Starlight Gleaming Ch. 19

Stimmi pulled the door shut. With no furniture in the room, we stood.

The Imperial Security captain raised his eyebrows, nodding at Stimmi. "Shouldn't he be outside, helping keep watch? He's a sergeant."

"Yes, he is. He's also her field partner, and acts as her right hand. Lieutenant Tchanoonka is a Deputy Shift Commander and an integral part of my command. I trust their loyalty completely."

"So be it." Korreem pulled out a small cube like I'd seen Melannee use. He pushed a switch and set it onto the floor. The device killed all electronic operations in a ten-foot radius.

"We've confirmed Kita's story," the captain began quietly. "There are no records of any criminal charges against her or her family. Just over two years ago their entire family disappeared, with the business interests passing to close relatives. At this point, nothing points to the relatives having any involvement in what happened, and interestingly, the business was sold to a rival shortly after, for below market value.

"Unfortunately, Kita was sedated for a good part of her trip, so even with a light dose of a memory enhancer, we don't know where the rest of her family ended up. I've flagged it, so if any DNA work with a ninety percent or higher match, we might find others. We're still looking into the other stories, but initial findings are that they, too, are in the same situation -- free citizens wrongfully kidnapped and enslaved -- and implanted with killing devices to keep them docile and bound.

"The guard is a former Ground Service veteran dishonorably discharged and enslaved for drunkenness while on duty. He denies the charge, asserting he was unable to repudiate the allegation or the witnesses his former CO brought against him. Most officers don't need much evidence to punish enlisted, though, and he did speak truthfully under drugs.

"In any event, the injections will neutralize the nano-bombs, rendering the explosive inert within half an hour. As you suspected, there is a smaller secondary device that sits in the auditory canal. With the instruction set so small, it doesn't have to be very large. In a few days, all traces of the nano-devices should be gone. What are your plans, Commander?"

"You have the address where they were living?"

"We do," he confirmed. "The home is owned by Garan Bayloks'mec, son of Commander Pren Bayloks'mec, Ground Service, retired. Interestingly, the Commander's daughter re-appeared about eight months ago -- without her husband or their sons. Then, just a few weeks later, she just as mysteriously disappeared."

Bilan's ex-wife, Teela, I thought. Best not say anything about her. Besides, I have more important things to worry about.

I looked at Yalcamara and Stimmi before answering the captain. "What I'd like to do is take half my platoon here, break down the doors, stun the guards, kick some ass, and remove every servant and slave on the premises. If they're willing, Kita and one or two of the others could go along and speed things up, identifying who's who."

Korreem frowned, and dropped the volume of his voice. "With these implanted nano-tech devices, this implies there is some sort of arrangement with highly placed people."

"Highly placed people?" I asked sarcastically. "These devices have been used exclusively by Imperial Security, and are favored by Minister Supay."

"That's dangerous talk, Commander." He waved at the e-jammer on the ground. "This isn't a secure site. For your own safety, I must caution you about publicly saying such things."

"So noted, Captain." I sighed. "Are you willing to help me free these people?"

"It would be most unwise for you to participate, Commander. We've already retrieved and disposed of the camera records from your visit to Chantamoco Investments and Holdings from earlier this evening. They will have camera feeds scattered about the estate. You could never be sure you got them all. You could be identified. If the Minister truly is involved, and with visual evidence to support him, he will take steps to punish you and all those you hold dear. The Minister lives by a policy of scorched earth."

Showing my open palms, I said, "I'm open to suggestions, Captain."

"You've saved these people. Let that be enough. I suggest you take what you have accomplished and return to High Guard."

"Lieutenant Tchanoonka, what do you think?"

She scowled briefly. "Captain Lovyanchiti has given me a mandate, Commander -- to make sure you make it back to High Guard alive and unharmed. Letting it go would be the safer course of action."

"We are Air Security, Lieutenant. Military cops. You and Stimmi were both there when we hashed out our mission statement and our policies. The 602 is now our home. What does our regiment stand for? If there are more kidnapped citizens enslaved in that compound, people that should be free -- what does the military cop, the Warrior officer have to say?"

She looked unhappy, then nodded grimly. "Kick down the door, stun the guards, kick some ass, and take every servant and slave we can find into protective custody. Sir."

