Death's Handmaiden

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘The information I was read in on,’ Ruben said, ‘suggests that the base on Earth was one of their most important, but any data relating to other locations and their current operational structure was destroyed before the base was captured. Apparently, a few prisoners were taken, but the most reliable of those had only limited knowledge of day-to-day operations. The ASF’s assessment is that the Redwings took a major blow with the loss of their Earth base but they had to have other resources on other worlds.’

  ‘Even if these attacks aren’t something new by the Redwings,’ Rhianna said, ‘they need to be dealt with. The pattern so far shows considerable sophistication and a significant degree of ruthlessness. Whoever is behind this, we need them stopped.’ She looked across the table at Nava. ‘Though, I happen to agree that a Redwing operative or operatives seems like the best explanation.’ Nava just looked back; there seemed to be no need for a response.

  ‘The immediate question,’ Hyrum said, ‘is whether we should involve the ASF.’

  ‘I can’t speak for the school,’ Mitsuko began.

  ‘Yet,’ Zackery put in.

  ‘I can’t speak for the school, but I’d imagine that they would prefer to avoid ASF involvement. The reason the school has the SSF and that it has such extensive powers is to make it self-policing.’

  ‘Courtney Martell considered calling in the ASF after the attack on Tracey Spears,’ Nava said. ‘I advised against it, principally because I doubted that the ASF could do more to handle the situation.’

  ‘SAS-squared is a training ground for future soldiers and cops,’ Rhianna said. ‘Courtney Martell is a capable investigator in her own right, but she can call upon people with expertise in a number of fields who can rightly be called geniuses in many cases. She can handle it, as it presents itself currently.’

  Hyrum nodded. ‘If we don’t directly involve the ASF, we may be able to avoid some political embarrassment. Personally, I won’t allow that to get in the way of saving young adults’ lives, but some people in the administration will appreciate it. Have we any idea what their aim is?’

  There was silence, so Nava filled it. ‘What are the stated goals of the Redwing Faction?’

  ‘They’ve never issued a manifesto,’ Rhianna said, ‘but they used to be a clan. They started operating a number of criminal enterprises, including piracy, and they were cast out of the Alliance as a result. They became a focus for various disaffected groups and their main goal appears to be the destruction of the Clan Worlds. They want revenge for being thrown out.’

  ‘They want to undermine the power of the Clan Worlds. A significant element in that power is the sorcery the Clan Worlds have access to. SAS-squared is an important element in the development of that magical power. Undermining the school, weakening it, seems like a likely goal in this instance.’

  ‘I’m not sure that’s enough, but it is the best explanation we have.’

  ‘The publicity involved in a successful intervention would reflect badly upon the Clan Council,’ Hyrum said. ‘If they can cause sufficient disruption, they can rub the council’s noses in the fact that they still exist despite official claims.’

  ‘That,’ Nava said, ‘would require them to do something big. Something which would make the news channels and social media pundits sit up and take notice. So far, even the bomb has been kept out of the public domain.’ She paused. ‘Information management at that school is quite strong.’

  ‘They guard their independence like lions,’ Zackery said. ‘Part of that is ensuring that the place is never viewed in a negative light. How many of them do you think are involved in this? The Redwings, I mean. Are we talking a small team or one individual?’

  ‘The skills employed so far would suggest a team. If it’s an individual operative, they are trying to obfuscate their nature and they have wide-ranging capabilities. It’s far from impossible that one person could be doing everything, but a team seems more likely.’

  ‘The Redwings rarely use single-unit cells,’ Rhianna said. ‘Even if a single operative is doing most of the work, they’ll have someone backing them up. A “handler,” if you like. Someone will be providing logistical aid and passing messages back and forth. They may be directing the operation.’

  ‘They will be very difficult to smoke out, if they exist,’ Nobuyuki said, ‘but doing so would probably cripple their operation.’

  ‘I’d imagine you want them alive?’ Nava asked.

