Betrayal is a Double-Edged Sword - TC 3.2 DiD

[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.

[Timsup2nothin]

Soft on discipline. You should have caught his boot and eaten it. That would have shown him who's the boss.

[Song Of Obsidian]

But then I'd have to supply a new boot, and I can't just waltz into any surplus store for supplies. Too much of a hassle.

I'll get revenge in a more practical way.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 105


My passage through the Cerberus was swift; I knew this ship well. I was also hoping to avoid seeing Brent Jorwan. I was surprised, and admittedly baffled, to find myself in too fine a mood to deal with the frosty greeting of a man who probably regarded himself as demoted and disgraced. He knew my face, since we had talked while the Marines were in the lifepods, so there would be no smooth avoidance if I saw him.

Unfortunately, the bridge was occupied when I arrived.

As before, curious gazes turned my way. I saw Jorwan and watched the shift from recognition to hostility to studied indifference. Oh well. "Morning," I said by way of greeting. "Kile said there was a bag here from one of the bunkrooms."

Invoking Kile's name headed off some unnecessary trust issues, as intended. "It's here," someone said to my left. I looked over and saw a man bending over to pick up a bag from under the engineering panel. It was indeed the one I was looking for.

I smiled and met his eyes, nodding once as I took the bag from him. "Thank you, soldier. What is your name?"

"Uma Cheram."

He seemed hesitant; probably wanted to ask mine, or expected mine in return. Instead I stepped back and turned to the next man, who was seated in a chair. "And you?"

"Uma Silsarna," he said with a questioning lift of his brows, which I ignored.

I looked at Jorwan next and nodded. "Mister Jorwan."

He started to tremble; excluding his rank must have struck a chord. "Sir."

The last person, a woman, spoke as soon as my gaze alighted on her. "Jennaia Ohneiam, sir."

I had no idea how to spell either part of her name and was certain I would say it wrong whenever I tried, so I made a mental note to ask Aron. "I asked Kile to pass on word, but I may as well tell you myself. We have an operation planned two days from now. It will only require six, but I want everyone ready. Our attacks frequently end up involving multiple ship captures because of surprise arrivals."

"We look forward to proving ourselves, sir," Jorwan said.

"Do you?" I narrowed my eyes on the man, and was glad to see the uncertainty in his eyes. "The last time someone tried too hard to prove themselves, six people almost lost their lives." I looked to each of the others in turn as I went on. "Aron Silsarna believes you're ready. I believe in his ability to determine readiness, as do the other veterans. You have nothing to prove, only work to do. I want you all to be veterans before anyone else joins us, and that means having you all alive. Am I understood?"

Jennaia and Uma Cheram seemed thoughtful. Jorwan was doing his best to hide his feelings, but he seemed conflicted. The last, Uma Silsarna, simply looked shocked. I had implied that I was in charge here, so that was understandable.

I wondered if it would ever get less amusing.

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

After leaving the bridge, I set out to meet the last of the former Marines. There were only three: Sheron Gilharno, Erine Giorno, and Marissa Danar. Something about Argon names bothered me, I started to realize. It was the repetition, of course, but I couldn't quite figure out why it unsettled me.

I left them by transport, arriving on the Zeus that had become our unofficial flagship. Words were being exchanged when I arrived, but they dropped off immediately. I looked around, identifying all present. Mak Yatar, Aron Silsarna, Gu t'Kt, Flot Rana, and Warron Marval. And, to my surprise, Aron was carrying a rifle. "Gentlemen."

"Commander." Something about Aron's tone pulled me around. "We need to talk."

I nodded, my good mood swallowed by foreboding. "You have my attention."

"Each person here still wanted you to go through with the blood price." Five of the sixteen. That was four more than I'd hoped for, arrogant as that seemed. "We have agreed that the price has been paid." He stepped forward and held the weapon out with both hands. And waited. After a moment, I recognized it. It was the one he had used to kill Chianna. "We want you to keep this, to remember the person who paid it for you."

Chianna. There was, to my surprise, nothing accusatory in his gaze. I took the weapon solemnly, fully aware of the gravity of this acceptance. I didn't know what to say, but was spared that when they all thumped a fist on their chests. I had no idea what to make of it.

Gu stepped in front of the bridge door, which opened. "Come. We go now."

I followed without a word.

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

"You do not understand," Gu said a minute later as we walked.

