Betrayal is a Double-Edged Sword - TC 3.2 DiD

[Timsup2nothin]

It will take me a while to catch up, but wanted to say excellent work.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Has ups and downs, but I hope it's worth the long read.

Chapter 96 - Supremacy


The bridge on the Zeus appeared around me. It was unoccupied. Nyota should be somewhere about the place. Probably still asleep, of course.

I left the bridge, heading for the hangar deck. I still had a couple more ships to check over, but it had occurred to me that the fighters aboard this ship could have been bugged just as easily as a larger one.

Nine fighters awaited me. The procedures required to purge and reconfigure their computers would be simpler, since they had fewer components to manage. I decided to start with the five Perseus fighters. They were the most common, and therefore more likely to be chosen. Usually.

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"You're up early."

I twisted around to look in the direction of the voice, already knowing to whom it belonged. "Never slept," I said with a shrug, then returned my gaze and most of my attention to the fighter's console. "Too much work to be done."

"Such as?"

No more secrets. Hah. "Scouring the software of all our ships for programs I don't want, for one. I also talked to Hohindras a couple times about business matters. Drudge-work all." I decided not to mention checking on my friendly bounty hunter. She didn't need to know.

"Did you leave the ship?" The hint of iron in her tone would have been cute if it wasn't also annoying. Nyota as a mother might have been an interesting image to conjure...but not if I was the one being mothered.

"Yes. I cleansed the computers on the rest of the corvettes, then came back here to give these fighters the same treatment." I began climbing out of the fighter's cockpit. It had been the fourth, and its programs were starting the reinstallation process.

"You aren't supposed to go anywhere without me."

I glanced at Nyota, then moved toward the last Perseus with the rolling stepladder. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, and the knuckles of her hands stood out prominently. She must have been making fists, mostly concealed from view. "I didn't feel like sleeping," I said as I climbed up the ladder's few steps, opened the cockpit, and settled into the fighter's seat. "You did. I wasn't about to just sit around until you woke."

"We made a deal, sir."

Ultimatums always fall apart, I thought but didn't say. "Unless you intend to regulate my sleep schedule and bed down with me to enforce it, you'd better get used to this. I have a lot of demands on my time and my mind, and believe me, sleep is usually the first casualty of this lifestyle."

Silence fell, for a moment. I fired up the fighter's computer and was about to look back at Nyota, but the fighter's comm screen activated immediately. It was universally black. I held a hand out toward Nyota, palm facing her, to forestall any comments. It seemed I had found-

"Did not expect to see you," a hauntingly familiar voice said through the comm unit, a voice that whispered inarticulate dread straight into my heart.

No. No no no. "What do you want?"

"Sound angry. Should take a vacation."

A faint scuff warned me that Nyota was moving closer, but I dared not look away from the blank comm screen. "My vacation just ended," I said more calmly. Asking him how he found me wouldn't do, though I was seething over the fact that he HAD found me. If Chianna was involved, everything I had done was now ruined. "Now what do you want?"

"To speak with our enemy. But instead find traitor."

My mind whirled. Either he was toying with me, or this really was just a chance convergence. Could I be so unlucky? "There is nothing to be gained by hiding yourself from me, Pu."

A few seconds later an image resolved on the screen. As I had guessed, it was Pu t'Tn. One of my handlers. Another agent. "Now explain your attack," he said. I assumed he meant the attacks on Rhonkar's Fire and Family Pride, though there were others as well. Most notably the capture of the Python and Tiger that had attacked Duke's Buccaneers. I could feign ignorance, temporarily, in case he was speaking of something else. Or I could admit it freely, with justifications, and play the loyal operative with unorthodox methods and, perhaps, a little honest anger. If I went with the former, he might deduce that I had more up my sleeve and was dragging a net through his mind for information. Dangerous, at this juncture.

"I was instructed to weaken the Paranid by more overt means. I am doing so." Appropriately vague. I hoped.

His calculating gaze remained fixed on me, eyes narrowed, as he undoubtedly applied that answer to whatever scenarios he already had in mind. "Unite the families with thoughts of vengeance. Single purpose. Clever, but cost too high."

That still didn't necessarily answer my question. The Python battle group had been large enough to have a high price tag by itself. "Can you think of anything that would have convinced all the families of the threat with less collateral?"

He snorted. "Of course. More subtle too."

"After the events that forced me into this role," I said with a sneer, "I didn't think subtlety would be good enough to excise all the excuses for inaction I've heard."

His face gave nothing away. "What next? Assassinate Patriarch?"

If you only knew, you smug bastard. "If our people are so complacent that only his death could stir them to action, I'd rather retire."

Pu smiled, just a little. "Stand down for now. Will contact with orders." Then the screen went black.

I bowed my head, eyes closed, anger and resignation warring for supremacy. It seemed I was a Split agent once more.

[Timsup2nothin]

Has ups and downs, but I hope it's worth the long read.

Through page six and very satisfied so far. And just for the record I'm not the easiest audience, so take that as a serious compliment. Your character construction is very solid.

EDIT:

Through page ten. I am reminded of why I generally don't read DiDs. Inevitably you will die, leaving a tangle of unresolved plot threads and I will be sorely disappointed. You are constructing much too good a story for it to end hanging like that. If at that point you chose to ignore 'the biggest rule' and finished the story I wouldn't object, and I doubt any other reader would either.

LAST EDIT:

Caught up and ready for more.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Ah, but lucky for you, I actually care about my readers. I'm surprised I've survived this long, since I haven't been particularly cautious. I'll probably let my character die whenever it happens - which won't be soon, because I'm writing the story without actually playing the game at this particular point, for a few good reasons - BUT, I also have a plan in the works to move the story into AP. And when I do, that one won't be a DiD, I think.

How? Well, I'm not THAT big on foreshadowing


Chapter 97 - Revitalization


"Sir?"

