Murder On The Golden Halo Read online

  In Windsax’s mind, she did no wrong. The crown was meant to be hers. She was destined to be queen. A queen must be ready to do whatever is needed to protect the throne and her people. A queen must make the hard choices.

  Now another decision had to be made.

  Her fiancé was older by ten years. Although not of royal blood he came from one of the oldest and most respected families. The Prime Centurion Bacco Uxtel had served with honor and great bravery in the Earth Wars. He was the perfect match, made better by the fact she loved him. At least she did before the wars. Like everyone, the Earth Wars had changed him.

  The green eyes closed.

  Time for another choice.

  CHAPTER 3

  PRIME CENTURION BACCO UXTEL

  Bacco Uxtel stood in the bathroom studying his face. It was a face new to him. The surgeon had done excellent work, but there were still scars. There were more scars on his body. Lifetime memories of the wars. The Prime Centurion was tired of war. He was pondering his future.

  “A new face. A new life.” He mused to himself.

  His mind drifted to Queen Rexannis. She was indeed a beautiful woman. She had a beauty that could make any man feel like a fool. Then she would speak, revealing the keen sharp mind behind those green eyes. Sometimes he felt like a child in her presence.

  Well, she was a queen. He would never be king. He would be prince in name, even if the queen died.

  Bacco Uxtel pushed this thought aside. It was best not to have such thoughts. It was a bad omen. His dark blue eyes drifted over his wide muscular body. The scars criss-crossed his chest. His hair had started falling out before the Earth Wars. Now he just shaved his head. Being from the high mountains his skin was pale, almost white. Some said it almost looked like the untanned Earthlings’ flesh. He shook his head. Some fools still thought Earthlings came in one color.

  “Sir, are you all right?”

  His friend Zana asked through the closed door. He glanced back. Then looked down at his hand. It was shaking. He grabbed the quivering thing with his other hand. He had to keep it together. He had been brave in battle. Now he must be braver than he ever had. “I am fine. Just moving a little slow. We must dress for dinner.”

  CHAPTER 4

  BETA CHIEF ZANA

  Beta Chief Zana was short for his kind and little too soft around the middle. His taste for rich food was the reason for this. Rather than exercise, he had chosen to let out all his uniforms. His daily attire was a black jacket and pants with gold trim on the sleeves and down the side of the pant legs. The shirt was white with gold buttons. His bow tie and vest were purple. Like the Prime Centurion he was bald. But this was by choice. Unlike his widening body, his face was narrow with a pointed chin which gave him an odd appearance. His eyes were small and a dull brown. His skin was darker than his master’s but not by much. The color of his brown eyes and skin seemed to let everyone know he had risen, some would say, above his stage in life.

  From a very young age his life had been in the military. There were few opportunities in the small town he was born. He joined to escape the town and see the universe. As he rose through the ranks he did see the many worlds. Sadly rarely at what would be called the tourist sites. Then came the Earth Wars. Thanks to this he now saw worlds that had been ravaged, not just by the wars but by the Earthlings, who had come out into the universe like it belonged to them. There were rumors the Earthlings had had raped and pillaged their own world bringing it almost to extinction.

  Perhaps that would have been better.

  For rather than repair the damage to their own world they came out into the universe, apparently thinking…like ripe fruit the universe was theirs for the taking.

  Business as usual.

  They had been wrong. It took time, but the universe fought back.

  The wars lasted too long. Far too many died. Whole worlds were almost destroyed. For what? The greed of the Earthlings.

  Zana felt his anger growing but stopped himself. The wars were over. It was time to move on. Time to heal and rebuild the universe.

  It was during the wars that he had been placed under the command of one the bravest soldiers he had met. Soon he came to be more than another officer. They became friends. After the war he had stayed with the Prime Centurion. They had fought side by side in the war. Now they would…would what? Put everything behind them. Everything that happened in the war. Could they really do that? Could they really put all the pain and suffering behind them? Forget all the comrades and family that had been lost in the war.

  For the greater good they must put the horrors of war behind them.

  CHAPTER 5

  DOCTOR ALLTON CRAG

  There was a time when Dr. Allton Crag had been one of the most brilliant surgeons on his world. The words gifted, brilliant, even genius had been used to describe him. He had not objected. Allton had been younger and very conceited. Before the mistake, he had been considered a genius. His patients had been some of the wealthiest and most powerful on his world.

  It hadn’t even been a huge mistake. It was a mistake that could have been fixed. They just had to give him a chance. Sadly the mistake had been made on someone with wealth and connections. Then the rumors of his drinking came out. Unspoken accusations that he may have been drunk. It matter not whether the rumors were true. In less time than he could have imagined his life was left in ruins. Leaving his world didn’t help. The rumors followed him. The great genius was now a ship’s doctor. It wasn’t a bad job. It was a luxury ship. The food was well prepared. He was treated with respect, but it wasn’t the operating room. Most of his cases dealt with space sickness, food poisoning and other minor complaints.