I glanced over at him and shook my head. "No, I don't."

"We saw you resisting necessity. You cared enough to grieve." That was all he said, and for all that I wished he would explain further, perhaps it was enough.

Neither of us spoke for the rest of the walk to the room where the other Split warriors waited.

[Timsup2nothin]

Okay. Probably just as well you didn't eat that boot. They seem to be coming around.

[Poseidon]

Boomerang Boots are dangerous eating.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 106


Ra t'Ztk had dreams.

Not the sleeping sort of dreams. These visions plagued him during his working hours, and sleeping on the job would make the dreams impossible to fulfill. A drowsy security officer can't spot interlopers on a monitor, after all, and finding what no one else could find would surely garner a commendation. And with it, just perhaps, quittance enough to remove the stain of his father's shame and allow him to seek his own death in honorable service to remove his own shame from the family. That was the best he could do for his young son. And it was enough.

That dream fell to ruins when he saw a visage of death on a monitor, standing outside the security office door.

Ra had no idea how the man had gotten this far without notice, but he had the presence of mind to stand and face the room's single entrance just before the door opened. Sweat broke out over his face, irritating his gills and announcing his terror with all the subtlety of an alarm klaxon.

The first thing he noticed about the man who walked in was the rifle held in his hands. Even that only kept Ra's attention for a moment. His training had not been for naught; he assessed the man's poise, the fluidity of his movements, the methodical way his eyes moved over the room and Ra himself. And he knew for certain that he was about to die, though he hadn't the faintest inkling as to why.

"As you were," Pu t'Tn said with the laconic ease of a bored secretary. Or an executioner. Ra swallowed and sat down, while Pu moved around him and stood at his left side. "All quiet?"

"No disturbances." Ra was rather proud to have kept his voice even. He had heard many stories of this man, and had seen him twice before during the course of his duties at the equipment dock in Cho's Defeat. Never had those sightings been by any means other than a monitor, however.

"Mm." Ra glanced up and saw the man studying the bank of screens that tracked all activity on the station, except in the research center run by Fui t'Sht. The scientist had not wanted anyone to know what went on in that place, and no one wanted to know either.

Then Pu swung his head back toward the still-open door and nodded. An instant later Ra felt a sharp pain behind his right ear, and then...nothing.

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

The job was simple. Let people in who ought to be let in.

The list was a short one. Yo t'Snt had been provided with full dossiers for each of them, and most he had even met in person at some point or another. But this job was complicated by the fact that the research center was lacking in what he regarded as a basic necessity for any high-security facility: an enclosed checkpoint station. Fui t'Sht had chosen to trust in his own fully automated defensive mechanisms, so such a station had never been built. Those mechanisms had since been disabled to prevent incidents during the center's inventory and research audits, so Yo was forced to stand outside the lab's fortified door for this particular temporary assignment.

Traffic had been light thus far. Finding people willing to sift through the records kept by one of the most abhorrent minds of the generation continued to prove difficult. No one wanted that shame on their conscience, not even by mere association.

Yo t'Snt could understand reluctance, but he was eager to be quit of the assignment so he could go home. Until the next assignment came up, at least, which was usually a few days. Even so, his eagerness was not fervent enough to inspire any pleasure when someone did finally approach the door he was meant to guard.

Pu t'Tn was on the short list. He was one of the few that Yo had never met, and Yo would have been perfectly content to live a long life without making that acquaintance. But Pu t'Tn strode down the long hall that dead-ended at the door by which he stood, a rifle held at the end of one lazily swinging arm, and three others followed behind.

The handler spared Yo only a single glance, then looked at the door he obviously intended to walk through. The dismissal stung and shamed him, but he would do nothing. Not even if Pu was alone. And the man knew it too, which was even more infuriating.

Pu came to a halt a few steps from the door, and Yo hastened to enter his code on the panel beside it, while retinal and facial recognition scanners simultaneously verified his identity. "Is anyone else inside?" Pu asked behind him in a way that was every bit as predatory as Yo had ever imagined.

"Three men, Honored One," he replied. "They are charged with inventory of basic supplies in the unit's storage facilities only and have no access to any restricted materials."

"Mm," was all he received by way of acknowledgement.

The door opened on its own power, and Pu stepped past without hesitation. The men with him followed, and Yo started to breathe easier.

