Dark Horse

by Michelle Diener

  “Iʼm looking forward to meeting the first advanced sentient orange in half a millennium.” Hoke inclined her head. “Admiral Valu conveyed that she was mistreated here.”

  “She was.” Dav kept his voice clipped. He wasnʼt going into the details of it standing around in the dusty gloom of the stores.

  Hoke inclined her head but didnʼt pursue the subject.

  Dav moved them out of the stores, over the rest of the ship, taking them through the bridge, the weapons bay, the communal areas.

  He left the prison until last.

  He wanted the impression of it to be foremost in their minds when they met Rose, which they would do next. He wanted them to understand how extraordinary she was, to be the way she was after living here for three months.

  The smell of the place still lingered. No one had come to clean up, as Dimitara had declared the area a crime scene, and the United Council investigators would have to come through here and collect the evidence.

  Valu stopped dead when Dav opened the door and they all caught sight of the long line of cells, transparent-walled and tiny, that stretched in both directions.

  “How long were they here, did the orange say?” Captain Tio asked, and his voice was hushed for the first time.

  “Her name is Rose McKenzie.” Davʼs tone was short. “She is not ʽthe orangeʼ. She is a person who was abducted and confined to that cell,” he pointed to the small room with its bed and table, its toilet and sink, “for three months. And in that time, she was cut open, prodded and poked, and treated with contempt.”

  There was silence for the first time in the group.

  “You said animals from her planet were held here, too?” Hoke asked, and Dav knew it was to break the tension, as she had the full report on what had happened here already.

  “Seven. One was killed on this ship with a lethal injection, the other six were sent to Harmon with Rose. My teams have rounded all but two up, and they are already on board the Barrist. We hope to have them all recovered and safe in the Barrist by the end of the day.” Appal stood to formal attention, her hand resting lightly on the stock of her shockgun.

  “You have lens feed evidence of the torture?” One of the vice-admirals, a wiry man in his early seventies with a lined face, asked, and Dav thought for the first time he was taking the experience as more than just an exciting few days out.

  “We do.” Dav walked over to Roseʼs cell again. He couldnʼt help it.

  Valu, Hoke and Borji joined him.

  “Why did they do it?” Borji asked him. “How could they justify it to themselves?”

  “They didnʼt think theyʼd ever be caught.” Dav said. “In this Class 5, they thought they were invincible, and totally unaccountable.”

  “Do you think . . .” Borji looked over at him. “The other Class 5s? There are rumors there are five of them. Do you think the same thing is going on on the others, as well?”

  Dav did, but before he could answer, a double chime came through his comm from Dimitara.

  “I hear you are giving a tour of the Class 5,” she said, with no attempt at pleasantries.

  “I am.”

  “I wish youʼd let me know. I have the United Council committee here, except one member, who should be arriving shortly by private transport, and they are eager to get on the Class 5, as well. The investigative team is with them, too. Can we join you now?”

  “Iʼve just finished the tour, Dimitara. The admirals can take the transport back, and Iʼll wait for you and your group to get on it and come over.”

  She hummed, making him wince. “Thank you. Weʼll be waiting.”

  “United Council?” Valu asked.

  “Theyʼre unhappy I gave you a tour without including them. Theyʼll meet your transport in the Barristʼs launch bay and come over here so I can show them around.”

  “Donʼt let them even begin to suggest this is a United Council matter when it comes to the acquisition of the Class 5. We couldnʼt be deeper into our own space boundaries than we are. This is a Grih ship now, whatever crimes against UC law the Tecran committed on it.” Hoke spoke calmly, but Dav saw her hands were tightly fisted.

  “Has that been mentioned? That we should hand it over to them?” Appal asked.

  “Itʼs the rumor weʼve been hearing.” Valu drew himself up. “Itʼs not happening though. If the Tecran hadnʼt tortured those oranges, weʼd be free and clear, but given they did, we have to give the United Council some access, but that doesnʼt give them a right to think the Class 5 is theirs.”

