| King Of The Rim 5-Revelation By Stanman63 Edited By Nora Adrienne, JennaFl for Proofreading Synopsis:John Carter Learns more about his pedigree and the intricate, massive web of support that has been created by his father to guard against the depravities of the Emperor and Navy. |
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"CAPTAIN!! THAT IS A SECRET!!" He yelled vehemently as he stood up. "If the Navy or the Imperial Government ever found out about me, then they would kidnap me and ransom me off to my Family and then while I was their captive, brainwash me into one of their stooges or publicly murder me for all to see."
"SIT DOWN SOLDIER!! I AM YOUR CAPTAIN!!" he shouted back with authority with a fire in his eyes that would brook no opposition. ['Damn it all to Hell! It's up to me to set him straight on things.']
He fell back down into the chair, seeing nothing but trouble ahead. "Damn it Captain, if my secret gets out, I am a dead man and you very well know it too. How many know?" he sighed in defeat. ['Have I been duped? Could Captain Trent Marcus be a traitor?']
Then he glided over and placed his right hand upon Johnny's shoulder and smiled, and then chuckled," At ease soldier, your secret is safe with me, and with those that know."
"How can I be sure? I need an assurance that I can depend upon."
Then he brought out his medallion that housed a ruby instead of a diamond, "I am a Senior Knight of the Cleft. I vow to defend your life with mine." Then the medallion showed with a pure white light that touched both men. The medallion's white light was a show of loyalty of any Trillannii Knight to those of Trillannii Royal Blood.
Johnny chuckled upon seeing the medallion, releasing his frustration as he pocketed his new medallion, "So, I see that Dad has been busy as usual. He must have more than this one ship out here. Are you the only one with the medallion, or just lucky enough to have it. And what would you have it, anyway?"
"Yes, other Trillannii Merchant Cruisers, and Merchant Freighters are crewed by Trillannii Knight's, as the Queen is. But like the other medallions, YOURS was blank until you activated it."
"Oh? How did I do that? I thought that my medallion was keyed only to me. How can it be duplicated?"
"The original is still back home in the Vault with those of the Blood Royal. Any medallions seen outside of the Vault are clones, linked to the original."
"You mean that I turned a blank into my Medallion's clone?"
Well, YOU and the Rim Queen."
"Explain, please."
"Like all Trillannii Naval Ships, the 'Queen is an Avatar, giving her analog to a human soul."
"WHAT? But avatars have been outlawed due to their inability to process emotions!"
Then John heard a woman's rich musical voice emit over the intercom, "That is why Trillannii Avatars are the transferred brainwaves of deceased Knights. This way, we still serve, your Highness."
Johnny began to laugh out loud as he contemplated the implications of such Avatars. By implanting Avatars into bases, pods, ships, shuttles, and stations, the Navy had effectively created a network of secret agents that the Empire could not match.
After settling down, he asked, "OK, I can see how the Navy and the Knights can work together, but does that mean that ALL of the Trillannii ships are Avatars? And what about any Trillannii bases, or stations? Just how extensive are the Avatars usage?"
Captain Trent smiled at his question, "A very good question, it proves that you have the keen intellect needed for what's ahead of you. o answer your question, Most are Avatar ships, in fact, there is currently only one Trillannii ship out without the Avatar system."
"Only one, why only one?"
"When you went into the Navy, your father released the hidden Trillannii warships to the Merchant Fleet. Luckily, they were all built as armored cargo ships and only needed minor modifications to separate them from actual warships; all were equipped with the Avatar system, except for one that was given to a non-Trillannii. Best of all, we are the equal of any Imperial Warship," he admitted with relish.
"And he called you and the other retired Trillannii Naval Personal into serving the NEW Navy. What incentive did he give? You are easily able to retire with your wounds."
"Actually, most of us were wanting back out into space and the Merchant Fleet was our Godsend. And as for me, this happened during my new career, looking for you. It's a good thing that the Imperials do not know that Carter is the Royal name. They still believe it to be Pendragon, like theirs."
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Interlude-Secret Meeting:
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In a typical city, there is a regular building of an ordinary sort. This city or building could be in any planet in the galaxy with an atmosphere capable of supporting life. The only possible remarkable thing about this building is that there is a Mary's Dress Shop that occupies the lower floor next to a Public Hoverport Terminal. But Mary's Dress Shop holds a secret that very few know about, a secret that very few would believe.
