Command Decision

by S. E. Smith

  “Stay here,” the soldier ordered.

  Josh and Cassa watched as two of the three soldiers walked toward the building. One of the men banged on the outer door. A moment later, it cracked open.

  They were too far away to hear what was being said, but the hand gestures gave him a fairly good idea of where Ash might have gone. Pulling back, he nodded to Cassa. Together, they quickly melted back into the shadows of the alley.

  “He would need food, water, and information,” Josh said, glancing around at the different buildings. “A market or series of stores would be ideal. He could cover up, yet find the items he would need to survive.”

  “There is the center market about five streets from here,” Cassa replied, glancing down at the map that Hutu had given her. “My mother and I loved going there. It is very large and usually crowded late into the evening.”

  “I’ll follow you,” Josh murmured.

  *.*.*

  They had to stop and change direction several times. Legion forces patrolled the area at most of the main crossings. Cassa grabbed several large baskets as they walked by the back entrance to a restaurant and handed him one, showing him how to carry it like a local. She then guided him to a small group that was walking together.

  Josh glanced around the market. Large crowds of residents milled around, bartering with the shopkeepers. Ash could easily find the items he required, all he needed was a deft hand to pocket some of it. The market wasn’t much different from some of the places they had visited back home.

  Frustration built inside him. Ash could be anywhere! He started to turn when he felt someone bump into him.

  “Remove your goggles and present identification,” a Legion soldier demanded.

  Josh turned toward the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cassa slip away into the crowd. He knew she wouldn’t go far, but it was important that they both not be detained. His gaze swept the crowd. The soldier appeared to be alone.

  “I said remove your goggles and present identification,” the soldier repeated.

  Josh dropped the basket he was carrying and started to reach up to remove his goggles. Instead of removing his eye covering, he struck the man in the throat with his elbow. The man choked and tried to bring up his weapon, but Josh stepped into him and grabbed his wrist. He applied pressure and twisted, at the same time, he struck the man again, this time in the jaw.

  The moment the man started to sink down to the ground, Josh bent and grabbed his weapon. The small crowd that had started to gather pushed past him when they heard a shout from further down the crowded corridor. Josh glanced behind him to see several soldiers fighting to get through the mass of bodies.

  Turning on his heel, he quickly caught up to Cassa who silently stood waiting for him near an alley between two carts. He pushed through the crowd toward her. The moment he stepped between the carts, the merchants pushed them together and started shouting out their products for sale. He and Cassa pressed back into the shadows and watched as the soldiers gathered around their fallen comrade.

  “We need to find Hutu,” Cassa whispered. “Word of what the soldiers found out will quickly spread, not to mention what just happened. It is too dangerous for us to be on the streets. He might have heard something.”

  Josh pressed his lips together and turned to follow Cassa down the alley. He tossed the stolen weapon into a large basket as they passed by, not wanting to be seen with a Legion weapon. Without breaking stride, they melted into the crowd again.

  *.*.*

  Roan Landais stood aboard his Legion Battle Cruiser, staring down at the planet. He lifted his hand to the communicator attached to his ear when it chimed. Turning, he ignored the men and women who stood at attention as he walked past them and into his office located off the bridge.

  “What have you found?” He demanded, walking across to his desk and bringing up the image of his field commander on the planet.

  “One of our informants was able to locate information on some stolen clothing and a missing knife. The resident said she saw a strange male running away from her home. She found this lying on the ground.”

  Roan frowned at the unusual symbol on the cloth. He touched his finger to the lighted keys on his desk, capturing the image. He would have it delivered to him later for analysis. Until then, he would search the data basis for any information that might match the pattern, symbols, and language on the circle.

  “What else?” He asked, leaning back in his chair.

  The commander’s jaw tightened before he spoke again. “One of the soldiers was attacked in the marketplace. He said he stopped a man and ordered him to remove his goggles and present identification. The male attacked him. Whoever it was took his weapon, but it was later found in an alley not far from the attack. The merchants claimed not to have seen the male, but one witness said he met up with a woman in the alley.”

  “Was the soldier able to get a visual on the male?” Roan asked impatiently.

  The commander shook his head. “No, sir,” the man replied. “I have increased checkpoints and doubled the guards so none travel alone.”

  “Very good. Keep me posted and send what was found immediately,” Roan ordered, cutting communications the moment the commander replied.

  Leaning forward, he pulled up the image he had captured and enlarged it. He studied the position of the stars on it, not recognizing them, before he looked at the other symbols. There were three of them, each different than the next, yet linked together with the image of a spaceship unlike anything he had ever seen before.

  Sitting back in his seat, he stared at it for a long time. Touching the keys in front of him, he loaded the image into the database and began the scan. There were literally billions, if not trillions, of pieces of information stored in the Legion’s database about every species in the known star systems. He knew it would take several hours for the scan to be completed.

  With an unusual reluctance, he slid the screen to the side and tapped the communications icon. He impatiently waited for his call to be answered. Soon, an all too familiar face appeared before him.

  “What have you learned?” Andri demanded in irritation.

  Roan’s chin lifted. His security measures were beginning to work. He concealed the satisfaction he felt at discovering the spy among his crew.

