I stepped off the shuttle and was immediately hit with the sights and sounds of nature. Even though there was a cluster of low squat buildings several hundred yards away, they were like an island in a jungle ocean.

  Verdant green stretched out in all directions from the colony compound. The land was thick with trees and a variety of flora. Only the colony itself had little greenery except for a carpet of grass that was broken with paved sidewalks and the sizable landing pad our ship had settled upon.

  But by far the most noticeable thing I laid my eyes on was a thirty-foot fence that separated the colony from the jungle. Dark metal slats gleamed in the light of the afternoon sun. In part of that fence, which was quite close to the landing pad, stood a great metal gate that towered far above our heads and was just as wide as it was tall. It stood as an unspoken menace of what might lie beyond the fence and the enormous gate. Certainly, the chirps, barks, and howls of the wildlife from the jungle told of the robust and varied animal population.

  On our way to Talion Proxi, I had done my due diligence and read up on the planet, the colony, and the mining operation here. But it had only given me the broad strokes. Besides its being mentioned that the wildlife was robust and plentiful, there had been no indication of trouble warranting such an obvious and intimidating deterrent.

  I sent Markus a look.

  He was walking just a step behind me and to the right, like he always did. His gray eyes swept the perimeter methodically, taking in details I probably missed. He certainly didn’t miss the look I’d sent him, and he quickly responded, already knowing what I was going to say before I said it.

  “I was told it is perfectly safe to be here as long as we stay inside the fenced area.”

  “Yeah, but the mines aren’t fenced in,” I said.

  “And that’s why I brought the extra security.” He motioned to the two Pledges who had taken up locations directly behind me, with Gayle at my left.

  “I was also assured, “Markus continued, “that the mines were safe to enter as long as certain precautions were taken. Though I would feel better if you skipped the mines altogether. Send in the rest of the team. They can have a recorder going the entire time so you know what’s going on.”

  “It’s true, Highness,” Commander Leyva spoke up from behind my civilian-clothed guard. “We can set you up with a live link so it’s like you are right there with us. There’s no reason to put yourself at risk.”

  I wanted to protest. It didn’t seem right for the rest of the team to be walking into a potentially dangerous situation while I sat somewhere safely and watched from afar. But I had also promised my father that I wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks. It was the biggest reason he had allowed me to pursue heading this research team, that and the leadership practice it would give me. Ultimately though, I was the Emperor’s chosen Heir, and so whether I liked it or not, my life was more valuable than anyone else’s on this planet and pretty much the entire Empire. So instead of protesting, I settled for a non-answer.

  “I would like to talk to the locals first before making that decision.”

  Markus threw me a scowl, but I ignored him and stepped forward to meet a small delegation that had been waiting for us at the edge of the landing pad.

  “Your Highness.” A man approached from the officials, and despite my instructions to keep this informal, many in the delegation had obviously dressed in their finest clothes.

  The man was the oldest of the group, with graying hair swept back from his forehead, but flowing freely down to just above his shoulders. He wore a deep red tunic with silver threading that caught the late afternoon light. Behind him stood a line of similarly dressed officials, their faces a mixture of nervousness, curiosity, and expectation.

  The older gentleman stopped exactly six feet from me. The appropriate length for the Emperor or any of his Imperial Agents, which was not yet a title I had been officially granted, but the man before me did it, anyway. He then gave a carefully measured bow, but at least he left out the fist to heart as he did so, which gave it a slightly informal tone.

  “I am Governor Thane Korrel. On behalf of the people of Talion Proxi, I welcome you to our colony.”

  I gave a nod to acknowledge the greeting just as Dur-rele had tutored me to do, but stopped the urge to step forward and to shake the man’s hand. That was an Earth custom, not Ethian. I dared not even offer the Governor a smile, because in this galaxy, it was considered impolite to do such a thing to a stranger.

  Instead, I nodded again and said, “Thank you for your welcome, Governor Korrel. My team and I appreciate your hospitality.”

  Markus shifted slightly beside me, taking up his familiar protective stance—not quite hovering, but positioned to intercept any potential threat. The movement was subtle, but I caught it. And so did the Governor, because I noticed the older man glance down at Markus’s hip where the dragon-headed executioner’s staff hung from his belt.

  Governor Korrel’s gaze lingered on the weapon just a moment too long, and I felt a subtle tension ripple through the man. The executioner’s staff wasn’t just a weapon used for providing a protective shield for a charge, but also could deliver deadly pulse bursts when needed—it was a symbol of Markus’s authority as a Protector, and more specifically, his role as my personal guardian. He was the person who had the authority to strike down anyone who attempted to do me harm, no arrest, no trial, just a swift and conclusive execution.

  “You honor us with your presence, Your Highness,” Governor Korrel continued, his eyes finally returning to my face. “We’ve prepared a space for the briefing, as requested, if you’d like to follow me.”

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  He gestured to a pathway that led to the closest building, which appeared to be the largest of the small cluster. The Governor led the way with the rest of the delegation falling in behind me, my guard, and the research team.

  My curiosity grew as we walked. I did not see any other people on the sidewalks or near the buildings. In fact, there didn’t seem to be enough buildings for this compound to be more than a small outpost.

  The few snippets of information I’d learned about the planet and colony before coming here said there was a sizable city on Talion Proxi. This certainly was not it, and I had not seen any other obvious signs of civilization as the shuttle had approached our landing spot.

  “I was told there was a modest population on Talion Proxi,” I asked the Governor as we walked.