THIS Mary's Dress Shop was the visible gateway into a secret society that lurks beneath the shallow veneer of civilization. In this secret society are the actual powerhouses that decided the fates of nations on Ancient Earth that in time, followed civilization into the galaxy. Other organizations changed over time, phasing out as newer, more vivacious entities that took over where others had failed.
Only one survived from Ancient Earth due to its unique nature. The Agency had been forged from the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America. These special agents were transgendered in some way, giving them an advantage in protecting transgendered politicians and business executives. During their tenure on Earth, the Agency had become a global organization, recruiting agents on a global scale.
During their reign on Ancient Earth, the Agency along with Hunter Enterprises had met and defeated many threats to civilization, in time, merging together when the Solar Empire expanded beyond the solar system. The Agency using its advanced technology began looking into psionics technology, using crystals and alchemy to discover those who were blessed with the gift of psionics.
Using their medical sciences, the Agency found that there were certain agents that had latent psionic abilities that were suppressed due to disbelief, and lack of training. But by utilizing the knowledge of Druids, Wicca witches, and others who had psionic talents, the Agency was able to develop the Avatar Technology, Coil Technology, Psionic Crystal Technology, and combine all three and build the first 'Living Ships'.
Working with Agents with Psionic Abilities, they were able to create three divisions, each with a 'House' clan leader whose psionic skills and training made them the Royal Houses. The original goal of this endeavor was to create a separate Agency that could police the galaxy while the original Agency maintained a close watch upon the Home System. But events were soon to change that goal.
Working discreetly, BOTH Agencies were able to establish bases in the ever expanding Empire using different techniques to hide in plain sight. The original Agency kept using the tried and true method of 'Mary's Dress Sop, while the Psionic Agency built private schools that taught psionics training to qualified students as well as traditional studies. To handle their equipment needs, Hunter Enterprises built research labs and factories that produced goods for sale, and for the Agents.
This arrangement went on for over a thousand years as the Empire expanded and annexed star systems with ancient ruins on devastated planets. Leading to the development of ecological engineering to repair the planets ecology. This continued until the Empire reached the Outer Rim. Upon reaching the Outer Rim, the Empire found that it was colonized by the crews of the Eco Engineering ships that were retired from service.
These now unwanted people traveled out beyond the Empire to form an ever expanding loose affiliation of colonies whose one commonality was being betrayed in some way by the Empire. The Outer Rim was also where the two agencies had chosen to when needed, and had targeted the Trillannii Star System for a new home in case of Imperial betrayal. On Trillannii, the colonists had already established the nexus of the new Camelot.
The Three Colony Ships, launched from Earth contained the entire population of Agency personnel and their families, leaving behind dedicated scouts to maintain surveillance from within the Imperial Palace. But over the generations, the Trillannii Agents had forgotten about their origins, except for a small cadre of Agents that remained aware of their history in order to maintain their most powerful weapon, their secrecy.
Heading into the shop is an elderly man wearing a simple black shirt, trousers and boots. He approaches the counter and asks, "Is my order in yet?"
The cashier, wearing a gray blouse, black skort and tan pantyhose with black Mary Jane's says, "Ticket please." ['If he is the King, his ticket will carry his D.N.A. and open the door, and his voice matches the records.']
Handing over his ticket, she scans it with the register, and then a secret door opens out of sight. "Welcome to the Agency your Majesty, to what does the M.I.B.D. owe this honor?"
"And you are?" he asked, placing a hand on his laser pistol.
She holds out her shapely hand, Mary Ritz, Commander of this base," she declares, letting him see medallion on her chest.
"Are we safe from the Imperials? Their scanners are second to none."
"Oh yes, this entire block is immune to Imperial scanners. In fact, we built them, so we can exploit their built in weaknesses."
The King smiled, "That's why you met me here in person."
"Yes, we need to talk, follow me," with that, the petite woman led the King into the hidden bowels of the base.
The King marveled at the very feminine figure leading him, and knew the Agency's history, "One question please."
She placed a hand on his, "You're wondering if I am a man or woman. I can see your reaction to me."
The King blushed as his erection was noticed, "Yes I am. Be you man or woman, you are beautiful."
She blushed in return, "Do you know our history?"
"No." ['Let's see if our intel is correct.']
By that time, she had led him into a tastefully appointed lounge where she sat in a very comfortable easy chair, "Randi, bring us a small snack tray please," then she released a hidden control on the armrest.
