Read Starship Conquistador (Conquest of Stars Book 1) for Free Online Page B

time,” Capitan Jontvyk said, “We suspect the assassin
fired from there. The palace radar report no airships and laser fire originated
from the air.”
        “Just a single killer?” Rockvyk asked.
        “The intensity of the laser shots
suggests a single laser gun,” Jontvyk said, “We will find out soon enough. Our
rocket troops have taken to the sky.”
        “Rocket troops?” Remus asked.
        “One of our elite troops,” Jontvyk
replied, “They mount a personal rocket on their backs which allows them air
mobility. They should reach the orbit in five minutes.”
        They entered an elevator which took
them to the fourth floor. The corridor here was narrow, just ten feet wide and
twenty feet in height, with red carpet on the floor and the ceiling and the
walls painted in matching red. There were doors at some interval with signs
that Remus could not read. They reached the center of the corridor and faced
two soldiers guarding either end of a much wider door.
        “I will leave you here,” Jontvyk said,
“but will return to escort you back.”
        “Jontvyk, can you gather a couple dozen
troops and an armored airship for our guest's return?” Rockvyk said, “I don’t
think the assassin will try again even if he manages to flee but let’s not take
chances.”
        “Exactly what I was going to do,”
Jontvyk said and walked back.
        The two soldiers had been told to
expect them and they pushed a button to slide the door and the guests walked
in.
        Regional Star Commander was sitting on
his desk and he smiled when they walked in and the door closed behind them. He
was an elderly man with a wrinkled face and disheveled hair on either side of
his head. He was dressed in the same uniform as others but on his shirt were
ten strings of gold that stretched from one side of the chest over the buttons
to the other. He was wearing a distinctive hat that had both a front visor,
like usual Starfire soldier’s hat and two side visors that were unique to his
hat.
        He walked over to the sofa and pointed
Remus to a large, comfortable cushion seat.
        “Welcome, Vice-Chancellor Remus. I am
Carvyk Botlar, the Commander of Sixth Frontier Fleet and all of Starfire Army’s
forces in the Zarrvyk Province,” he said, “I was going to inquire about your
trip, but some countryman of yours has already marred it.”
        “My countryman?” Remus asked. The three
of sat down on the sofa and a land mobile robot passed around a glass of drink
to each.
        “News just came that the dead assassin
was a Nestorian visitor, an illegal alien,” Carvyk said then raised his hand,
“Not that we mind our friends visiting us but we appreciate advance notice and
request proper registration.”
        Remus felt a slight rebuke of his act
of showing up unannounced on their door but he was stunned at this new
revelation. He wasn’t the only one.
        “Dead?” Rockvyk asked, “I just talked
to Jontvyk and he had just launched the rocket troopers.”
        “They haven’t reached the resort,”
Carvyk said, “It was the manager of the resort who called me directly. His
glass dome was also shattered.”
        “That complicates the matter,” Rockvyk
turned to Remus, “Vice-Chancellor we don’t wish to interfere in your politics
but we are going to investigate this attempted assassination thoroughly since
it happened on our planet and involved an attack on our building. But it could
open a can of worms for you and if you wish us to be discrete and keep matters
under wrap you should tell us which of your political enemies might not want
you to visit us.”
        “I don’t know what to say,” Remus said,
“My trip was supposed to be a secret.”
        “It may not be his enemies,” Carvyk
said, “It could be someone who doesn’t want him to meet us and request our
protection. Which brings us to the purpose of this visit. You want to invoke
the protection