Until something heavy pressed into his throat and a large hand pushed the top of his head over to the side, painfully. He closed his eyes, accepting inevitability.

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

Pu t'Tn stopped just inside the door to take in the scene. Half a dozen Split were at work taking an inventory of the various weapon racks and equipment cages that were crammed in along the walls of the rectangular room. Two more, one wearing the uniform of the sector's security arm and the other in nondescript clothing, stood in the middle of the room, staring at him. But the most interesting parties, and far more relevant than those standing, were the four bodies spread about the room. They had not been moved, as far as he could tell; two were almost directly in front of him, sprawled out where they had evidently fallen. Another was at the feet of the two at the middle of the room, and the last was off to the right side, being examined without being touched by another Split in a security uniform.

He finally approached the pair overseeing the clean-up. The uniformed one spoke first. "Honored One, I am-"

"Tell me the facts." That was all this one had to offer him.

The security officer's gills fluttered, and he cleared his throat before answering quickly. "Four dead. One was assigned here by the Interior to restrict access. The other three were only custodians and shouldn't have been in this part of the facility. It appears they were killed by the officer. He stabbed one in the back of the neck at the door and shot the other two, but his neck is broken. We have to assume-"

Pu raised a hand to silence him. He had already come to a similar conclusion. That was how everything appeared, but he was not the sort to take things at face value. "Was anything taken?"

"Most certainly, Honored One," the other Split answered. "Several of the weapon racks have empty spaces, but they may never have been filled. Two of the cages were open though, and Administrator Fui t'Sht was not known for carelessness."

Administrator, he thought with a contemptuous stare fixed on the man. Any who covered up truth with hollow words belonged among the Honorless. "What was taken?"

The two exchanged a glance. "We don't know."

Pu's icy stare shifted from one to the other. "You have had two hours on-site, and you don't know what was taken?"

The security officer flinched, but it was the other who spoke. "Honored One, no one from Interior had yet arrived to begin cataloguing everything. They-"

Pu cut him off with a quiet growl. Requests for trusted members of some of the Families to come for this delicate operation had been sent out by the Patriarch himself, and requests made by the Patriarch of All Families were not subject to dismissal or delay. I told him to let me handle this. But no. He wanted to take a measure of their loyalty. And so he has.

This would not be the first time multiple Families had lost their heads simultaneously.

"What of the security and observation systems?"

"Someone broke into the security hub and destroyed the equipment, Honored One," the security officer said shakily. "The officer on duty is missing. The station's communication relays were also disabled. We don't know how that was achieved yet."

Failure. Failure after failure. This was one of the most heavily defended sectors in Split space, and someone had walked into a secret research facility and flown off with an indeterminate number of weapons or equipment of indeterminate nature. All without leaving a trace. "And docking manifests?"

"Flight and landing control's computer data storage was sabotaged, Honored One. The records have been lost."

No one enjoys being the bearer of bad news. Pu knew this, and knew these two simpletons were not truly to blame, but the honor and integrity of the state needed to be upheld. Their sacrifices would be honored...if not necessarily remembered. "Your reports are to be completed and placed in the hands of a courier who will arrive within the half hour. You are not to communicate with anyone else, on- or off-site, nor are you to leave this facility until you see me again in person." He turned away, and said quietly, "I need to speak with the Patriarch."

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 107


The hangar deck of the Zeus was abuzz with activity. Very loud activity. Marissa Halter's squad, with Kile Colard attached to it, was testing each of the stolen weapons for functionality by firing them at a stack of crates that would not feel their effects. The warriors were making sure they were in working order, as well as getting a feel for their projectile speeds. Meanwhile another cluster of people were going over the computerized data readouts for each weapon. They needed to know how they worked, how long a person would be rendered unconcious, if there was greater danger from any particular weapon, any relevant variables that might come into play for each...

I stood on the observation deck, just watching. My part was done, for the day; I had cracked the cipher that made the data unreadable and provided the means for success in the mission to come. It was their job to figure out how to achieve that success.

Kaylen raised an unusual-looking weapon with two grips that was significantly shorter than most of the rifles they were used to. A moment later the weapon discharged, bucking sharply despite the woman's strength. There was no projectile that I could see, but the air seemed to ripple in a way that made me question whether or not my eyes were working properly. The wave of...whatever it was, expanded outward and upward as it moved forward, but the only effect it seemed to have was a faint shuddering of latches or handles on the crates.

