Chapter One
Earth Year 2560
Kara Frost gazed doubtfully into the sapphire blue eyes of the beautiful Argarian woman standing before her.
“Nariya... I... I don’t know, but please think again before you leave,” Kara said as she was fumbling with the communicator that she still used to understand and learn the Argarian tongue. She stared at the beautiful alabaster skin and ice blonde hair that glistened in the sunlight that was coming through the huge windows.
“Oh, Kara! You think too much,” Nariya said as she took Kara’s hands in her own and squeezed them. “I’ll be fine. Rezurn is a wonderful man,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
They were in Nariya’s chambers at the residence of the Argarian Ambassador. The Argarians were a race of ancient warriors inhabiting the planet Terrgius. A sophisticated race, they were modern and traditional at the same time. The Argarians and humans had been good allies for centuries now. The Argarian King had even taken a human as his Queen.
“How long have you known this man? Only a month?” Kara said, concern visible in her soft brown eyes. “Don’t you think you should get to know him some more before you run off marrying him?”
“I know him enough. And we’ll have the rest of our lives to get to know each other! This is my one chance to elope with him. Rezurn is waiting for me in a space ship nearby. I don’t know when he’ll be able to visit Terrgius again. He’s my mate, Kara,” she said resolutely.
“Listen, Nariya, marriage is not easy... You shouldn’t jump into it on a whim. Trust me, I’ve been there and it’s been ugly,” Kara tried again. “Think about your father. He’ll be furious when he finds out you have eloped with a Klai warrior.”
“I know, but Father will eventually understand,” Nariya said with a smile as she walked gracefully toward the huge bedroom windows. She wore a long, flowy pale green gown with intricate gold threadwork. She looked so young, ethereal, and other-worldly—all of which she was.
Kara felt her stomach turn to knots. Nariya had been friends with her since she started working a few months back and in the little time she had known her, Kara had learned she was a kind-hearted and simple woman. She felt Nariya was making a rash decision. She didn’t have a very good feeling about this barbarian Nariya was about to marry. The Klai had a notorious reputation.
Nariya had already packed her bags and was ready to go. Kara bit her lower lip and sat down on the chaise lounge. She wore a figure-hugging dark blue bodysuit that showed off her slender physique. Her long, dark hair was tied in a neat chignon. She was thinking long and hard. What was she going to do? She was the Assistant Coordinator to the Argarian Ambassador at Andromeda 13. She had trained extensively to earn the position and didn’t want to lose it at any cost. The Ambassador had assigned her the task of escorting his daughter, Nariya, to Andromeda 13 for an intergalactic meeting. Kara had reached Terrgius the previous night, and since the morning had been trying to persuade Nariya to drop the plan of eloping with the Klai warrior and go to the meeting instead.
“And what am I supposed to do about your meeting with the Vllar Commander?” Kara asked her. She would lose her job if she canceled the meeting. The Ambassador, Erzhun Dyadjin, insisted that it was a ‘very important meeting.’ The Commander of the Elite Galactic Force was a Vllar, a race of warriors from planet Agrion and the Argarians were forming an alliance with them. The Vllar were skilled fighters and merchants. Their planet was known to be the best in trade. Their most prized product was the Sirrallion, a rare form of metal native to Agrion. This meeting was something that could not be delayed or missed.
“You will go,” Nariya said coolly.
“What? No–” Kara began.
“You will go disguised as me. Here, take these robes. These are the finest that I have,” Nariya said as she took the robes from her wardrobe and brought them to Kara.
“But that’s impossible! They will know I am not an Argarian!” Kara said. She was starting to panic now. This was ridiculous. The Ambassador would surely kill her. “Plus I don’t even know the purpose of the meeting!”
“You can do this, Kara,” Nariya cut her off. “You just have to be clever. And don’t worry about my father–he won’t fire you.”
“I... I could represent you and make up an excuse–” Kara started.
“No. You will go there as Nariya Dyadjin. Make the deal, whatever they want, and let me know later,” Nariya said as she approached Kara. “Please, I know you can do this... You have the perfect looks. Just hide your ears,” she said, gazing into Kara’s worried eyes. She had ivory skin, long dark hair and soft brown eyes. Some of the Argarians were like her. But her human ears would give her away. The Argarians had ears that swept slightly upward, giving them a pointed look.
There didn’t seem to be any way to persuade Nariya. Kara couldn’t shake the feeling that Nariya was headed toward danger, but she was too stubborn and in love to listen. Maybe pretending to be Nariya at the meeting would be better than canceling it altogether. There might be a chance for her to keep her job. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. “Okay, I’ll go,” Kara said, giving in.
Nariya walked up to her and hugged her. “I’m gonna miss you,” she said.
“Take care of yourself. And let me know when you get there,” Kara said as she took the robes. Nariya caught the sadness in her soft brown eyes.
Ten minutes later, Kara stepped outside and into the open field. Her mind whirling, she tapped the panel on her wrist and punched in the commands. “Computer: begin transport,” she spoke into her wrist. A second later, small glowing particles enveloped her as she vanished into thin air and reappeared on the Agrarian starship stationed above Terrgius’s atmosphere.
Once inside the ship, she settled into the cockpit and set course for Andromeda 13. Her heart raced madly in her chest. She braced herself for whatever was to come as the ship went into warp drive.