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13: The Seeker
The sun had been up for several hours and Astra was taking a walk around part of the palace. She saw the door to her sister's quarters and was about to pass it when she felt the urge to stop.
She asked permission to enter and was quickly granted it. In she stepped, not knowing what to expect. Her little sister had been through a lot in the past four or five days, but thankfully they had not heard anything from Gamilon in the past day or two.
"Hello Astra..." Starsha greeted her twin. "What sent you over to my corner?"
Astra shrugged, "Nothing in particular. Just a walk. I thought you might want some company. You've been cooped up in here ever since Aba told you about Deun's... proposition." she crossed the room to her sibling's chair, "Are you alright?"
Starsha sighed, "I don't know... It's just that... I just don't understand."
Astra laughed mirthlessly, "No one really understands why people do the things they do." she looked down at Starsha, "Men sin."
"That's what Aba said..." Starsha replied, staring out the window over her beloved ocean.
"Are you afraid of him?" Astra asked.
"Afraid of who?"
"Deun."
"Oh..." Starsha looked ashamed, "I... I suppose I am. He has an entire planet – a whole empire even at his command. If he wants to take me, there really is no one to stand in his way..."
"That is where you're wrong, little sister."
Starsha looked up at Astra questioningly.
"Have you forgotten that the hand of Yahweh is stronger than any mortal's might? No one can overcome Him. Even Abaddon could not overthrow Him when he rebelled in Heaven, and he even had a third of the hosts of Heaven backing him."
For a brief moment a spark of hope lit Starsha's eyes, then it dimmed again, "But Deun has said that he will kill Aba if he tries to stop him. What's to stop Deun from succeeding? Aba is certainly capable in combat, but Deun's resources far outstrip Aba's. I don't want Aba to die..."
"None of us do, Starsha," Astra's tone softened, "But Yahweh can protect His own. Trust Him; He knows what is best, and His plans for us – for this planet – this universe – will not be thwarted by one obnoxious teenager."
Starsha's spark tried to return, but again she faltered, "But... but I can't see how this could all work out for good."
"Many times we cannot see how Yahweh will work. He is Yahweh; He created this universe, and He knows and sees all. Face your fears, sister and ask Yahweh for the courage you will need to overcome them. He will not abandon you in your hour of need."
Starsha nodded and finally was able to smile again, "I know..." she stood up and hugged her sister, "You have always been the one with more courage. Iscandar will be very fortunate to have you as their queen someday. You've reminded me of what I knew, but had forgotten in my fear."
Israel Kotlar, eyes wide, exclaimed, "And Admiral Talan confirmed this himself?!"
"He did," King Alexander replied, "I don't know why he didn't reveal it to you himself. Perhaps he didn't think it was the right time yet."
"A likely explanation." Israel nodded, "He always was a man of precise timing. Do you know anything else about the Leader's demise?"
"Unfortunately not." the King replied, "You know as much as I do now."
Israel nodded again, "There is tension here on Galera; rumor has it that Garen Krenshaw has returned, and that he was on Galera a mere day or two ago, but he was never found."
"Krenshaw? Yes, Admiral Talan mentioned that. Deun is still looking for him?"
"Indeed. The Leader searches for him more tenaciously than ever."
Alarms began to sound in Alexander's mind. "For what reason?"
"No one knows." Israel replied ominously, "But whatever the new 'Leader' wishes him to do, it cannot be good. Soldiers were sent out for him. That has never been done before. Even criminals are hunted by the special forces units – not the military."
"The new Leader has some curious practices." the King said, "Perhaps he was unaware of his father's policies."
"Unlikely," Kotlar scoffed, "The boy has no respect for his subjects. He uses them as he would any other tool."
"So it would seem." the kind agreed.
"I've had reports from my... sources... in the capitol that Leader Deun sent out another group of soldiers to find two more of the Etzuvim – Frakken and Lysis." said Kotlar, "He seems to be oblivious to the fact that, if he succeeds in bringing Krenshaw and the other two together that they have the power and the will to overthrow him."
