Daughter of ethos the ne.., p.1
Daughter of Ethos: The Negotiator Book 2, page 1
THE NEGOTIATOR BOOK 2:
By L.M. Lacee
Ethics on a Galactic Scale
Copyright
Daughter of Ethos
The NEGOTIATOR Book 2
By L.M. Lacee
Copyright © 2022 L.M. Lacee.
All rights reserved. Published by PrivotelConcepts
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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THE NEGOTIATOR BOOK 2:
By L.M. Lacee
Copyright
ONE:
TWO:
THREE:
FOUR:
FIVE:
SIX:
SEVEN:
EIGHT:
NINE:
TEN:
ELEVEN:
TWELVE:
THIRTEEN:
FOURTEEN:
FIFTEEN:
SIXTEEN:
SEVENTEEN:
EIGHTEEN:
NINETEEN:
TWENTY:
TWENTY-ONE:
TWENTY-TWO:
TWENTY-THREE:
TWENTY-FOUR:
TWENTY-FIVE:
TWENTY- SIX:
TWENTY- SEVEN:
TWENTY-EIGHT:
TWENTY-NINE:
THIRTY:
THIRTY-ONE:
THIRTY-TWO:
THIRTY- THREE:
THIRTY-FOUR:
THIRTY-FIVE:
THIRTY-SIX:
THIRTY-SEVEN:
THIRTY- EIGHT:
THIRTY-NINE:
FORTY:
FORTY-ONE:
FORTY-TWO:
FORTY-THREE:
FORTY-FOUR:
FORTY-FIVE:
FORTY-SIX:
FORTY-SEVEN:
FORTY-EIGHT:
FORTY-NINE:
FIFTY:
FIFTY-ONE:
FIFTY-TWO:
FIFTY-THREE:
FIFTY-FOUR:
FIFTY-FIVE:
FIFTY-SIX:
FIFTY-SEVEN:
FIFTY-EIGHT:
FIFTY-NINE:
EPILOGUE:
TRANSLATIONS:
ONE:
Echo Wallace stifled a yawn as she entered her office. She’d had another miserable night filled with nightmares. If this continued, she knew she would have to consult Jarrod. However, the thing that troubled her the most was her inability to recall the specifics of her dreams. All she could remember was the feeling of intense fear and waking with a racing heart and dry mouth. She would never admit it to anyone, but secretly she was pleased she couldn’t remember them. It meant if she didn’t know what the dreams were trying to tell her; she didn’t need to confront them and possibly take action. But thinking like that was a problem. She was the Star Daughter’s Negotiator; she was fairly sure nightmares were not part of the job description.
She yawned again, only to stop halfway through when a perky female voice said. ‘Greetings.’
Squinting through blurry eyes, Echo tried to make out where the voice was coming from. ‘Where are you?’
Someone waved from behind her assistant’s desk. ‘Over here, I am filling in for Charis today. She has training.’
‘Chatty little thing, aren’t you?’
She heard a light laugh and detected nerves in the sound. Echo made herself focus on the shapely female walking closer to her. She appeared about thirty, with hair the color of walnuts and round, sparkling brown eyes surrounded by thick eyelashes. She had a heart-shaped face that seemed to shout hometown girl. Echo liked her on sight. ‘My name is Kennedy Lamis. Charis said to have your coffee ready and to tell you, you have interviews until mid-meal, then the afternoon is yours.’
Echo muttered. ‘So gracious of her.’ With a hopeful tone, she asked, ‘What can I offer you to forget I was here?’
Kennedy laughed again as she placed the mug of coffee in Echo’s hands. ‘I wish I could take that bribe but your first appointment is in ten mins, and then there is a steady stream every twenty mins after that.’
Sighing, Echo said, ‘That sounds about right. Thank you for the coffee and it was nice to meet you, Kennedy. Do you know who my first appointment is?’
‘Yes, it is with Artar Lela Tait.’
‘Okay, send her in when she arrives.’ With that, Echo walked through to her office as Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to herself, ‘So far, so good. If I can just keep her here until mid-meal, I might have shot at a permanent position.’
Seated behind her desk with half her coffee already gone, Echo smiled. It looked as though Kennedy was going to work out just fine. She sent a message to Brenda.
I like Kennedy. Can I keep her?
Brenda laughed when she read the message and replied, I told you she will be an excellent addition to your office staff. Also, she wants to travel, so yes, you can keep her. Let her know before she leaves.
Echo grinned and replied, Okay, talk later.
Minutes later, Kennedy was forgotten as she immersed herself in the reports sent to her from Bendrix and Kardan.
Kennedy warmly greeted Lela as she entered. ‘Welcome, Lela.’
‘Greetings, Kennedy. Is she ready for me?’
‘Well, she knows you are coming.’
Lela shrugged, ‘That will have to do.’
Unable to contain her curiosity, Kennedy asked, ‘Why are you here?’
Lela smiled. ‘Kate said the Intercessor needs a chief Artar. I want the position.’
Frowning, Kennedy asked, ‘Didn’t you say at eve-meal the other night you were heading out on a mission soon?’
