"First of all..." Belakane screeched. "You cannot go into this war without all the facts. How can you amass an army without knowing...."

Galantyne straightened, his eyes piercing Dmitri's. "Tell me." 

"I have spoken with my contact on Etrusia." He looked haggard.

Belakane adopted a wary expression, one hand clutching her heaving chest. "What contact is that?"

"It's a reliable source." Dmitri said firmly. "I have no doubt what he said to me is true. Etrusia has been decimated by plague and no one is left uninfected, except...." He closed his eyes taking a deep breath. "Little children of the ages before puberty sets in are immune and several hundred of them have been saved aboard a ship."

"A ship?" Galantyne shouted. "What ship? There is no ship big enough to house 200 children, especially since Archer's shuttle was brought back here, and Taan's shuttle seats only twenty."

"It seems that they have gathered on a ship that belonged to Pioneer ancestors."

"Impossible!" Galantyne groaned. "Technology was stripped from those ships and they were destroyed so that no one could attempt to leave the planet without the rest of us."

"Apparently Quildor found a way. Several families were spared from this plague."

Eyes around the room narrowed.

"My source is on this ship." 

"A child?" Belakane sneered angrily. "You rely upon a plague infested child?" Her fingers clawed at the veils and fabric around her jowly neck.

"Belakane, shut up!" Dmitri said, noting her apoplectic mottled skin. "See me outside this minute!" 

Dmitri turned to her. "You may be the Queen, and a Prominent Council Lady, but by God woman, I will not tolerate your disrespect. You owe me far more than this treatment, Bela. Others may be intimidated by your brusque tones but I am not. Leave off, or I will leave you here."

"Dmitri." She changed her voice to a kinder version of her former harshness. "Who is your source? I didn't even know you were still practicing your mind communication. It has been so long, and you haven't mentioned it. Have you used it often?" Her eyes were bloodshot and watery.

He knew she was jealous of the people he could contact in Etrusia. He and his former wife had carried on a professional communication for many years after their separation and the war had exiled her. She had been a very good friend to Belakane in their youth.

Dmitri now communicated with her son, Christoff, who was a prisoner in an experimental laboratory. He was now quarantined aboard this pioneer ship and he only knew that they were led by a prominent man in the usurping government.

"I have used it often to keep in touch with certain others on Etrusia when necessary, but I am loyal to Carrigah, Belakane, and always have been."

"And Valdemar." 

"Yes." He agreed rather forcefully, annoyed that she would bring it up. "I was born there! I am Valdemarian. How else do you think I even have this power to communicate? I only hope that I can continue to communicate with them and find out where Taan and Archer are. Now, can we return and tell this information to Galantyne so he can make an informed decision?"

*****

Galantyne's eyes barely rose to meet Dmitri's and he straightened and folded his arms sternly forbidding any further domestic outbursts. 

"My source said that he believes Taan is in the city. His shuttle was viewed as they boarded the ship." Dmitri said.

Concern etched Galantyne's features with deep grooves of dismay. "My father is still King, and the leader of this campaign. But make no mistake, in his absence I will take the helm."

"Valdemar and Aquaria have long been allies." Dmitri nodded.

"And Carrigah has been as well! If it wasn't for Carrigah, the war would not have been won!" Belakane cried, her breath came in shallow puffs, indicative of her fierce frustration.

Galantyne scarcely gave her more than a cursory glance. Keeping her quiet was Dmitri's job.

"I agree, we have always been allies. However, it seems that war never ended but simply went underground. My mother, Ondrea Carrigah Aquaria was taken from her home nineteen years ago and her powers taken from her. Quildor is responsible for this and his Minions must be stopped from marching to Valdemar to take Ondrea again. That is our war. Belakane, you are a member of the Council of Ladies, you have the power to give kai melds to our forces to enable them to breathe on the land."

"How do you know that your mother is alive?" Belakane's eyes narrowed in surprise.

"I have been in contact with those who have seen her."

Belakane bit her lips, her stance deflated. 

A timid knock sounded on the door. No interruption at this moment was appreciated, nor could one in good conscious be ignored. "Enter!"

Backlit by the dim hall lights, a small man could be seen. "I need to speak with Galantyne."

