by Imogene Nix
“Has anyone given you any details—” Sandon addressed the men, but only one turned back, the broadest shouldered and largest of the three.
“We are not at liberty to divulge any information.”
The bottom dropped out of Levia’s stomach. Not at liberty… Code word for ‘we know and aren’t telling’. It was a term she herself had used in the past.
The closer they came to the edifice, the more her heart raced and panic rose. She thrust it aside. Less than three years after her final mission and she was beset by nerves. How could this be? How could she have lost her ability to cope so quickly? Ascending the steps reminded her of attending an execution. Shame it just happened to be her own.
“Captain? If this goes wrong… In my shuttle, you’ll find—”
He stopped, the tug of his hand in hers dragging her back so that she almost overbalanced. “It’ll be fine.” She detected the slight tremor in his words though and knew he was uncertain.
“No. If I am…” Hunting for the right word soured her stomach further. “If I’m deactivated, I want you to find the papers. The lock sequence is the same as password into the Echo’s systems.” She straightened and looked him in the eye.
The paleness of his visage, and the fine lines at his mouth told her he labored under the strain. At least as a human, the worst that could happen was the loss of the Golden Echo. Bad enough, but didn’t mean execution. He’d survive. That was the main thing.
“Damn it, Levia—”
She dug deep and the stark terror that had lashed her melted away as she activated the emotion controls within her brain. This was one of the few times she was thankful for all the chips they’d integrated in her brain.
Of course Sandon didn’t understand the ramifications of the hearing ahead, but she did. Once they entered the building, things would change. She’d be taken to a different room where they’d access the neural monitoring system, looking for information. She had to prepare now. Disentangling her hand, she drew away.
He reached out, and that single act nearly broke through the wall of icy control she dragged around herself. “Once we’re inside, they’ll take you to a different room.”
“What?”
“I will undergo the Neural Penetration test while they interview you.” There was a surprising kick from the revulsion that crossed his face, and she tried harder to put it behind her. But it hurt. She breathed through the pain of his reaction, before casting a look under her eyelashes at him. “Just be honest in your answers. Tell them everything you know.”
As the doors swung open, he reached for her, but she pulled back, not sure that she could survive if he touched her.
“Good luck, Sandon.”
Entering the building, an armed contingent waited, and she stopped, aware that her every move was being watched.
“Levia Endrado, reporting as requested.”
“Levia…” His voice tugged at her, dragging her emotions to the surface. Burning pinpricks scalded her eyes, but she refused to let the tears form.
Knowing the next words she spoke could very well be her last to him, she was determined to give him a memory of the strong woman she’d become. The one he’d integrated into his crew on the Golden Echo. “Sandon, go with them. Tell them the truth.” She gifted him with a smile before she turned away. If this was her end, she’d face it like a fighter—with her eyes wide open.
The phalanx of soldiers surrounded her and she gave a nod to the forbidding man who’d met them at the shuttle. “I’m ready.”
He didn’t speak, just ascended another set of stairs with a squeak of his shoes and marched, while a smaller contingent fell in behind him. Together, they entered a room with two doors. Hers led to a smaller cubicle with a reclining consultation chair, the head obscured by a bulbous hood, masses of diagnostic wires hanging down.
“Take a seat, Cadet Seven-One-Four.”
Automatically, she slid into the chair, realizing she’d instantly responded to her designation.
A door opened and several techs entered the room. Levia ignored them, letting her mind wander. She’d always hated this routine. The feel of hands hunting through her hair so they could find the inputs hidden in her scalp was something she’d become somewhat accustomed to. The sliding of the wires into the ports she ignored.
“Right then. We shall begin. Cadet Seven-One-Four, I am going to ask you about the repatriation mission you were sent on to Omega V.”
“Yes, sir.”
Her eyes were at half-mast as she accessed the memories and waited for the video feed to kick in. Slowly, she began to talk, describing what had happened.
* * * *
“Captain Daria. Thank you for co-operating with our people.” The tall, sandy-haired man seated at the table rose and extended a hand. Sandon got an impression of a politician or at least a senior public servant with soft hands, carefully preserved features, and a well-tended body. For a second, he seriously considered ignoring the handshake, but there was too much on the line.
Sandon stretched out his hand and made a brief contact, then the man sat down. Sandon remained standing on the other side of the desk. The man offered no seat or his name, leaving Sandon at a distinct disadvantage.
“Sir? I’m not quite sure why I’m here. When Pilot Endrado was separated from me on Omega V—”
“Yes, that was quite an unfortunate situation. But to be honest, it is a class four weapon-free planet.” The man’s hands spread in an expansive manner, and Sandon had to restrain himself as a surge of anger overcame him.
“Something I was not made aware of.”
The man glanced at him, his gaze seeming to say how could you not know? Sandon returned the look cautiously. Belligerence in this situation could get Levia killed, he reminded himself.
“You were aware then, that Cadet Seven-One-Four was a Cybe?”
“Her name is Levia Endrado.” He avoided answering, but the man merely smiled.
