Ferni Massett wondered what to do as she walked safely anonymous amongst the crowd. Originally she had been asked to watch the two officers by the First Councillor but now that the Dark Lord had returned, she was uncertain whether she should speak up. She had told no one, not even the Head Steward what she had been asked to do. She liked Les Doman Resta but the look that the Dark Lord had laid on her earlier in the Room of The Ministers had pierced her. Looking for a personal vehicle, she was about to snag one when she heard a quiet voice behind her.

“Buy you a drink?”

Startled and annoyed at herself for allowing someone to get so close to her, she slowly turned around. Looking at the person who spoke and ready to defend herself, she froze. Staring back at her were the eyes of the Dark Lord. He smiled, took her arm gently and gave a jerk of his head to a nearby bar/restaurant. Startled she complied, her mouth open. Rather than his usual black cloak and dark clothes, he was wearing a light blue shirt and gray pants. Over this he had a light gray jacket. On His head was a dark green hat, now pushed somewhat to the back.

This establishment, advertised as The Dark Moon, was a cross between a bar, a restaurant and a night club. The Dark Lord steered Massett to the quietest seats which were at the rear of the club. A curvaceous server wearing a modest yet revealing uniform attended on them.

“What can I get you, a drink or some food? Dancing starts soon.” She waved a cleaning wand over the table.

“You still have the import from Zeta Four. The red?” The woman looked surprised at the Dark Lords question.

“Sure sir, and you madam?”

Before Massett could speak, the Dark Lord pulled out a soft container from His pocket as he said, “Bring the bottle, and two glasses please.” From the container He produced some tokens, one of which He dropped into the server’s hand. She looked and gave a big smile however there was now a strange look in her eyes.

“Whatever you want sir!” The woman swayed away, directly to the bar area where she spoke to an imposing and well-dressed man behind the serving counter. The man looked at the token and gave a stare across at their table.

“We are going to attract attention.” Massett muttered, always concerned with security.

With a smile, the Dark Lord shook his head. “Have no fear, everyone will forget us.”

Stepping into a room behind the counter, the male host reappeared with a bottle which he carried over to the table followed by the waitress. Placing the bottle on the table, he took the two glasses the waitresses’ had carried over and placed them beside the bottle.

“You are Manager Docci, are you not?” The Dark Lord asked.

“I am, sir.” He seemed pleased at the recognition.

Never had Massett taken any drink from such a bottle and she watched with interest as, using a corkscrew, the stopper in the bottle was removed. But she also noted, with discomfort, that occupants of adjacent tables were watching with interest as well.

Elegantly pouring the deep red coloured liquid into one of the glasses, the manager offered it to the Dark Lord who took a sip, gave a smile and nodded. Both glasses were filled and the bottle placed back down.

“Is there anything else, Madam, Sir?”

“Do you wish to eat?” The Dark Lord gave Massett a look of enquiry. “You did not eat today, take something.” He turned to the manager. “A menu please.”

One was quickly produced and a selection made. Massett felt it was best to comply, besides she was hungry.

“Nothing for you sir?” Was answered with a shake of the head. “I will be right back with your selection Madam.” The waitress was as good as her word and soon Massett was eating a meal of meats, greens and grains.

“Hmm, this is good.” Massett finished the last of the supper set before her. “And the drink, what did you call it, wine, that was lovely as well.” She gave the Dark Lord an appraising look. “You did not eat.” It was a statement.

With a shrug, the Dark Lord took a sip of the wine. “It is tasty I agree.”

Silence fell between them. Discreetly checking, Massett noted that they were no longer the center of attention and she wondered about that. She put her thoughts into words.

“Are you affecting the people around us? Are you doing something to take their attention of us?”

“No, it is unnecessary. If we act like everyone else and blend in, other people will just go on with their own little lives and ignore us.” He gave a soft laugh. “I learnt a long time ago that it is better not to interfere with people’s lives or minds unless absolutely necessary. Even then, the results can be, well, unpredictable.”