"This is something right out of a Commander Orchid show," Stimmi commented.

Korreem scoffed. "Commander Orchid is gone. The Minister made sure of that."

"No, Stimmi, that's good," I said. "To do it, we'd need the help of Imperial Security. And a woman in an Imperial Security uniform with a Commander's grade on her shoulders, and a black scarf to hide her face. Do you have women officers in your command, Captain?"

"Only Lieutenant Vertissik. What -- no! It's too dangerous for her. She would be the first person looked at by agents of the Minister, and she would be interrogated under truth drugs."

"Only one woman officer? Excellent. That makes it much simpler. While doors are being knocked down, it would be good if Lieutenant Vertissik was seen where her presence was witnessed and recorded with a date and time stamp embedded. Like at C&C Operations. A standard surprise Imperial Security check, examining deployments and reviewing security footage with plenty of witnesses. A random safety check looking for anything unusual. No, I was thinking of temporarily promoting Lieutenant Tchanoonka."

Yalcamara paled. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What do you say, Warrior? I want you to lead the charge. You will, of course, really have to act the part of Commander Orchid. Order people around like her, just like she does on those entertainment vids. How many people can you muster for this sortie, Captain?"

"Thirty troopers, with six vehicles and a transport." Slowly nodding, he looked at Yalcamara. "Everyone else would have to have helmets with visors to hide their identities." Then he turned his attention back to me. "It's bold, daring, and totally unexpected. Yes, it could work. However, if we're caught, a quick death would be a blessing. I'd rather not end up in Marvak prison."

Bilan once said that Marvak Prison was the embodiment of the Sixth Hell. I had no reason to doubt him.

Having survived the Seventh Hell, and encountered the various criminal and traitorous activities of the Minister of Imperial Security thus far, I firmly believed Supay to be a monster incapable of redemption; he was a devil in human form. Whispering the minister's name made too many grown men cold with fear.

Standing down was safe. It was also the act of a coward. We were Warriors, sworn to protect the Empire and its people.

"We'll also need a uniform for Sergeant Stimmi, including a helmet with a visor. And probably more of your special anti-nano serum."

"We have enough to treat up to a hundred. I'll get the uniforms and I'll make sure Vertissik and some support staff are where they can be seen and recorded just as you suggest. Are you both still chipped?"

"Chipped?" Yalcamara asked, looking at me.

I nodded in confirmation. "In boot, one of the injections you get in your ass is a chip that tracks your whereabouts, especially when you're on a war base." Both of them looked unsettled by the news. "The tracking is picked up by satellite. I ended up having to dig mine out myself."

Korreem glanced at me in surprise before continuing. "Both of you should get the same shots the slaves are receiving. It should work to dissolve the tracking chip. The medico will remain here until all the people we bring in are processed. In the meantime, I need to prepare for the op. I'll also arrange for temporary quarters until something more permanent is decided. I should be back in about an hour."

Korreem turned off his device and pocketed it, then quickly exited, closing the door behind him.

"What do you think, Yalcamara?" I asked her quietly.

"Not much bothers me, Commander, but I have to admit, it was a struggle not to piss myself," she whispered. "Me? Impersonate Commander Orchid? Holy gods! With all due respect, Commander, you are bat-shit crazy with balls of steel! Commander Orchid is a veritable icon of Imperial Security. She's regarded as the Emperor's left hand, working behind the scenes and dispensing justice among the people." She shuddered. "That captain's right. I've heard some pretty gruesome stories about Marvak. If we're caught, a quick death would be a blessing."

I looked at them both. "This is something Orchid would be involved in -- because it's the right thing to do. Remember everything she did for the women of High Guard? How she even got the Emperor to allow for a pregnancy retest two weeks after the first tests were done, instead of instant dishonorable discharge or execution? Our Orchid put her power to work and rescued my daughters because I asked her to. She is a formidable person. Supay has done his best to murder her because she interfered with his criminal activities at High Guard. Commander Orchid raiding the compound will throw them for a loop. We're going to do everything possible to make sure no one finds out about this. That said, there are also no guarantees. This is strictly a volunteer mission, and I have no problem aborting it if you aren't willing to go. Will you do it?"

"If you'll tell me how Captain Lovyanchiti was shot."