The voice was too close; I looked over to find Nyota standing next to me, on the ladder itself. She had never seemed the type to hide her feelings, and her confusion was writ plain on her face. She probably couldn't figure out if she should be feeling compassionate or betrayed. So much distrust...

"Have you eaten yet?"

Her brow knitted inward. "No, sir."

I looked down at the computer panel and tried to remember exactly what I was supposed to be doing. "Me either. Would you find something for us? Things just took an ugly turn and I need to think about it for a bit."

"Of course, sir," she said hesitantly. A moment passed before I heard her retreat, leaving me alone.

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I finished the work on the fighters before finding Nyota again. She was not alone; most of the commandos were still aboard, acting independently while Aron was gone. They seemed in good spirits, from what I could see. Every attempt on their part to include me in the conversation during the meal was, I admit, unfairly dismissed. I finished eating with a terse command for Nyota to meet me on the bridge and left them to their entertainments.

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My satellite network was in shambles. One in each of the sectors with my weapon complexes, a few pointless ones in Boron space, one in Teladi that was for the sole purpose of finding and supplying 25 MJ shield factories, and one in LooManckStrat's Legacy, which still had IBL and PBG factories. That was it.

I began making a list of sectors I wanted eyes on. It was during this process that the bridge door opened. I looked back from the pilot's chair, just to confirm that it was indeed Nyota. "Have a seat. We have much to speak of."

The list wasn't anywhere near complete when I swiveled myself around. Nyota was in the captain's seat, hands in her lap, looking very proper. Vulnerable. She seemed so very different now, compared to the brash warrior who had hunted me down to ask for a job. Or did she?

I stepped back, metaphorically speaking, and studied the woman without the burden of 'me' in the way. Perfect posture. Brown hair bound back and unadorned. No earrings. Old habits, all. But whatever confidence she had possessed back when we first met had either been infiltrated by anxiety, or had been bluster from the start. I didn't know which, but what I saw in her eyes gave the impression of one under siege.

I settled back into the chair, tapping the armrest with my thumb while I considered my place in this shift. "Your shame. Has that account been settled?"

If the sudden question disturbed her, she gave no sign. And Nyota was not one for hiding emotion. "I think so, sir. But it's...complicated."

I smiled and nodded. "Not what you expected." I chose not to try to evaluate her out loud. This was an interrogation, of sorts. The more she gave by her own thoughts, uninfluenced by mine, the better this would work out for us both.

I got a small smile out of her, which was rewarding in its own way. "No, sir."

"Do you have any regrets?"

Her eyes shifted, left to right and back again. "Sir," she began hesitantly, then paused, probably trying to decide if she should say anything at all. The moment of decision was plain on her face; I could see a mustering of courage, but no fear. "I expected to be thrown into combat with the Paranid. Whether defensively or aggressively, I didn't know or care. I expected to fight in open battle, and in open battle, pilots like me get killed. But we follow our orders, sir."

Orders. 'Do this, go there, fire now, retreat. Die.' "You expected it to be simpler."

She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."

I could sympathize, in a way. But..."But you still haven't answered my question."

"I don't think I can, sir. I would have regretted staying where I was. But now everything is just different."

"Fair enough." I took a deep breath and sat up straighter. "Things are about to get simpler, though. We need to revive the Heirs. Which also means recruiting, hopefully." She looked a little confused, but there was something else in her eyes too. Relief, and a certain measure of confidence to go with it. "You heard the conversation I had in the fighter. Until I know what is going on there, we can't attack the Split or use any of our Split ships to attack the Paranid. I don't think they know about my part in the Argon-Paranid conflict, so we'll refocus there, for the time being. But we need a justification for our apparent inactivity."

She considered that, looking away at some point over my left shoulder for a moment. "The bounty hunters?"

I smiled and nodded. "My thoughts exactly. As it happens, I know where their leader is. Or, if not their leader, someone who knows who hired them. The only problem is grabbing him without putting our people at unacceptable levels of risk, since he's been staying almost exclusively aboard a warship, as far as I can tell."

"Oh. I don't know, sir." She hesitated, maybe seeing something on my face. "But you have a plan?" she asked curiously.

"Yes. I'm just waiting to hear from a friend." And then I get to throw myself into harm's way. By going home.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 98 - Games Unending


"This is the last one," I was saying to Nyota, referring to the ships I still needed to reprogram. "We'll get that finished up, then gather the Paranid and Argon portions of the fleet together somewhere. I don't want any of them on defensive taskings. That's what we have the Split ships for." Those 'defensive taskings' did not, despite vehement arguments from Hohindras, include the new microchip complex. He wanted it protected, but if he wanted any legitimacy for the place, whatever defenses it had would need to come from ships not tied to wars. And all of mine were.

I changed his mood pretty quickly by suggesting he harvest some more nividium, with a stipulation that he must use the proceeds to purchase and outfit defensive ships. We decided on, to his delight, Teladi ships. He would soon have a Shrike, with a full complement of fighters. Two Keas, two Falcon Haulers, and four Kestrels in case he needed to fight anything fast enough to evade the missiles the heavy fighters would be loaded to the gills with. They were too slow to be good for anything else. A very expensive endeavor.

"Sounds good, sir." She barely seemed to be paying attention to me. Outside the Chokaro's cockpit, the Teladi equipment dock was growing steadily larger. It looked much like any other to me, but the woman seated beside me had a pained grimace twisting her features. Apparently she did not approve of Teladi aesthetics. She probably didn't realize that Teladi don't have aesthetics to begin with. No profit in it.

But I didn't care about the equipment dock. I cared about the Titan-class destroyer situated between two of the smaller docking claws. It would be a high priority target, and I had saved most of those for last, except for the Zeus, which had had several valuable fighters and many of my people on board at the time. Long-term watchers tend to become lazy watchers. Not that I was particularly worried about people sitting lounging around with eyes on my ships, but...precautions are precautions.

I was just about to ask for docking clearance when we received a comm. I opened a channel and a face came up that looked familiar, but...

Oh. "Taimanckardet. It's been some time." Maybe they finally had the information I had asked for and, if I was honest, forgotten about.

