Her father had given her information on his Space Force friend Nick Vrolyk. She decided to use it. The man was a career officer who must have achieved a high rank by now.
Telisa asked for a link channel to Vrolyk. The connection went through with both audio and video feeds. The metadata told her Vrolyk was now an admiral in the Space Force. Telisa felt her hopes for an inside secret rise. The man she saw looked older, perhaps Cilreth’s age. His head was angular, bordered by patches of light brown hair. She searched his face for hatred or disdain, but he seemed simply curious.
“Telisa! I never thought to hear from you. Tell me Leonard found his way to you before the end.”
“He did. We reconciled.”
Remembering his death brought back a stab of pain, but it had faded with time.
“That’s good. I should have known he would succeed. He was determined. A great man,” Vrolyk said. The video feed showed Vrolyk look aside, salute, and dismiss someone off the feed. Then he continued.
“And, you’re an amazing woman by all accounts. I don’t mean to sound cliche, but I have no doubt he was proud of your achievements. What can I do for you, Telisa?”
“I’d like to meet with you incarnate.”
Admiral Vrolyk pursed his lips and nodded. “Very well, I’m at your disposal.”
“Really? You aren’t a busy man?”
“Well, you’re a Relachik. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s just say you’re a personality that’s important to the Space Force.”
“You want to arrest me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what we’d do with you, but in any case, we can’t touch you as long as Ambassador Shiny controls Earth. You’re on a ‘no-touch’ list.”
“What do you know about Admiral Sager?”
“He’s as good as they come.”
“Do you see eye to eye with him?”
“About what?”
“Alien overlords.”
Nick stared hard at Telisa, then nodded. “Yes.”
“Then I’d like to meet with you as soon as possible, and if Sager wants in, he’s welcome there. This connection doesn’t show where you are.”
“I’m at Space Force Command. I can send a high speed transport for you, wherever you are.”
“Then send one. I’ll be ready.”
The Admiral nodded and dropped the connection. Vrolyk quickly put a meeting on her schedule and she approved it immediately.
***
“Cilreth. How’s it going?” Telisa asked. She stretched in the center of her hotel room and flexed her enhanced muscles.
“Your timing is perfect. I need your help.”
“Yes?”
“I found our newbie,” Cilreth reported. “He’s inside a fortress with security. We have to get in there.”
“Doesn’t sound like a newbie to me. We can’t just ask nicely?”
“I’d rather make an impression.”
Telisa laughed. “It could backfire. We could make an enemy.”
“With enemies like Shiny, who needs friends?”
“I’m not sure I even understand what you just said. But sure, I’ll help you get in there. After I meet a Space Force admiral.”
“Admiral? Wow, okay. Well tell me when your busy schedule opens up, Lady Relachik.”
Telisa ignored the barb. “How about first thing tomorrow?”
“Perfect.”
“Oh wait. One more thing. I gave my stealth device to Imanol. Long story. So we’ll have to get in there the old fashioned way.”
“Well actually, I was thinking Trilisk Special Forces style.”
“Oh! Okay, that works too. See you tomorrow.”
***
A few hours later, Telisa took a sleek new shuttle to Space Force Command. The ride was quick and comfortable, with many automated services available for food, drink, or entertainment. Telisa allowed herself to relax until she arrived. When the shuttle landed, she exited the shuttle onto a large, glossy concourse. A female attache met her on the concourse.
“Welcome to Space Force Command. Telisa Relachik?” the person asked politely. She looked intensely interested in Telisa.
“Yes. I’m here to see Admiral Vrolyk.”
“This way, please!” the woman replied enthusiastically. They had barely taken three steps in the indicated direction when she stepped beside Telisa and started to talk.
“It’s fantastic to have you here. Do you have an official rank in the Space Force, Miss Relachik?”
“I don’t believe so,” Telisa said.
“Well, it doesn’t matter does it? Admiral Vrolyk doesn’t have many meetings with civilians. But you’re the leader of the first of Shiny’s special teams! It must be an exciting lifestyle.”
“It can be,” Telisa said haltingly. “How many teams does Shiny have these days? I’ve been out of system for a while.”
“No one knows. But everyone speaks of at least four or five. It’s so hard to know for sure, some of them must be fake. Shiny doesn’t verify things. We can observe the behavior of his security drones and see who they follow. One time we thought someone was one of his people but it was actually an insane person who planned to hurt people. The drones were just waiting to intervene.”
They had arrived at the entrance to an elevator. They stepped in next to an officer. The attache stopped talking. The officer seemed to recognize Telisa with a start. He straightened up, took a step back, and gave her more space.
“Your Veer suit has seen some action!” the attache said from slightly behind Telisa’s left shoulder.
“Yes. I engaged... we engaged an alien war machine. Did something hit me back there? My suit’s diagnostic is showing full integrity.”
The attache gasped.
Maybe I should have been more vague.
The officer said, “Cosmetic damage only, miss. If Momma Veer says the suit is still good, I’d bank my life on it.”
Telisa could not resist an embellishment.
“As long as it hasn’t been hacked by CWS again.”
The officer covered a laugh with a fake cough. The attache beamed.
The elevator opened.