  The ninja looked at her with stony eyes. ‘That is not necessary. They know the stakes. Every member of the Redwing Faction is subject to the death penalty and those operating at the school have killed students. They know they will be shown no mercy and will act accordingly. They are difficult to extract information from anyway. Taking prisoners takes second place to taking them safely.’

  ‘I’m glad you see it my way.’

  ‘Frankly, Nava Ward,’ Zackery said, ‘when it comes down to the safety of my wife and children, I don’t care who is trying to harm them, I’ll see those outsiders dead. I’m entrusting Suki’s life to you. I don’t care who you have to kill to keep her safe, I’ll put all my weight behind you if it should be needed. If you can find out who’s behind this, show them not even the smallest hint of mercy.’

  235/2/10.

  ‘So, what did you think of my family?’ Mitsuko asked as they walked back to her room.

  ‘I appreciate their faith in me,’ Nava replied. ‘They seem like nice people. I like your mother in particular. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting of high-ranking members of the Sonkei clan… I suppose I have come to know you reasonably well, but you might have been an aberration. I have to say that, overall, this was a more… decadent party than I was expecting.’

  Mitsuko’s cheeks coloured. ‘The pool house and the public baths always degenerate like that toward midnight. That’s one of the reasons we have two bathhouses here. We can still use the one at the back while the service robots are steam-cleaning the one at the front.’

  ‘Does that kind of thing happen a lot?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know. Reputedly, some form of orgy is the high point of many a party, but I suspect some of that is exaggeration.’

  ‘I see. I take it I’m not going to get to meet your other sister?’

  ‘Amédée is off-world. She’s currently running the Alliance liaison office on Garavain Prime, which happens to be where Courtney is from. I was surprised to see Ruben here, but I suppose that was explained by our secret meeting.’ Arriving at her room, Mitsuko pushed the door open and signalled Nava to go ahead of her.

  Nava stepped through, scanning for any signs of disturbance. ‘I assume that makes her a fairly powerful woman.’ Nothing seemed to have changed. Nothing was out of place as she remembered it. No one seemed to have infiltrated the place in readiness for a sneak attack.

  ‘I guess she is.’ The sneak attack actually came from behind. Arms encircled Nava, gripped the edges of the vent in her dress, and pulled the fabric aside. Hands cupped her breasts, squeezing gently but firmly. Nava leaned back against Mitsuko and let her do as she wished. ‘I’ve been waiting for the chance to do this all evening,’ Mitsuko whispered.

  ‘We could have joined the people in the baths.’

  ‘No way. Etiquette in things like that is to share and I’m not sharing you with anyone.’

