The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 2.2

A moment later they were standing on the planet. Sabrina blinked, her first impression being that something was wrong with her eyes; the foliage all had a blue-green tint that was hard to accept after being back on Earth for so long.

"Your highness!" called a voice in Praxatillian, and they spun around to find a tall, red-haired woman in a Praxatillian uniform hurrying toward them. She stopped, eyeing Ford's Earth suit curiously, then said, "Major Ilyanan, sir. I was sent to discover what happened to the Queen."

"And have you?" Ford asked.

"No, sir," the Major reported unhappily.

Ford sighed. "I don't think it's going to be easy, Major. But I've brought you some help. These are my cousins, Lady Sabrina ya Tassan nar Hamilton-Devon and Captain Scott ya Tassan nar Hamilton-Devon."

"Captain Devon!" Ilyanan exclaimed, looking at Scotty in astonishment. "Not the Captain Devon?"

Scotty and Sabrina exchanged wryly amused glances. "Yes, ma'am," Scotty responded, saluting.

"Welcome back, Captain!" Ilyanan said. "Do you have any idea what's happening here?"

"Well, it's something to do with being out of phase," Scotty began.

Sabrina stepped aside, looking around as the two officers conferred. Ford came over to her.
"That was an enthusiastic greeting," he remarked softly.

Sabrina grinned a little. "Obviously whatever she's heard about him hasn't come from the Commander, or she'd be terrified of commanding him." She paused, her attention drawn back to the scenery. "It looks peaceful enough."

Ford was gazing down at the palm-sized scanner in his hand. "Nothing out of the ordinary," he agreed. "We should get to the part of the planet that actually vanished and take some readings."

Scotty had evidently finished his explanation, for Ilyanan said, "Your highness, my lady, if you'll come with me, the Governor would like to welcome you."
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The Governor's reception was brief and, Sabrina felt, rather bizarre. There was a ceremonial offering of some sort of nectar in ornately carved bowls, followed by introductions. But when Sabrina began to ask questions, the Governor hastily excused himself, leaving them alone in the reception hall.

"Don't worry," Ilyanan said. "They're not good at long conversations. Either he'll be back, or he'll send someone. Ah, here's my lieutenant. Did you find anything?"

The lieutenant, a young man with light brown hair and dark eyes, shook his head. "No, ma'am. I overflew the entire area. I thought I saw a lifesign, but I couldn't locate it in the underbrush. It must have been an animal of some kind."

The Major pursed her lips, nodding. "Your highness, Lady Sabrina, Captain Devon, this is Lieutenant Lndor."

"Gantol nar Lndor, isn't it?" Ford said.

"Yes, your highness. I'm surprised you remember me," Lndor said.

Ford said, for Sabrina and Scotty's benefit, "Gantol was at the Academy at Bathir at the same time I was. For a brief time, he was my lab partner."

"A brief but memorable time," Lndor agreed.

"Now I feel like I'm back on Praxatillus," Sabrina said. "Everybody knows each other except for me. Can we go investigate the area that shifted out of phase?"

"I'd like to report back to Control first," Ilyanan said. "I'll catch up with you. Lieutenant, escort the prince, her ladyship, and the captain to the investigation area."

"Yes, ma'am."
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They squeezed into a flyer built for Rrzzhn, since the ship Lndor and Ilyanan had flown was more suited for space flight than atmospheric maneuvering and landing. Scotty claimed the co-pilot's seat as a right, and he and Lndor spent the flight engrossed in piloting talk, leaving Sabrina and Ford to share the tiny passenger compartment mostly in silence. The air supply in the flyer was a little warmer than was comfortable for either of them, and soon Ford was removing his tie with a sigh of relief.