"You must come at once. We are under attack."

I was certainly annoyed, but a deal is a deal. I turned the Chokaro to run parallel to the equipment dock and brought up my map of the sector. "Aid will be there within a few minutes. What is the makeup of the fleet? My satellites are gone."

He scowled, probably not wishing to 'waste' his time talking to me besides beckoning his guard dog. "It is a Split attack. A carrier with many fighters and corvettes, and two frigates."

Now that was interesting. A Raptor, two Tigers, corvettes, fighters...it might be the same fleet that attacked us when I was being prepared for my branding. "Ok. Be there soon." I cut the channel, then opened a new one.

But no one appeared on the other end.

I waited a few seconds, but that was all I had time for. "Alright, are you up for wiping out that fleet?" I asked Nyota. "By the time you get back to your Ares it should be far enough from the gate to be safe for a jump."

She smiled, probably at my reference to HER Ares, but there was confusion there as well. "Of course, sir. It'll be easier than my last mission. But where am I going?"

I winced a bit. She didn't know about this endeavor either. One more thing I would need to explain. "Unknown sector south of Heaven's Assertion. Then come back here and dock. I'll give you the full story then."

"But where are you going?"

"To find the person I was trying to call. I wanted to capture a couple of these ships, since that's what I did last time." Without offering anything more, even so much as a farewell, I transported myself into the Tenjin waiting in one of the transport's docking bays. A few seconds later I made my jump.

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The pirate base in Hollow Infinity was well over seventy kilometers from the sector's single gate. I was worried that it was no longer there. That was the only reason I could think of for this untimely silence. Should have thought to check up on them sooner...there had been a couple dozen of my people staying there throughout the days-long moral crisis that had so strongly influenced my every thought and action for the past week.

Seeing the base on my scanners did little for the fear that had welled up in me during the flight. It only made me more uncertain, and uncertainty always ripped me up inside. I needed to be able to trust in something, and here I had nothing to go on, yet.

I performed the docking manually to give me something to do and think about for a couple minutes. Once the clamps were in place I heard a cheerful voice welcoming me to the station, but before he even finished the sentence I had the cockpit open and was climbing out.

I had only been to this particular base once, but I knew where I was going. I glanced around the docking bay as I crossed to the double sliding doors leading deeper into the cobbled-together 'station', but saw no one familiar. Until those doors opened well before I reached them.

My head tilted, and we smiled at each other. "Firewolves take over this place since I was last here?" I called out. It wasn't who I was looking for, but I should at least be pleasant to a man I had thought dead.

Terrel Gilharno offered his hand, which I shook firmly. "They no longer exist, formally, but there is always a place for my talents," the well-dressed man said with a modest shrug.

"I'll bet. What do they have you doing here?"

"Same thing, just on a smaller scale. This base didn't offer recruiting services before, but they were willing to expand."

"Indeed? Might give me a reason to come back again." Gilharno had impressed me when I hired my first batch of warriors. I was willing to bet he knew where my people were, if they were still here. "This will be a short visit, though. I'm looking for some of my people. Twenty-five or so, give or take. Boron and Paranid warriors, led by one of the latter, named Elmanckardet."

He frowned thoughtfully. "I see. You've come to the wrong place, I fear. They were shuttled away a few days ago, by one of your pilots, I presume."

My stomach sank. There was no one...oh, yes there was. My stomach gave up its calm dive and started doing backflips. "Hm. They shouldn't have been moved. Did the person offer a name?"

He shook his head, hands raised in apology. "I never spoke to her. Small woman, Argon, black skin. Very familiar, I must say, but I saw her only briefly, at a distance during my rounds. The controller gave me the story later, as was his duty, but I didn't know the group well enough to give it any extra attention. I'm sorry that I can't be more help."

But he had been plenty of help. Help enough for me to figure out who had taken my people without my knowledge or consent.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 99 - Bad Blood


The Ryu was flying at low speed through Spaceweed Drift, or so its computer told me. It told me a lot of other things, but none of it was information I deemed important. Whether or not Chianna was there would have been wonderful; whether or not Elmanckardet and the others were there would have been even better.

"She's stealing my tricks," I said to Nyota, who was hovering behind me. She had not taken the news that Chianna spirited off my warriors very well, so I let her look over my shoulder this once without a word of complaint or chastisement.

"Which ones, sir?"

"Hiding in plain sight." I shrugged. The sector had been one of my chosen loitering points when I was still sleeping on a passenger transport every day. "Simpler times." At least then all my perils were easier to anticipate. The scope of events was much narrower. "Step off to the side. I need to contact her." Rushing in wasn't an option. One advantage I had was that she likely didn't know I could track that ship. I was reluctant to give that up unless there was something else to be gained by it. But there were also too many unknowns. I didn't know if Elmanckardet and the others were there. I didn't know who was crewing her ship. I didn't know if she had other forces nearby. I didn't know if she was working independently.

The only thing that I knew, or at least hoped, was that Elmanckardet was one whose loyalty I would never have doubted. Of course, I could have said that of Chianna at one time too.

Nyota moved aside as I scrambled the signal, then transmitted. Seconds ticked by...perhaps a dozen before the call was answered and I saw Chianna's stern eyes staring back at me.

I felt feverish and tense of a sudden, but I spoke first. "Hope this isn't an inconvenient time."

The smug little smirk she gave me told me she knew why I was contacting her. "Not at all. Just out of a meeting."

"That wouldn't be a meeting with a couple dozen of my warriors, would it?"

She pursed her lips, head shaking, then started walking, if the background was any indication. I paid almost as much attention to what must be a ceiling, given the angle, as I did to her. "Couple dozen of mine. Experienced and tough, this lot."

"Anyone I know?"

"A few, at least. But not many. You never mingled with those you murdered before killing them."

I didn't like the way she was twisting the dagger. Not at all. Even knowing it was a barb with only a loose connection to actual truth didn't help. "And what did it take to lure them away? I can't believe they would do it for money."