“We’re here, Miss Relachik,” the attache said. They walked out into an automated reception area. The attache led Telisa to an office. Inside, Admiral Vrolyk stood waiting. Since Telisa was not in the Space Force, she did not salute.
Admiral Vrolyk did salute. He stood frozen with his hand in place, so Telisa returned it.
“Good to meet you, ma’am” Vrolyk said. He stood at attention.
“That’s not necessary, Admiral, I’m not in the Space Force.”
The Admiral cleared his throat. “Thank you, ma’am, but I am required to salute my superiors in most circumstances.”
“How’s it I’m your superior?”
“Shiny delivered an extremely detailed set of protocols and guidelines when he... when he was installed as our ruler.”
“Oh?”
“Those guidelines included some very high ranking individuals placed above the admiralty. Of which you are one.”
Telisa absorbed that.
So, I’m some super-officer of the Space Force? Should I scoff that off? Have to think about it.
“At ease, then,” Telisa said.
The admiral’s shoulders dropped just a bit and he took a step back.
“I can see your father in you, if I may say so.”
Vrolyk stood taller than Telisa expected. She looked up at his rough face.
“He told me you’re a good man. I need someone I can trust. By the way, why didn’t the attache mention my rank and salute me?”
“It’s not exactly common knowledge. We released a lot of his demands to the public, but not everything. If you wish, I’ll inform all Space Force personnel of your position immediately.”
“Shiny didn’t see fit to release the details himself?”
“No ma’am. Admiral Sager is almost here,” he said. Telisa heard a sound behind her as he spoke. She turned a bit
too fast, startling Sager, who had just entered. He saluted her.
“At ease,” Telisa repeated.
“Apologies, ma’am,” Sager said. “I meant no disrespect.”
“Admiral Sager. Glad to see you made it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He seemed hesitant.
“Feel free to ask questions here,” she said.
“What have you been up to? No one’s been able to find you,” Sager said. They took seats at the table.
“I left the system in shame.”
“So you really were taken by surprise?”
“Shiny’s takeover shocked me. I don’t know why. I suppose I’m guilty of the cardinal sin of anthropomorphization.”
Which hurts, because I’m supposed to study alien civilizations.
“So what are you up to now?”
“I want to know how Shiny has managed to solidify his hold over Earth’s population. I want to know who’s for him and who’s really against him.”
“That’s odd coming from one of his people,” Vrolyk said.
“I’m not convinced he earned himself a place as our supreme overlord, whether he saved us from the Trilisks or not.”
“And your own rank?”
“I don’t intend to use it, for the most part. Except perhaps where it might speed up my own modest projects.”
They nodded.
“Do you accept him as your leader? Does the rest of the admiralty? The men and women you command?”
“At first the entire organization railed against the takeover,” Vrolyk said. “It wasn’t a matter of if we would rebel, it was when and how. We have extensive plans in that direction. But our resolve to follow through faded away. We don’t want to sacrifice our men and women trying to throw off an alien that has proven so valuable to us.”
He’s being pretty honest. If I had plans like that, I doubt I’d mention it to me. Is that because he knew my father, or something else?
“So he allows the Space Force free rein?” she asked.
“Yes, as long as we don’t interfere with him or his facilities. He keeps law and order on Earth.”
“What about the other Core Worlds?”
“They’re scared. And they want us to strike against him,” Vrolyk said.
“Okay, then let’s forget about who’s for him and who’s against him. How the hell did he become so popular? Is it mind control?”
“It’s a possibility,” Vrolyk said without hesitation. “The problem is, if we’re being externally convinced he’s a good dictator, how can we act against that? Why would we? I personally feel he’s been one of the best things that’s happened to us in a long time. Ever since the destruction of the Seeker, I’ve feared for the fate of every Terran.”
“What are you afraid of?” Telisa asked.
“The Destroyers and other aliens out there,” Sager said.
“You know about them?” Telisa said. Her voice gave away her surprise more strongly than she would have liked.
“Shiny said these things devastated the Vovokan homeworld.”
“I’ve been there,” Telisa said. “Or at least, someplace where Vovokans lived that had been hit hard, and the Destroyers were there.”
“The Ambassador has given us changes for the weapons of our starships. He says the alterations will give us some minor ability to damage these aliens.”
“He doesn’t have enough of his own starships?” Telisa asked. “Why doesn’t he make more?”
“We think he is,” Sager said. “And we’ve asked ourselves the same questions. Our scientists and engineers admit the suggestions are good, at least, they increase our destructive capacity.”
“What else did he tell you about the Destroyers?” Telisa asked.
Sager hesitated.
“I have information of my own to offer you,” Telisa said. “About a race we call the Celarans. They seem peaceful, but not so peaceful they don’t defend themselves. I’ve been trying to make contact with them.”
Telisa sent Sager and Vrolyk a pointer. They accessed an information module about the Celarans that she had prepared.
“Do you know of them?” she asked.
“Your teammate Caden Lonrack mentioned them in passing. He did not say much. Ambassador Shiny has only told us of the Destroyers, the Trilisks, and more vaguely, of an ancient enemy to the Trilisks.”
