Tarkir - A Dark World Warriors Story

Chapter Two

Far above Acr'iea, the home world of the Lel'eiona galaxy, Ay'esha Rai'lyn strode down the long well-lit corridor of the Battlecruiser In'vader and frowned as her wrist comm unit chirped. She had been ordered to the royal residence for meeting with King Aa'ron Rai'lyn, ruler of the Lel'eiona galaxy. She paused to flick a small button on her comm unit.

"Rai'lyn here," she spoke with an air of authority as she resumed walking. The voice of Mi'kayla, her youngest sister, sounded in her ear and she smiled.

"Esha, I... I... need to talk to you." Mi'kayla stammered.

Rai'lyn's smile faded at her tone of voice.

"Kayla, what's wrong?" she asked, reaching the door to the shuttle bay. Her sister was the baby of the family and everyone protected her as such.

"How soon can you be here?" Kayla voice was study now.

"I'm transporting planet side now, Kayla." Rai'lyn responded. "Father sent an urgent summons for me to report to the war room immediately." She walked to the transport console and began punching in the coordinates of the King's private transport room.

"Something is going on," Mi'Kayla said, "because Ker is still here, too." Ay'esha's eyebrows rose at that bit of information. Her older brother and the heir to the Lel'eiona throne, Master Commander Ry'ker Rai'lyn should have departed their home world of Acriea with the First Fleet days ago to hunt down the pirates responsible for raids on the outer colonies. While the raiders had yet to take a life they needed to be stopped. The colonies had lost a lot of resources in the attacks and it was only a matter of time until someone did die.

"Kayla, I'll contact you when I'm done meeting with father. We'll get together and talk, OK?"

"Sure, Esha," her sister said. "Comm me when you're done."

"I will." Ay'esha told her as she stepped onto the dimly glowing transport pad. She flicked the small button again to end the conversation as the room faded around her and the tingling from the transporter moved through her.

Shimmering into view in Ay'esha's eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of King Aa'ron Rai'lyn and his War Minster Az'arias Fer'nanda standing next to the tech. Normally the King's transport tech and a few royal guards occupied the room. His face grim, King Rai'lyn's lips were compressed into a tight line, his eyes dark with rage and...fear? Ay'esha frowned. She'd never seen this look on his face before. Not as the King nor as her father. She looked at Fer'nanda and her frown deepened. He wore almost the exact same expression only his eyes were hard and cold. Ay'esha suppressed the shiver that went through her and cleared the frown from her face. Her sister had been right. Something was going on and her warrior's gut instinct was telling her whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"King Rai'lyn," she acknowledge turning to him with a slight bow from the waist, her arms clamped to her sides before looking at the other male. "War Minster Fer'nanda." She gave him a respectful nod of her head before fixing her gaze on the king. "Reporting as ordered, Sire." She stepped off of the transport pad, coming to a stop in front of the King. He looked at her but said nothing for the span of a minute. Ay'esha's frown returned.

"Sire? Minster Fer'nanda?" her gaze bounced back and forth between the two men in front of her. King Rai'lyn spoke first, his voice gruff.

"Captain Rai'lyn," his eyes closed for the briefest of seconds. "Come with us to the Ready room." And without another word he turned on his heels and strode out of the room leaving the others to follow. Fer'nanda turned sharply and followed the King. Ay'esha stood frozen for a few seconds before hurrying to catch up to the two males.