Paradise Island
The next week, Ranger Dan’L flew his first ES-warbird solo mission to Home World, and landed safely on the Capital City Space Base. Then he was shuttled to Paradise Island, one of the dozens of islands off the mainland, an exclusive island retreat owned by the Emperor, and rarely used. Dan’L was immediately brought before Emperor P’Lau and his Home World Ranger High Command: Commanders Superior Vu’Duc and Bette. His report was in depth, succinct, and accompanied by vid recordings and testimonies from Imperial Command Battle Cruiser officers.
In formal and Royal Court settings, Emperor P’Lau always wore his painted white face and red lips, and sat on a flying throne. But today, the Emperor rocked gently in a hammock strung between palm trees, bare-faced. The Commanders Superior were casually relaxing on chaise lounge chairs under the shady trees. P’Lau said, “My newest Faithful Son has succeeded where others have failed me, and failed our Empire.” He sipped his drink, and then commented, “The Royal Physician has ordered me to lower my blood pressure, or implode. We have decided to spend the New Year holiday here, on Paradise Island. More wine spritzers for everyone,” he ordered with a big smile. Ranger Dan’L was given a commendation, an award, and a sizeable bonus. The young falcon caught his pigeons.
They celebrated the recovery of the nuclear warhead, and the uncovering of several traitors on board the Imperial Command Battle Cruiser and at the Imperial Army Arsenal, on K’Halon Prime. Partial fingerprints were obtained from the nuclear warhead casing and crate. Space Cadre and Imperial Army officer traitors on board the Imperial Command Battle Cruiser and at the arsenal on K’Halon Prime were arrested, and their confessions and court martials were made public. The Emperor’s media moguls turned the frightening discovery of the nuclear warhead into a huge win for the Emperor.
One week before the New Year Holiday, Emperor P’Lau announced immediate tax rebates to each citizen for the last year’s tax increase. His Special Inquest Committee members suggested the rebate, to demonstrate the generosity of the Emperor. The move was also a monumental success politically. There was much less reason to be angry at the Emperor. Credits to fund the rebates came from the confiscated accounts of Duma Wat. It was a brilliant tactic.
The last order of the year from Emperor P’Lau was to replace Ranger Dan’L with Ranger Kayla on board the Battle Cruiser: “Ranger Kayla will now be my Emissary on our Imperial Battle Cruiser. She will continue Ranger Dan’L’s secret investigation, in the Shi’Lon Ranger tradition of Ambassador and Emissary for her Emperor. I have also selected Master Commander Steph’N to join our Special Inquest Commission.” He then dismissed everyone in his private Royal Court for the Year End Holiday break. Everyone needed some time to themselves.
The Imperial Command Battle Cruiser traveled within orbit of Home World over the holiday break. On the first work day of the New Year, Ranger Kayla stepped off the transport on the landing deck of the Imperial Battle Cruiser. She spent the last hour on board the incoming transport marveling at the magnificent ship, its size, and the beauty of its design. It looked deadly, yet glorious. How could Duma Wat have wanted to blow it up in a nuclear explosion? It would make more sense to her if he was hatching some sort of scheme to overtake the vessel, and rule the solar system from its powerful bridge. She noted her thoughts in her personal log; then, after a few moments, she copied C.S. T’Anh, knowing T’Anh would probably disregard the personal log from the unexperienced Ranger.
The Commanding Officer, Admiral Wen’T, and several Imperial Guardsmen welcomed her on board. He pointed out her brand-new warbird, the ES-519, sitting across the hangar bay. Kayla felt excited, and free. The farther she was from C.S. T’Anh, the better she liked it.
At the Admiral’s Welcome Dinner, Ranger Kayla was introduced to the ship’s command officers and more Imperial Guardsmen. She conversed freely with them, and relaxed in the gentlemen’s company. Trained in social skills, body language, and etiquette, Ranger Kayla impressed her hosts. But she knew there was much work to do on the ship. Friendships to be made. Trust to be earned. And traitors to be uncovered.