I didn't want to consider the option, but it might be necessary to have the weapons tested on live subjects before sending my people into harm's way with them.

A scuffing sound altered me to the approach of another behind me. The sound was repeated, at regular intervals, and I smiled faintly. Damned woman.

Nyota appeared at the corner of my vision with an odd little hop to end her skipping. I opened my mouth to greet her, but she spoke first. "You're not supposed to go anywhere without me," she said teasingly, and the low tone of her voice caused a little stutter in my heartbeat to go along with certain remembered sensations and images in my head.

"Can't always be helped," I said with some effort to keep my breathing even. "But I hear you kept busy."

"Yup. Went for a cruise through Argon space and found a Heavy Nemesis patrolling in Wastelands. Aron thought it would be good for them to practice on one that didn't have shields."

I nodded, though this conversation felt very...awkward. I knew why. I was used to Nyota calling me 'sir', but the...change, in our relationship made it unlikely that I would ever hear her say it again. And she didn't even know my name. None of them did.

"A good decision. How many boarding pods do we have?"

"Twenty-four on the Minotaur, and two of the Ares' have some. I think around twenty between them."

"Not going to be enough, once we get busy again. I'd appreciate if you could make a circuit around to buy more."

"I'll need money," Nyota said without hesitation. "And Aron wants some surveillance equipment to put on the Nemesis so he can watch the practice."

I considered that. Definitely a good idea, but it would mean shopping trips to pirate bases. I felt a quiet panic at the idea of Nyota going to such installations, even if I sent a squad with her. Which I decided right then that I would anyway. "I'll take care of that. And take Ban's squad with you on your trip. Things are looking crowded down there."

"Babysitters?" Her face loomed in front of my vision at an angle, and I saw amusement clearly in her eyes.

"Protectors, unless there's-" I closed my mouth, eyes widening as my brain caught up to the words I was just about to say. I glanced down at her stomach, shocked that I would say or even think such a thing, and shocked by the slip of my self-control.

Nyota blushed prettily and grinned, then kissed my cheek. "You worry too much." Then she walked away, leaving me to puzzle over my own emotions.

Damned woman.

[Timsup2nothin]

Ah, the half Split half Argon bastard child...there would be a story in that one for sure.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Chapter 108


There was a brief burst of static, and then the recording ended.

"That's all of it?"

"Yesss."

"And what do you think?"

Hohindras' lips pinched together and puckered out, and his gaze grew distant. He was thinking, but I knew him and Teladi in general well enough to know that he was not thinking about what to do with the offer. He had already made up his mind, and was only trying to figure out how to sell it to me.

"The merger hasss merit," he said carefully. "But their board of directorss hasss more memberss than their fleet." He sighed gustily, and I understood the derisive gesture. People at the top have expectations, and one of them is remaining at the top. "I could give their CEO his research facility. That iss his passion."

"And the others?"

"An ultimatum," he said without hesitation, which only confirmed that he had already worked out his own plan for the merge. "Pilot trade shipss, work with Met Danar to improve mining operationss, or accept bankruptcy." The Teladi shrugged. To him, the answer was a foregone conclusion. But sometimes pride outstripped profit.

"And will there be enough work to go around for that many people."

He grinned at me. "We could always build more stations."

Typical. He was already building the most ambitious complex in the universe and still wanted more profit opportunities. Damned Teladi. "I recognize inevitability well enough. Make your offer to them and start looking for more opportunities to keep their board busy." That was assuming Hohindras was not already a step ahead, and I was sure he was. "Anything else?"

He responded in the negative and we signed off. I was almost back in transport range of the Zeus anyway, and I was not alone. The visit to Veil of Delusion had yielded an unexpected bounty: apparently Chianna had left some of my hired warriors there for training, and they had languished there ever since. And 'some' was an understatement. It was a mixed group, including all the rest of the Paranid and Teladi I had taken off the pirate base with Elmanckardet after he saved my life. I had to bring in Gall to carry out the rest of the group of twenty while I piloted Gull, and I was still unsure just what I was going to do with this group. They Paranid would best serve with Elmanckardet. Where to keep the Argon and Split was easy, but it was the Teladi that most interested me. Adding what would look like Teladi mercenaries to either operation could have interesting side effects, if I played it right...

[MoonlightMassacre]

Jst finished reading whats done so far. Very interesting dynamics between your characters. Great work mate