"I have heard of the Etzuvim – a formidable group. Their skills are lauded all throughout known space. Is not Admiral Talan their superior?"
"He is – or at least he was. I do not know if he holds power over them now or not, but I suspect that none of them would ever ignore a request from him – even if it meant sacrificing their lives to fulfill his wishes."
"He is greatly respected by his subordinates." Alexander said. "Perhaps he would be a likely candidate for Regency if Deun were to be... unavailable to fulfill his role."
Israel looked askance at the king, "You speak boldly for a man in your position."
"I speak as the guardian of my world and my family. And Deun has threatened both."
Kotlar looked surprised.
"Do not look so stunned, my friend. Surely you realize even now that your Leader is not above using force to get whatever he wants." The King cautioned.
Kotlar finally nodded his agreement, "I have seen it."
"Your new Leader would take my own daughter from me and cut down any in his way. That is a threat I do not take lightly." Alexander said.
"I would not take it lightly either if I were in your place, my King, but I also know that sparking a war with Gamilon cannot be what you want, because that is what will happen if you resist him."
"I am aware of that, Israel." the king let his head drop, "I have let my anger get the better of me..."
"Do not despair, my friend." Israel encouraged, "Adonai will make a way out for you. In everything His hand is at work. Seek Him – and you will find Him. Ask wisdom of Him – He will give it freely. As for our present problems... perhaps we all should stop making plans of our own and take them before the throne of Adonai."
"Yes Israel. I thank you. I had forgotten in my anger to do the most important thing – go to Yahweh for the answers I seek."
Astra left he sister's apartment and went back the way she had come. She soon reached her own quarters and, seeing that it was still early, she took Silesia, her Jeshurunian companion, and headed off to her favorite place – the palace's central garden.
It took her several minutes to get there, but it was worth the walk. She always loved how the garden looked in the mornings. The sparkling dew was still on the leaves of the hundreds of beautiful plants. The morning flowers were still in bloom, but would soon close to await the dawning of the morning sun the next day.
Voluminous trees supplied a canopy of shade in many areas of the garden, giving visitors places to sit and rest while avoiding the sun's heat.
The glass dome that covered the gardens let in the sunlight, but filtered out harmful spikes in ultraviolet rays that sometimes occurred during certain parts of the year. As a result, plants grew here that could not be found any other place on the planet.
The sheer beauty of the place always struck Astra with awe.
She loved the gardens, not just because of their beauty, but because many times, no one was around to disturb her here. Despite the garden's beauty, many people did not like to come here because it was quiet – secluded in a way that the rest of the palace, even with its echoing halls and empty chambers was not.
The garden was a place for reflection, something Astra found herself doing more and more lately as the day of her coronation drew ever closer.
There were now scarcely two years left until her wait was over and she was crowned the new queen of Iscandar in her parents' place. Oh, they would still have much say in what went on, and they would advise her on what she might and might not want to do in certain situations, but she would always be the one that had the final say.
It was a lot of responsibility to give to a sixteen year old, but she knew that with her parents and sister to support her and Yahweh to guide her, she would be able to fulfill her role well.
That was why it surprised her when a foreign thought entered her mind today as she sat underneath her favorite tree deep in the midst of the garden.
"What if I am not supposed to be the next queen..?" the idea stunned her. She had never contemplated it before. Not supposed to be queen? But who would take her place? Sasha? Surely not. And Starsha was to be Regent, not Queen.
"My Lord," she prayed aloud in the silence of the garden, "Am I being silly to think this way, or is this thought from You? Surely You would not have me to step aside; there is no one else to fill my role. Sasha is not trained to be Queen. Starsha would never accept the role, and I have no other siblings or cousins. I do not understand."