  “An item was found. I am running a scan on it now for more information. One of the soldiers was attacked in the marketplace. The attacker escaped, but I believe the two are related,” Roan replied.

  “And General Gomerant?” Andri asked.

  Roan raised an eyebrow. “The old Gallant General?” He asked in surprise. “He hasn’t been seen.”

  “He is a Knight of the Gallant Order. He is there,” Andri replied in a clipped tone. “I want him found and brought to me.”

  Roan bowed his head in acknowledgement. He stared at the blank screen in front of him. Pushing his chair back, he rose and walked over to the large windows. He stood, staring down at the planet with a frown. What did the debris, signal, unusual emblem, an attack on one of his men, and an Old Knight of the Gallant have in common?

  Turning, he returned to his seat. Slipping an encryptor disk out of his pocket, he placed it on the side of his computer. Once he was satisfied that his search would be concealed, he tapped in his command.

  An hour later, he removed the device and returned it to his pocket. The scan he had initiated was also complete, much to his surprise. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he rose from his chair and stretched. Adjusting his uniform, he decided it was time he took a more active role in the search down on the planet.

  Touching the screen, he turned it off before rounding the desk and heading for the door. He had found more questions than answers over the past hour. He wanted answers and something told him that the old Knight might be able to provide him with a few. One thing was for certain – he would have a conversation with the old Knight before he turned the man over to the Director.

  Chapter 19

&
nbsp; Josh cursed when he saw the group of Legion soldiers standing outside of the Sandsabar. It was similar to the bar where Hutu had guided them back on Tesla Terra. He watched as several patrons the size of small children came out of the bar. They were arguing with a large female. It was obvious that the woman was in charge of the establishment.

  “I’ll be back,” Cassa murmured, removing her protective eye gear now that the sun had gone down.

  “Where are you going?” Josh hissed, reaching to hold her back.

  “We need a distraction to get inside,” Cassa replied with a smile. “I’m about to create one.”

  Josh gritted his teeth in frustration before he forced his jaw to relax. Cassa strode across the busy road as if she owned it. He had to give her credit, when she wanted to do something, she did it in style.

  His eyebrows rose when he heard her angry voice. She was talking fast and pointing down the street. It was hard to hear what she was saying above the noise of the other patrons and pedestrians, but he picked up enough to figure it out.

  “Stole… Tall… I don’t know! I’ve never seen anyone like him… Wearing unusual clothing… Took my….”

  He shook his head and walked toward her when the group of six soldiers took off down the road, scattering startled pedestrians in their wake. The woman who had shooed the small, noisy group away a few minutes ago stood staring at Cassa in amusement. Josh walked up just as Cassa was quietly asking the woman if she had seen Hutu.

  “We are friends of his...,” Cassa was saying.

  “I do not think if you were his enemy that you would introduce yourself as such,” the woman pointed out with her hands on her hips.

  Josh reached up and removed his goggles. He gripped the cloth covering the lower half of his face and pulled it down as well. It was obvious from his features that he was not a local inhabitant.

  “Ah,” the woman said with an inquisitive look when she saw Josh wrap a protective arm around Cassa. “Cover your face, human. Hutu might be expecting you, but there are others who would just as soon capture you for the bounty the Legion has on your head. Follow me.”

  Josh grimaced and nodded. He replaced the cloth over half of his face and adjusted his head covering to hide the rest. The goggles would not only look out of place inside the bar and draw attention to him, but also hinder his vision in the dim interior.

  He followed the woman and Cassa up the steps and into the bar. He paused at the entrance, quickly assessing the interior. It was crowded with a wide range of species. In the far back corner, he saw Hutu’s large form seated facing the entrance. Their gazes connected across the distance and he could see the surprise and concern in the other man’s eyes.

  Hutu leaned forward and spoke to whoever was sitting across from him. At this angle, Josh couldn’t see the person’s face. A moment later, Hutu slid out of the booth and walked toward the back.

  The woman cut a path through the bar. Patrons quickly stepped to the side to get out of her way. Cassa followed the woman while Josh took up the rear, scanning the crowd in curiosity.

  He was almost to the end of the bar when one of the men sitting there rose and bumped into him. Josh’s gaze flashed to the man’s face and a sense of unease filled him when the man refused to look at him. Josh turned and watched as the man quickly pushed his way through the crowd toward the entrance.

  Turning back, he casually slid his hand into the pocket of his covering. He ran his fingers along the inside several times before he released a frustrated breath. His fingers closed around a small, round object. He pulled his hand free of his pocket and dropped the small device into a semi-empty glass as a waiter walked by him. He walked down a narrow corridor and turned into a large back room.

  “Cassa,” Hutu exclaimed, pulling her into his arms. “Where is Pack? I was not expecting you both to come here, though I am not surprised now that I have heard the news. It is not safe for either of you to be here.”

  “I will watch the bar and alert you if any of the Legion troops come,” the woman informed Hutu with a slight bow.

  “Thank you, Devona,” Hutu replied.

  “We might want to take our meeting somewhere else,” Josh said in a grim voice. “Someone tried to plant some kind of device on me as we were coming through the bar.”