  He missed the lights and accolades.

  Allton had even looked the part with his tall lean body and face, not handsome but wise. His skin was a pleasant blue with purples stripes on his cheeks and down his arms. His once full, rich purple hair had thinned or fallen out leaving the top of his head bald. His past patients had looked into his violet eyes and believed he could do miracles. He believed too. He didn’t believe he had a drinking problem.

  He was a doctor. He would know.

  The doctor adjusted his short white dinner jacket that had some kind of symbols on the shoulders denoting his rank. It wasn’t custom made but fit well enough. He had seen a picture of an Earthling in the same outfit. The Earthlings did know a thing or two about fashion. The white jacket went well with his light blue skin.

  His cold blue eyes studied his reflection in the mirror. Dinner at the captain’s table. He had dined there before but never with a queen. This wouldn’t be his first time meeting Queen Rexannis but it would be the first time since the army hospital. Back then he had been the man who saved the man she loved her entire life. She had been quite gracious, even gave him a nice gift, which he sold.

  The doctor looked down at his shaking hand. He needed to be careful. No wine, or just one glass. If he played his part he would soon be back in the limelight.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE PRIME MINISTER

  Ley Tunga was the youngest prime minister on her home world. This had been achieved not by being born into the right family. She had not only title but money. She was also very bright and ambitious. The fact that she was also beautiful had been another factor.

  The young alien beauty had the same shade of skin as Queen Rexannis. She was shorter with a fuller body which seemed to appeal to all males regardless of what planet they came from. Ley wore dresses to accent her nice curves but not too much. She was after all the prime minister. Her green hair fell into tight curls to her shoulders. She had an oval face with full lips and hazel eyes that were just as rare as green. Her beauty had been an asset but not in the way one would think. They saw the pretty face and assumed there was nothing inside her head. Happily those days were behind her. Ley now had a reputation for being cold and brilliant. Many even questioned her marriage. Was it really for love or just another power move? Eyebrows were raised and tongues w
agged when her husband died. A boating accident. The body never found. Sad that he had survived the war to then die so tragically.

  Let them talk. She was now second most powerful woman on her world.

  Ley was trying on her third outfit before going to sit at the captain’s table. She wasn’t trying to impress the captain. She was trying to impress upon her queen that not all her subjects groveled and whimpered in her presence. The prime minster was part of a growing movement that felt the royals had outlived their purpose. Ley, her cabinet and the Senate ran the government but then Queen Rexannis had a tight grip on the reins of power. Nothing could be done without her approval. Even though Ley had been elected, the queen could just remove her with a word. A queen in her opinion should have been nothing more than a figurehead. Sadly the queen was a well-loved figurehead. There would be riots in the streets if they attempted to overthrow the queen.

  Heads would literally roll.

  A revolt was made even more impossible when the queen with her royal inspectors exposed all the corruption in the very government Ley had set up. She lost many allies and some friends but managed to hold on to her position.

  But for how long?

  It was obvious Queen Rexannis wanted to stream line the bureaucracy. The queen’s logic was that this would cut down on corruption. She was right, but this would also give most of the power to her majesty.

  This was unacceptable.

  The young prime minister had come too far to be cast aside on a queen’s whim.

  Ley couldn’t help but think about the unique situation her world was now in. They had a queen with no heirs. A plane crash had seen to that. A plane the queen was supposed to be on. At the last minute she changed her mind. A whim that saved the queen’s life.

  The prime minister knew something had to be done before the wedding. The wedding could take place, well the ceremony could, not the wedding night.

  If the queen were to die. There would be no one to inherit the throne. The public would accept a queen dying off. No heir. No queen. They could make a clean break from this foolish and very expensive tradition.

  Well, not every ruler wore a crown.

  “If I have the courage I will make history.” Ley said, talking to her reflection in the mirror. “It will be so easy. Of course, there is the Prime Centurion. No, he won’t be a problem. Focus on the queen. You can do this.”

  CHAPTER 7

  ENSIGN YULA SIG

  Ensign Yula Sig was confused. The young officer was in her small cabin, thinking about the conversation she just had with the captain.

  Some passengers were going to play poker. A private game. Not unusual. It was being held on the Royal level in one of the executive suites. Still not unusual. They needed a dealer. Of course they did. One of the players had requested her to be the dealer.

  There were others whose job it was to run the games. All were trained to play the game, even the Earth game poker. Granted back in college, before the war, she had worked in a casino as a card dealer, so she knew the game, but why would someone from the royal level want her to deal? The captain himself had come to her cabin and told her about the request. Then asked her the same question that was bouncing around in her head.

  Why?

  Yula looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was not unattractive or ugly. She had one of those nondescript faces that usually went unnoticed. Her figure was slender with just a little fat around the belly. Pointed ears pushed through her brown hair which she kept cut short. All in all, Ensign Yula Sig was unremarkable.