Astra sat confused for the first time since she had learned of her responsibility to become the next Iscandarian ruler. From the time she was eight she had known what she would do when she grew up – who she would be and where she would live. There were few mysteries in her future. Her purpose had been set in stone.
At least, that was what she had always assumed.
"Are You asking me to challenge the plans I and my family have made for me...?" she asked quietly. "Do You have plans that I could never see or know?"
The silence seemed to fold in around her comfortingly, as though her God was right there beside her in some almost tangible way.
"I do not understand, Aba..." she whispered, "You have asked many of Your children to do what seemed to make no sense at the time. Noa built a boat before rain had ever fallen; Moshe raised his staff and the Yâm-Sûph* parted; Avraham was given a son when he was old; Yacob was given the z'khut avōt* even though he was... second born..." and when she had said it, she suddenly understood.
"Yahweh..." the Iscandari king prayed, his head bowed in reverence to the Almighty, "I have neglected Your council in this dark hour... for that I am ashamed and I asked Your forgiveness. Give me the wisdom to know what to do, my Lord, for I am truly inadequate. My own wisdom has failed me." the empty room echoed with his voice.
"I know that You have a purpose in all things. You have a purpose for all of my children and for my world, and for me, but I cannot pretend to know what those plans are.
"You have shown me many things and taught me lessons that only You can teach. I ask You now to do that once again. Please, Yahweh, show me what You would have me to do..."
Alexander's communicator beeped, indicating an incoming call.
"Who – computer, the identity of the caller, please." the king raised his head.
"Leader Deun of Gamilon." the anonymous A.I. responded. "Will you take the call?"
For a single moment, the king considered not answering, then he thought better of it, "Avoiding him will only make him angrier, and avoiding the problem will not solve it..."
"Yes." Alexander finally replied, "Put it through."
The holographic teenager appeared before the king, looking unhappy. "So have you reconsidered my offer, Alexander?"
The Iscandari stared at the Gamilon, the anger he had felt previously beginning to rise in him again, but as it did, a still small voice quelled it and a confidence that had eluded him since his last conversation with Deun filled him, "I have had no need to reconsider it, Leader Deun." Alexander said. "I cannot grant you my daughter's hand in marriage, for, even though it would be for a good cause, it would not be right."
Deun's eyes began to burn and even through the holographic medium, Alexander could see the teenager's building rage, "I do not care about what is right! I care about what is advantageous to me!"
"I realize that Leader Deun." Alexander answered calmly, "But I am bound by Yahweh to do as He wishes. I cannot and will not go against Him."
"You are a fool!" Deun roared, "You know this means that I'll have to take her from you."
"I know that this means that you will try to do that, yes, Leader. But there is something you should remember before you do so."
"What?" Deun sneered.
"'The king's heart is in the hand of Yahweh, and He turneth it whithersoever He will.'"
"You spout the Torah to me?" the teenager laughed scornfully, "That ancient Book will not help you, neither will your precious Yahweh."
"You may think what you will, Leader, but I choose to put my faith in the Almighty."
Deun's eyes narrowed and he cut off the transmission.
Alexander stared at the now-empty air where Deun had stood, "Oh Yahweh... give us the strength to endure whatever he has in store for us... Protect my daughter and give me wisdom... for I believe we will need it before long..."
"Idiots. Idiots! Idiots!" Deun fumed, "Every one of them are idiots!"
"Who, Leader?" Yeshin asked cautiously.
"The Iscandarians!" Deun replied, "Don't they understand that I could crush them all with one strike? I have an entire military at my beck and call. What do they have that can match that?"
"Leader, forgive me, but the military you command is also partially controlled by the Iscandarian government. They have a say in large-scale assaults such as this would be."
"And you think that that would stop me?" Deun raised an eyebrow threateningly at the Regent.
"I am sure that nothing could stand in your way, Sire." Yeshin replied, careful not to put his own neck in jeopardy.