"In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was appointed as the Director of the F.B.I. He recruited Irish Catholic men trained by Jesuits as his agents. He reasoned that such men would never betray their country. What he never counted on was that these same men tended to be transvestites. When Hoover discovered this, he decided to blackmail them to keep them in line."
"This was Old Earth?"
"Yes, at the time, the planet was divided into Nation-States."
"Like the galaxy today, I take it that Hoover learned to accept them."
"Yes he did, in time. Over the years, the F.B.I. was called upon to save the lives of so many people in both business and the Government that were trans-gendered that Hoover started to see them as an asset, not a liability. Hoover even went enfem on a case which started the rumor that he was a cross-dresser. He let the rumor continue in order to keep the much darker secret hidden within."
"I'd LOVE to see the Emperor do that," he chuckled.
"It was during the Cold War that the Agency was finally split from the F.B.I. and attached to the Justice Department. The Agency worked across the board, working with local government and business as well as with foreign governments to insure the safety of the trans-gendered and American interests."
"Cold War?"
"Much like between Trillannii and the Empire."
"Oh."
"The Agency has no official name. Officially, we do not exist. We are a shadow agency that maintains the peace. Our existence is known only to a very few, especially ever since the Emperor went mad. "
"What, he does not know about you?"
"We have our ways of keeping our secret," she giggled.
"Much as we do too," he chuckled. ['This Agency and we are so much alike. Is there a common origin?']
"Our Agency's Head Quarters is always in an unassuming building in any city. The exact location remains unknown. Our secrecy is paramount for our mission to succeed. We Agents dress as women full-time except for when we are on vacation or on special assignment. All Agents dress as conservative, professional business women. We can wear dresses, pantsuits, skirts and blouses cut in any style as long as the color is black. Does that answer the question on my gender?" she smirked.
"With conservative accessories, no doubt. And no, your gender is still unknown."
"Yes, jewelry tends to double as equipment. At times, Agents will need to dress in formal gowns or impersonate someone. That is why all Agents are trained to read body language. All Agents must give up their male identity. All traces of his existence are erased from all official records. All of our former lives are erased from public files, to protect our families from any possible retaliation by an enemy. But we can still see our families as long as we are in our new identity."
"That must cause a few problems with the Imperials."
"Yes it is. It is a most difficult task that we do, and very few women or men truly have what it takes to wear basic black everyday. For those that can, the rewards, are knowing that you are protecting the galaxy and that very few others are our equal in espionage."
"Yes, I have seen your handiwork across the galaxy. We've known that there was another Power out there, it wasn't until we researched our archives that we found out about you."
"We know, we have an Agent in your Castle."
"Oh? What secrets has this Agent revealed?"
"None, our Agents purpose is to keep tabs on any changes in your Government."
"May I have her name?"
"She is known to you as the Lady Natasha, Ambassador to Earth, but she has another name with us."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"We are given a Code Name as well as our feminine name. We are trained in all forms of armed and unarmed combat, as well as survival skills. We try to avoid violence, yet we are more than capable of handling most any situation when provoked. Very few of us are cleared to use deadly force. We very seldom carry a gun, yet are deadly accurate with any weapon."
"No wonder we never have needed to send a ship to your defense."
"Our arsenal consists of non-lethal equipment: the Tickler, Gas, and Radio. The Tickler is a taser that interacts with the brains pleasure center leaving the target feeling relaxed. It comes in a pistol and grenade form. The Gas is a powerful combination of hypnotic drugs that places the target under the control of the Agent. The target will become very agreeable to anything the Agent says, even forgetting events. The Radio is the most powerful form of communications available. It can pierce through any but the most powerful radiation," spoke Mary.
"And your training and equipment have stayed modern?"
"Yes, all that we lack due to our secrecy are ships to transport the new waves of transients that the Empire is creating," she sighed.
Then the King passed over a mini-comp, "This will help."
"What's this?"
"It's a list of Trillannii Passenger and Cruise Ships and their routes. They are ready to help."
Pocketing the prize, "To answer your question, I am a man now converted to a genetic woman. How can we ever thank you for your help?"
"Keep up the good work and let us know if you need any help with equipment or recruits."
* * *
"Who else knows about the secret?" he asked as hope was renewed in his heart.
"Only those on board this ship will know for sure and they have all taken the Pledge."
"The Pledge of the Trillannii Knights is a sacred vow that is taken only after the Knight has gone through Training. Are you telling me that everybody on board here is a Trillannii Knight?" Johnny asked incredulously.
