Last Stand on Talos Seven

by Rodney Hartman

  “You are in the neutral zone,” said Jennifer. “The Trecorian Federation shares responsibility for policing the area. The Empire is currently at peace with Trecor. I calculate the Empire’s Imperial High Command would take it ill if you started a war by killing some of Trecor’s people.”

  Trinity raised her hands and gave her best smile. “Hey, don’t shoot. We’re the victims here. We surrender.”

  Chapter 4 – Unexpected Visitor

  _____________________

  All things considered, Trinity figured her jail cell was nice enough. This wasn’t the first time she’d been locked up. She seriously doubted it would be the last. Stretching out on the small cell’s lone cot, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

  “It would be easy enough to bust out of here,” Trinity told her battle computer. “The walls are made out of normal brerellium steel, and the cell’s force field is a joke. I’m not even a diviner, and I could break through its security before you could crack a smile. I could be out of here in no time and back on the Defiant.”

  “Are you back on that same old line of reasoning?” asked Jennifer. “I thought I convinced you last night that the best thing to do was just to wait and see what happens. Trecor and the Empire may not be allies, but they are far from enemies. I calculate that if you give the diplomatic circles time to work things out, you will be out of here soon enough. Besides, if things come to worse, Sergeant Ron says Charlie and he will be more than happy to come in guns-a-blazing and break you out.” Jennifer gave a canned laugh. “Actually, he put it a little more colorful, but that was the gist of it. I think you should count your blessings that the security videos in the bar backed up your account of what happened. The videos clearly show the Crosoians were the first ones to take hostile actions. You were merely trying to save the girl’s life.”

  Trinity laughed and opened her eyes. “You know, Jennifer, you’d make a heck of a defense lawyer if you ever decide to give up on being a battle computer.”

  “I would make a good anything if I put my logic to it,” said Jennifer, sounding a little too smug for Trinity’s liking. “I think at nanosecond speed. I can access—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before. Now how about putting that nanosecond brain of yours to work and find out when I’m going to get out of here. I’ve got a feeling my cover with the mining company might be a tad on the blown side.”

  “I calculate a hundred percent probability that you are correct,” said Jennifer. “As to when you are getting out of here, I calculate you will be free in about five minutes.”

  Sitting up, Trinity swung her legs over the edge of the cot and glanced around the three-meter by three-meter cell. Other than the cot and a small toilet and sink, the cell was empty. From previous active scans, she knew the blank wall across from her cot contained the camouflaged door. Gathering Power from her reserve, she formed an active scan and sent it through the wall to the hallway she knew was on the other side. She detected the frequency of a familiar life form approaching the cell along with two other sources of life energy.

  “Bummer,” Trinity told her battle computer. “I didn’t expect them to send her. I think I’d prefer Sergeant Ron trying to bust me out of here with guns-a-blazing as you so aptly put it.”

  Jennifer gave another laugh. “Too late now. It is time to take your medicine. I told you to take the Crosoian’s computer pad and run when you had the chance. You are the one who decided to stay and fight.”

  Trinity stood and faced the wall without bothering to give a reply to her battle computer. They both knew she couldn’t have left the two teens to die. She was a wizard scout. She’d had to try and save their lives even if it meant losing her own.

  A meter-wide section of the wall shimmered and disappeared to reveal a muscular, blonde-headed woman standing just beyond the opening. The woman wore the uniform of a special operations officer.

  “Captain Stevens,” Trinity said. “I didn’t expect them to send you. I guess I was hoping—”

  The big special operations officer snorted. “Hoping what? That someone a little more sympathetic than me would show up to pull your pactar meat out of the fire? You’ve screwed up one too many times, Trinity. The Imperial High Command is livid. I’ve reviewed the security videos from bar, and I’ve got to agree with the high command. You let your personal feelings get in the way of your mission.”

  A bronze leaf insignia on the special operations officer’s collar drew Trinity’s attention. She smiled. It was a small smile, but it wasn’t discrete enough to escape the notice of the broad-shouldered woman.

  “Have I said something to amuse you, Wizard Scout?”

  Shaking her head, Trinity pointed at the rank insignia on the woman’s uniform. “I was just noticing that you got promoted. You’re a major now, I see. You deserve it. If the high command had any smarts, they’d make you a general.”

  The special operations officer glared at Trinity a second before a slight smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. “I see they didn’t stress ranks too much in that Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy of yours.” She touched the rank on her collar with her right index finger. “This is a navy lieutenant commander’s insignia. Major is an army rank.”

  The reply took Trinity back a little. “I thought you were a captain in the army last time we worked together.”

  This time a full blown smile spread across the lieutenant commander’s face. “I was. Sometimes promotions in special operations can become a political process. There were openings for lieutenant commanders but none for majors. I’ve been temporarily transferred to the navy and promoted to lieutenant commander in the process. It all boils down to the same rank.”

  Trinity smiled back. “Well, army or navy, you deserve the promotion. I’m just surprised the high command sent one of their special ops officers to get me out of this place. A communique to the Trecor politicians-that-be would probably have done the job just as well.”