"That is a good answer Yeshin." Deun's tone changed from angry to ominous. "However, to ensure the Iscandarians do not disrupt my plans, I will not be using the military for this particular endeavor. Have you found Krenshaw yet?"
"The soldiers are still searching, Sire. He was said to be on Galera, but we never found him. We are searching ever bit of space around that planet as quickly as we can, but –"
"There will be no excuses, Yeshin." Deun said quietly, his eyes dark and forbidding. "You will find him. The incompetent you have given me as a replacement has proven useless."
"Yes, Sire." Yeshin bowed his head.
"Now, what of that other matter you are trying to resolve?"
Yeshin grimaced inwardly, "Oh, no need to concern yourself with that, Leader. We have it... well in hand," he lied, "however it is not … entirely resolved as of yet."
"Good." Deun nodded, "See that whatever you do, you resolve it quickly. I don't want anyone finding out that the Guardiana followers are involved with any of this. Am I clear?"
"Most certainly." the Regent nodded.
"Go do whatever you need to," Deun shooed Yeshin out, "And come back with Krenshaw in tow, or I shall have to take this matter into my own hands."
"Yes, Leader." Yeshin left quickly, his insides tying themselves up in knots as he did so. He had no doubt that if he did not bring Garen Krenshaw to the Leader soon that he would pay for his failure. And if Deun ever found out what had happened with Frakken, he would surely execute the Regent without a second thought.
"If those fools I sent out to retrieve Frakken and Lysis have failed, they will never fail me again." he gritted his teeth as he marched down to the lower levels of the palace and into the lair he and his fellow zealots had constructed for their operations.
He pulled out his personal communicator – the one he kept solely for use with other zealots.
"Fisk." he said to the device.
The sphere twittered and called the requested party. The bounty hunter answered on the first ring. "Sir. What may I do for you?"
"Ah, a refreshing question to hear today." the Regent greeted, "What news do you have for me about your target?"
"The Gamilon troops you sent out after I left are blundering around trying to find Lysis, Frakken, and the others who are with him. They are a pack of idiots, just as you said. I have kept my distance from them, but I have been able to find out where the target and his band are hiding."
"Wonderful." Yeshin said, inwardly rejoicing at the news.
"However, there are some things that disturb me about his companions."
At this Yeshin's mood turned grey again, "And what are those?"
"Lysis left his inn with four companions and a child. But several hours before that group set out, one person – a young man I believe – left the inn heading back towards the capitol. I would have followed him, but I did not know when Lysis and his group planned to leave."
"Can you describe the young man?" Yeshin's heart started to pound.
"He was probably close to the same height as Leader Deun. Brown hair, green eyes – nothing abnormal about his appearance. He carried a travel bag with him and nothing else. His clothes were black and gray, hard to see in the darkness without the aid of vision enhancers."
"And what else troubles you about your target's companions?" Yeshin asked, his hands beginning to get clammy.
"There is another young man with them – he looks similar to the first one who left the inn, but he is shorter, and more unpredictable. He sports weapons he should not be able to have," Fiske glanced around wherever he was standing and then said clandestinely, "He looks too much like someone I've seen before. My instincts tell me he could be working with someone inside the palace."
"This is most disconcerting, Fisk." Yeshin said, trying to hide his growing trepidation, "Watch this young man carefully. And if the other one you saw shows up again, find out who he is and notify me as soon as you know."
"Yes, Sir." Fisk's image disappeared, leaving Yeshin alone with the implications of what the bounty hunter had witnessed running through dangerous paths in the Regent's disturbed mind.
* Yâm-Sûph – Red Sea
* z'khut avōt – birthright: the eldest received twice as much of the parents' inheritance as their other siblings and they became the spiritual leader of the family upon their father's death – in the Old Testament of the Bible this was usually only applied to sons, but in the case that there were no sons or son-in-laws, the birthright could pass to a daughter instead.