I nodded. "You've both earned that one. Orchid never was one person, but several. The face was always hidden off camera or by her black scarf. It emphasized her hidden, knowing nature, and it made switching persons easy. The Orchid who helped us out at High Guard -- I will call her our Orchid -- she is an honorable woman and a patriot. The woman I met was preparing for a long-term overseas mission.

"When she discovered the Drug Plot, she put that aside, came to the war base, and made things right. It surprised the hell out of me when I learned she really was Orchid. When Minister Supay learned what was going on, he immediately ordered the Orchid doing his dirty work elsewhere in the Empire to get to High Guard. As soon as she arrived, Supay's Orchid began to execute people, assuming guilt by simple association, whether it was true or not. She also planned to massacre all the people we saved at the beach. Civilian women and children. Our Orchid was determined to prevent that, and was warned it would put her life in danger. She did it anyway.

"Supay's Orchid was aided by a draconian agent, an enemy of the Empire who murdered the Imperial Security officer he impersonated. We found the man murdered and stuffed in the boot of his own vehicle. Our Orchid killed both her and the draconian, and then she made arrangements for the refugees to escape."

I continued, measuring what I could say that wouldn't reveal too much detail about Melannee.

"When our Orchid learned about Sisi being kidnapped, she acted immediately. No hesitation. Some died before we could get to them, but we saved sixteen kids as well as Sisi and Mina, who otherwise would have ended up as food for draconians.

"Enraged over the death of his own murder-loving Orchid, Minister Supay ordered the deaths of all the Imperial Security agents who were on the beach where she died, regardless of which side they had fought on. Supay also arranged to blow up the Condor transport acting as a decoy, killing everyone aboard. Ninety-two civilians as well as over two hundred Imperial Security died because of Minister Supay. What kind of mad man kills hundreds of his own troops in a fit of rage?

"Naturally, our Orchid had to flee for her life. Using stim tabs, she'd been awake for days without sleep, trying to do as much as possible within the short time she had to act. Exhausted, Orchid finally passed out. Some time during all that, she asked me to be her friend. I agreed. Sowitwee was involved with the switched birth-control drugs. Orchid discovered he was acting under duress because Nariya was being held. She was badly hurt by her captors. He was guilty of helping, yet she spared him and gave him to me to become my aide.

"Other people loyal to Orchid helped her leave the war base, and I sent Doyya along to take her into hiding and keep watch while Orchid slept. Supay's men found them, probably by following Doyya's tracking chip. Pointedly, another draconian was with Supay's men. They into the motel room, guns blazing. Doyya and Orchid killed the assassins, but both of them were wounded in the process. Orchid fled, dropping Doyya off at the warehouse -- where we found her. I believe that our Orchid is still alive, and out there somewhere. You and Stimmi know the rest."

Stimmi grinned, gazing at Yalcamara. "Our Orchid. I like that, Commander."

Yalcamara rolled her eyes at him. "All right, Commander. I'll do it."

"Excellent. If anyone asks what you're doing, you are helping Imperial Security. If anyone asks what kind of help, tell them it's an Imperial Security matter. I trust our people, but tongues will wag, and neither of us can afford that kind of bill. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir. Stimmi, what are you grinning at?"

"After this is done, please keep the scarf, for later? Not over the whole face, because I love your eyes and covering them up is a crime. You could interrogate me, and... just think of the possibilities, Lieutenant. Wouldn't that be hot?"

"That's not funny, Sergeant." Yalcamara blushed furiously while he and I laughed. She waited until we were done, and then said, "We're truly chipped with tracking devices?"

"We are. As I said, I removed mine myself. As far as I know, it hasn't been replaced. Captain Tlacotli was furious when she learned about it. I agree with her reasoning. It's a betrayal to ask someone to give their oath of fealty, and then put tracking chips into them. It's like you aren't being trusted to keep your word."

She shook her head. "No, sir, I disagree. It's not much different than when we carry cameras. Those help establish the official record of events. But these chips don't make sense. If our government can track us by satellite, what's to keep the Atlanteans or the Aesir-Vedans from doing the same? And if they know where we are, they can prepare in advance. Our troops would never have the possibility of surprise, while they could. That's a major tactical disadvantage. No matter how good your strategy is, if the enemy knows exactly where you are and in what numbers, they can apply force where you're weakest and destroy units in detail. Submarines might be okay, but air forces, ground troops, even ships at sea would be visible with satellite tracking. No, Commander, I cannot see High Command knowing about this and approving it."