  Reaching behind her, Nava cupped Mitsuko’s mound in her hand. Mitsuko let out a soft moan. ‘That suits me just fine.’

  ~~~

  Michiko was making a sponge float through the air. If she concentrated, she could manage a bar of soap, but the sponge was easy. She was inordinately happy about this ability and Mitsuko was indulging her because that was what older sisters did for younger ones.

  ‘Michiko is the only other member of the family showing signs of real talent,’ Mitsuko said. She was in one of the family baths with Nava and her little sister. It was fairly early and Mitsuko had suggested that she had other plans for what she would be doing with Nava
, but Michiko had quashed that thought. ‘Father and Ruben are entirely lacking any talent, Mother and Amédée can manage a weak cantrip. Little Michiko here is almost as precocious as I was.’

  ‘I’m precocious,’ Michiko informed Nava. ‘Everyone says so.’

  ‘I can see that,’ Nava replied. The sponge was doing loops around Michiko’s head at this point. ‘Don’t tire yourself.’

  ‘It’s only been a minute. I can do it for much longer than that.’ Children did not generally have a quintessence reserve and so had to put effort into working magic. Still, if Michiko thought she could handle it, Nava was not going to damage her confidence by suggesting otherwise. ‘Can you do this?’

  Nava glanced at the soap Michiko had been demonstrating her prowess on earlier. It lifted into the air and began to chase the sponge around Michiko’s head. ‘Yes, I can. If I want to.’ Michiko giggled and splashed as she turned to watch the race of the washing implements.

  ‘A cantrip?’ Mitsuko asked.

  Nava nodded. ‘I can move a couple of kilos like this. More if I’m not chasing a sponge.’ Cantrips were trivial spells, or trivial versions of more powerful spells, which a magician could work as a sort of improvisation, using only their basic power as a magician rather than the complex mental patterns required by spells of greater power. The more powerful you got, the more powerful the spells you could work as cantrips. Nava was using Telekinesis as a cantrip, but Michiko had had to memorise the spell fully to do the same work. More or less everyone at SAS2 could manage a basic Telekinesis cantrip, though some preferred to memorise more powerful versions of the spell.

  ‘I’m going to magic school when I grow up, just like Onee-chan,’ Michiko announced very seriously.

  ‘I’m sure you will,’ Nava replied.

  ‘Somehow,’ Mitsuko said, ‘I didn’t expect you to get on well with children.’

  ‘I don’t have any experience with children. Not since I was one anyway. I treat them as I would anyone else and Michiko is very mature for her age, so I guess that works.’ Michiko preened a bit at that.

  ‘You don’t talk about your life before school much.’

  ‘No. No, I don’t.’

  And that was the end of that conversation.

  Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery.

  ‘Did anything happen while we were away?’ Nava asked as she put her tray down. Melissa and Rochester had met them at the helipad and they had all gone to lunch since it was that sort of time. It seemed like a good time to catch up, even if Nava and Mitsuko had not been away a day.

  ‘Tracey Spears announced her intention of reallocating club funds,’ Melissa replied.

  ‘Oh?’ Mitsuko asked.

  ‘Uh-huh. She wants the clubs with combat applicability to be given higher priority because, and I quote, “The purpose of this school is to produce magicians capable of defending the Alliance.”’

  ‘Divisive. Did Sebastian Ranta respond?’

  ‘Yes,’ Rochester said, ‘and no. He issued a statement which you could read as supporting or decrying the policy.’

  ‘That sounds like him,’ Nava said. ‘What are you going to do about it, Suki?’

  ‘Nothing. Not until the school news people ask me, anyway. Then I’ll dismiss it as foolish and beneath my notice. It is foolish. Not everything about this school should be aimed at producing soldiers. Even the students on the combat stream need to unwind sometime.’

  ‘Then why do most of them end up joining combat clubs?’ Melissa asked.

  ‘Because they haven’t worked out that they need to do something else yet. And some of them never will, but that’s humans for you.’

  ‘What’s next on the campaign trail?’

  ‘The next big event will be the first debate. That’s next Saturday afternoon.’

  ‘That should be a lot of fun,’ Nava said.

  ‘You’re being sarcastic, I assume. It’s impossible to tell with you.’

  ‘Thank you. I consider that a compliment.’

  235/2/16.

  ‘The debate is at one o’clock, right after lunch,’ Mitsuko said.

  ‘I know,’ Nava replied patiently, ‘I own a ketcom, just like you.’

  ‘Of course, I know that. I just… Hm.’

  ‘Has she been like this long?’ Melissa asked. They were headed for breakfast. There were hours to go before the debate and it looked a lot like Mitsuko’s head would not be in the morning’s lessons.

  ‘Since Thursday night,’ Nava replied. ‘She’s rehearsed her opening speech so much that I could give it for her from memory.’

  ‘This is important,’ Mitsuko responded. ‘This is where the majority of the student body will get to hear what I really think about what matters to them. It’s being streamed over the info-net, so everyone can watch.’

  ‘That assumes that everyone is interested.’

  ‘Some will have already made up their minds and won’t want to hear anything that changes them, but turnout for these elections is close to a hundred percent. Most people will watch, even if the numbers drop off for the second debate next week.’

  ‘Really?!’ Melissa asked, obviously surprised. ‘One hundred percent?’

  ‘Between ninety-two and ninety-eight over the past thirty years. It’s novelty. SAS-squared is very enthusiastic about students governing themselves and this is almost certainly the only period of their lives when students get to actually decide who governs them. According to what I’ve read, the old Earth’s democratic governments suffered a great deal from low voter participation. People were jaded. They thought their votes counted for nothing.’ She shrugged. ‘Perhaps they were right. I don’t know enough about those political systems to be sure. And I’m not saying the clan system is better. Or worse. Here, young adults get to have a say, however, and I can’t see that as a bad thing.’

  ‘I think it’s good. And I think you’ll do fine in this debate. You’ve nothing to worry about.’

  ‘Except the possibility of another attack,’ Nava said.

  Melissa’s eyes widened. ‘You don’t think they’d try something at a crowded event like that, do you?’

  ‘A high-publicity media event with all the candidates in one place at one time? No, of course not. How could that possibly be considered a target?’

  Mitsuko frowned. ‘You’re doing that thing where I can’t tell whether you’re being sarcastic again.’

  Melissa was nodding enthusiastically. ‘It can be really annoying.’

  ‘I apologise,’ Nava said. ‘I’ll have a sign made with “Sarcasm” written on it and hold it up when applicable.’

  ‘You’re doing it again!’