The officers in the small, dark office on the auxiliary cargo deck huddled together. Commander C’Mak whispered, “Another bloody Ranger has been assigned to the Cruiser. A Shi’Lon, this time. She will all but read our minds. She can see beyond our pretense of service to the Space Cadre. Stay clear of her. Don’t look her in the eyes,” he cautioned. “Will everything be ready in six months? There can be no more screw-ups.”
The youngest officer replied, “All will be ready to go in six months, upon delivery of the assets, and receipt of our Lord’s signal. Victory will be ours, Commander C’Mak.” The men broke up their clandestine meeting, and went back to their duty stations.
The Emperor’s Battle Cruiser is the most beautiful ship ever designed, Kayla thought again, as she strolled through the Observation Lounge. She chose a stool at a high-top table near the viewing window, and enjoyed looking at Home World. It was a wonderfully clear night in Capital City, and its lights twinkled all along the coast. For the first time in over a year, Kayla was relaxed, and felt comfortable in her surroundings.
“Greetings, Ranger Kayla,” the tall, blonde Imperial Guard said. She turned to greet him, and smiled as she extended her hand. His hard countenance relaxed into a friendly grin. “I’m Commander Nat’N. Welcome aboard the Imperial Battle Cruiser, Shi’Lon Ranger.” She completely caught him off guard with her charm and gentle disposition.
“Thank you, Commander Nat’N. It is truly an honor to meet the Commander of our Emperor’s personal guards,” Kayla replied. “Would you care to join me? The view of Home World is stunning!”
She’s stunning, even in uniform, Nat’N thought to himself as he sat at her table. They chatted about the ship and the view of Home World, and then ordered tea. Their conversation continued for over an hour, with neither Kayla nor Nat’N aware of the many officers talking and drinking in the lounge. Nat’N escorted her to her suite and bid Kayla good night. They stared at each other a moment too long and she blushed, then quickly went inside.
One of the most delicious feelings anyone can experience is the spark of love between a man and a woman. It is sweeter than the richest honey. Kayla took off her cloak and hung it up, not noticing it slipped off its hanger onto the floor. She removed her breastplate and backplate, and laid them on the floor. She tried to concentrate on the next day’s schedule, but was distracted by thoughts of Nat’N. He was so handsome, in a rugged sort of way, and had a very expressive face. She could read him like a book: a dedicated officer, but flirtatious, and a lady’s man. Kayla floated into dreamland, staring out the porthole into space. All she could think about was Nat’N. She had fallen in love for the first time.
Compared to her sparse single room in the barracks, her onboard suite on Deck Three was luxurious. She’d graduated with honors and ES-class pilot wings, and Kayla enjoyed a welcome feeling of accomplishment. The crewmen finally delivered her travel bags, breastplate charging stand, and the big plex case containing her battle armor. Kayla was happy she was on the ship, and was making friends easily, like she did before coming under the thumb of C.S. T’Anh.
The first few days aboard a ship as large as the Cruiser were challenging for any newcomer. Over twenty decks, some split in many levels, with corridors ranging less than a meter wide, to ten meters in width. Kayla learned to close her cloak around her in the narrow corridors; she was careful no crewman touched her breastplate, and got an electronic shock. The crewmen were wary of being too near the pretty Ranger. Her predecessor, Dan’L, had accidentally bumped into a crewman in a narrow corridor and shocked the poor man unconscious.
Saturday’s schedule showed a tour of the Royal Suite, on Deck Twelve. Kayla arrived at the double doors flanked by two Imperial Guards, and Commander Nat’N showed her inside. The very large sitting area faced viewing windows, offering a wide-angle view of the solar system. The furniture was white leather, with colored glass tables. There
was space for fifty or more people.
Nat’N explained, “When Emperor P’Lau is on board, the wall panels are opened. We keep them closed, otherwise,” he said, and touched a panel. The entire wall section opened, revealing a fully-stocked bar with ten stools, and a large vid screen. Nat’N touched the adjacent wall panel, revealing a wall sculpture, which occupied most of the space. It was an abstract design of many colors and textures, very pleasing to the eye. It was almost hypnotic.
While Kayla looked at the sculpture, it slowly changed, morphing into a slightly different pattern. “It’s moving! Did you see it, Commander?” She asked.
