Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,78

She looked up and down the corridor before looking back at the males.

“This is not Command Warship 1, is it?” she asked.

One of the males shook his head, but didn’t speak.

“Who are you?” she asked, the tears beginning to overtake her again. One of the males stepped toward her and out of fear, she shuffled back toward the room she’d just walked out of.

“You are safe here,” one of the males said, reaching out toward her. “Do not fret, female. We are assigned to protect you. No one will harm you,” he promised in accented English.

“Where is here?” she asked, still standing away from them, though she thought she already knew the answer.

“You are aboard the satellite station of The Unified Consortium Defense. You’ve been granted asylum and protection until you can be returned home to your world. You are not in danger.”

“How did I get here?” she asked, as tears spilled from her eyes.

The males shared a glance, then looked at her once more. “Cruestaci General Lo'San arrived with you during the night.”

Synclare let a soft sob escape as she began to cry uncontrollably again. He’d just brought her here while she was unconscious, and dumped her here.

“Does Vivian know?” she asked.

“Who is Vivi-an?” one of the guards asked.

“Sirena Vivian Tel Mo’ Kok of Cruestace. Does she know I’m here?” Synclare asked.

“I know not, female. Only General Lo'San of the Cruestaci has been here, but fear not. We will protect you,” the other male answered.

“I want to go home,” she muttered to herself, as the uncontrollable tears began again and she squeezed her eyes closed.

“Ambassador Karel has reached out to Consul Kol Ra’ Don Tol of Earth. I trust it won’t be long,” the first guard said.

“I don’t want to go to Earth! I want to go back to Command Warship 1!”

The guards looked at one another again, then back at Synclare. “General Lo'San left you here at your request. He clearly stated to Ambassador Karel that you wished to dissolve your bond with him and return to Earth,” the first guard said.

“He lied! I want to go back to Command Warship 1. Right now!” Synclare insisted.

The first guard took a communicator off his belt and swiped its screen a few times before pausing, and speaking in a language she didn’t understand. He received an answer almost immediately, in the same language he’d spoken in, and nodded to himself before reattaching it to his belt. He looked at his fellow guard, then at Synclare. “We’ll escort you to Ambassador Karel's offices. You can speak with him and together unravel this confusion.”

Synclare nodded, and began walking down the corridor in the direction the first guard indicated. She paused in her stride only once when she heard one of her guards whisper to the other. “Why would she want to return to a male who has humiliated her and discarded her so callously?”

“I thought General Lo'San a respectable male. He is a fool. Many of our males would welcome her in bonding.”

Synclare thought about their words as she walked down the long corridor with them at her back. They were right. Why would she fight to return to a male who’d thrown her away, personally taking her off the ship while she slept?

“Turn to your right, female,” the first guard instructed from behind her as she approached an intersecting corridor.

Synclare took the right he instructed then realized they’d spoken to her about Ambassador Karel, whoever that was, but not Chairman Bartholomew. “Where is Chairman Bartholomew? He is a friend of mine, can I speak to him?”

“He is not assigned to this station. His offices are aboard the Unified Consortium Space Station,” the first guard answered.

“Isn’t that where I am?” she asked.

“You are aboard a satellite station of the Unified Consortium Defense,” he answered. “We have only one Ambassador assigned here. That Ambassador is Ambassador Karel.”

“Can Bart be reached?” she asked.

“I’m sure he can, Ambassador Karel can assist you as necessary,” the guard answered.

Moments later and several lift rides later, Synclare stood in front of a desk with a small male, wearing a deep purple uniform, just like the ones her guards were wearing, but with his, this male wore a long white robe. Bart also wore this uniform and robe combination and Synclare recognized it as identifying the male as an Ambassador of the Consortium.

“Ahh, I see you have awakened,” the male said. “How may I be of service?” he asked, coming around the desk to greet Synclare.

“I… I don’t want