  “Oh, itʼs definitely ours,” Borji said, and Dav grinned, because he didnʼt think Borji just meant it was Grihan. He meant it was theirs. The Barristʼs.

  Then Borjiʼs comm chimed and after he tapped it and listened for a few seconds, his face changed.

  “Problem?”

  “Uh.” Borjiʼs gaze flew to his. “We may have a small problem. Captain?” He jerked his head toward the door and walked out, and Dav followed.

  Borji signaled to Appal, and she joined them in the corridor.

  “The Class 5 weapons system just activated.” Borjiʼs forehead was sheened in sweat.

  “At the Barrist?” Dav lifted a hand to tap his comm, order everyone off his ship, but Borji shook his head.

  “Not the Barrist. At a small private vessel coming in from the direction of Sector 7.”

  Appal frowned. “This area has been determined a no-go zone since we found the Class 5. Whatʼs a private vessel doing coming this way?”

  Borji was tapping at his handheld, flipping through screens and frowning as he relayed his instructions to the device. “The system has identified the vessel as the most likely origination point for the signal that was sent to the Barrist about Rose.” He looked up. “Iʼm not sure of the criteria itʼs programmed to use, but itʼs classed it as an enemy vessel.”

  “The Class 5 is a Tecran ship, so Iʼm assuming it wouldnʼt identify one of its own vessels as an enemy,” Appal said. “That means itʼs likely this new vessel isnʼt Tecran and Iʼd have bet a yearʼs pay whoever sent that message was. Does this mean someone other than the Tecran wants to protect them? That some other group is involved in whatever the Tecran were doing here?”

  Borji grunted at that, flipped through more screens.

  Dav tapped his comm. “Farso Lothric,” he directed, and was put through immediately. “Lothric, what have you got for me on a small incoming vessel?”

  “You mean Councilor Fu-tamaʼs ship?” Lothric sounded surprised. “It just appeared on our screens. How did you know about it? I thought you were over on the Class 5.”

  “I am.” Dav didnʼt explain further. “Who is Fu-tama? Why isnʼt he with the other councilors?”

  “Heʼs the Garmman delegate. He wasnʼt at United Council headquarters when the message came through from Liaison Officer Dimitara, so he got away as soon as he could and came privately.”

  “One moment.” Dav tapped his comm to mute his connection. “How large a chance is it that this is the vessel that sent that secret comm to someone on board the Barrist?”

  Borji stopped what he was doing, looked up. “The Class 5 system gives it 79%.”

  “The vessel is the private transport of a Garmman councilor. He missed the official ride and had to take his own. Dimitara said something about it to me earlier when she asked about the tour.”

  “So chances are itʼs just a coincidence this vessel has arrived when it has. It probably had nothing to do with the comm about Rose.”

  “The system is blocking every attempt Iʼve made at access.” Borji looked up, and his eyes were wide. “Itʼs aiming a weapon that Iʼve never even heard of at the Garmman vessel. The councilor has two minutes before heʼs blown away.”

  Dav tapped his comm. “Lothric, order Councilor Fu-tama to stop his craft immediately. Back thrusters would be better.”

  “Sir?” Lothric sounded more than confused, Dav thought he sounded panicked. Then he remembered Lothric had cut his teeth in Battle Center on the Gar
mman home world, and probably knew Fu-tama. If he had plans to go back to the diplomatic corps, which Dav thought he would after his mandatory stint of two years on active duty, Lothric might believe giving an order like that to a United Council representative would be career inhibiting.

  “Patch me through to the councilor now.” Dav had no plans to enter the diplomatic corp. And he didnʼt care what Fu-tama thought.

  “This is Captain Dav Jallan of the Grihan Battle Center ship Barrist. The Tecran vessel we have commandeered started an auto-routine when your vessel came into range and its weapons system has you locked on. Stop immediately, and employ back thrusters until we can deal with the problem.”

  Dav heard a squawk of alarm from the bridge, although Fu-tama had not put them on visual comms when heʼd been connected.

  Borji flicked his fingers at the handheld and gave a nod. “Heʼs reversing.”