  Hutu’s gaze grew dark with concern. “Do you still have it?” He asked, taking a step closer to where Josh was standing near the door.

  “No, I dropped it in a glass as a waiter passed by,” Josh replied. “The man took off out of the bar.”

  Devona turned to look at Hutu. “He is right. It is not safe for you here,” she said, holding out a small, flat card to Hutu. “Take this. It will open the doors through to the next building. You can cut through them. If you take the stairs at the far end to the roof, you can cross over the buildings before returning to the street level.”

  “What about Pack?” Cassa asked in concern. “He is on his way here.”

  “We will contact him,” Hutu assured her. “Devona….”

  “I will take care of it, General,” Devona replied, turning toward the door. She paused and peered down at her wrist. A light was flashing on the wristband she was wearing. “You must go now. Legion forces are approaching.”

  Josh stood to the side so that Hutu could pass him. Cassa quickly followed. He stepped out into the corridor and glanced toward the entrance. Devona was waving her hands and yelling. The movement prevented the soldiers from seeing them. Josh turned and hurried out the back door.

  The night had grown much colder in just the few minutes they had been inside the bar. Josh adjusted the cloth over his nose and mouth to keep the vapor from his breath from revealing his location. The three of them hurried across the narrow alley. Hutu pressed the disk Devona had given him to the panel. The door immediately opened. Once inside, Hutu swiped the card once again over the panel, sealing it behind them.

  “This way,” Hutu murmured.

  The building looked like a large warehouse for clothing. Spools of cloth hung from large racks. The way they were positioned left a narrow path between each row.

  They silently threaded their way through the dark building, pausing occasionally when they heard the sound of voices. The loud boom of an explosion signaled that they were no longer alone. The red beams of lights behind them and to the front of them had them changing course. Josh and Cassa slid behind one large array of cloth and knelt down while Hutu slipped behind another. The flash of a red light swept back and forth, searching the area.

  Hutu jerked his head and nodded toward the far side of the building where a set of stairs led upward. Josh touched Cassa’s arm and motioned for her to follow Hutu. She frowned at him and shook her head. Pulling his knife out of his boot, he pressed a tense, firm kiss to her lips before motioning again.

  Josh moved off in the opposite direction. There was no way they could make it up to the roof without some type of diversion. He paused at the end of the long row. His gaze swept over the area. There were eight beams of light. Picking the one closest to him, he silently moved behind a hanging section of cloth. He used the knife in his hand to cut through a thick cord. He replaced his knife, not wanting to kill if he didn’t have to, and waited for the soldier walking toward him.

  The flash of light skidded past his left shoulder. Josh skillfully palmed one of the small darts out of the kit that Jubotu had given him before they left earlier this morning. The man paused in front of the bolt of material and turned away to check on the location of his comrades.

  Josh took advantage of the man’s distraction. He reached up and covered the man’s mouth with his right hand. He pressed the dart into the man’s side between the two body plates he was wearing for protection. He barely had time to grab the rifle in the man’s left hand. Holding the beam steady when the man grew limp, he slipped the rifle out of the soldier’s grasp and pulled the unconscious body behind the covering before lowering it to the floor.

  He knelt beside the man and quickly tied him
with the cord he had cut. Knowing he didn’t have much time before the soldier’s comrades would miss him, he pulled the helmet off the unconscious man. The young face behind the cover of the helmet made it easier to accept his decision to not kill first if he could avoid it.

  He quickly removed his headscarf and pulled on the helmet. Pulling the breast and back vest off the man, he slid his arms through it and attached them at the side. Next, he loaded the blowgun with almost a dozen of the tiny, but potent, darts. Grabbing the rifle lying next to the unconscious man, he rose to his feet and turned on the weapon.

  He was just stepping out from behind the cloth when one of the men motioned to him. He tapped his ear, acting like the communicator wasn’t working properly, and swept the red beam of light in the man’s eyes as if by accident. It was enough that the man turned his head away to keep from being blinded. Josh took advantage of the exposed neck and blew one of the darts.

  The man’s hand slapped to his neck and he turned in annoyance before his knees gave out and he lay sprawled on the floor. Josh casually walked over and kicked the rifle under a rack of cloth. Turning, he moved closer to his next target. He had eliminated six men before the other two realized what was going on. He was moving closer to the seventh man when the man yelled. Josh raised his hand to tap his helmet, but this time the man didn’t react like the first.

  “Remove your helmet,” the man ordered.

  Josh lifted the rifle and fired, sending the man back into a long table. The fire immediately drew the last man’s attention. He spun around and ducked under one of the racks. Running down the aisle, he rose up just far enough to fire in the direction the man had been before darting to the left.

  He cursed when the material in front of him suddenly exploded into fire. He turned to the right with a soft curse. There was another soldier he had missed.

  Josh ran between two rows of cloth, staying low. He could see the flash of red light, but couldn’t risk firing until he knew the location of the second man. He turned to the left and pressed his back against the low table. He checked the weapon he had taken from the first soldier and pocketed the blow dart. This time it was kill or be killed.