“Come, semantics though it is, Cadet Seven-One-Four had made full disclosure of her designation?”
His stomach cramped. This question was too direct. There was no choice but to answer truthfully. “Yes.”
“Ahh…” This time the man looked down, tapping something on the screen of his mini-comp. “Can you describe for me the scene when you arrived on Omega V?” The man looked back at him and Sandon wondered what the game they were playing was actually about.
Sandon tensed and let his mind wander back to their arrival. “When we landed, we were required to present our credentials, which we both did. When we reached the offices, Levia was challenged. General Vodsevors interceded, but the admiral ruled she was to be placed in custody. I was told she’d be safe, but when she was returned to me, she was physically damaged.” He produced the report his medic had made of her injuries.
“Did she in any way refuse to be taken into custody?” The man leaned forward, his blue eyes wide.
“No.”
“At any time did she contact you to claim mistreatments?”
“No.”
The man tapped something more into the computer. “Hmm. That doesn’t line up with their claims.”
“Whose claims?”
“I’m not at liberty…” He shook his head and glanced away. “You have to understand, the relations between the Jurans and Dendarans remain strained. We must be seen to follow up on any complaint or we run the risk of being labeled obstructionist.”
Unable to keep a tight rein on his anger, Sandon surged upward. “Fuck that! This is nothing more than a witch hunt! You know that.”
The man’s lips tightened. “Yes, I expect that’s how it looks to you, but you must understand, Captain, that we have to be seen to investigate any and all situations that could threaten the peace.”
“So you’re prepared to hang an innocent person for crimes they haven’t committed, in the name of peace?”
A cough at the door caught the attention of the two of them, and Sandon whipped around as a young fem
ale tech entered the room. “Sir, I have the information you requested.”
A tiny data-chip was placed in the man’s hands, and Sandon wondered if that was all that remained of Levia. His body reacted violently to the thought, the contents of his stomach rising up, blocking his airway. Surely not!
With a silent nod, he watched as the man took the chip and inserted it into the mini-comp.
The man grunted.
Sandon leaned forward, waiting for some explanation. “So?”
“She concurs with your take on events. Strange. I expected…”
Sandon bared his teeth and snarled. “Who made the complaint?”
The man’s head snapped up. “What?”
“Who laid the complaint against Levia?”
The man blinked. “It was one of their agents. Michelin Andres. But on here, the bio-signature received from Cadet Seven-One-Four reads—”
Fury welled and he gripped the edge of the table. “Levia. Her name is Levia Endrado.”
The man stopped, gasped, and nodded. “Uh, of course. Pilot Endrado took an unconscious bio-sig report which reads as A-L-01, Ordan Mayerber.” This time, when he looked at Sandon there was something deep and fearful on his face. “Ordan Mayerber would have an axe to grind with…with your pilot.”
He rose with a jerk and indicated that Sandon should follow him. Sandon did, and then he was unceremoniously dumped back into the waiting room.
People came and went, some casting him interested glances, but no one updated him on Levia’s status. As the time ticked slowly by, his frustration levels rose. The third comm buzz in an hour rang imperiously, and he looked at the tiny communicator, reading the information. The Orbital Authority needed an urgent update on their status, and as they’d been unable to reach the pilot, could he please advise how long they would require their position? Sandon didn’t have an answer right now, so he made a split-second decision to wait until he could respond with something concrete.
He jiggled his leg up and down. The sound of footsteps once more cut through the silence, and as his head snapped up, he noted that Levia, surrounded by an armed contingent and accompanied by his interrogator, was advancing toward him. He rose, the muscles of his legs complaining after sitting still for so long.
Her hair was disheveled and her uniform suit not as immaculate, but she walked tall and proud toward him.
“Captain, if you and your pilot would indulge me?” A multi-awarded general gestured to the tiny interview room, and Sandon hesitated.
“We’d be glad to, General.” Levia’s soft tone soothed the ragged emotions that battled within him.
He followed them into the room and quirked an eyebrow as the door slid shut behind them.
“I’ll come straight to the point. If the bio-sig report that Sev—uhh, Pilot Endrado has made available to us is correct, then you both face immense danger right now. Captain, your pilot has information that she will disseminate to you once you are away from here, but suffice to say, if it is correct, and the bio-sig of the person she met on Omega V is also correct, then…”
Sandon waited, knowing the value of silence as a draw card.
“It was our understanding that Ordan Mayerber didn’t die in the action on Omega V, where you were sent to neutralize him, and that poses a very big threat to the Juran Commonwealth. He is also a threat to you as you are, or were, our strongest operative. That makes him a credible threat to our security. We believe his original mission was to not only infiltrate our security systems, but also to assassinate a number of high-ranking officials.” The general shook his head, but the salt and pepper hair didn’t move. “Subsequently, our intelligence included that he was likely in deep-cover. If that is correct, we can assume he will once again attempt to carry out his mission.”