  Lieutenant Commander Stevens’s face lost its smile. “I think the Imperial High Command had a feeling a simple communique wouldn’t convey their feelings as well as a face to face message from an old friend.” The corners of her lips curled up in a half-suppressed smile. “Apparently they had trouble finding any friends, so I drew the short straw by default.”

  Trinity grew deadly serious. “Well, if you’ve got some bad news, then you might as well give it. I hate dancing around a subject.”

  Nodding her head, Lieutenant Commander Stevens said, “As do I, so here it is. You’ve screwed up your last three missions. Ever since the Cavos—”

  Trinity’s face grew warm. “The Cavos mission was a success. I—”

  The special operations officer raised a hand in a stopping mission. “Whoa. Don’t kill the messenger. I’m on your side, remember?”

  Biting off her next words, Trinity nodded. “Understood...Sir. So what’s the message?”

  Lieutenant Commander Stevens looked at Trinity for a good five seconds before nodding her head. “Very well. Here it is, short and sweet. As far as the Imperial High Command is concerned, you failed to complete your last three missions as directed. The medical personnel think you’ve been on too many assignments during the last few years without a break. You’re getting one now.”

  Trinity frowned. “What do you mean by a break? Do you mean I’m being medically retired? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

  The special ops solider smiled. “Relax. You’re not that lucky. I had a look at your personnel records. You’ve got over six months’ worth of leave saved up. The high command wants you to take it all now; lock, stock, and barrel.” Losing her smile, Lieutenant Commander Stevens said, “They’re not asking. They’re ordering you to take it.” She glanced back at the open doorway before turning back to Trinity. “Look. The Empire’s not at war with anyone at the moment. Sure, we’ve got some skirmishes going on in one place or another, but no major wars. Most people would kill for a chance to take six months off all at one
time. If you want my opinion, take the high command up on their offer. Go to one of the R&R planets with that boyfriend of yours. You might enjoy it.”

  An image of a dark-haired man with graying sideburns popped into Trinity’s mind. Jerad and she had met during the Cavos mission. He’d been a major, and she’d been assigned to his unit as a wizard scout. Despite their differences, they’d fallen in love. Realizing a relationship between a wizard scout and a normal person wasn’t possible, Jerad had volunteered for wizard scout training at the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy. He was just nearing the end of his pre-Academy training.

  “Jerad’s still in pre-Academy,” Trinity said. “If all goes well during his final testing, he should be advancing to the Academy proper in a few weeks.” She gave a slight smile before growing serious again. “Sergeant Ron has able to finagle him a couple of weekend passes over the last two years, but... well, assuming he makes it to the Academy as a full-fledged wizard scout cadet, it’ll still be four more years before he graduates. Until then, major R&Rs together is out of reach.”

  “Well, regardless, the high command is serious about you taking some time off. I’m uh, supposed to escort you someplace nice if you don’t want to go voluntarily.”

  Raising her eyebrows, Trinity shifted her feet. “You can try.”

  Seeming to take no offense, the special operations officer smiled. “Hey, I just got promoted, so I’d like to stay healthy long enough to enjoy my new rank for a while. I’m hoping you’ll see the writing on the wall and take the R&R without forcing me to...”

  “To what?”

  “Uh.” The big woman glanced down at the floor before looking back up. “Look Trinity, everyone needs time off. Heck, I could use some time off myself. Say the word, and I’ll go to that R&R planet with you and claim I was following orders by escorting you.” She smiled. “Actually, come to think of it, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. I know a place on Optima Three that—”

  “Forget it,” Trinity said. “The only place I’m going is directly to the high command. I’m going to have it out with them once and for all. I’m a wizard scout. We don’t take breaks.”

  “Then I’d say we’ve got a problem,” said Lieutenant Commander Stevens. “I’ve got the Defiant inbound as we speak. Once she gets here, you’re going on her one way or another.”

  Before Trinity could speak, a voice inside her head beat her to the punch.

  “Lieutenant Commander Stevens is your friend, Trinity,” said Jennifer. “Do you really want to start a fight with her? She is just doing her job.”

  “Stay out of this,” Trinity growled in her shared space. “I’m a wizard scout. I don’t know what jerks are running the high command now, but the last thing they need is to lose one of their assets. There are things the Empire needs done that can only wizard scouts can do.”

  “What about the two teenagers?” asked Jennifer.

  “Uh...what?” Trinity asked.

  “The two teenagers you got thrown into this jail cell trying to save,” said Jennifer. “What about them?”

  More than a little confused, Trinity said, “What’s that got to do with the price of plasma energy?”

  “Nothing,” said Jennifer. “By the way, your question about plasma energy is not logical. Since I calculate it was not meant to be taken literally, I will overlook it. What I am trying to say is that you are so concerned about your own situation that you have completely forgotten about the boy and girl you saved from the Crosoians. Lieutenant Commander Stevens is on a mission for the Imperial High Command. I calculate you would do well to use her influence with the local security forces to find out more about the boy and girl. From what I gather from the central computer, the two teenagers are still being held in this jail, but they are due in court later this afternoon. What will happen to them after that is anyone’s guess. I would advise you to at least talk to them before they are shipped off to who knows where.”