One of her thin brows arched. She was passing through a doorway, and on the other side the ceiling raised considerably. "The truth. After hearing about your crimes against your fellows, they chose me."

I grimaced a little. Would they have? That superior smirk of hers made me want to think otherwise. What game are you playing? "I see." Whether I believed her or not, I wanted to know where she was. And the extent of her operations. If she was going to be a continuous threat, I might have to remove that threat, sentimentality be damned. "I'm sure you'll take better care of them than you did my fleet."

Her face grew a little distant in the physical sense, then I lost sight of her entirely. She had lowered her hand. Apparently I struck a nerve. The right nerve, as well. I got a better view of her location. There was part of a fighter, the make of which I couldn't determine from just the nose. If she was on a ship, it was one with a hangar.

She held up whatever communication device she was using again, and I could see her rage clearly. But it wasn't pure. I almost felt sorry for her. "Ships can be replaced. People can't."

The screen went black.

I sat back and took a deep breath, pushing all emotions aside. A ship with fighter-carrying capabilities. How likely was it that she owned more than one? Not likely. She was on the Ryu, I was fairly certain. That could change quickly. And my people may or may not actually be there too.

Now the question was, what to do about it?

I looked up at Nyota. She seemed...sad. "I'm sorry," I said quietly, but she shook her head. When she didn't say anything, I moved on and made another call.

Aron's expressionless face came up almost immediately. "Yes, Commander?"

Commander. I wondered if it pained him to call me that. "Time for some work."

[Timsup2nothin]

No sentimentality, she has got to die.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 100 - A Pirate's Life


"Shipss approaching."

Dasinos looked up from his comfortable seat at the front left of the bridge, blinking languidly to clear the sleep from his eyes. "Identify," he mumbled as he wiped at his face and slowly lowered his legs to the floor.

"One Iguana passssenger transport, followed by two Buzzard customss interceptors. The Iguana hasss taken damage."

Dasinos yawned lightly and turned around. There was a Split male, Soa t'Ktt, at the engineering panel at the rear of the bridge, but he was disinterested at best. The only other person present was Liberas, a fellow Teladi and this shift's defensive operator in charge of scanners and the Ryu's turret controls. "Piratess who neglected to pay their bribess," he said scornfully. "Poor businesss deccision."

Liberas snorted but remained focused on the scanner. "The interceptorss are firing."

That only confirmed his suspicion. "Range and course?"

"Ssixteen kilometers, Iguana bearing two zero eight."

So the transport was running in their general direction. An odd place to go if it was hoping to escape. There were no bases or ships among the asteroids directly to their east. "Closure time?"

Liberas' gaze and right hand both moved to the right for a moment, then returned. "Two minutess."

The situation was odd enough that Dasinos reached turned around and tapped his own screen. "Bosssss, ssituation on the bridge," he said over the intercom. "Urgent." It didn't seem particularly dangerous, but they only had two minutes to decide on their own response. Which, he knew, would likely be to depart the scene. A pirate vessel fleeing toward another pirate vessel could be seen in a poor light.

"Check the Iguana's registry," he instructed Liberas after turning off the intercom again. Then he stood up and moved over to stand behind his comrade. It wouldn't do to be seen lounging about when the boss arrived.

He kept an eye on the scanners while Liberas looked into the ship's ID. It was at nine kilometers when the bridge door opened. He looked over to make sure it was the boss and nodded to the small Argon woman. "Bosss, there iss a transport ship approaching with two customss interceptors attacking it."

"The ship iss registered to Tertasobas Ugalirias Lotunis III Incorporated," Liberas interjected. "Acquired today."

That threw the chase into a whole new light. "Stolen?"

Liberas shrugged, and the boss cut in on them both. "Not our business. Dasinos, you'll talk to the customs officers if they comm us. We'll stay put until their situation is resolved, but as soon as it is, we leave for Ministry of Finance."

Dasinos nodded. Best to be considered uninvolved than witnessed fleeing the scene. It was what he would have done, but it wasn't his decision to make.

The three of them watched the battle unfolding on the scanners...if it could be called that. The fighters plinked away at the transport almost ineffectually. The distance continued to dwindle, until they could see the action clear enough through the viewport. Dasinos sneered. "Impulse ray emitterss. No wonder they can't desstroy it."

"More shipss incoming," Liberas said, and Dasinos looked down. At the very edge of their scanner range he saw a Boa military transport. Just one ship, but there was no reason for-

Lines of light flickered to life in front of him. A moment later, two space suits appeared. Dasinos' eyes widened and he reached for his sidearm. Then he felt a sharp pain behind his left ear and his vision burst with colors before going black.

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I removed my suit's bulky helm and set it on the navigation panel. With my vision once more unimpeded, I took in the surrounds while Marissa and Gu's squads deployed to defensive positions. There had been four people on the bridge, Chianna among them. All were unconscious, thanks to quick reaction times and the wide spread of our transport entry. An entry only made possible because I already had a foothold in the Ryu's central computer. Expanding that foothold to give transport permission had been challenging, especially since I had to wait until we were almost in range to avoid tipping them off.

We waited a little over a minute, during which the bodies were moved to the front and laid out side-by-side, bound and gagged. Ban's squad transported in, along with Aron, giving us sixteen warriors, not including myself. They got into position in the now-cramped room, and then I nodded to Kaylen.

"Elmanckardet to the bridge," she said over the intercom in a voice that sounded at least somewhat like Chianna's. This was really the most uncertain part of the mission. If the Paranid wasn't actually aboard, anyone else who was might figure out something was wrong. Assuming they all knew each other well enough to know there wasn't an Elmanckardet among them.

I moved close to the door. If Elmanckardet saw a number of weapons pointed at him, he might do something rash. If he saw me, however, he would hopefully abstain and we could talk.

And if he wasn't aboard and the door opened, I would probably be the first to die.