  ~~~

  The auditorium was packed and Nava did not like it. There were too many people here to be able to watch all of them at once, even with her processing speed. Okay, so Courtney was on stage with her, Kyle was stationed at the back, and there were two more members of the SSF on guard too, but it was still a risk.

  Auditorium one was set up more or less exactly as it had been for Mitsuko’s speech. The only difference was that there were three chairs at the back of the stage and two set off to the left of stage where the compères would be sitting. Well, the display wall was showing publicity pictures of all three candidates too, but physically, it was just the chairs. The procedure was to have the debate opened by the current president. Each candidate would go to the lectern whenever they were to address the audience, whether for speeches or to answer questions. The current president and someone from the News Club were the compères, and they had a list of topics to try to get through. With only three candidates, it was expected that there would be plenty of time for questions from the audience.

  A door at the side of the stage opened and the three candidates walked in. Nava checked that Mitsuko was okay and then focused her attention on a cantrip. The world around her shifted slightly, became unfocused for an instant, and then stabilised. She was going to have to pay to keep the spell active, but she could support it ba
sically indefinitely if needed thanks to another spell she had active. Her eyes scanned the audience, but she saw nothing out of place.

  Her eyes flicked to the man walking out to the lectern. He was a fifth year, Pascual Flores Daison. He was standing down as student president, according to him, to ‘spend more time with my books.’ It was not an uncommon choice according to the data Nava had seen. She was actually a little surprised that Courtney and Kyle were keeping up their SSF duties, though Courtney had plans to go into policing…

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Pascual Flores said, ‘let’s get things started.’ His voice was amplified, and the audience settled into their seats quickly at his words. Nava’s eyes were drawn to one of the rear entrances where a few stragglers were filing in, hoping to find seats at the back. They were going to be unlucky.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Pascual Flores said again, ‘we want to give as much time as possible to the three candidates you’ll be deciding between, so I’ll keep this short. We’ll be inviting each candidate up to the lectern to give their opening address.’

  Nava watched the last straggler enter, right on the heels of the one before her and shifting quickly to the left to let the door close. The door was hinged rather than sliding, and it was on an automatic closer, so one might have expected her to hold the door, easing it closed to avoid any noise, but that was not what she did.

  ‘Following the opening remarks,’ Pascual Flores continued, ‘we’ll be presenting a list of topics to the candidates, and once those have been exhausted, we’ll invite questions from the audience. There should be plenty of time for those questions, so please save them until the end.’

  That last straggler did not seem concerned about seating. She stood on the steps at the side of the room and waited, but then some of the others who had come in ahead of her were now taking similar positions higher up. The room was packed. The girl was moderately tall; nothing like Mitsuko, but probably at least five centimetres taller than Nava was. Blonde hair was cut short and formed into a peak, a pseudo-mohawk, atop her head. She appeared to be attractive, but not uncommonly so. Her features were a little on the severe side and, at this distance, Nava could not make out her eyes. She was fit and shapely, filling out her uniform dress reasonably well, but there was something about the way she was standing that Nava did not like. There was actually something oddly familiar about the girl, but Nava could not figure out where she might have seen her before.