Nat’N walked beside her, enjoying her reaction to the artwork. He stared at Kayla, watching her face, alive with wonder and joy. “The artwork is intended to enhance the mood of the viewer, I was told. One of those new, ‘feel good’ art pieces,” he said. He felt great being near her, and silently moved a little closer. The sculpture moved again, and changed colors, with more red in the design. The artwork elicited suggestive feelings, although the art was abstract.
Suddenly, Kayla’s cheeks flushed bright red, and she turned from the artwork and stated, “Please continue the tour, Commander Nat’N.” They completed the tour of the Royal Suite’s four bedrooms and lavish baths quickly. Ranger Kayla thanked and saluted the Commander of the Imperial Guards with a hard right fist striking her left breastplate, and walked down the hall.
One of Ranger Kayla’s duties was to join the Space Cadre fighter patrols every other day in her ES-519. Patrols lasted three to six hours. The fighters swept the immediate space around the Cruiser and its group of seven support vessels regularly, to keep a watchful eye open for Rebel activity.
During post-flight debriefing the third month, Kayla asked the Flight Commander, “Sir, I am still learning my flight duties here. But it appears we are flying our patrols in regular patterns. The same course, every day. Should we not patrol in more varied flight patterns, sir?”
The twenty-year officer chafed at her question. “Just follow your squad’s flight plans, Ranger Kayla. Let the Space Cadre officers maintain the patrol routes,” Commander C’Mak retorted. He turned and walked quickly down the hall.
Kayla notated in her nightly report to C.S. T’Anh the exchange with Commander C’Mak. She respectfully recommended the patrols alternate their flight patterns, to protect against potential Rebel attacks. But her notes were ignored by T’Anh, since Kayla was so unexperienced.
XXIII
During her weekly live report to T’Anh, Kayla mentioned again the routine of the patrol flights. “I am concerned about the predictability of our flights. If I were a Rebel tactical flight officer, it would be very tempting to insert an attack against the Battle Cruiser, Commander Superior T’Anh. Wait three hours until the patrols are at their maximum range from the Imperial Command Battle Cruiser group, and then attack,” she said emphatically. “Half of the fighters would be out of range to defend the battle group.”
“Commander C’Mak should know this, Ranger Kayla. He is in charge of flight operations. Address this issue with him,” T’Anh answered, trying to dismiss her concerns.
“I have done so, Commander Superior, but he said to let the Space Cadre handle the flight plans and routes. I mentioned our exchange in last week’s nightly reports. The Commander seemed unconcerned about the predictable flight patterns. But I am highly concerned, Commander Superior T’Anh. This Battle Cruiser would be a sitting duck.”
T’Anh saw the genuine look of concern on her Ranger’s face. Her points were valid. She said, “I will take your concerns under consideration, Ranger Kayla. Are there any issues besides the flight plans troubling you?”
“Only a question: did Ranger Dan’L’s personal scanning reports stop after the warhead was discovered? Was he granted access to the ‘Top Secret Experimental Lab’ on the lowest deck, below the auxiliary cargo hold? I noticed several unmarked cargo crates being delivered to the lab, and rather quickly, too, as if the crewmen were trying to hide them. It was very strange,” Kayla said. “They did not see me watching their movements. I stood in the shadows. I am concerned the unmarked crates might contain contraband, or illegal weapons, Commander Superior T’Anh.”
Now this was real news from the young Ranger. “I will discuss your question with Commander Superior Vu’Duc, and ask him to confer with Ranger Dan’L. T’Anh out.”
The next day, Kayla was ordered not to continue her investigation of the Top Secret Experimental Lab, and use extreme caution on board. “Ranger Kayla, there is no deck on the ship’s internal diagrams or schematics below the auxiliary cargo hold. No such ‘Top Secret Experimental Lab’ is listed in the Cruiser’s records. No personnel are assigned to any such facility. How did you find this place?” C.S. Vu’Duc demanded.
Kayla answered, “One of the officers in our General Assembly said he managed the cargo decks, and offered to show them to me during the big shipment delivered last week. Thousands of crates and shipping boxes were off-loaded from the cargo transport onto barges, then they were brought into the auxiliary cargo hold. I saw a full barge dip below the landing bay, and he told me about the lower deck, and the Top Secret Experimental Lab. When the officer left to supervise the crewmen and bots for the fresh food items, I went downstairs to check it out,” she answered. “It’s a huge area, nearly as big as the main cargo bay. It’s too big to be a secret, sir.”