A couple tense minutes passed. As the time edged toward three minutes, the door finally opened and a large and familiar Paranid male took a half-step forward, then stopped. He was probably aware of the weapons, but he was staring straight at me. "She said you were dead."

I smiled at him. "I wondered how she convinced you to leave with her. Chianna no longer works for me. But I'm here to retrieve you, if you wish to be retrieved."

He bared his teeth. "Will you be taking this ship?"

"Only if you're coming back with me."

"The Boron and I will clear it. They need the practice."

Should have known. "You have ten minutes." He grinned fiercely and left. Then I turned to Aron, and said quietly, "Keep everyone in position, just in case."

He nodded. "What do you want to do with her?"

I knew who he was referring to and grimaced a little, then moved to stand over her. I had good memories of time with Chianna, and had learned a few important lessons from her as well. But this was an open betrayal, this theft of my people. I knew what I should do with her, but it wasn't what I actually wanted to do. Better had we parted ways cleanly, Chianna. Better had you just walked away. I wanted to give her a chance to do just that. But that would be stupid.

"What would you do?" I said to Aron, surprised by the pain I heard in my own voice.

I heard his heavy footsteps come to my side. Then, before I could even look up, he lowered his rifle and put two shots in Chianna's chest.

Her clothes curled up away from the holes burned in them, and the flesh charred beneath. No cry of pain, no jolt. She simply stopped breathing. A few seconds later I heard distant shouts and more weapons fire, but I remained rooted, staring down at Chianna's corpse, numb. As numb as she was, now.

[Poseidon]

Fui t’Sht continued dismantling the Hyperion Vanguard.

Not the real one, of course. He doubted the real one actually existed anymore. However, that didn’t stop every corporation and privateer from creating cheap knock-offs and replicas, to be sold to anyone with the credits and lack of common sense. The minuscule possibility of ‘this one’ being the real one meant his research facility always had plenty of stolen Paranid ships to reverse engineer.

His admiration of this latest forgery was interrupted by a flicker of movement near the door leading into the lab from the Equipment Dock. It wasn’t particularly loud in the lab today, and the front door made a terrible hissing noise when it opened, so he wasn’t certain of the movement... but paranoia was one of the first traits taught to the Honorless. His left hand drew the experimental sidearm from the small of his back, while he pretend to continue examining the engine power grid.

The shadow flickered through his peripherals again. Without looking up, he aimed the gun and held down the trigger. The room began to reverberate to the pulse of the miniature shockwave generator, and everything to his left began to clatter, shake, and crack. He looked up to see Pu t’Tn standing midst the mineral rave wearing a wry grin.

“New non-lethal gun?” he asked.

Fui sighed. “Yeah. Works on everything but you it seems.”

The agent shrugged. “Not entirely your fault. I’m a bit special.” He tossed a datapad on the workbench next the research scientist, and lazy swept his gaze around the lab. “It’s quiet today.”

“Research is almost always quiet,” he muttered. The Research Coordinator holstered the pistol and stared at the investigation report with disgust. One of his engineering technicians had been AWOL for over two weeks. Polite messages requesting an explanation had gone ignored, so he had been forced to send an agent to investigate. “You Retired him?!”

“He Retired on his own. I just delivered his severance package.”

Fui glanced over the datapad at the agent, and suppressed a shiver. Nobody quits the Honorless, except with explicit permission from an Overseer from the Patriarch. Everyone learned that on the first day. That means his assistant had chosen death. Such a waste; he could have used the psychological material for his other research.

“Fine. Thank you for the report. Are we done?”

The assassin/agent looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are we?” The silence drew out for a moment, before he turned and laughed. “Go back to your toys, Fui. Give me a call if you lose another assistant. I’ll be out dealing with other... pensioners.”

He watched as the handler drift out a front door that he had certainly not entered through, and sighed. Every encounter with the man was nerve wracking. It’s one thing to manipulate a person, but Pu t’Tn was a terror within the service. He seemed to have unlimited resources and authority, and every atrocity involved him in some way or another. Seeing Pu t’Tn was a Bad Omen; having him respond to your request for an investigation was a worse one.

It didn’t help that Fui carried a certain reputation within the organization. While torture wasn't outlawed, it was generally frowned upon as dishonorable. In his mind, this was ridiculous. They were already Honorless, so they should use all possible tools at their disposal, including torture.

His most recent experimental Data Extraction technique involved dosing the enemy agent with a hallucinogenic compound paired with a euphoric drug, and then immersing the victim's extremities in a slow-working acid. The information extracted wasn't always coherent, but the cognitive dissonance had been shown to break even the most hardened agents. Unfortunately, his superiors would never acknowledge these techniques, but they were willing to turn a blind eye at least.

That was enough stress for one day. He locked up the lab, and headed for home.

Cho’s Defeat was an excellent sector for a research facility, and a terrible place to raise a family. Fui t’Sht maintained an apartment on the Equipment Dock, while his family stayed planetside. There was no lack of affection, but prudence took precedence after they lost their second child to excessive curiosity and a faulty lock. His wife never overtly condemned him for his experimental torture-virus, but he didn't argue when she asked him to keep his less honorable hobbies under a more solid lock and key.

His arrival to his planetside home was quiet. The kitchen light was on, and a meal was sitting out on the counter with a note indicating it was girls-night-out. He smiled, and headed to the basement to check on his most recent experiments. With no one in the house, no one would hear the screams... not that they would anyway, considering all the soundproofing he'd had installed.

The data terminal flickered to life, and he settled in to review his private messages. Junk, junk, junk... seminar notification... junk... vacation request... what is that?

*****

From: Office of the Overseer
To: Fui t’Sht
Date: ... ...

I wish to thank you for your recent letter. Your efforts on the behalf of the Honorless are much appreciated, and your contributions will not be forgotten. It is rare to see such devotion in this day and age, and your request for an honorable retirement has been granted. Arrangements have been made for yourself and your family.

Godspeed.