  They waited a minute in tense silence, and Dav was aware that the admirals had picked up something was happening. Theyʼd both stepped into the passage, but to give them credit, neither tried to interfere.

  “The weapons system has disengaged.” Borji lifted his arm and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

  “Councilor Fu-tama, you can stop where you are, but do not attempt to come forward until we give you permission.”

  “Iʼm needed for a full United Council meeting.” Fu-tama finally came on-screen, and Dav remembered seeing the Garmman councilor before on visual comms reports. He had the bulging forehead and stocky build that was the Garmman norm, his silver-gray hair the only indication of his age. Heʼd had cosmetic work done to his face, and it didnʼt have a line on it, but Dav couldnʼt help thinking it was more a case of having erased the life from it, rather than reversed the aging process.

  “Weʼll send out a runner to fetch you, see if that will work. But for now, your vessel will have to remain where it is unless you want it to be fired on.”

  Both Hoke and Valu were close enough to hear the last part of his conversation, and Dav could see the shock on their faces.

  “Did you just threaten to fire on a vessel?” Valu asked. Dav found it interesting that he didnʼt seem that concerned by the idea.

  “No, sir. Remember when I briefed you about our taking the Class 5, I told you we didnʼt have control of the weapons system. It just locked on to a private ship entering the area, and we ordered it to reverse course until the system stood down.”

  “Whatʼs a private vessel doing here? This is a no-go zone.” Hokeʼs eyes flared with temper.

  “The vessel belongs to Councilor Fu-tama. The Barrist was informed he was coming in, but obviously the Class 5 doesnʼt care about that, and when he came into range, it got a lock on him.”

  “Do you know why?” Hoke asked Borji.

  Borji looked over at Dav, unwilling to answer. Dav agreed. There was no way he was discussing the clandestine comms someone on the Barrist had received in hearing distance of some of Appalʼs team, but more particularly, the vice-admirals and Captain Tio.

  He shook his head. “There are other issues in play here, and I would need to have you alone on the Barrist before I would feel comfortable giving you the information.”

  “Then I think weʼre done here.” Hoke straightened her jacket.

  “I still have to take the United Council representatives through the Class 5.”

  Hoke shook her head. “They can wait.”

  22

  Filavantri was angry.

  Rose could hear it in the clipped, breathless way she spoke when Rose asked her if she was available to have breakfast with her.

  “Iʼm not sure,” the liaison officer said. “Weʼre waiting on Captain Jallanʼs pleasure. He was going to take us around the Class 5, but something more important seems to have come up.”

  “Thatʼs fine.” Rose kept her voice light. She didnʼt like the idea of Dav and Filavantri at odds. They were her two closest allies on board. “Iʼll have breakfast in my room.”

  “One moment . . .” Filavantri sounded thoughtful. “Rose, would you agree to an informal breakfast with the United Council representatives?” She made that humming sound. “I had planned to introduce you later anyway, so switching things around would mean we could stay on schedule.”

  Rose ruffled her fingers through hair still damp from her shower. She really didnʼt want to meet the Battle Center group, or the United Council group, but there was no avoiding it. And if it calmed Filavantri down . . . “I suppose I have to some time. Now is as good a time as any.”

  “We wonʼt meet in your room. That would be too much of an invasion. Iʼll have your guards bring you to the private dining room off the officersʼ mess.”

  “All right.” Rose leaned against the table when Filavantri disconnected, looked at herself in the mirror. She looked rested after her deep sleep, and she was wearing her hyr fabric, fashioned into a form-fitting top and trousers.

  “We have to go to breakfast with the United Council,” she said to Sazo.

  “I gathered.” He sounded subdued. “Be careful, Rose. I think one of the councilors is behind some of what happened to you.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because an unidentified vessel came into our territory and I considered shooting it. Thereʼs no question in my mind it was the vessel that sent the comm to whoever is betraying the Grih on the Barrist. It belongs to one of the United Council representatives, the member for Garmma.”

  “Iʼm surprised the Barrist didnʼt take aim, too, if it was unidentified.”

  “It wasnʼt unidentified to them,” Sazo said. “Just to me, because Iʼm not in their system yet.”

