Page 2 of Guardian's Destiny

That didn't mean I didn't want the job.

"We both decided that I had to gain more experience first," I explained to Ash. "We'll go from there."

"Oh, you're on a mission?" Ash beamed. "What is it?"

"Nothing special," I lied.

This has to stay between us; nobody can know about this, Daryus had warned.

"Really?" Ash rose an eyebrow at me; she knew me too well.

I shrugged, "Yeah, just some errand, so the Emperor and I can get to know each other better."

The Arkhevari are only a rumor, a legend. If word gets out that they're real, this could change the entire universe. I understood the caution; he had already explained the possible repercussions. It was like someone from Atlantis suddenly appearing on Earth, claiming to have lived all this time hidden in the depths of the sea. Or like vampires coming forward. If this Zapharos really was who he claimed to be, an Arkhevari, this was highly sensitive intel that needed careful planning on how to announce it to the universe at large.

"Hmm, sure," Ash nodded. "Got it. Top secretJames Bondshit."

"What are you up to?" I asked to change the subject.

"Well, I'm glad you asked. I'll be happy to tell you because that's what friends do. They tell each other what they're up to."

I waved my hand at her to continue. She grinned happily, "Xandros and I are about to kick some Cryon ass on Cronack."

As much as I had cursed the fact that I had been inside an underground bunker, relatively safe, during the Cryon invasion, I was happy to have missed the trauma of having been abducted by them. God knew Ash had made the best of her situation after the Cryons took her, but if she hadn't met Xandros, she probably wouldn't be here, and I would have never seen my friend again.

A smirk tugged at my lips when I recalled how she had described meeting Xandros—by aiming a blaster at his head.That just sounded like her. But if Xandros hadn't been Xandros, it could have played out a lot differently. No matter how resilient my friend was, I didn't think she would have ever made it off Colynth, the Cryon's main planet.

Cronack was a planet where the Cryons had meddled with genetic engineering and the very pit of what was wrong with them. After chasing them off Earth and bringing their Emperor down, cleaning up Cronack was probably one of the most satisfying missions for Ash.

"Kill a few Cryons for me," I requested.

"You got it. That's what friends are for," Ash agreed.

"Are you ready?" The imposing form of the Superior Commander of the Imperial Forces, Xandros Callicapos, appeared next to Ash. "Oh, hey, Sloane, are you our new Chief Intelligence Officer yet?"

I laughed and waved at Xandros, "Not yet, doing an interview errand."

"On ZXG64?"

If he thought he could catch me off guard, he didn't know me very well yet. Although how he found out where I was would need a little farther digging.

"You did your homework." I praised sarcastically.

Xandros turned to Ash, "You're right, she'll fit right in."

Ash grinned. "Told you so."

"Alright, as fun as this was, I've gotta go. Got some aliens to meet," I announced.

"Sloane," Xandros called me before I disconnected the call.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, whatever Daryus has you involved in, keep your eyes open," Xandros warned. During the journey from Earth to Pandrax, I had gotten to know the Superior Commander. He was an arrogant ass, but he had the balls to back it up, so I likedhim. I would still kill him if he hurt Ash, but I might feel a small twinge of regret… nah, probably not.

"Always am." I winked and disconnected the comm. I liked this technology. I liked how whoever you talked to would appear right in front of you. I wasn't the feely touchy, hugging type of person, so I didn't miss the personal touch all that much. It was enough to be able to see Ash and to know that she was okay.

Alright, it was time to meet Zapharos and to find out if he really was who he claimed to be.

---