You speak ‘diplomat’ fluently, Grand Captain. We had already considered starting our initial discussions with their people remotely, but your reassurances are welcome. You have a very polite way of saying you’ll be on hand to keep things calm should any of my people have a screaming fit of the
heebie-jeebies
if we physically bump into a K’Katta at some point.”

“I don’t know what a
heebeejeebeez
is, but I do know how to speak diplomatically, yes. I’ve been doing this for over sixteen years,” Tes’rin allowed. He dipped his head, acknowledging the reality of the situation. “There are those V’Dan—including those who are cosmopolitan and worldly, not just the ones from aboriginal settlements—who are inclined to scream and have a fit out of fright. The K’Katta are very generous and gracious in the face of such things, but yes, it does help to have trained, diplomatic personnel on hand.”

“Then I hope my people will not keep yours too busy,” Jackie allowed. She turned to Li’eth and tipped her head at the screen, and switched languages to Terranglo.
“So where do you hang out?”

Reaching around to the front side of the screen, Li’eth dragged everything downward and tapped a section of the next large, pyramidal block.
“Right about there. The center of the Imperial Wing has a gorgeous grotto-like garden with balconies for most of the suites of the Imperial Tier to overlook. I’ll show it to you at some point, once everyone else trusts you.”

She smiled wryly at that.
“Let’s hope they do.”
Switching back to V’Dan, she stated, “I would like Imperial Prince Kah’raman Li’eth V’Daania to have access to the Terran embassy. In specific, to all general public areas, all Terran-only public areas, and to my designated personal quarters. Can you put that into the system?”

“That . . . is highly unusual, but if that is your wish, Grand High Ambassador, it can be done,” the guardswoman stated, glancing at her commander. It took her a few minutes of tapping at the controls, then she had Li’eth press his hand to the scanner and state his full name. By the time that finished, the first group of Terrans had arrived from the
Embassy 1
and were piling their belongings to one side of the large, sparse lobby so that they could queue up for registering as well.

(
Okay, I’ll bite,
) Jackie murmured as Li’eth moved out of their way. Tes’rin and al-Fulan both herded them into the lift, and al-Fulan pressed the button for the topmost floor listed.

(
We’re in public; you had better not,
) he teased, catching and clasping her hand as they waited for the lift to rise. (
What did you want to ask?
)

(
I know that Li’eth means “Year of Joy,” but I don’t know about your other names.
)

(
Kah’raman means “King of Starshine.” No giggling,
) he warned her, sensing her subthought. (
It’s supposed to be quite serious. Li’eth, of course, is “Year of Joy,” and Tal’u-ruq means “Charging with Spear.” Ma’an-uq’en is a fairly common name, either for a personal name or a family name, and it means something similar to your “Mercy” but the full meaning is actually, “Withholding One’s Full Power Out of Compassion.”
)

(
Quite a mouthful,
) Jackie observed, following al-Fulan out of the elevator car. Li’eth followed her, and Tes’rin followed him.

(
Shush. Q’uru-hash means “Pricking with Pointed Wisdom.” Both it and Ma’an-uq’en are old names, very honored . . . though Q’uru-hash had fallen out of favor until it was given to me. Just imagine all the poor children being called Q’uru out there . . . And of course, V’Daania means “of the Imperial bloodline.” So what do all the parts of your full name mean?
) he asked her.

Tes’rin interrupted before she could reply, gesturing at the guards who were standing watch in the much smaller lobby on this level, four in gold and red, one in brown and black. “As you can see, more Elite have been stationed up here, with a
Teh’ran Mah-reen
as their overseer for this location.”

(
We’re going to have to work on your people’s accent. And
yes, I know half of my people don’t pronounce V’Dan correctly half of the time.
)

“The elevator to your specific quarters, Grand High Ambassador, lies behind two more security checkpoints. Since we are the same species, we have arranged for a minimum of useful furnishings for all rooms that were given a designated function, such as offices, exercise facilities, sitting rooms, washrooms, bedrooms, kitchen facilities, and so forth. A variety of V’Dan furnishing styles is also being made available for your people to select from a series of catalogs from vetted distributors.

“All furniture, both in the catalog and already present, has been thoroughly examined by Elite security teams to ensure that there are no hidden means by which anyone can directly or indirectly harm your people—this is a service we provide for all furniture throughout the Winter Palace complex,” Tes’rin told her. “I understand that you have furnishings of your own that you wish to bring into the embassy.”

They were passing another security checkpoint, again manned by Elites and a single Terran, this time a man clad in Navy blues, the gunner and copilot from the
Embassy 4
, al-Fulan’s ship, apparently sitting watch at the checkpoint since his ship wasn’t scheduled to fly anywhere.

Jackie spread her hands wryly, shrugging. “I actually have a specific preference in mattresses. Since I’ll be stationed here for the foreseeable future, I arranged to have my preferred bed shipped all the way from Earth since there is no guarantee that you V’Dan have anything similar. I can make do on a variety of different types, and even sleep in zero gravity if need be, but I think someone of my rank can be allowed one little indulgence for a long-term posting, yes? That, and it does pack down quite small for its size.”

Tes’rin smiled at her. “If
that
is your only indulgence, Ambassador, then you will be a rare flower in the garden of the Winter Palace’s allies.”

“Well, I
did
also arrange to bring three
papa he’enalu
 . . . The best translation would be ‘surf-board,’” Jackie added as that earned her a blank look.

Li’eth addressed the grand captain’s confusion. “They have this sport that involves using a special, shaped board, as big as
a person, to ride on the waves of the ocean surf as it rushes into shore. They call the sport
surfing
, and it takes great strength and skill.”

“Not that much strength,” Jackie dismissed. “It’s for later, when I finally have free time. I brought two boards for myself, and one board for your people to examine, in case they should like to make a few more and try the sport. So just the two indulgences.”

“Well, that is still a low number, Ambassador. The Solarican Grand High Ambassador, Trrrall, had around sixty items he wished brought into or changed in his quarters, and War Lord Krrrnang insisted on gutting and redoing all of the exercise chambers for his warriors within one week of his arrival. Speaking of which, I have offered to see if the War Lord would be willing to give your Captain Al’fulaan a demonstration of their fighting techniques. I have only been privileged to see two such demonstrations in my full career . . . so if they accept, I am hoping they will allow me to watch as well.”