Sandon ground his teeth, realizing that the threat to Levia was being considered in the threat to the defenses category, rather than the personal danger she faced. “And?” he prompted, hoping for the rest of the information.
“We also believe he was involved in the original sortie that escalated us to war footing. According to our intelligence, he is connected to those who stood to benefit from the previous situation and would again.” The general shook his head. “I’m sorry, Captain, but as a result, I’m invoking the Juran Commonwealth Preservation Decree. Until such time as Ordan Mayerber is apprehended or dealt with…” At this point, the general winced. “...the ship, the Golden Echo, is duly commandeered into service by the Juran Commonwealth.”
“No! You can’t press my ship into—”
“I can and will, Captain. Cadet Seven-One-Four, you are hereby returned to active service immediately. Your rights and commissions are reinstated. Your mission is to find Ordan Mayerber and neutralize him. It is necessary to remain undercover, but you know what to do, Cadet. Captain, in order to keep the mission a secret, you will continue on as normal. Accept the next possible cargo, and we’ll be in touch.”
The general rose and nodded at them. Sandon gaped at Levia, horrified by what had just happened.
“Yes, sir.” Levia saluted as Sandon headed in her direction. By the time she’d finished speaking, Sandon noticed the general had left the room.
Chapter 6
Levia couldn’t believe the circumstances she’d found herself in. The fact that they weren’t going to de-activate her was great, but that Sandon’s ship was going to be pressed into service for the Juran Commonwealth…
“It’s not right.” Checking the last item off the list, she flicked the lid down on her mini-comp and stashed it in her pocket. “How he must hate me for causing him so many issues.” She slammed the door on the shuttle after the last box was removed.
“Hate you for what?” The sound of his voice behind her caught her by surprise.
She jumped as her nerves skittered. “Uh, I’ve brought you so much trouble.”
Not wanting to turn around and look at him, she focused on a rivet in the metal. There weren’t enough words for her to explain just how deeply she felt the imposition on him and his crew. His business would have to take a secondary position, and she didn’t know whether his finances could withstand the pressure.
When he laid his hands on her shoulders, she could barely contain the shiver, one made up of a mixture of sensual pleasure and deep concern. It felt like the twin sides of her personality. The first wanting something deep and hot with him while the other mourned the situation. It felt as if they would cleave her in two.
“Levia?”
The rumble of his breath rippled, sending sensations whispering through her veins, and against her will, her body reacted. Blinking, she tried to clear the fog that descended over her mind. Why now? When his hand moved, she would swear every nerve and muscle in her shoulder reacted to the lightning that zinged.
“Levia?” As if he could read the frazzled mass of sensations, he repeated her name, and she gulped.
“I… Uhhh…” Why here and why this man? Emotions welled and how she wanted to ignore them.
The beep of the personal communicator blared and sliced through the fraught tension.
“I need to get that.” She stumbled away, knowing that her unsteady movements betrayed her inner turmoil. “Endrado here.”
“Levia, I need your update. We’ve received two requests for updates in the last few hours, and I need to give them a straight answer. When will you be heading back?” Vestang. She released the bubble of oxygen she’d hung onto.
“I need to check. Just a moment.” She turned long enough to see the shadow of concern settle on Sandon’s face. “When will you be ready?”
“I’m good to go.” She heard the double entendre, her glance capturing the challenge in his eyes.
“We’re just finishing off the pre-flight checks. So long as they’re clear, we can be in the air in around ten minutes,” she told Vestang. “I expect we should be clear to leave orbit in around five hours?” She glanced back at Sandon and watched as he gave a curt nod.
“Excell
ent.” Vestang spoke excitedly. “I’ll go ahead and let them know.” The communications item silenced.
Sandon gazed at Levia, and she squirmed while considering Vesting’s words.
“So… Where to now?” She waited for Sandon’s answer, all the while her mind trying to work out what he’d decide.
“I guess back to the ship and await a new contract. That’s what we were told.”
Perhaps they would end up on the opposite side of the galaxy to Mayerber. But of course, the chances of that, given her position on the galactic shit list, was likely to be laughable.
“When we reach the Golden Echo, we can see what runs are up and if we have any offers. Then we can go from there, at least until we’re contacted.”
The words didn’t really allay her fears, but right now, there wasn’t a lot more to do, so she stepped away.
“Levia?” The tone of his voice changed, deepened, and her nerves jittered.
“What?”
“We will talk later, about this…” He waved a hand around, and for a second, she seriously considered playing dumb, but that would demean them both.
“I don’t think it’s a great idea.”
“Maybe not, but I have to tell you, it intrigues me.”
Before he could utter another word, she scurried off, checking all the closures, finalizing her checks and trying valiantly to ignore the memory of his words and the glint in his eyes when he’d delivered them.
Even as she strapped into the shuttle, they were there, rolling around in her mind, challenging her on every possible level. She was glad to have her hands and mind occupied during their takeoff. Once they punched through the atmosphere and the glint of silver and gold stars shone against the velvet black backdrop of space, the memory tugged at her.
