Halt Read Free Page B

twisted her lips to the side. “I know. You weren’t with me. The replacement I got didn’t make for an effective team.”
    He paused. “You were injured because I wasn’t there?”
    “I was injured because I depended on a new partner. We didn’t know each other well enough to anticipate the other’s moves. I went right, he went left, and I survived.”
    “He died?”
    “That’s correct. Now, the rest is classified, and I am sticking to it.”
    He blinked behind his mask, his vivid blue eyes wide with surprise.
    There was a commotion in the locker room, and Flick came in with his eyes covered. “Silver, we have a mission.”
    Tazzy shrugged, “Go ahead. I am not keeping him.”
    Silver scowled. “This is not the end of it, Rikkat.”
    “Make an appointment, Guardian. I have my duties to the imperium to attend to.” It took all of her focus not to lean into the hand that he placed on her shoulder.
    “I will speak to you soon, and I will make an appointment.”
    He left her alone, and she waited until he was out of the locker room before she let her shoulders sag. It wasn’t as horrible as she had anticipated. She had stuck to her guns and gone about her business as if he wasn’t there. It had cost her.
    Tazzy wrapped her robe again, snuggly covering every inch of her. She used the lift to get her back to her quarters in the garrison where she tossed the bag of clothing into her personal incinerator. It was her largest expense.
    Having the ability to enthrall men and women with a simple touch was fine for the job, but it was annoying when it came to having a private life. She had sacrificed her private life, and now, there was only the job left behind. There was no room for anything else.
    Tazzy sighed and curled up in her window seat again, staring out at the new sky and the foreign stars. She was going to have to make a decision, and it was not going to look good on her record.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Seated behind her desk, she checked her schedule. A call was waiting for her from Guardian control. The Imperial Guard dispatcher was also waiting for her, and since she worked for them, they were her first call.
    “Good morning, Dispatcher.”
    “Good morning, Commander Rikkat. We have been getting good reports from your new posting.”
    “Thank you. In that regard, I am requesting that I be reposted to another world.”
    The dispatcher’s cheerful face went blank. “What? But you just arrived.”
    “I have a history with one of the Guardians, and as we will no doubt collide during our duties, I am requesting a reposting.”
    The dispatcher rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, that leads to the nature of this call. I have received a request to have you work with the Guardians as imperial liaison. The commanding officer believes it is a good posting, and they have approved it.”
    Tazzy got a headache. “You are kidding.”
    “I am not joking. You have been handed over to the Guardians to be their go between with local law enforcement. They will be calling you shortly.”
    “They have already called. I returned your call first.”
    “Then, you had better get into communication with them soon, or they will send their commanding officer to speak with you in person. They were most insistent that you join them. Your alteration qualifies you for Guardian service, but it is subtle enough that it need not be made a matter of public record.”
    Tazzy rubbed her forehead. “Wonderful. I was just settling in at the garrison.”
    “Sorry. Now, make that call.”
    “Yes, dispatcher. I hate packing.”
    “I know. Dismissed, Commander.”
    The screen went dark.
    Tazzy keyed in the code for Guardian control, and she waited. The Nyal officer with deep red eyes soon filled the screen.
    “Commander Anastasia Rikkat of Terra, you have been reassigned to the Guardian program as imperial liaison. You will be collected by the end of the day and relocated to the Guardian base on Decolian 12. All notices have been filed