Fascinated, Massett wanted to learn more, to delve into the mind of the man that sat opposite her. But she suddenly realised that the Dark Lords focus had shifted off her.

“Danger has come into the room. See those two men, the one with a soft red cap and the other, bareheaded with a grey coat and yellow boots.” While garish, the combination would not be noticed in this time of entertainment and rejoicing. The hat and boots could be easily discarded in any case.

Casually pulling out her handbag, what women wouldn’t have one? In any case, hers was more then what it seemed, being lined with a hard, yet lightweight material. Opening it, Massett took out a small mirror. Pretending to check her face, she searched for the two men.

“I see them, don’t know who they are. What do you want to do? I did not bring a weapon with me.”

“It is not necessary to do anything at this time, this is too public a place for an attack. Anyway they haven’t spotted you yet. By the way, they know exactly who you are.” Massett stiffened at that. That raised a red flag for her, the number of people who knew that she would be here was very few.

“Yes, you were betrayed. But now, relax, we haven’t had our talk yet.”

“So, how do we deal with the pair?”

“The pair will soon become a quad. Then, when we leave, that is when the second pair, the real killers will make their move. But they are just that, killers. The first pair, they are the spotters and they are the real problem. They are the ones I want alive.” The smile grew cold and cruel. “The Imperial Guard are on their way and will met us at the rear entrance. They will be suitably dressed so as not to cause comment. The arrest will be quiet and low key. The two spotters will be taken outside the front. They won’t know what hit them!”

Slumped back in her seat, holding her glass in her hand, Massett felt like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs.

“How long have you known about all this?” She waved her hands around.

“This establishment is one of the safest places in Tihab. The manager is an auxiliary member of the Imperial Guard as are all the employees. They are rotated through here on an irregular basis to keep the secret from local people. Some of the guard come here to relax, not all the customers are civilians!” He said with a soft laugh.

With an exasperated sigh, Massett leant forward and with more expression then she really meant to give, ground out that she was referring to the Generals and the Councillors!

The Dark Lord gave his usual smile and waited.

Awareness slowly dawned on Massett’s face as she absorbed what she had just been told. She slumped back into her seat and looked around; there was nothing to see that seemed the slightest bit out of the ordinary. “You mean …..” She could not complete her question.

“Indeed, it is most useful as well as being a place of safety. There will be no interference with our antagonists until we leave. And those of the staff, they will not be involved anyway. Our help is outside and I will not have to do anything so long as things go according to plan.” He grimaced, “But how often does that happened.”

Massett was flummoxed, she just stared so the Dark Lord continued.

“As to your other question. I have been through this before. There are always those who would wish to seize power for their own ends.” He shrugged. “While the Ladies do their best, there is no substitute for the locus of power. It required no great thought on my part for these schemes to become apparent and your part in it was known to me before I arrived in the palace.”

“The tokens?”

“They were a signal, as was the wine.”

A thought crossed her mind. “Who betrayed me?” She asked. Intending to put that person away for a long time.

“In a way I did.” Was the calm response.

The security chief’s mouth fell open.

“It was part of my plan to bring the traitorous group out into the open so I could deal with them on my return. The admirals had become suspicious that they were being watched without any help from me. It wasn’t difficult to push them a little, just a tiny kernel of thought actually. Tappa already had his own surveillance out but they didn’t expect that it would be you so there was some confusion before the order to kill you was passed.”

“But you were watching me as well?”

“Yes.”

“Why not send one of the Ladies.” The Security Chief wondered.

“Well, while they do their best, and their best is very good, but they cannot hid themselves so well as they are also somewhat more conspicuous then me.” The Dark Lord laughed. “Besides I needed to explain things to you myself.” He looked and saw that the two watchers had gone outside and stood up. “Anyway it is time for us to move.”

“Do we go out the front or back?” Ferni had forgotten with all the revelations.

“The rear, a vehicle is waiting for us I believe.”

