Page 7 of Alien King Crashes the Wedding

“Sure. No problem.” Dagan frowned. “Wasn’t he headed back to Caldor on leave to see his family?” Dagan sighed, not unhappy to see the commander, just tired and sore from the long day. He had actually intended to see him on this trip, but the commander had already left.

“Yes. Something must have come up.” Cam crossed his arms over his chest and stood waiting for the commander to appear. “Let’s hope it isn’t anything to do with the Vilitos again. Whatever the reason for his early return, it must be something big,” Cam cautioned quietly. “He’s a good man and I like him, although he was digging into the archives before he left, searching for old references to Lumeria.”

“I see him. What does hethinkhe knows about them?” Dagan studied the commander as he approached. He looked like all commanders who bear heavy responsibilities. Focused. Confident. Determined. He was clearly a warrior in his prime. Dagan maintained an easy stance through years of practice. Only the tick in his jaw gave away any hint of tension.

"Haven’t a clue. There’s nothing in the archives past the total annihilation of their planet. No survivors. I checked them myself. The records don’t even say who did it, just that it was ordered by the Council,” Cam murmured quietly just as the commander arrived.

“Congratulations once again on the first Earth-Caldorian binding ceremony, Ambassador Shronti,” Commander Bashall said by way of greeting Cam. He and Cam clasped forearms briefly in traditional Caldorian fashion.

“Good of you to come to my binding ceremony, Commander. Rachel will be thrilled you’re here. I heard some of her friends want to meet the warrior seen so recently on the news. It seems you have fans among the humans.” He chuckled. “Even I was impressed by the gruesomeness of that beheading. Serves the Vilitos right for trying to break through our defense system. And please, don’t give the king any more fodder for his twisted sense of humor. Call me Cam,” he said, grinning.

“Cam, then,” continued Commander Bashall soberly before turning to Dagan and nodding. “Thank you for meeting me, Your Majesty. I hope you enjoyed your stroll in the forest,” he said as he glanced at the forest and back toward Dagan’s bruised left temple. “You must be careful. The wildlife here can be dangerous.”

“Indeed.” Dagan smiled without amusement.What exactly is he suggesting here? That I can’t handle myself or that he knows something he shouldn’t?Dagan kept his facial muscles relaxed, unwilling to let the commander ruffle his feathers. He was far too practiced at the art of deception to allow anything to visibly rattle him.

He stared at the commander until the other man finally looked back toward Cam. Dagan was impressed. Most men couldn’t hold his gaze more than a few seconds. His respect for the commander grew, and he waited for Cam to begin the official introduction. The setting sun and fresh air invited tranquility and peace on the beautiful, crisp winter day, but the commander’s tension was palpable as Cam turned toward Dagan.

“Your Majesty, will you now receive the introduction of your base commander, currently assigned to Earth?” asked Cam formally.

“I will,” answered Dagan formally. He much preferred informal greetings, but he trusted Cam and knew his position as ambassador and liaison to Earth was well-earned. Commander Bashall ran the military side of the base, while Cam liaised between Caldor, Earth, and all of Earth’s political maneuverings in the Intergalactic Market and The Intergalactic Council. However, everyone from Caldor knew Cam was also Dagan’s best friend and confidante. Cam never took advantage of the position, but it was what it was, and people frequently came to him when the king was unavailable.

“Your Majesty,” began Cam, “This is Commander Sevron Bashall. He’s had command of all Earth operations since you accepted the Council’s request to introduce Earth to an intergalactic trade program. He was instrumental in setting up Earth’s initial security, performed his duties as commander with distinction, and has personally overseen the design and implementation of all defense system protocols and upgrades.”

Dagan held out his forearm and waited for the commander to clasp it before he spoke. “Well done, Commander. I will admit I have been keeping my eye on this small planet. I am pleased by your exemplary service here,” Dagan continued formally, “You have earned a King’s Reward.”