  “Sazo——”

  “Rose. The clock is ticking. Get me into the system.”

  She sighed. “I donʼt even know if I can.”

  “Just let me know the login for the standalone handheld. Iʼll see what I can do.”

  She tugged a brush through her hair, pulling harder than she needed to. “Iʼm afraid, Sazo. Iʼm worried youʼre going to panic or get too angry, and do something you canʼt take back.”

  There was a chime at the door, and smoothing a hand over her hair, Rose went to check the screen to see who it was. Her guards stood to attention outside, waiting for her to answer.

  She went back for her Tecran handheld, relieved to put off this argument with Sazo a little longer. “Iʼll take this with me, so you can listen in.” She didnʼt wait for him to answer, she tucked her crystal necklace below her neckline, opened the door, and stepped into the corridor with her guards.

  It was Vree Halim and Jay Xaltro. They must be on permanent Rose duty.

  Jay Xaltro stepped back, and then bent her head over her hands. “I apologize for yesterday. I should have shielded you from the crowd, but I didnʼt realize you would be so upset by the applause.”

  Rose looked up at her, trying to read any censure into that statement. Perhaps there was a hint that she thought Rose was being a little too delicate.

  Rose shook her head. She refused to explain herself and her reaction. She might be delicate at the moment, but sheʼd come by it honestly. “Youʼre taking me to breakfast with the United Council?”

  They nodded, and in less than five minutes they were ushering her into a small room off a well-appointed dining room. There was a central table with twelve chairs, and eleven of them were already filled. Two seats were occupied by Tecran, and Rose froze in place, trying to breathe.

  One of the Tecran noticed her reaction and stood, glaring at her, and Rose finally found she could move, stepping back and bumping into Vree Halimʼs chest.

  He lifted a hand to her shoulder and then stepped to her side, hand on the stock of his gun.

  There was a sudden silence in the room.

  Filavantri had stood when they came in, and she scowled at the Tecran councilors. “Sit down, Councilor Yir. Youʼve been told Rose has suffered abuse by your people, leaping to your feet in a threatening manner is not helpful.”

  Yir glared at her. �
��So far, that abuse is nothing more than the word of an orange——”

  “Enough.” A man stood. He didnʼt raise his voice, but there was such command in his tone, everyone fell silent.

  He was Bukarian, like Filavantri, and Rose noticed there was a second Bukarian councilor as well, so two of each of the signatories were represented, and Filavantri, as the liaison.

  Rose should have expected there would be Tecran present, but she hadnʼt. Sheʼd hoped never to see one again.

  “Welcome, Rose McKenzie.” The man who spoke looked over at her and bowed. “Iʼm the chair of this committee, and my name is Kaniga Jamoria. Councilors Yir and Nuu are understandably upset at the idea that their compatriots would do the things they are accused of. However, that is no excuse for rudeness, or threats.”

  He lifted a handheld, tapped the screen, and all around the room soft pings sounded. “Iʼve sent the lens feed evidence of Roseʼs treatment at Dr. Fliap and Captain Geeʼs hands to all of you. You can view it later, but Roseʼs testimony is not the only evidence of wrongdoing, and Iʼd like to stress that, as I gather there has already been an attempt on her life. Killing her will not make these accusations or this investigation go away.” He paused and Rose saw varying degrees of shock on the faces around the table at the news. “In fact, Iʼd say if anything happens to Rose, this matter will never be laid to rest until the truth is discovered.”

  “Are you accusing the Tecran of trying to kill her?” Yirʼs voice was hushed.

  “I donʼt know who tried to kill her, but they obviously thought they had something to lose by her being alive. At the time, no one but a select few knew of this lens feed evidence, so they perhaps assumed if Rose was dead, her accusations would die with her. That is not the case. And that is ignoring the physical evidence in the cells, as well as Dr. Fliapʼs own notes and observations. All of which have been secured and make for damning reading.”

  There was another round of silence.

  “Rose? Would you like to take a seat?” Filavantri looked stricken, and guilty.