  “Indeed, what you see here is only the surface facility, Your Highness,” Governor Korrel replied, his measured tone carrying a hint of pride. “The majority of our population lives in the underground city of Jotham. The surface structures you see are primarily administrative and operational—along with our primary defense systems. You mentioned you wanted to keep this visit as unofficial and private as possible, so we temporarily shut down everything but essential operations until your visit is concluded.”

  That explained the eerily quiet compound, but the jungle around us was making up for it with a consistent volley of animal sounds.

  “We appreciate your efforts to keep this visit discreet,” I replied, trying to imagine what the underground city looked like and wondering if I would get a chance to see it. I was also glad we hadn’t been greeted with a large crowd.

  “May I ask about the fence?” I gestured toward the impressive barricade that separated us from the jungle.

  Governor Korrel nodded, his expression growing more serious. “A necessary precaution, I’m afraid. The native fauna of Talion Proxi can be aggressive. The fence is electrified and equipped with motion sensors. It also keeps the wildlife out.”

  “Wouldn’t a dome shield work for that? It certainly would be less of an eyesore,” Commander Leyva spoke up from behind. It was clear from her tone she did not like the look of the great steel slates that obscured much of the view beyond the colony. I had to agree with her. I’d been on Sora X where they had used a dome shield to protect the College from the wild desert beyond, and unless there were glitches in the system, you couldn’t even tell a protection barrier was in place.

  “Yes, and it would do quite well for the vegetation, but it struggles to keep the bigger animals out.”

  I raised an eyebrow at that. How big did the local wildlife get on this planet if it required a thirty-foot fence to keep them out? And how aggressive were they if a shield dome wouldn’t work on them? Markus and I exchanged a look.

  “The native wildlife of Talion Proxi has evolved rather... uniquely,” Governor Korrel explained as we approached the main building. “Some species can generate bioelectric fields that disrupt our shield technology. Others simply have the mass and strength to push through even moderately powered barriers. It was safer to install the fence. It’s not pretty to look at, but it keeps the facility and people protected.”

  That seemed to satisfy Markus, but I knew the possibility of me taking an excursion outside the fence, even down in the mines, had dropped to practically zero.

  “I know this is a mining colony. What resources do you extract here?” I already knew the answer, but thought it was a good way to keep the conversation going and let the government official preen a bit.

  Governor Korrel’s face brightened, as I’d expected. “Primarily exorium, Your Highness. Our mines here produce nearly twenty-eight percent of the Empire’s supply, which I’m sure you know is the primary component in the taminoil found in blaster fuel cells. Our refinement facilities are state-of-the art. I would be happy to arrange a tour of our main factory while you are on Talion Proxi.”

  “I will consider it if time allows,” I replied. It sounded like an intriguing prospect, but I was much more concerned with fulfilling our team's objective than taking some tour.

  As we reached the entrance to the main building, I caught sight of something that made me pause. Deep gouges marked the top portion of the metal door frame—parallel scratches that looked disturbingly like claw marks. They were too high up to have been made by anything I would consider normal-sized wildlife. I imagine that was probably the incident that led the colonists to put the fence up.

  The building’s doors slid open with a soft hiss as we approached, revealing a surprisingly spacious interior. Cool air washed over us, a welcome relief from the humid atmosphere outside. The lobby was functional but well-appointed, with polished metal surfaces and soft lighting that gave the space a professional warmth that was quite inviting.

  “This way,” Governor Korrel said as he led us down a long corridor before coming to a large conference room on our right. It wasn’t until then that I noticed that at some point the other officials had disappeared, leaving only the Governor and our team. I suppose they had only been brought out to make a good show of the local government.

  “I’ve prepared this space for your team’s briefings,” Korrel continued. “The technical specifications you requested about our mines are already uploaded to the terminal here. I’ve also arranged for our head excavator to join us shortly—he can answer any questions you might have about our mining operations.”

  “Most grateful,” I said as I walked into the room.

  A large, dark wooden table dominated most of the space. There were enough seats for my team and a few more besides. I didn’t even wait for the Governor to offer me a seat. I went right for the chair at the head of the table.

  Dur-ele had made it clear in his training lectures that being a member of the Imperial family came with certain privileges, and that meant it was expected for us to take the lead in all things, even if we weren’t currently an Agent of the Imperial seat, which for now I was not. But that wouldn’t last long. I would be making my oath to my father in just over a month’s time that would bind me to the role of Imperial Agent, and prepare me for eventual ascension to the throne.

  The Governor hesitated for just a second before taking the chair to my right, which was the proper position for a dignitary in these circumstances. The rest of our entourage quickly filed in, with Markus and Gayle taking up standing positions to each side of me, but at a respectful distance. I also noticed the two Pledges as they slid into seats that were closest to the door, effectively keeping their cover as part of the team, but the first line of defense if anything offensive dared to breach the room.

  Commander Leyva settled into a chair across from me, her expression skeptical as she pulled up the technical data on her tablet. Lieutenant Dorn and Specialist Dax Ferran took positions on each side of her. These three were from the Vanguard, and I had worked with before to help rescue Rainus.

  And then there were the newcomers from the Zahnian Legion. Lieutenant Imogen Quinton a brilliant Aerospace Engineer who specialized in organic bioengineering, and Weapons Specialist Pazel Lovet, who thought much of himself and the long list of his accomplishments as a weapon’s designer, which actually was impressive and why I’d recruited him to my team. They took up seats on the other side of the side of the Governor and across the table from the two Pledges.

  Despite my attempts to integrate the Vanguard and Legion, they almost always chose to cluster by their military affiliations.

  That left three seats open. The other one next to me and two that were separating the Vanguard members of the team from the rest of the table. I had to keep myself from sighing out loud. I really was wasting my energy trying to get everyone to get along. It seemed they were all determined to stay in their own little cliques.