Chapter Seventeen

The next few months went well for the Cadets. They progressed rapidly in their studies and all seemed fine. One afternoon as North and Morn entered their apartment, North's wife met them. "There's a message for you," she announced, "it came by private carrier about an hour ago."
2 North took the tape and went into the office to read it. It was a message from his agents. Where The Lord's Guard had failed they had succeeded. They knew who had murdered Morn's mother and who had hired them. North looked up at his friend seated across from him. "Something important?" Morn asked.
3 North took the tape from his viewer and tossed it to his friend. "Read this," he said.
4 When Morn was done reading he doubled his fist and slammed it into the desk top. It would take a hydraulic press to repair the damage. "North," he insisted, "we have to turn this information over to The Guard."
5 "They probably already have it," North replied. "Did you see the name on that report? That woman's brother is a Guard Commander, only one step removed from The High Command, and, your half-brother!"
6 "How did you get this information, North?" Morn asked, staring at his friend.
7 ''I have my sources," North answered, "but they must remain secret. That's why they used code names."
8 "If not The Guard, what else?" inquired Morn in frustration.
9 "We do it ourselves," North explained, "it's been done before and I can get help. All we need is a weekend away from Academy."
10 "I don't know," Morn told him, "a vengeance is illegal, North. If we're caught, it would be serious trouble. It's pretty damned close to rebellion. I couldn't ask you to take the risk. Even if they released us, our careers in The Fleet would be done."

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