"Yes my Prince, everybody, including Jane," Then he took a drink of his beverage and smiled. "Drink up, this is Hill Wine from the White Mist Valley, back home."
Then he took a long draught of the best wine from his home planet. One could drink it all day and stay sober because of a distilling secret. "MMMMMM." smacking his lips. "This is some of the best I ever had."
"We only stock the best here."
Setting his mug back down, it had refilled again, very few could afford a transfer mug, but then again, this was a Captains Office and Captains receive such luxuries as a sign of their rank, "I need to know something then."
"Ask away and I will try to answer."
"Fair enough. How has my secret been kept from the Navy and the Imperials?"
"When you signed up at the Trillannii Home Port, you were classified as a Prince just as all the Knights are. To the Navy and Imperials, you hale from the Royal Orphanage of the Trillannii Knights. As an orphan, you have no claim to the throne."
"OK that jibes with what dad said would happen. But I couldn't risk checking it out without causing alarm with Imperial Intelligence. What of my Medical Records?"
"The unique genetic markers of Trillannii Royalty have been kept a secret that only the Medallion you have can reveal. No scan will show your Royal Powers."
"How? The Imperials have had a few."
"By making it glow, pull it out and see if you can."
Then he pulled it out of his shirt pocket and it started to glow. Then it stopped after he commanded it. "See John, your secret is safe here."
"Here it may be, but in port, the glow can out me in a heartbeat."
"Don't worry about that, every Knight can make his medallion glow, Only YOU can make theirs glow. THAT is the TRUE sign of your Pedigree, and you can speak telepathically with any Knight using the medallion and interface with the Queen in time."
John drained his stein again in one long draught, "And how do I train myself to not out myself when in port?"
"THAT is why you are here too. You will get the training needed along with your duties via subliminal tapes that only you can hear."
"That's good, because even though I did train, I had to 'forget' what I learned or set off traps that were psionically sensitive. Now, my Powers are rekindled, and need further training."
Then a voice came over the intercom "Captain to the Bridge please."
"Come along, John, let's see why I have been summoned from my Winter's Nap," he chuckled.
John followed him through the door into a room where two forward consoles were attended by crew wearing blue coveralls. The main view screen showed the realm of hyperspace as we sailed within its vast ocean of mist. Off to the side, Jane approached us and handed the Captain a digipad.
"We just got a report that Princess Ariel, daughter of the Emperor is on a vacation cruise through the Rim," she said, looking at John. ['Are they an item? Am I simply his Mistress? Or am I being jealous for no reason?']
"Why is that so news worthy? She is always on vacation," John shrugged. ['I'll make sure that the Captain knows the truth.']
Then Jane giggled and looked dead at him, "She is looking for you." ['Good! He is NOT her boyfriend!']
"FOR ME? WHY ME?" he asked.
"Well, she blushed crimson, "She is on a tour of the Rim, ending at the Capitol where she hopes to meet the Prince."
"Jane, THAT'S the official reason for the increase in Navy Warships in the Rim. We must be ready for increased hostilities," informed Captain Abraham.
"Oh. Good thing all of the Trillannii Merchant Cruisers are Warships then."
Then a deep throated chuckle erupted from up front. "If she marries anybody from out here, her Father will disown her in a heartbeat."
Then from across the way, a drawl resonated back. Now speak foe Y'all self now, Y'ah heah, I do believe that she jes' mite like us."
Johnny cleared his throat, "And who are these two, Gentlemen?" he asked in good humor.
Then the tall, lean dark haired crewman saluted, and said with a rumble as deep as the abyss, "My name is Morgan Ulrich Theodore Thomas; Ships Helm Officer. You can call me Mutt," he laughed.
The short, squat muscular blond saluted, and said with that deep resonating drawl, "Mah name iyes Jeffarson Emayanuel Fredrik Failds, I ayum Sheps Navigatuh. Y'all ken call me Jeyeff."
Then I returned the salutes, "I take it that you two keep the ship running from here," John chuckled.
"Oh they do more than that," John turned to the Captain as he continued. "They also keep abreast of their favorite subject, the Princess."
"But why?"
"She has a tradition of selecting only 'Commoners' to dance with at any party," informed Jane.
Then he turned to the two blushing gentlemen, "In that case, I want a detailed report from both of you upon the Princess and her Family as soon as you can."
"Aye, aye, Sir," they chorused, causing the Bridge to echo from the resonance of their reply.