“What do you know about the Destroyers?” Telisa asked.
This time Sager replied, though in a distracted manner, as he checked Telisa’s information off-retina.
“Originally an aquatic race,” Vrolyk said. “They manipulated their environment electrically and chemically as much as in courser physical ways in their rise from primitive times. Very different from us, as you might expect, rising to power without the use of fire. We were surprised at the Ambassador’s honesty here, or presumed honesty, in that he basically admitted the Destroyers were friendly at first, but thanks to the aggressive actions of a Vovokan faction, they’re now extreme xenophobes. He says that’s why we have to be afraid of them.”
“Of course I wonder if we could make friends with them, if we met them in Terran ships without any Vovokans around,” Telisa said.
“My thoughts exactly, but Ambassador Shiny assured us that the Destroyers are now extremely paranoid about all aliens, not just Vovokans.”
“Then my mission is more important than ever before. We need to find the Celarans, if they still exist. We need to become allies with them.”
“I see a solution to at least two of our problems,” Sager said. “Allow us to send an ambassador with you. We can take him aboard the Midway. I’ll take command and personally guarantee our behavior. We’ll lend protection to your mission, help these Celarans, or fight the Destroyers. And I’ll be far from Earth, where we can see if my attitude towards Shiny’s takeover changes.”
Telisa digested the idea in silence.
“The Midway? A large space force ship?”
“A new flagship.”
“Midway between what and what?” Telisa asked.
Sager smiled. “Named after an ancient battle.”
Telisa nodded.
Chapter 20
Telisa and Cilreth stood on a lone platform amid a series of mountains in Lesser Brazil, on the west coast of South America. Telisa felt the sun warm on her face, though the clean air blew cold and crisp across the platform. A covered passenger area at the edge of the gray platform was directly behind them. Beyond that niche, visible through a thick transparent plate, a cliff dropped precipitously. The open air below was broken only by the huge carbon struts that supported the structure and the cable car line that had brought them up.
An elegant shuttle sat on a landing pad before them. It was too small for a gravity spinner, so it used four large encased fans for lift. Its gray and turquoise surface appeared smooth and clean with few seams. Its shape was less boxy than most transports, more streamlined. Telisa guessed it might only carry ten or twelve passengers. She could not see anyone else in or around the shuttle. Forty attendant spheres patrolled the area above and below the platform.
Telisa felt the heft of her laser rifle across her back. She had decided to bring a little extra power just in case. She had traded in her smart pistol for a pair of stun pistols, since she doubted she wanted to kill anyone. Her breaker claw was hidden away in an inside pocket of her Veer suit along with a tanto knife.
“We’re way over-armed for Earth, mentally and physically. I think this is what soldiers feel like when they come back from war,” Cilreth said.
“I’ll make sure to ask Magnus someday,” Telisa said. Cilreth nodded and did not continue the line of conversation.
She probably won’t touch that. I’m too sensitive about him and no one will mention him to me.
Cilreth shared a video feed of the exterior of Marcant’s sanctuary from a distant attendant. The feed showed a sprawling two-story concrete structure with VTOL landing zones marked across its flat top. A ghostly blueprint flipped on, overlaying
the feed. It showed a deep complex with many layers beneath. It reminded Telisa of a private factory owned by a megacorporation.
“Cilreth. Why is our new recruit in a fortress?” asked Telisa.
“He’s got a lot of friends. And he’s well known in certain circles.”
“Well known as in...”
“As in a lot of people might want to get their hands on him. Like us. Except for different reasons.”
“A lot of friends and a lot of enemies. Fair enough. So why are we here instead of over there?” Telisa asked.
“This is the only shuttle route in and out,” Cilreth said. “The other approaches are protected by air defenses. Damping fields, interceptor clamps, all kinds of things.”
“I’m sure they have other escape routes,” Telisa said. “Let’s get some help locking them down.”
“How?”
“I have very high authority with Shiny’s security forces,” Telisa said offered playfully.
“You’re becoming corrupt,” Cilreth said. “Don’t do it.”
“Are we getting him or not?”
“We will. Without direct help from Shiny. Do you want Marcant with us, or do you simply expect him to capitulate to Shiny?”
“He’s worth it right?” Telisa asked.
“Yes, if we can convince him. I think if we do it without Shiny’s overt help, he’s more likely to join us.”
Telisa told ten attendants to encircle the fortress at high altitude. Cilreth watched them fly off.
“Okay, we’ll know if someone escapes by air and I’ll just track them,” Telisa said. “No Vovokan battle spheres. Better?”
“Yes.”
“So I assume we’re taking control of this shuttle?” she asked.
“We could. But that’s plan B,” Cilreth said.
“Okay. What’s plan A?”
“Another shuttle is coming in,” Cilreth said. “We’ll catch a ride on it because it’s expected. We might be able to get over to the main facility before they know something’s wrong.”
“It’s unmanned?”
“They have security guards on board,” Cilreth told her.
Telisa sighed. “Of course,” she said. Though her voice sounded tired, she actually welcomed some action. She had not had a chance to train, virtually or incarnate, for a few days.
The Celaran Probe (Parker Interstellar Travels Book 7) Page 12