Lela shrugged. ‘In two days, but if everything works out. I should be able to take command as soon as I return or catch up with the Intercessor if they have to leave before I get back.’
Kennedy nodded. ‘That makes sense.’ She touched her screen to alert Echo to Lela’s arrival. ‘Negotiator, Artar Tait is here.’
‘Send her in please, Kennedy.’
Smiling, Kennedy murmured, ‘Please go in, Lela.’
‘Thank you.’ Lela was not nervous. This was not the first interview she had ever been to. She was confident she had enough experience to be Chief Artar for the Intercessor. What had butterflies doing a dance in her stomach was the Negotiator herself, Echo Wallace. The rumors of what the female was like circulated constantly, and unfortunately, Lela had heard every one of them. Some she doubted ever happened, others she was curious about, but the ones she truly believed she’d heard from reputable people. Those rumors were enough to give her second thoughts about joining the Negotiator’s ship.
But she was here now, and she was going to make dayam sure she got this position. Because regardless of what she’d heard, she knew Echo Wallace and her sister Relic were the kind of people who did not wait for life to find them. They went out and looked for it. And Lela was honest enough with herself to admit that she really wanted to discover if some of those rumors were indeed true.
Echo was interviewing Lela because Avery and Kate had recommended her for the position. Apparently, they were all friends and Avery told Echo her friend was just the type of person the Intercessor needed. Of course, she had made her own inquiries, talking to other Artars and requesting a report from Darby. It appeared Lela was well-liked and people found her easy going. She handled emergency situations well, and Kate thought she was more than qualified to run her own unit. Rage and Melody had also recommended her for the position. They both found her likeable and patient with the Prowlers.
She stood as the female walked in. Lela was tall with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks. And like Kennedy, she had the girl next door look about her. Echo wondered what Avery had been thinking. This female looked as though a harsh word would have her in tears. ‘Greetings Artar, please have a seat.’
‘Greetings Negotiator, thank you for seeing me.’
While Echo retook her seat, Lela sat in the visitor’s chair and studied the female that was going to decide her future. She was shorter than Lela remembered from the dance vid, and more attractive in a Warrior sort of way. Her long burgundy hair looked good on her and amusingly enough Lela could see she was wearing coverup, something she would not have thought Echo Wallace would bother with. She had the look Lela often associated with those in command, although there seemed to be a glimmer of humor in the depths of her wolf-gray eyes. ‘I assume you know why I wanted this meeting?’
Echo inclined her head, ‘Yes, you wish to be the Chief Artar on board the Intercessor.’
Echo asked sharply, ‘Do you?’
Raising her eyebrows at the intensity of the question, Lela inclined her head. ‘I do. In fact, I know I am. Please do not let the hometown girl look confuse you. I am well trained and able and willing to make the hard calls if necessary.’
Echo grinned and sat back in her chair. ‘Is that so?’
Lela grinned in return. ‘It is. My arrival on Maikonia was not as eventful as yours, but it was no straightforward task to get here.’
‘Tell me about it.’
Lela shrugged and simply said, ‘Before we left Earth, they asked me to collect animal embryos to bring with us.’
Echo was surprised, and it showed in her voice as she murmured, ‘Dangerous work.’
Lela gave a half-hearted laugh. ‘You have no idea. The fear was all-consuming. We lived knowing we could and would be killed or shipped off world if we were discovered.’
Intrigued, Echo asked, ‘Where did you find the embryos?’
‘We found most of them in laboratories and private zoos, but mostly we raided the collectors who had them stored away. We took as many as we could. It was harrowing.’
‘But you did it, anyway.’
‘Yes, it needed to be done and truthfully, I found it exciting.’ Quickly she said, ‘Not that I go in for that sort of thing but—’
Echo finished for her, ‘But you got to prove something to yourself. You are not a coward.’
Relieved, Lela smiled, ‘Exactly, it is not something I wish to repeat, but it was worth it to know I can do something like that if I am needed to.’
‘Which is a possibility if you sign on with us,’ stated Echo as she revised her first impression of the Artar. She’d read several accounts about what happened to females, caught by the Earth authorities, who had been tasked with collecting data and equipment before they left Earth. It had not been pleasant reading. She could just imagine what would have been the outcome if this sweet looking female had been caught. It did not bear thinking about. She held her hand out and said, ‘Welcome to the family of the Intercessor.’
‘Thank you, Neg—’
Echo interrupted her, ‘My friends call me Echo.’
Lela’s smile blossomed as she said, ‘Thank you, Echo. My friends call me Lela.’
Echo nodded then said, ‘I am told you have an assignment in two days.’
‘Yes, I am overseeing an Artar on his first away mission for Artar James, the battlecruiser is escorting someone to visit a planet.’
Curious, Echo asked, ‘Do they have savgell’s there?’
Lela shrugged. ‘I have no idea, but as you know, there has to be an Artar on each ship. And as James cannot supervise the trainee, I said I would cover for him.’