Than a scanner warning pinged as the appearance of another vessel was detected by the hyper scanners. It was a much older Merchant Cruiser, its long, lozenge main hull the same as that of a Trillannii Merchant Cruiser, powered by twin barrel shaped engines attached on the aft section with a triple thruster pack in each pylon and a twin thruster assembly dead aft.
Then the Captain said, "What is that object ahead of us, as if I don't know?" he sighed.
"Anything wrong, Captain?"
"I hope not Johnny, but if it's who I think it is, TROUBLE is on its way."
Mutt and Jeff both sat down and went over their scanners. "It is another Merchant Cruiser, the North Star out of the Remul system," announced Mutt.
"Then hail them and send the message to my office. Follow me you two," ordered the Captain as he glided back into his office.
"Anything I need to know, Jane?" I asked as we followed the Captain into his office.
"You got me," she mused, "he always deals with them in private, but I'd guess that we are about to both find out. But the North Star is an old style Trillannii Merchant Freighter turned Privateer for who ever is willing to pay."
"OK, and what about us?"
"All that I know is that I want to get you to my bed ASAP," she purred as she massaged my groin.
My rod stiffened at her touch and I blanked out momentarily until I heard the Captain, "Jane, control yourself you vixen, you can ravish him after this meeting," he chuckled gleefully. ['She's keeping his mind off of the mystery, that's good. But unfortunately, this Captain will awaken Johnny's Knighthood with his avarice.']
"Yes, Sir she purred as she sat us both in chairs now arranged around the desk. It took me a moment to see the Valet-bot in the corner. Those bots were handy at doing the small jobs around the ship and around the star ports.
Then the Captain activated the screen and a dark husky man appeared looking like an Arabian Knight, "Greetings Captain Abdul. How goes your search?" ['Why he must act and sound like he's from an Arabian Colony, I'll never figure out.']
"Many Blessings upon you Captain Trent and the Rim Queen. [Sigh] Unfortunately, the Search is fruitless as usual."
"What is this that you are searching for?" John felt as if he could help him for some reason, little knowing that his innate psychic abilities were warning him about this charlatan.
Abdul visibly reared forward in a pathetic attempt at bravado, "And who is this young upstart to interrupt the Counsel of two Captains?" ['How dare this plebe interrupt us.'?]
['Asshole! He is still trying to imitate others by sounding like he is a self-styled Sultan.'] "STAND DOWN ABDUL! OR THIS CONFERENCE IS TERMINATED!"
Abdul sat down, "Very well. May your House be blessed? I was not expecting company," he chuckled. ['Trent knows how to stop my rants. I would be a Trader as he is, but being a Privateer suits me best.']
"This is my Executive Officer, John Carter. He may be able to help you in your search," replied Trent with a hint of amusement in his voice. ['Now to see John's use of the medallion's ability to sense the Treasure. Until now, it was a fruitless search since only a Trillannii Royal can sense the treasure.']
"A Thousand Curses be upon you if you are wrong! Just why do you think he can be of help?" John could see the gleam of avarice in his dark eyes.
"You are looking for the Trillannii Treasure Ship, John Carter is a native," John could see that the captain enjoyed delivering that bit of information. As he mused over the Treasure, John's latent psychic powers awakened as he felt the Treasure call to him.
"May the SUN rise forever upon you, Tell me John, where is the ship." ['Now I can sell the treasure to the Imperials and buy a proper ship, not an obsolete one like this old bucket. They should have let me have a Merchant Cruiser instead of this Merchant Freighter!']
John entered a trance, then soon gave voice to his thoughts, "The Treasure Ship; Queen's Choice was passing near the Bridal Veil Mists when it was lost."
"Yes, yes. THAT is known. What is NOT known is the location," he snorted. ['Is this pup a charlatan, or for real?']
John could see that he was vexing the other Captain, and smiled. Rubbing the medallion, he finally knew where it was, "You will find it upon the lone planet circling the Green Sun in the heart of the Mists. It is in the Northern Valley." ['For some reason, I can tell that the Queen can handle the Mists. But what is this warning I'm getting from Abdul?']
"But that is dangerous!! The Mists disrupt all ships functions!" he yelled at John. ['He must be real! Or he can read me and know of my fear of the Mists.']
Then John stood up, full of anger," YOU ASKED FOR MY HELP AND YOU GOT IT captain!! WHAT YOU DO WITH THE INFORMATION IS UP TO YOU!!" ['THAT BASTARD! HE CAPTURED THE MERCHANT FREIGHTER QUEEN'S GAMBIT AND SOLD IT TO THE IMPERIALS AS WELL AS THE CREW INTO SLAVERY!']