Kao t'Tn
Assistant Overseer of the Interior

*****

Fui gulped. He’d hadn't sent a letter to the Overseer. His mind in a whirl, he never heard the knife clear the sheath. The blade edge caressed his neck, and he sagged, gurgling, deeper into his chair.

“Congratulations on your retirement,” whispered Pu t’Tn as Fui bled out.

[Timsup2nothin]

Way to go Aron.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 101 - Insert Name Here


"Elmanckardet, Aron. Aron, this is Elmanckardet, leader of my -" I paused, not actually knowing how to describe this side of my operations. Misfits. "Other forces."

The two sized each other up and I tried to swallow my ill feelings over this introduction. It was being conducted in much the same way as the previous introduction between Elmanckardet and Chianna. For my part, anyway. The Paranid had pretty much ignored her, as I recalled, but now it seemed as if he was regarding Aron as an equal. Or a challenge. Hard to tell with him.

The three of us were aboard the Boa, the least conspicuous of the vessels I had deployed for the operation on the Ryu. The Iguana had been a second-hand purchase, and I didn't even bother repairing it. The Buzzards I had Nyota buy; small fighters weren't likely to draw attention, so I wasn't worried. They were only meant to be used for camouflage to allow us to get close anyway, with ten warriors on the Iguana. I had destroyed all three ships at the scene.

"As you both know, I've kept my various activities very compartmentalized. However, seeing as how I put some of your lives at risk through negligence and the others at risk to undo the damage, I thought it only right that you should meet."

Both men nodded slowly and in near perfect synchronization. "I don't think I can pronounce your name," Aron said.

Elmanckardet bared his teeth. "Then I won't bother using yours."

They nodded again, more curtly, then turned to me. "How did your people do on the Ryu?" I asked the Paranid, who shrugged.

"They lived. There were too many of us to stay together, but the crew was small. I split them into two teams. I led one. Tata Fo led the other. It was easy. But they need more training."

Says Elmanckardet the perfectionist. "And where was the other Tata Fo?"

"With Tata Fo."

I smiled wryly, for a moment. "I have to disappoint you now, though. Some matters have come to a head that prevent me from acting against the Split in most circumstances, so your people won't get any action for a little while. I don't intend to actually use the Ryu though, so you can use it for training. Fair enough."

He was scowling, but he grunted what I assumed to be an unhappy assent at about the same moment my datapad chirped at me. I frowned and pulled it out. "Bide a moment," I mumbled as I opened the incoming message.

The first one confused me, at first. It was from Fui t'Sht, one of the people I had named for my nameless assassin. From Fui, to the Office of the Overseer. Cannot live with the dishonor of...do not wish to bring dishonor upon my wife, child, and Family...request an Honorable Retirement...

The ramifications started to sink in and I slumped back into my chair. There was no way Fui wrote that message. If he had, I wouldn't be receiving it, so I knew who sent it, and I was quite simply awestruck. I was a good hacker and I knew it. It had been one of my specializations. I never could have managed this, though. Despite the simplicity of it, I had no delusions about how much work must have been involved. The assassin had earned their pay.

How long would it be until Fui's 'request' was granted? Messages were screened by the Overseer's staff unless they had certain flags on them, but even if it didn't, a message like this would be ushered straight into his hands as soon as someone read it. And after that, it would only be as long as it took for one of the handlers to get to him. Retirement was one thing no one wanted to suffer from delays.

This complicated things on my end, though. I had expected Fui to disappear. Then I could disguise myself as him to get into his lab. Retirement was another matter entirely. There wasn't anyone else who could take up his mantle, so they would likely either close the lab or convert it. That limited my options. Both in regards to my infiltration methods, and the timeline. I had to break in no later than tomorrow.

I tossed aside the datapad and rubbed a finger across my brow. Good plans never work right. I knew better, of course; it just seems that way when something does go wrong. But my needs were still the same. I had to make this work, somehow.

I remembered the two silent men in front of me and looked up. Not very far, for Aron, but Elmanckardet towered over us both. Especially with me sitting down. "Forgive me. I'll transport you back to your units. I need to think."

Aron thumped his chest, a salute I hadn't seen in some time. Except on the Ryu's bridge, after he chose to kill Chianna. That had surprised me, and still eluded my understanding. Both the killing and the sudden return of his respect. "I'll be sure to send Nyota over," he said.

I smiled faintly. Not quite finished, are we? "Of course."

[Timsup2nothin]

I really like the way you are developing your marine characters.

[Song Of Obsidian]

I've really enjoyed playing with them. Never did like just training and sending them at ships...maybe I'm weird, but I usually imagine them in combat and always listen to the boarding operations without using SETA to speed through it. Not much of a leap from there to imagining them outside of combat. Exploring their lifestyles and personalities has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of this story, for me.

I was going to say something about this next post, but I think I'll just let you all read and judge. Suffice to say that it wasn't planned. At all.


Chapter 102 - Touched


Alone once more.

It wouldn't last. And there was too much work to be done for me to take it all on anyway. The Ryu's hangar bay held some treasures. Four Mambas, a Mamba Vanguard, a Scorpion Sentinel, a Barracuda, and a Skate. All of which had been modestly equipped. Modest wasn't good enough for me, but why should I bother with them when I had Nyota?

Or, for that matter, why should I bother with them when I had no one to fly them?

A minor issue. The fighters, not the lack of pilots. Other concerns were more pressing. Such as finding a way into Fui's lab.

A rush of displaced air alerted me to a transport. I assumed it was Nyota, and swiveling my seat around verified that guess and kept me from flying into a paranoid fit. She stood at attention with her hands behind her back, staring at some point above my head. Tense.

"How was the operation, sir?"

I opened my mouth to respond, then stopped when I saw her jaw was clenching. Had Aron told her? Probably not, or those wouldn't have been the first words out of her mouth. "It went well. No casualties, and we have our people back."

"And Chianna?"

I grimaced inwardly. She and Chianna had been close in that last span. I should have anticipated how she would take the news before this moment. I stood, interposing my face in front of her stare. Her eyes focused on mine and began to glisten with moisture. I didn't need to say it. She knew.

