Penny was preparing to leave for the K'Tuhul province, just after her return from Grandfort. Jaz gave Penny a call the day before, going on as usual. Penny smiled the entire length of the call, enjoying how enthusiastic she was about her new position at the forbidden palace. Jaz certainly had enough energy when she and Penny were having sex out by the pool.
As Penny got her swimwear packed up, the televiewer rang. Penny rushed over and answered. "Yes?"
"Excellency,"
the voice came back.
"Your valet will be up shortly to escort you to the shuttle."
"Thank you," Penny replied. The call ceased. Penny gazed out at her large window, seeing the painted desert stretch out before her. She made a point to request a flight back to Earth sometime, if any freighters were going to make their way back to that area of space again. She worried about her father's health, now that her mom had confided that Penny's dad was now diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The door chime went off, and Penny turned her attention away. "Enter."
Penny's valet was there, dressed in a simple green tunic. She was not of the Age of Ascension yet. "Are you ready, excellency?"
Penny took her bag on her shoulder. "Let's go." The two of them made way to the elevator and made way over to the shuttle platform. Crele was waiting there with her duffel. She had on a shirt meant to show off her large arms.
Tannis, Oola, and Groovi were waiting as well. Oola was still looking beautiful, and her belly was now getting huge. She waved at her queen. "Excellency! We came to wish you well on your journey!"
Penny smiled back as they approached the landing pad. She then saw a cloaked stranger charging up from behind. "Look out!"
Crele turned and got in a fighting stance. The glint of a knife blade could be seen now, as the stranger continued advancing in a sprint and yelled out. "Death to the impostor child!"
Penny lifted the side of her skirt, then pulled out the laser pistol strapped to her thigh. She squinted an eye, then fired a single shot. The sand near the cloaked stranger's feet scattered, and the stranger stopped cold.
Crele ran out, then gave the stranger a bash in the face. The cloaked person went down in the sand. The others ran up to surround her.
Crele got the knife away, then grabbed the cloaked person by the collar. Upon removing the hood, they were shocked to discover a young woman. "Speak, vermin," Crele growled.
The woman touched her bloody lip. "We must extinguish the child! It is an abomination to Melbrik!"
Crele growled, while Penny stepped in. "What do you mean? Who sent you?"
The woman looked hard at Penny. "We have heard the rumours! The child must die!" The woman then pulled out a small dagger, getting ready to stab her own neck. Crele acted in time, slapping the knife away and then landing a blow to the strange woman's jaw. The cloaked woman fell to the ground, then reached into her side pouch to pull out a gun.
Penny already had her pistol point at her. "Don't try it."
Crele disarmed the woman, then looked at her queen. "You carry a sidearm?"
Penny smiled devilishly. "I have great bodyguards, but no point in taking chances." She focused back on the strange woman. "You're gonna be rotting in jail for a long time."
"Did she mean to hurt my baby?" Oola hugged her large belly defensively.
Crele got the strange woman to her feet. "You have defiled the name of the goddesses," the cloaked woman screeched. "There is no way that is the child of the stars!"
Penny scoffed. "Crele, let's get her to a holding cell. We'll have to delay our trip for a couple of hours." She turned to Oola. "You might be in danger here. We'll have to take you along with us. Crele can offer you protection."
Crele looked less than enthused as her new assignment. She took the cloaked woman by the arm and walked her up to the palace, along with Penny, who kept her gun fixed on the assailant.
After getting the assassin into a prison cell, then doing a useless interrogation on her, Penny led Crele, Oola, Tannis, and Groovi into the shuttle. The pilot did the usual tests, then lifted them up to the upper atmosphere.
"That lady went after you, Oola," Penny remarked. "We have to get you some protection."
"I am taking care of that already, excellency," Tannis spoke up after typing on her tablet. "I have made arrangements in K'Tuhul province. The city of Bosha Mal is willing to lend us their champion. Luckily it is our first stop on our tour."
"A champion!" Penny whistled at the title. "Sounds awesome."
"The K'Tuhul province has a tradition of appointing champions for each major city," Tannis explained. "They are chiefly ceremonial, but they are in charge of the city guard. Some of the most brilliant, athletic women are given the title." She looked at her pad. "We will meet with Ilka a few hours after we land."
Penny turned to Crele. "Meanwhile, we need you protect Oola. If there's some weird-ass cult trying to kill her, I need my best woman on the job."
Crele sneered and folded her arms. "I am
your
bodyguard, excellency."
Penny reached over and gave Crele's knee an affectionate squeeze. "Please? For me? I really need your excellent skills on this mission."
Crele appeared to soften. "Very well. If my lady requires it." She gave a derisive glance over to Oola, who had slumped in her chair for a nap.
"The champion will be more of an escort for you," Tannis warned. "Although I am sure she can protect you, she will be there more to give you some guidance on matters for the K'Tuhul province. We will take her along for the rest of our planetary tour, naturally."