‘Oh, okay. Well, you have two days to get your unit together. I am sure you know to have them checked by a Mystic and security. Please supply their names to Charis as soon as you can.’
‘I will do so.’
Echo smiled as she told her, ‘It will be up to you to see to the status of the unit onboard.’
‘Of course.’
Echo assured her, ‘If we have to leave before your return, we will make sure we can pick you up or connect with you. Do not worry, you are part of the Intercessor and we leave no one behind.’ She stopped for a minute remembering Judge, then said, ‘Unless they wish to stay where they are.’
‘Thank you, Echo. I was concerned about that.’
‘Well, don’t be. You are a part of our family now. So, is there anything else?’
Laughing, Lela asked, ‘I take it that means leave?’
Echo hunched her shoulders as she nodded. ‘If you would, please, I need to recover before the next person arrives.’
Lela’s last sight of Echo was her sitting in her chair, her head in her hands. She told Kennedy when the door to Echo’s office closed, ‘She’s all yours.’
Looking up from her comp, Kennedy smiled. ‘Thanks Lela. I’m guessing it all went well?’
‘Yes, I am officially one of the crew. Will I see you on board?’
‘I’m working on it.’
Lela smiled and said, ‘I will cross my fingers for you. Now I have to fly. I have loads to do before I leave.’
‘Okay, see you soon.’
‘You, too.’
Smiling to herself, Lela hurried to the transfer circle, pleased to tell Kate she had the position on the Intercessor. Although her excitement was tempered with the knowledge of everything she had to accomplish before she left on her assignment.
TWO:
Before leaving her office for the day, Echo stopped by Kennedy’s desk and asked, ‘Did you enjoy today?’
Kennedy grinned and crossed her fingers under the desk. ‘I did, thank you.’
‘You want to come on as permanent staff?’
Smiling with relief, Kennedy joyfully said, ‘I would like that.’
Echo felt compelled to explain, ‘You know we will hardly ever be home.’
‘I know, but it is still what I want to do.’
‘Okay then. Kennedy, welcome to the family of the Intercessor. You will work with Charis, you understand that?’
Excited and trying to hide it, she said, ‘I do.’
‘Good, so you need to see Lady Brenda and then have Charis take you to the Intercessor and show you around and pick out your cabin, what we call our home away from home. Remember, you can personalize it any way you like. It’s your space to do with what you want.’
Surprised, Kennedy asked, ‘My own cabin?’
Echo shrugged, ‘If you wish or you can share. It is up to you.’
‘Thank you, ahh—’
Smiling, Echo helped her out. ‘When we are off duty or alone, please call me Echo. On duty or in public, it is Negotiator Wallace.’
‘Oh, you do not use your first name?’
‘No, it has been impressed on me repeatedly to do so would place me in jeopardy, so I am to use Wallace.’
Suppressing her laughter at Echo’s annoyed tone, Kennedy nodded and told her. ‘I will remember, and Echo, thank you for taking me on. I won’t let you down.’
‘I know you won’t.’ With a wave, she left her office and, with a wary eye on the other office doors, she hastily made her way to the transfer circle. Meeting Lela today had made her realize she had to visit with Heather about a healer for the ship. And that reminded her she had not talked to her friend Gracen since arriving on Maikonia or done anything about her friends on Earth. So, Echo’s first stop was to see Gracen Lorde.
She rapped on her apartment door and heard her call out. ‘Come in Echo.’
Grimacing, Echo passed her hand over the lock as she muttered, ‘I hate when she does that.’
‘I know,’ Gracen laughingly said when she saw Echo’s scowling expression. ‘Greetings.’
Amused, Echo smiled and returned the greeting. ‘Greetings. How are you, Gracen?’
‘I am well, and you?’
Smirking as she took a seat at the breakfast bar, she asked, ‘You don’t know?’
Raising her eyebrows, Gracen replied, ‘No, remember I promised not to read you or Relic. On the threat of death if I break my promise.’
Echo squirmed, remembering that conversation when they had found out Gracen was some sort of seer. ‘We didn’t mean it.’
Gracen scoffed at the lie. ‘Please, you so did.’
Echo conceded with a shrug. ‘Well, maybe a little.’ Looking around at the beautifully decorated lounge and kitchen, Echo sighed. ‘I love what you’ve done with your place. Mine looks boring compared to yours.’ Gracen smiled at the compliment, but before she could thank her, Echo asked. ‘Whose art is this?’
‘Mine, I paint.’
Echo’s eyes widened when she looked at the paintings. ‘You are talented.’
Gracen inclined her head. ‘Thank you. It is something I do for therapy. I enjoy it.’
‘If you ever need to unload some, send it my way.’
‘I’ll remember that.’
Turning back to Gracen, Echo looked her over. ‘You look well and less stressed than I remember.’ Echo did not lie. Gracen’s skin wore a healthy glow and the brittleness that had clung to her like a second skin was gone. She seemed softer, more settled within herself. Echo thought it looked good on her.
‘Training will do that for a person,’ Gracen told her as she placed a mug of coffee in front of her, ‘and becoming bonded helps.’