'I'll be sure to send Nyota over.' Maybe Aron hadn't been jabbing at me, as I thought. Maybe he knew something I didn't.

But knowing her grief and dealing with it were completely different. Compassion wasn't one of my stronger traits. I was capable of it, in a limited field...such as when I rescued Hohindras and his coworkers in Scale Plate Green. But that was an offer of service. I was disconnected from it. I couldn't make the same assertion while staring into Nyota's tear-filled eyes. I had told her I was sorry after she witnessed the talk with Chianna, but sorry wouldn't be enough.

I didn't know what to do.

Nyota remained still, rigid with tension, as if it took everything she had to hold her own body together. I hesitated, then reached out and took a very light hold of her upper arm. I wasn't sure what to expect, but her control broke at the contact. The unshed tears spilled out and she fell forward, giving me no choice but to catch her. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I could feel the gentle convulsions from her silent sobs. And damn me if I didn't almost start crying with her.

She really is too soft-hearted for this, I thought as I held her up. People died all the time in war, and the fact that there were no clear sides in the conflict didn't change the fact that we were a faction at war. It wouldn't do to remind her of that just now. I wasn't overly compassionate, but neither was I a complete idiot. I did feel a little awkward, at first. It had been years since I had last held a person in this way. I didn't trust people enough to get this close without a weapon in my hand, and even those I did trust...why?

It was all Nyota's fault. Her fault, too, when I began to relax as her sobs faded away. Perhaps her calm calmed me. Perhaps her emotions in general were simply contagious. Or perhaps I just wanted to return to normalcy, without anyone crying. I didn't know, but when she lifted her head away from my shoulder to look at me, I smiled a little.

And was about to ask if she was alright when she kissed me.

I was unprepared to deal with grief, but I was simply stunned by what followed it. I didn't retreat, but I didn't return the kiss either. After a moment Nyota pulled her head back and bit her lip, a gesture that sent a little tremor through my chest. I don't have time for this, I thought to myself. But I knew then that I didn't want to hear her apologize either.

I became more profoundly aware of the weight pressing against me as I leaned in. It seemed odd, to be kissing a woman who wasn't even Split.

The last thought to cross my mind was that I didn't even like the Split anyway.

[Poseidon]

It's about time... :-p

[Timsup2nothin]

Hormones trump species loyalty every time.

[Poseidon]

Just ask captain kirk

[Timsup2nothin]

Just ask captain kirk

Or Spock's dad.

[Song Of Obsidian]

And now to wrestle my thread back from the Trekkies...

Chapter 103 - No Rest for the Paranoid


Sleep wouldn't come for me.

It occurred to me, very belatedly, that if Nyota had been an agent all this time, she just missed the best opportunity to kill me. Unless she was waiting for me to fall asleep. That shook me up enough to get me out from under her, off the cot and into some clothes. I had work to do anyway.

I spared her sleeping form one last glance before stepping out, and in that moment I almost climbed back into bed. She'll be the death of me.

Back on the Boa's small bridge, I briefly considered locking the door. She wouldn't take that well, though, so I reassured myself with a knife and a small sidearm, both laid across my lap. If she came in, I would be ready.

I would have to come to terms with what had just happened, but now was not the time. Or so I told myself as I initiated a comm.

"Yesssss?"

"Don't you yesssssss me, you greedy green-skin."

Hohindras smiled and shrugged. "You wish to know about Trapelt?"

"Mm."

"I was right. They mostly transssport ore for other companiess. They own less than a dozen shipss and two miness. Their fleet has ssuffered losses. I will find out why tomorrow."

Nothing spectacular. Just the sort of thing to come up with for a trap, of course. That was part of the reason I wanted to listen in. But now, of course, that matter had been complicated. "Very well. You'll have to try to record the meeting. I'll be indisposed tomorrow morning and don't know when I'll be free." Or if.

He gave me that same calculating look that had so disconcerted me the last time we spoke, then shrugged again. "Sso shall it be. They will undersstand if I ask a few dayss to think over any deal they propose."

I nodded slowly and continued to watch him. Was he trying to pry himself loose of my control? After all I had given him?

That thought brought to mind words I had heard once. 'Take what you can, give what you must. Who had said it? It didn't sound like something any of my trainers would have said. The influence seemed more...Teladi. Had Hohindras said it? No. The memory was older. And it hadn't referred to money, either. It was about trust. And then it clicked. Laludinas.

I smiled, remembering her again. A partner who wasn't afraid to take her due or tell me I was being an idiot. Such times had been rare, but they were there. And on that foundation had been built a working relationship that had me fleeing a military base on nothing but her word, and her giving that warning with nothing to personally gain. Because 'give what you must' had taken on a new meaning for us. Some risks were worth the danger, because giving anything less would have been too terrible a crime to live with. I would have begged for retirement if I ever proved that weak.

Retirement.

A niggling little worm of an idea started to grow in my mind. I let it lie for a moment, mostly because Hohindras was clearing his throat loudly enough that I couldn't ignore him any more. My gaze refocused on his bemused face and he asked, "Are you unwell?"

I smirked a little. Seeing me with a dreamy smile probably was a bit odd. "Well enough. Just have a lot on my mind, and it can get overwhelming at times." I shrugged, not nearly as nonchalantly as Hohindras managed, and continued. "You know what you're doing. Just make sure to record the conversation so I can have a listen later. Alright?"

He nodded, expression unchanged. "Iss there anything elsse?"

"No, that will be all. Talk to you again soon, my friend." He appeared startled, just before I cut the connection and sat back to think.

Who WOULD they have sent after Fui? There were only a handful of Split who did that sort of work. Pu t'Tn was one of them, I knew, which was part of the reason why seeing him had unsettled me so much. I highly doubted I could ever best him in a fight. Rumors about him were prolific enough that even those who didn't know whether or not he actually existed still feared his name.

I could use that.