"I am Galantyne. Please say what you need to."

"In private." Galantyne shoved back his chair in rising impatience.

"Captain Kane." He remembered. " I am in Council and never to be disturbed. Anyone with half a mind would know this. Say what you have to say, man!" Galantyne spat, reaching for a calm he didn't feel.

"I have come from Aquaria to Galantyne for training, sir. I have distressing news.  I was given the regrettable message that Lailoken, your son, has died of the plague." He swallowed fearfully as Galantyne staggered in shock, and forced himself to stand upright against the wall, one hand buried in his hair. His eyes closed against the pain. "The boy, Conn is still alive, but barely, and Tylar, the Queen's son, is gone too. Her other son, Evian has taken a shuttle illegally. "

"Is there more?" He ordered gruffly, still holding his head with one white-knuckled hand gripping for support.

"Yes, sir. The healer who told me this said that the medical personnel that were left in charge have dispersed, the quarantine is broken and Aquaria is infected."

"WHAT!!!!!" Galantyne grabbed the trembling soldier by the collar and shook him unmercifully. "How can this be?! They are trained! They have protocols! If you are here, were you also infected?!"

"No! Sir! No! The healer was wearing a hazard suit and said only the city side of Aquaria has been compromised as some of the infected healers went to be with their families. The field side has not been compromised. General Wendar recommends moving the troops."

"Here?! He wants to move them all here?"

"He told me to ask you to send the great ship." 

"Can the healers who left be saved? Were they wearing hazard suits? How do you know the infection has spread?"

"I only know what this healer told me, and I reported it to General Wendar and this is what he asked me to tell you."

"This is completely unfounded! Has Aquaria all gone to hell? Where are your protocols? Why is Wendar breaking his own.... My..... protocols? This is absurd! A breakdown in leadership is as good as anarchy. Has no one any sense? Can I trust no one to see my will through?" He turned abruptly and threw open the heavy door letting it crash against the wall. "People! I have news of Aquaria! The plague has spread. Aquaria is compromised!"

Galantyne didn't wait for those assembled to process their shock. "It is immediately necessary to remove the uncontaminated recruits to Galantyne. Rezek, you will take Josh, Ethem, and Jacom at once. Use the hazard suits, and under no circumstances and for NO PERSON! will you break protocol.

"You will find the army on the training fields and begin to move them. No one else can be moved until a test for the plague can be found. Dmitri, you will go as well, and you will use all your land communication skills to report to me. You know I have sensed you before. Now it is imperative that you hone that frequency, my Uncle. There is no other choice. You know about me. Use that if you have to."

Galantyne choked on wracking throat clogging bile. The tension in his upper body pressed against his spine unlike any other. Unbearable pain filled his chest.

"But make sure you report conditions to me. Under no circumstances can the plague spread any further, or our civilization will be finished." His eyes narrowed as he stared each man in the face. "I don't have to tell you this is real! 

"Lailoken is dead, others that we count on may also be dead. This plague is the most deadly threat we have ever faced. But you cannot let this stop you. Set up perimeters, find the medical teams I set to finding a cure, and report to me!"

Galantyne leaned over the table, resting his hands on it, the veins on his bare arms standing out. "Kane. Are you too tired to continue?"

"No, sir. What would you have me do?"

"Go with them. Get a suit. You know the city better than anyone. Quarantine the sick, find a way to inspire the medical people who may have lost faith. Each family should be suited, and then watched for signs of plague. It is fast acting, Kane, it will show signs very quickly. If they don't have signs, tell them to begin loading for Galantyne."

"You don't have room for that many people here, Galantyne!" Belakane protested.

"I will move them into the mountain if need be. There are safe rooms there that can be defended." He waved that aside. "They will be able to breathe for a short amount of time."

"This is foolhardy!" She screeched, her breathing labored.

"Go with them, Belakane! Find the Ladies and bring them here!  Do not thwart my plans, this is war!"

"And I won the last war!"

Galantyne whipped his head around and stared at her. "Madam." The word dripped from his lips in sardonic stillness. "Apparently you left too many loose ends."

And then he strode from the room to tell his wife the news of their sons. She deserved to know from his own lips before she found out, as she inevitably would, from someone else.

******