He, as those before him, had taken extra care in maintaining an independent and neutral position. Lord Omarlo’s spies told him that one of the lords had decided to strike first and would imminently take action against Racine. Lord Marlis wanted to invade Racine and establish control over the planet, thereby adding it and any such device that it may have developed under its sphere of dominance.
Lord Imir Omarlo and his first chancellor, Moham, were, if nothing, very much aware of the long-range ambitions of Lord Marlis. Lord Marlis had been most vocal in demanding that the House of Omarlo align itself with one of the house lords controlling the Group of 3, preferably to himself. But Imir had managed to outwit Marlis and keep his planet in a neutral position within COP until recent events. Imir had anticipated that an invasion would be soon. He had been told that information on the existence of the new device had leaked even though all manner of precautions had been put into place.
Lord Imir was in his twenty-seventh year and stood six feet two inches, brown in complexion with an athletic frame topped with curly black hair. He was considered a handsome man. His wife, Lady Tess Omarlo, was the only daughter of Lord Marlis. She was an ideal mate as she matched him with exceptional good looks, intelligence, and ambition. He married her knowing that she was the daughter of his enemy. He had hoped that the alliance in marriage and the resultant births of their children would put a damper on Lord Marlis’s designs on Racine. Faced with the failure of that idea, he was now in the unenviable position that no one would want. He had to consider his options. The one thing he knew was that he could not risk his family’s continued safety.
Two days ago, word had reached him that the Group of 3 had gotten enough votes to have itself declared officially second in importance to the general pro temp. He was also informed that Racine was being closely watched. Any attempt to mass-produce the device for his personal use would be like waving a red flag. That just the creation of the prototypes had leaked out proved he had infiltrators among his people. There was no time to search them out. It was too bad because the device once installed and turned on, could then concealed any form of transport from detection.
Imir had just left a meeting with three emissaries who were sent to Racine to deliver a message from the member planets of the Group of 3. He was informed that they still considered Racine to be a neutral member planet within COP. This Imir translated as meaning that none of the three houses trusted the other. The addition of Racine into the Group of 3 would favorably tip the balance of power. Time had run out. Imir knew that it would be foolhardy to put trust in this declaration of his planet’s neutrality.
With the help of trusted staff, he secretly had the concealing device installed in one of his star cruisers along with the only copy of the development specifications. He personally inspected the installation, and once satisfied that all was, as he wanted, he returned to the Keep. He had just seated himself in his living quarters when Chancellor Moham entered. Moham noted how tired the usually vigorous lord looked. He saw that within a short period of time, Imir had lost considerable weight, and his face now had a gaunt look to it. Moham did not envy his lord’s current position. But he felt it his duty to inform Imir that he should no longer avoid sharing with Lady Tess the plans that they had made for the family.
“Imir, she must be told now. You both will need to be strong in order to carry out this bold move.” Having said this, Moham moved to take a seat.
“I know. I know.”
Imir very upset rang for Nigel, his manservant, and asked him to have someone seek out the whereabouts of Lady Tess and inform her that he required her presence. Quite often, he and Lady Tess would discuss his ideas and concerns about the political boiling pot, which their planet had become. He found comfort in her quiet way of truly listening and understanding the issues. He knew she would think that this was going to be one of those times. The door opened, and Lady Tess entered the room.
“Good evening, Moham, you are looking well. It has been two days since I have had the pleasure of your presence. Have I become such a bore to you that you avoid my company? Or is it the political intrigues that you are involved in, which keep you away from your adoptive family?” Smiling warmly, she went over and embraced the frail old man.
Gruffly answering and looking embarrassed, he said, “Lady Tess, it is my greatest pleasure as always at being in your presence. Lord Imir is lucky that I am seventy-two, or he would most definitely have to watch out for me as a competitor for your attentions. But as duty calls, you will have to forgive my abrupt leave-taking. Good evening, sires. Um . . . Imir remember my earlier words do not further delay.” Moham was gone quicker than would be expected for someone of his age. Lady Tess was frowning as she had noted his hasty departure.
“Hummm, he called us sires. Why so formal, and why was he in such a hurry to leave?” She walked to where her husband was seated, and she bent over and kissed his forehead and thoughtfully added, “Moham is still the gallant even for his age, but what did he mean by telling you not to delay . . . delay what?”
Lady Tess possessed wisdom as well as beauty and often joined Imir and Moham in discussions of state. This was not a normal practice for ladies in her position whose domain usually concerned only the running of the castle Keep. Lady Tess not only ran her Keep but also kept herself abreast of the political environment. She knew her father was the greatest threat her husband faced. She was very concerned about what moves Lord Imir would take to ensure the continued sovereignty of their planet. She knew her father was attempting to box her husband into a corner, leaving no room for escape. Both were strong and very powerful men. Though she loved her husband, her vested interest was the survival of her three sons.
He looked up at her and smiled and then told her that as he saw it, there was nothing that could be done to save COP as a governing entity. The Group of 3 had the necessary votes to dissolve it and set itself up in COP’s place. He told her that the Group of 3 would draw Racine into the resulting conflict as a means to establish central control. He told her that sooner rather than later, one or all of the house lords controlling the Group of 3 would turn on Racine. He told her that they would be seeking the truth to the rumor of a new device. It was a rumor he said that was made up by his enemies as a convenient excuse to invade Racine.
He had purposely decided not to share with his ambitious wife the truth about the existence of the device that had been developed. He had not forgotten her parentage and the possibility of familial allegiance. He continued on to say that there was a window of opportunity to make a strategic move as a means to ensure Racine’s sovereignty. This act alone would aid the family in its quest to ensure the continuance of the name Omarlo as a ruling family. Imir also knew it would lend credence to the existence of a secret device as being just a wild rumor when nothing was found.
Lady Tess began to frown. She was still puzzled as to where Imir was going with this discussion. Lady Tess had learned long ago to trust her husband. It had been one of the first and hardest lessons that she had learned when she had joined Lord Imir’s household as his bride. Her experience as a female member of the Marlis family had taught her to trust no one. She nodded in agreement with the logic. He then added that the harshest part of his plan included the involvement of their twin sons.
Lord Imir stood and looked lovingly at his wife and said, “Tess, there will be war. It’s unavoidable. We have three sons. The family must survive above all. Do you agree?”
Tess noted the serious tone and the odd question. “Yes. You have no argument from me over that. But what exactly are you proposing?”
“Tess, I know that this will be hard for you to accept as it has been for me who thought of it. I have had more time to come to terms with the rational involved. I hate that you, my dear, are just having it sprung upon you. I am sorry, but the twins are to be sent away to an unknown destination. If the worst happens, they at least will survive.”
Tess, horrified, looked at her husband, and it was as if she had never truly seen him before. She saw a ruler of a planet, a mighty force to be reckoned with. She could also see that he had taken an immovable position on this. But he loved her and their family. This she was sure of, so he could not mean to do this, not to her, not to their family.
“Where is Moham? Does he know of this plan? Has he agreed to it? Is this why he