I pulled up another name on the comm panel. The call was answered quickly. "Yes, Commander?"

"Aron, I'll need Nu, Gu, and Cio," I said, naming our remaining Split warriors, "for a clandestine operation in Split territory. Make sure they're rested up, because we'll need to leave in say, six hours. I'll come visit to get them prepped in four. Understood?"

The warrior nodded sharply. "They'll be ready."

[Timsup2nothin]

Not necessarily trekkies. Just showing that cross species...interest...is a staple of Sci Fi. Could have gone the Star Wars example instead. I'm sure the princess was shagging that wookie, so to speak.

Keep up the good work!

[Song Of Obsidian]

Shagging that wookie...Hahaha, what a phrase.


Chapter 104


A metallic clattering sound jerked me back to consciousness. I sat upright, experiencing some mild disorientation, and looked around. No one to be seen. A moment later I realized where I was. Still on the Boa's bridge.

Suppressing a yawn, I looked down at the comm panel. Nothing. Then I noticed the knife laying across my thighs. It was alone.

I picked it up and started to turn around, fearing that someone had taken the laser pistol, but my foot nudged something on the floor and I realized what had happened. I leaned forward and looked at the floor, and sure enough, there was the small gun. I shook my head, frowning. I had these weapons out to defend myself from Nyota?

My fear felt...weak, and misplaced. Or maybe just misunderstood. I knew that I felt fear, but as I looked at the two weapons I realized they wouldn't protect me.

I sighed and retrieved the other weapon, then checked the time. A little early, but I wasn't going back to sleep. I stood and tucked away the weapons, then walked out of the bridge.

I needed to go to the Cerberus before I met with Nu, Gu, and Cio. There were supplies I had left there, way back when it was one of the few ships I even owned. So long ago...

I didn't realize I had made a decision about my next action until the door to the room Nyota and I had shared the night before opened before me. Still dark. I stepped inside and waited for my eyes to adjust, but left the door open for some miniscule amount of light. Once I could see well enough to avoid kicking anything, I moved near to the cot and stepped aside. The light barely illuminated Nyota's face at all, but she was clearly still asleep. The contours of her face were concealed by shadow, but my memory supplied her features for me. One thing I could make out clearly was her hair. It was really the first time I had seen it unbound. I decided I preferred it that way.

I left the room and closed the door, then transported myself to the Cerberus.

-------------------------------------

The room I had once bunked down in was occupied by half a dozen people when I arrived. Those present turned curious eyes my way, and then one of them jumped up to her feet and saluted. I smiled. "Sheron Poler. Good to see you again." I was surprised to see her in this gathering, since I had forbidden her from spending time with her own comrades. But the situation recently had been chaotic enough that I wasn't going to make an issue of it.

"Sir." Her face filled with color, but she held her posture. Rather brave, that.

Most of the others were looking up at me with puzzlement. They had never seen me, of course. The one who did know me tossed off a lazy wave. "Commander."

I had to struggle not to laugh at the expressions on the other faces. "Kile. I'm sorry you missed out on the op yesterday."

He grinned cheerfully. "Just make sure I get in on the next one and we'll call it even."

"Done. Fair warning though, that will probably be tomorrow or the day after." I met each disbelieving gaze then. "I think introductions are in order, Kile."

"Oh, certainly, Commander." He waved to one sitting up on the edge of one of the beds. "That's Niklas Gusta." Niklas nodded curtly, and I returned the nod. Then Kile gestured to the other bed. "And that's his sister, Kriss." She simply stared, and I smiled faintly. "The one at Sheron's feet is Mikela Silsarna." She waved once, almost a perfect imitation of Kile's. That made me wonder. "And this," Kile said with a jerk of his head to the last woman, leaning against the back wall, "is Chianna Danar."

Kile's sympathetic gaze was all that kept me from wincing, but I could feel a tightness around my own eyes. "A pleasure to meet you all at last. I've seen you before, but only heard Mister Jorwan's name at the time." Then I looked at Sheron and grinned. "You can relax now. If you want to."

She chuckled at herself and sat down. "Where's Judge, sir? Haven't seen her in a bit."

I glanced at Kile, who shook his head. They hadn't been told. I sighed. No reason to tell the whole truth. "We lost her."

The solemn expressions that greeted that news stung. I was once again reminded how influential Chianna had been. How much I had relied on her, and even grown because of her. Damn her.

Kriss spoke up. "Does that happen often, sir? Losing people, I mean."

I shook my head and leaned against the doorframe. "Not often at all. Since the Heirs were formed, we've only lost five, including Judge."

"That's insane!" Mikela exclaimed. "We've seen all the ships out the portals, and we were told none of them had been bought."

I shrugged, not sure what to say to that. "That's true. But I came here looking for a bag I left behind. Is it still here?"

"On the bridge, Commander," Kile said. "We didn't know whose it was."

"Very well. Are you alone on the ship?"

"No, Commander. Thirteen of us, since Cio's been taken for some assignment. We moved over from the Minotaur. More comfortable here."

"Ah." I thought over the numbers for a moment. Kile had been the only one left out of the op. Cio t'Hnk had been one of the squad leaders, but our main boarding team was short-handed, so his squad had been distributed amongst the others for the time being. The next boarding operation would be tricky. I certainly wanted Kile on it. I would probably use Marissa's squad to fill out the team. But I wanted a backup option. "Well, after Cio's assignment I plan to give him a rest period. You'll join Miss Halter's squad for it, I think." It occurred to me then that my people might need some practice with the new weapons before going out. That meant delays. "On second thought, the op will be two days from now. But I want everyone on standby that day in case there are surprises, so pass the word to rest up tomorrow night." The others looked on eagerly. Must have been bored near to tears.

"Will do, Commander. You off now?"

I nodded, then glanced around again. "Word of advice. Don't gamble with him. He's a shark."

Several voices broke out loudly all at once, and I thought I heard someone say he had just been trying to start a card game, but Kile threw a boot at me and I fled the room, grinning broadly.