"Damn, Yalcamara. You make some really good points. Let's talk about this back at High Guard in a staff meeting. You bring it up."

Yalcamara nodded.

I stretched and rolled my back. "Well, I'm going to get some sleep."

She looked alarmed. "You're going to bed?"

"How long have you been in the Air Service, Lieutenant?"

"Seven years, sir."

"I'd love to go along with you, to help kick down doors and put the fear of the Emperor into some people's lives. This is your op, Lieutenant. You don't need me babysitting you. If you run into trouble, follow Captain Korreem's lead, and if things really go sideways, call me, and we'll go from there."

I yawned. "I have a full day tomorrow. Do you know why I'm going to bed, Lieutenant? Because I have the best Air Security regiment in the Empire, with the best troopers and the best officers, bar none. We both agree this op needs to be done. You are a good Warrior and a damn fine officer. You are an Air Security trooper, Yalcamara, with years of field experience. Doyya tells me she rests easier because you are her Second. Did you know that? It's true. I have every confidence you will complete this sortie with the professionalism, bravery, and honor expected of an Air Security officer."

"I... Thank you, Commander." While she blushed under the praise, she looked pleased at the recognition. Stimmi, for his part, beamed at her with love and pride.

"Make sure you both wear your vests. Take no chances. You put your scarf on as soon as you get it. Leave your grade pins, unit patch, and name patch here with your kit. You, too, Stimmi. Don't shortcut. Put on the trousers, so they can see the grey piping. Switch out your shirt after you leave the base, and switch back again before you return. Yalcamara, you wear that scarf at all times, even among the other Imperial Security enlisted. This op needs to stay between the six of us. Captain Korreem, his two aides, and us three. I take it you two are in the office in the next building over?"

"Yes, Commander. We're okay, sir." She gave Stimmi a sideways glance.

"Safe flight and safe return to you both. And good hunting."

Both saluted. "Yes, sir."

I returned it.

Stimmi took her hand and turning it over, gently kissed the inside of her wrist. She inhaled deeply, nervously glancing at me as I exited.

All things considered, I thought their love for each other was awesome. Love makes all the crazy and sometimes awful stuff that happens in our lives bearable.

* * * * *

Part 20 -- New Sides to Cholan

* * * * *

I returned to the wide open doors of the hangar.

Being as the spring night air was warm and the air humid, keeping the doors open kept the inside from becoming too close with so many people. Braziers had been set up by the entrance, burning sweetgrass pellets to discourage the mosquitos. Packing the light aluminum frames and the sheets of velcro-edged nets were a bother, but they were quite useful in preventing the spread of pathogens like yellow fever and yaws that might be carried by those blood-sucking pests. It also made sleep possible. Few things disturb sleep like a mosquito buzzing close for a bite. While a rarer problem, the nets discouraged other insects like centipedes and scorpions. While vampire bats preferred livestock, they weren't above sneaking a snack from a bared calf or ankle when the occasion arose.

I saw Mack sitting cross-legged on her cot with Cholan facing her. They chatted quietly, both dressed for bed -- Cholan in my tee-shirt and panties, and Mack in her medium blue Air Service tee and matching shorts.

Mack looked contrite as I approached. "May I apologize now, sir? I'm sorry for my earlier lapse. The door was closed and I should have knocked. I have no excuse."

I sat down at the end of the cot, next to Cholan. "It is what it is, Sergeant. As long as there are no repeats."

Cholan smiled at me. "I was thanking Mack again for her help earlier in making my night with you so successful. I was beautiful for you, sir, and you did what you promised."

Mack looked at her questioningly.

"I don't think--"

Looking at Mack, she said, quite seriously, "The commander said I looked so beautiful, he promised to fuck me senseless when we returned from dinner and dancing, and that's exactly what he did."

I heard several half-suppressed snorts of laughter from behind me. Apparently there weren't as many sleeping as appeared at first glance. Might have had something to do with Cholan's earlier screams and yells of passion.