  Trinity nodded her head.

  The special operations officer obviously picked up on the movement. “You’re talking to your battle computer, aren’t you? Has she convinced you to take that R&R after all?”

  Trinity stared at her friend. “Not yet. I want to see the two teenagers from the bar. I need you to arrange it.”

  Lieutenant Commander Stevens shook her head. “Not possible. I’m here to get you out of jail and either convince you, or escort you, to some R&R planet for six months of well-needed rest. Now you can—”

  Trinity gave a devious smile. “I said I want to see those teenagers.”

  “I said that wasn’t possible.”

  Trinity and Lieutenant Commander Stevens locked eyes.

  “The lieutenant commander is a stubborn woman,” said Jennifer in their shared space.

  Trinity smiled. “Well, then, Jennifer old girl, we’ll just have to see who is more stubborn. Her... or me.”

  Chapter 5 – Bail

  _______________________

  They called it a detention holding facility, but Anna knew the ten-by-fifteen meter room for what it was.

  It’s a prison cell, she thought. They can call it what they want, but that’s what it is.

  A snort drew Anna’s attention to the other side of the room. Connor lay on one of the room’s eight cots with his left arm across his eyes. The scar from the wound he’d received during the bar fight was an angry red, but other than that, the Trecorian’s medics had done a decent job of repairing the damaged flesh.

  Anna glanced around the cell for the hundredth time. Other than Connor, she was the only other occupant. She looked back boy. How can he sleep? she wondered. All we’ve done is sleep and stare at the walls for the last thirty hours. Except for ten minutes when they let Ryan visit us, we’ve been stuck in this room with nothing to do.

  Anna remembered Ryan’s promise to get the best lawyer he could find. That had been yesterday. She had a feeling if the old man hadn’t found a good lawyer by now on the mining asteroid then it probably wasn’t going to happen. She thought about the seedy bars and ramshackle hotels built into old mining tunnels that made up the majority of what passed for the asteroid’s town.

  Heck, even the spaceport only has berths for six ships at one time. Why would a good lawyer set up shop in this place anyway? I doubt even a bad one would want to work here.

  The energy field that made up the cell door shimmered before disappearing. A guard sporting a Trecorian Federation security uniform walked in and glanced at the sleeping Connor before looking over at Anna.

  “Get your boyfriend up and follow me. You’ve got a couple of visitors.”

  Wasting no time, Anna hurried over to the Connor and gave him a shake. “Hey. Let’s go. Old Man Ryan must’ve come through. I think that lawyer he talked about is here to get us out.”

  Sitting up and throwing his legs over the edge of the cot, Connor shook his head before standing and glancing at the open door. “About time. I don’t think I could’ve slept much more.”

  The guard slapped the side of the doorway and growled, “Hey, I ain’t got all day. Either you two come now, or I’m leaving you in here for the next shift to worry about.”

  Both Connor and Anna hurried after the security guard as he led them through two sets of rough-hewn, soot-covered tunnels and up a set of stairs. Like the bars and hotels, the police station occupied one of the older side tunnels on the asteroid. After climbing a set of rock-hewn stairs, they took a side tunnel that led to a blackened metal door. The guard opened the door to reveal a brightly lit room with a single table and four folding chairs. Two humans occupied chairs on the far side of the table. The two chairs on the side of the table closest to the entrance were empty.

  The guard ushered them in with a not so gentle push and shut the door behind him. Once he was gone, Anna took a closer look at the two people sitting at the table. One was a large blonde-headed woman wearing a camouflaged uniform. Anna didn’t recognize the unit patch on the woman’s right shoulder, but the Intergalactic Empire insig
nia above her left breast pocket was hard to miss.

  Definitely military, Anna thought.

  Anna inspected the second woman. She was a tall female of possibly old-Earth Polynesian heritage. Her long black hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head. Despite the streaks of dirt on the woman’s face, Anna recognized her from the fight at the bar.

  The black-haired woman stood and gestured toward the two empty chairs. “Please, have a seat. I’m Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado, and this is Lieutenant Commander Stevens.”

  After exchanging glances with Connor, Anna took the right-most seat while Connor sat in the left. Once they were settled, Anna looked at the dark-haired woman. “You don’t look like a wizard scout.”

  The woman claiming to be a wizard scout smiled. Her eyes took on a mischievous sparkle.

  Anna thought the woman had a nice smile.

  Sitting down, Trinity said, “I’ve been, uh, incognito for the last couple of months.” She gave another one of her smiles. “So, do you see a lot of wizard scouts where you’re from?”

  Glancing at Connor, Anna raised her eyebrows and gave a half shrug. The boy shrugged back. Seeing no help from that direction, she turned back to the two women. I guess there’s no harm in telling them the truth, she thought.

  Focusing on the dark-haired woman, Anna said, “Actually, I’ve never seen a wizard scout before, but I’ve heard of them. To be honest, you look more like a miner than anything. Wizard scouts are mystical beings the old-timers talk about when they’ve had too much to drink.”

  The blonde-headed woman laughed and turned to Trinity. “Wow. If I’d known I was in the company of a mystical being, I’d have worn my dress uniform.”