  Which was how she liked it. She wanted to go through life unnoticed. Yula had joined the service when the war broke out. Like many she had fought bravely and had been awarded medals. After the war, she resigned her commission. It had been time to move on. She applied for jobs on luxury space ships. The plan had been to get a position and work on a ship for as long as she could. Hopefully until she retired. By then the war would be just a distant memory.

  Which was fine with her.

  She remembered her mother’s advice. Keep your wits about you and your head down.

  CHAPTER 8

  ZUMO ZECKE

  Zumo Zecke, not his real name, sat in his suite watching the star and planets. He enjoyed watching the universe. It was so peaceful. It made one reflect on one’s life. His home planet had been small. It was a nice peaceful place. A place he had no interest in leaving. It wasn’t until the war he was forced to leave. His first taste of traveling. If you called moving from planet to planet to fight the Earthlings traveling. No more long walks through quiet streets or enjoying art in a gallery back home. Landing in some cities that in some cases were nothing more than crumbled ruins. Before the war he had been in college. Two years in and he still didn’t know what he wanted to study. He had been leaning toward something in numbers. An accountant maybe. A nice quiet job that he could do alone. His girlfriend approved of this plan.

  Then the war came.

  He was drafted and made an officer. It was during his first year that the real horror of war hit him. His girlfriend had been killed in an attack. His hatred for the Earthlings burned like fire. He vowed to make them pay. Once the laid back officer, he became a true leader to his men. His superiors saw his rage and put it to good use. He was given promotions and medals. They meant nothing to him. Then they moved him into more interesting work he surprisingly had a talent for.

  At first all that mattered was the Earthlings pay. Not just for the death of his love but taking away the quiet life he had dreamed of. Then something changed. Maybe he saw that both sides were capable of terrible things. His thirst for revenge faded. His attitude was the Earthlings were no worse than anyone else.

  By the end of the war he had a skill set that was not very practical in day to day life. He was offered a position in an agency that handled secret and delicate matters. One of those agencies that people hoped didn’t exist but inwardly knew they did. Shadow agencies that sometimes did questionable things that could be considered illegal or even immoral.

  He learned the horrible truth he had come to suspect. It turned out the rich and powerful came from all planets and had used the war to increase their wealth and power.

  Now his new job was much more complicated and difficult. Secrecy was paramount. His new targets were strangers who had supposedly done terrible things. Sometimes no reason was given. It was during his time working for this agency he realized he had lose his conscious. It was after this he decided to go freelance. His employers had no problem with that. Just as long as his services were available to them.

  Now these talents were available to everyone who had money.

  Zumo was now a killer. He could have used the term assassin but he felt calling himself a killer was being honest with himself. He did kill people. The quiet little man had a talent for it.

  Zumo stood barely five feet. His frame was thin. Some said too thin. He had a skinny body with a dull skin tone along with a face that could be mistaken for a being from any one of a dozen planets. His hair was brown. Just brown. Few people knew how dangerous he was. The thin arms and legs were pure muscle. He was trained in several fighting skills. Zumo rarely used these skills. A pistol sometimes or a sniper’s rifle were his preference. A quick shove down a staircase was always good. Poison was the best. No one asked questions.

  The alien had been booked under the false name. He was supposedly a successful professional. A professional what? No one asked. Zumo had been booked on the level just below the Royal Level.

  This was a problem.

  This meant sneaking up to the Royal Level to get close to his target. Actually there were two targets but the second one was optional. The main target must be taken out first. Getting to the main target had been impossible but then he heard about the game. He would never be invited to the game.

  Zumo didn’t understand the game of poker. He could have if he put his mind to it but he had no time for games. The killer just needed to get close to his target. The bigges
t target of his life. If he completed this job, he could retire. But then what?

  CHAPTER 9

  TITALUS

  Titalus was his real name but not the name he was using now. The name Daris was the name he took during and after the war. It had been necessary for his survival. Before the war he had a life. A simple life. He had owned a small factory.

  He had been happy.

  Then the Earthlings came to his world.

  Very friendly at first, using words like peace and love. Now he knew these were just words. Looking back he now realized how easily he had been seduced by their words and promises. Promises of wealth and power. All he had to do was betray his people.

  The Earth woman who made these promises had been so beautiful. Yes, now he knew she had just seduced him.

  At least that was what he told himself. It made his past actions seem right in his mind.

  At first it had been nothing more than shuffling pages and keeping all the accounts in order. He watched as the Earthlings started to use the courts of his world with the help of the government to steal the lands of people some who had been his friends. Naturally his people began to object.

  That was when the soldiers came. No need to be subtle any longer. Weapons were used to take what they wanted. The Earthlings wanted everything and he helped. It was surprising how fast they took control of his world. He now knew they had it down to an art.

  He watched as the Earthlings used their machines to ravage the once beautiful lands. They polluted the rivers and seas. The skies became dark and the smell of death lingered in the air.