Dagan was not surprised when the commander knelt on one knee, as it was tradition to do so when being rewarded by a king. Those who had earned the reward could then ask the king for any reward within reason. Some asked for money or valuable acquisitions. Many requested entrance into the king’s elite guard. Once in a while they would ask to join the Lumerian Knights, at which point he would disavow any knowledge of the Knights and allow them the opportunity to request something else. Dagan realized his friend was being formal for this very reason. It would allow him to offer the reward, at which time the commander would have only one chance to ask for what he truly wanted.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” began the commander solemnly, his head bent as if in prayer.

When Commander Bashall remained silent, Dagan prompted him to continue. “What do you ask as reward?”

Finally, Commander Bashall looked up, glancing from Dagan to the seemingly empty field, and back again. “It’s about the Lumerian Knights, but the request is not for me. It’s for my brother.”

Dagan looked to Cam, who shook his head in the negative. He took a deep breath and decided to deviate from the normal script he and Cam had devised years ago, and give the commander as much of the truth as he could. “I must confess,” Dagan said, grinning boyishly, “when I was a boy, I spent many hours looking for an army of invisible spies and assassins at the palace. It was a great disappointment when my father told me the legends were fabricated by the kings of old to scare and intimidate our enemies. Lumerians were the fiercest warriors ever to have lived. They were legendary in their time. When I argued that some could have made it off the planet and fled to safety, my father explained to me that any survivors would have been hunted to extinction long ago, by order of the Council. I’m afraid your brother is destined to be disappointed, just as I was.”

“No. My brother found an ancient journal recording the existence of the king’s legendary Knights from Lumeria and became obsessed with them. He wanted to become one, and trained day and night. He was convinced of their existence, and when he was more skilled than anyone else in the area, he left to find them. My family listed him as deceased exactly one year later, just like we agreed before he left, and we haven’t heard from him in almost fifteen years.”

“Fifteen years? Any number of things could have happened to him in that time,” Cam replied with genuine sorrow.

Commander Bashall looked at Dagan with stubborn determination in his eyes. “You needn’t try to convince me that the Knights aren’t real. I know my brother. I just need their help finding and retrieving him. He’s hurt and confused.”

“How do you know he’s hurt and confused if you can’t find him? If you haven’t seen him in fifteen years?” Dagan questioned, his every muscle tensed. His instincts were screaming at him and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck began to rise.

“I know because I always know.” Commander Bashall squared his shoulders before he continued, “Just like I know the Lumerian Knights are real, even if no one can see them. I feel Torrin’s pain now as clearly as I felt his triumph all those years ago.”

“Explain,” commanded Dagan, all pretense gone.

“We’re mirror twins.”

“Mirror twins? As in, what one feels, so does the other?” Cam questioned. “That’s extremely rare, my friend. I’ve never met one. It’s a shame you’ve been separated for so many years.”

Commander Bashall nodded with sad determination. “I can get you documented evidence of mirror twin accuracy, if you doubt me. The separation has always been difficult for both of us, but this time it’s different. I think those fucking lizards from Vilitos have him. As soon as they entered Earth’s gravitational orbit, I knew he was close by. I feel his pain and disorientation more strongly whenever he’s close. I think he’s about to do something that will most likely get him killed if I can’t find him soon. He must be feverish and not thinking logically. I was taking some personal leave, on my way to Caldor to ask for King Dagan’s assistance, when I heard the king was already on his way here for your binding ceremony. I turned around immediately.”

Dagan suspected he already knew the answer to his next question, but asked anyway, to be sure. “Who is your twin?”

“Torrin,” replied Commander Bashall. “I don’t know what he’s using as a family name, but I doubt he would have changed his first name.”

Dagan looked at Commander Bashall with real sympathy. The commander was right, although Dagan couldn’t reveal that information. Torrin was the newest member of his Lumerian Knights, the first and only non-Lumerian in fact, and they’d been looking for Torrin ever since he’d failed to check in three months ago. Dagan mentally added a short beard to the commander and saw what he’d missed before. He looked just like his twin. If Commander Bashall could feel Torrin, perhaps they could find a way to use that connection to find him.

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