"A thousand curses are upon you! I will find the Treasure yet!"
Then he turned to his Captain, "Sir, could we retrieve the salvage for ourselves? We need to take it back to Trillannii, unless Captain Abdul will sell or give it to Trillannii." ['Now to see if he knows about Abdul's treachery.']
"After this run, why not, Abdul will sell to the highest bidder," he chuckled. ['You've betrayed Trillannii before, NEVER again! Only the fact that seeking justice would alert the Imperials to the betrayal keeps you safe.']
Once again, he shouted into the camera, "May the Sun curse you both!! That is my salvage!! I sell to who I please!"
Then John turned to him and smiled, "NO, It is mine, NOT yours Abdul." ['What is this Power that I feel? Al that I know is that I know what to do.']
"HAH! You worthless excrement of your father's whoring wife, why would it be yours?" ['These Trillannii think that they are all of the Royal House. The True Prince is still on Trillannii, Ruling while his Father oversees the building of the Colonies.']
"I am Jonathan Lee Carter of the House Trillannii, Prince of Trillannii." ['Now to burn his mind.']
"John Carter! I don't care if you are a Trillannii Knight! I WILL take the Treasure!" ['Why do I hate him so?']
"NO Abdul, the Rim Queen will get there before you do, and retrieve the Treasure, while you watch helplessly," John chuckled. [Next is to tell of his betrayal.']
Abdul laughed, "And WHY pray tell me why you reject from the Trillannii, Treasure and will I do so?"
John smiled, "Because you will NOT be able to blindside the Rim Queen as you did the Queen's Gambit. We know about your attack that garnered you the ship, cargo, and crew which you sold into slavery. The Queen's Gambit's crew is back on Trillannii, You sold them to OUR People, NOT the Imperials as you believe! The only reason that we have not sought vengeance is that the Empire knows about the ship, they DON'T know that it's Trillannii!"
Then Abdul screamed in helpless fury as John's psychic assault left Abdul without the knowledge about John's Pedigree, and ripped away his latent psychic powers gained from commanding a Trillannii vessel.
"I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!!!"
Then John cut transmission with a nod of permission from the Captain, "John you have just issued a Challenge, are you sure that you are ready?"
"Captain THAT piece of flotsam is NOT a Trillannii as I am. As the Prince, it is my Duty to retrieve it for my People," I have never felt so sure about anything in my life!" ['Is THIS what it means to accept my responsibility as dad says?']
"GOOD!! About time that we got that Treasure back. We've been looking for it since the Founding of Trillannii. It is the Foundation of the Crystal Technology that's the basis for all Trillannii Vessels and Medallions."
Jane touched Captain Trent's shoulder, "Captain, what is this Treasure you two are talking about? I maybe a Knight, yet this is the very first that I heard of it," she sighed. ['Is it because I am Trans-Gendered? If so, then even the Trillannii are bigots.']
John took her chin in his hand, "The legend of the Missing Treasure is taught in Trillannii Schools. When you went through the Training, it was assumed that you knew about the Treasure. There was no intention of keeping you ignorant, if anything, it was a compliment." ['Now I see her by my side as my wife. I have found my Soul Mate.']
"Jane, the Trillannii had the Treasure ship as a gift from Earth. On the way, it was lost. The crew made it home, but we could never verify the ships location and since then several counterfeits have shown up throughout the galaxy with the actual seals so we know that someone has had access to the records," Captain Trent sighed.
"But if they knew, then why not retrieve the Treasure?"
"Because the Seals are housed in the Imperial Vaults. When Trillannii was founded, new Seals were made to avoid any counterfeiting."
"And my Johnny can track this Treasure?"
['My Johnny? Is she ready for a commitment?'] Mused John.
"Yes, as the Prince, he can sense certain items on board the ship. That's why he found it when no one else could."
Then she turned to me, "And you chose me as your bride? I thought that as Prince, you'd choose a Royal."
"Jane, I love you, but I want for us both to be sure."
Then she wept on my shoulder, "Johnny, I am bad news. I have cost you your career and now you are embarking on some crazy scheme," Then she looked him in the eyes. "Every time that I have fallen in love disaster strikes. Can you handle the Curse?"
"Yes, if you will have me."
"Yes, Johnny. I will have you."
* * *