It was, and they were quickly on their way. There had been a scuffle behind them with some thuds and another vehicle, a police vehicle, pulling in as they moved out. Massett thought she caught a green flash, indicating the use of a stun gun.

“We can leave the details to the Imperial Guard and the Security Police, I think.”

“Where are we going?”

“You now have a suite at the palace. I arranged one for you and one for the Head Steward. You will keep your city address for future use when necessary as Head of Security, but as both of you have made powerful enemies today, so you will be safer at the palace.” He gave a sad smile. “However I guarantee nothing.”

Silence reigned for the short drive to the palace while Ferni Massett adsorbed this bit of news. Staying at the palace was a sign of having the Dark Lords highest favour. The startled night guard who met them provided some light relief.

Once inside, Massett looked at her Master. “What happens now?”

“Tama Priestas and Tim Deuris will be arrested and charged with treason. I will ask the First Councillor to make a formal request to the Minister of Justice for a special prosecutor to be appointed. That person will review all the evidence to determine if charges will proceed. The Legion will carry out the same with regards to both Rear Admiral Tupper Hills and Vice Admiral Vic Tappa. The evidence that you have collected will be involved in both investigations I expect. Now go check out your room.”

Security Chief Ferni Massett gave a wan smile and left, one of the palace junior staff escorting her. She never noticed the two Ladies of the Circle who came to stand with the Dark Lord.

“Is that the end of it?” Dana asked while the slender brown haired woman looked on.

“It is but the beginning.” Was the chilling reply.

*********

The arrests went down without any problems, mostly. The two officers leaving the front of ‘The Dark Moon’ were confronted by two members of the Imperial Guard and four Legion Security. Believing that they were protected by their senior officers, they protested but went without any fight. They were taken to a Legion base were they were interrogated. On learning that the man that Security Chief Massett had been sitting with was the Dark Lord himself, the junior of the two officers broke down and confessed.

Giving up his senior officer, an aide to Vice Admiral Tappa, he confirmed that there was a plot. He could not give any firm details of that plot as he was not included or trusted that deeply. This officer did confess that the senior officer had told him that Tappa was the leader and that Hills was the second officer of the plot.

The two in the back were rather more difficult to subdue, as Massett had noted. They were keyed up for violence and ready to hand it out. Luckily for them this was expected and when they resisted, the four Imperial guardsmen and the equal number of Security Police were ready, they only received some bruises although one was stunned.

Taken to police headquarters, the security police interrogated them, each separately. When they learnt that the Dark Lord had been involved, the two immediately confessed and cooperated fully. While criminals, neither was unintelligent and both were willing to implicate the two legion officers involved. They both protested their ignorance of any treasonous plot. As a side benefit, several murders and unexplained deaths were also solved and guilty parties, including some highly placed crime figures, were arrested.

The two admirals were quickly arrested. Still enroute to his flagship, Tappas shuttle was diverted to a command battleship for an impromptu meeting to ‘discuss the implications of their Master’s return.’ As the command came from the Admiral commanding the space around Tihab, Tappas felt that he had no choice but to accept. To his shock, he and his staff officers, most completely innocent, were arrested. The innocent were quickly released while the rest were transferred to the same base on the planet where the others were incarcerated.

Rear Admiral Hills was arrested as he arrived at his apartment. In his case Marshal of the Legion Ress Lissor carried out the arrest in person. Shocked to his core, the Marshal had insisted that he be the one to arrest what had been one of his own protégées. Transferred to the same legion base as the others. Hills refused to admit any wrongdoing and demanded that he be released. Tappa also maintained his innocence.

The investigation would take a considerable amount of time it was feared, but the Marshal was adamant, the Legion would take its knocks and all guilty parties would be fully investigated and charged.

The joint arrests of Tama Priestas and Tim Deuris also went smoothly. A special section of The Ministry of Justice was created and appointed to carry out the investigations and prosecution.

The Dark Lord was kept fully informed.