She waited while her vid comm monitor flashed “Transmission Paused.” The Ranger leaders were privately discussing her latest information; but with whom? In a few minutes, T’Anh took over her call. She ordered, “You are to avoid the lower cargo decks from now on, and do not discuss this matter with anyone on board. Understood, Ranger Kayla?” Her face was tense.
“Understood, Commander Superior T’Anh. Kayla out.” By the look on T’Anh’s face, this discovery was important. Kayla found out one reason her senior Ranger leaders were so concerned in a few days. The announcement was made in the General Assembly: the Cruiser was ordered to make preparations for departure in two weeks. Destination: M’Wati. And Emperor P’Lau and his Main Court entourage would be their passengers.
Kayla called Ranger Dan’L later, and asked, “Dan’L, have you ever received any other messages from the Dalians or your Father inside the red crystals, possibly inside one of those boxes you told me about?”
Her question was interesting. “No, Kayla, I have not. But I haven’t used the red crystals in over a year. Why do you ask now?”
“Because intriguing things are happening here on the Imperial Battle Cruiser. We are to make way for M’Wati soon, with several VIPs. Perhaps you could humor me, and look inside the gold ring again, Borgund Ranger,” she suggested, trying not to give her suspicions away to anyone potentially eavesdropping on their conversation.
“If I have time, I will. Ranger Dan’L, out.” He would definitely use the ring he inherited from his Father with the red Dalian crystals. The anomaly was found inside the stored holographic schematic data there, and it turned out to be a nuclear warhead. Dan’L used the Dalian crystals again several times, but no additional information was found. What was Kayla looking for on the ship?
New orders appeared on her com tablet hour by hour, in a steady stream. As the Emissary of Emperor P’Lau, Ranger Kayla represented him in all matters, reported, and recorded every official meeting. Her mundane shipboard duties were set aside, to prepare the Cruiser and its personnel for its highest VIP passenger. The official meetings tripled in frequency.
Commander Nat’N and Kayla had become regular lunch partners the past few months, and she typically enjoyed dinner with all the Imperial Guardsmen in the dining hall. The Guards liked Kayla, and sometimes shared stories about each other with her. The Guards were her best friends on the Cruiser, and they had a lot of fun talking together. But since the announcement of the Emperor’s arrival, Kayla and Nat’N avoided each other intentionally.
Commander Nat’N’s “command and control” presence and hard face
melted into a boyish smile whenever he was too near Kayla. He was crazy about her, and could not hide his feelings. Back on Home World, the handsome Imperial Guard had several girlfriends, but none of them could compare to Kayla. Nat’N knew Kayla was very busy now, but he missed seeing her so much; it was painful. He decided they should come to terms about their feelings. Either she felt the same about him, or she didn’t. Nat’N had to find out soon. The Emperor would arrive in ten days. He had to regain his focus and concentration to protect the Emperor.
Each officer and crewman had their specific assignments in preparation for the Emperor’s arrival. Most would be in presentation formation, dressed in their formal white or black uniforms, when the Imperial Shuttle landed in the main hangar bay. Everyone knew their spot.
Eight days before the Emperor’s arrival, Ranger Kayla accompanied Admiral Wen’T and his officers for the main hangar bay inspection, at his request. All cargo crates were being moved out, or back against the walls. Kayla made notes on the dozens of hiding places an assassin could lie in wait for her Emperor. The Admiral and his officers walked along the hanger bay wall, watching the cargo crates being pushed back and stacked.
Ranger Kayla and the Admiral overheard one crewman complaining loudly, “All this trouble so the Emperor can see his pretty officers in formation. And so we can look at his ridiculous painted face!”
In an instant, Ranger Kayla drew her curved-blade knife and held it at the throat of the complaining crewman. “Who do you serve, crewman?” Kayla demanded, backing him up against the wall.
His eyes grew as large as giant, white marbles. He uttered, “I serve Admiral Wen’T, and the Space Cadre.” The man began to shake, and looked pleadingly at Admiral Wen’T.
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