The Enclave (The Verge)

by H. M. Clarke

  'The Alliance is anal enough to have recreated Yunga down to the last bolt, which then begs the question - How long have they been planning this?'

  'Does that matter right now? They are here.'

  'You are right as always 56. It will be something for me to investigate if I survive today.'

  'Shit!' Daniel stopped speaking again and Katherine blinked in surprise. It was the very first time she had heard him use a profanity. 'I think the Whitecoats know I'm talking to someone 72. Something in my brainwaves must have triggered that alarm. I have to go. But if you need me just shout out.'

  'Goodbye 56. I'll see you soon.'

  'Goodbye 72. I'll be waiting.'

  Then Daniel was gone.

  She refocused her eyes and found herself staring at Tom. He had a hand out ready as if to touch her but Joshua's hand was snaked around his wrist.

  "Daniel again?" Tom jerked his arm from Joshua's grasp and then turned on him. "Don't you ever do that again!"

  Joshua stared at Tom but said nothing.

  "Yes. He can't tell me where he is located, so we'll have to do this the hard way."

  "Room by room, God I hate that," Tom muttered sounding a shadow of his usual self, then the fleeting glimpse was gone. "Kath, a word of advice if you'll take it. Every time Daniel talks to you, you blank out everything around you; that won't be good if you are in a fire fight at the time."

  "What do you suggest?" Katherine conceded the point to him.

  "I suggest that you screen him out like you would any vocal conversation that you don't want to listen to. If you just concentrate on the matter at hand, the man can't grab all your attention when he comes. It's a trick that's taught to us in Ontolics training." The dull lifelessness of Tom's voice pained her and she felt an overwhelming desire to comfort him, try to help him. And then the realization hit her. His protective mothering was Tom’s reaction to her own pain and suffering. The more she would not let him share it, the more he tried to protect her. A little understanding works wonders in any relationship.

  Katherine gave Tom a wan smile. "I'll try, but if I do go zombie I'll be counting on you to ensure that I'm not used for target practice."

  "Yes Commander."

  Katherine turned to the Val Myran. "Josh, are you ready to do this?"

  Joshua just gave her a robotic nod. The man she had met two nights ago had now been replaced by another. An insight into Alliance training of their infantry - the combat training turns on whenever a person feels threatened.

  Katherine thumbed open a link on her comm unit. "Lieutenant, we'll start our attack at fourteen hundred hours. Once the Op begins tell everyone to leave their comm nets open. Once the shit hits the fan in there, we'll need to hear everyone's voices."

  "Yes Commander."

  "We've got just under ten minutes to get ourselves closer to that door. Everyone on me."

  Katherine slipped her assault rifle from its harness and pressed her thumb on the pad. She felt the rifle hum to life even through the gloves of her powered armor and felt her amour’s kinetic shield generator up its power in response to the rifles arming.

  Katherine and the two men slid silently into the underbrush and carefully made their way to the position Katherine had chosen. Once they were there, she looked at her watch. Two minutes to show time.

  They waited as the time ticked slowly by. Katherine could not see any of the others but their own position was directly in front of the door, screened from its sight by thick underbrush.

  Katherine checked her command Tac Net display on her forearm through habit; she knew everyone would be showing all green. Her people were crouched in firing positions at both ends of the shallow ridge that tried to circle from above the bunker entrance. She pulled down the visor of her helmet and used her targeting HUD to get a better view of the small metal door.

  It was a small entrance, small enough to funnel her people once it was open and enable anyone sitting on the other side to pick her squad off as they came through the door. So far they had not seen any obvious guards but she knew they were there. Whoever organized the security here did not think they needed external guards. Inside would be another matter. The external camera was small and unobtrusive and it had to be taken out. She did not want those inside to get a reliable count on how many were in her squad.

  Katherine glanced at the corner of her HUD, and watched as the time ticked over to fourteen hundred. Her eyes flicked back to the door and watched as the camera melted in a flare of fire. From her right came a bolt of plasma that slammed into the door, buckling the metal and vaporizing the stone that anchored the frame.

  "Go go go."

  Katherine was on her feet and running as the twisted metal frame groaned before collapsing away from the melted stone taking the door with it. She heard the echoing tramp of feet over the open comm Net and knew that everyone was up and running with her.

  Katherine ate up the distance to the opening with her long stride, diving aside to cover herself against any waiting guards behind a solid section of the entrance wall. A moment later the rest of her squad was spread out on either side of the ruined door. Now all they had to do was get someone to poke their head inside and hope to hell that no one tried to blow it off.

  "Tom, Steve, eyes on me," she said and thrust herself cautiously around the edge of the opening. Katherine felt a little disappointed that no one tried to shoot her as she stepped over the mangled door into the corridor beyond.

  The corridor was narrow and formed out of the stone of the outcrop. It was machine cut and neat and fitted with a railing to help people negotiate its downward slope. Katherine moved down it slowly, assault rifle ready, sensors probing. Her HUD flashed as it presented the information on the left hand side of her visor.

  Her sensors showed numerous power sources ahead of her marked on a basic map that will improve as she moved further into the complex. And somewhere down there were the bastards that took Daniel and destroyed Val Myra; that most likely destroyed Adveral, the creators of Yunga. Katherine's lips drew into a hungry smile at the thought, but she made herself maintain her slow cautious pace into the darkness.

  The plasma blast to the door must have knocked out the power to the lighting. Katherine flicked her visor over to night vision and waited for the quick adjustment of her eyes to the shades of green on black.

  The corridor continued down and there was no sign of any force coming to see who had opened their front door uninvited. Katherine frowned. The lack of any armed resistance made her uneasy, though it might just mean there was a more organized welcoming party waiting for them further into the complex.

  Footsteps echoed softly behind her; the rest of her squad. She felt Tom stop just behind her in his usual spot; his Ontolic aura pulsed invisibly around her. Tom always released it in combat situations but Katherine had never felt it this strong. She immediately clamped down on her thoughts. It would not do to be distracted, not right now.

  "There is a T junction at the end of this corridor. Steve, I want you to take your team left while the rest of us go right. Everyone, if you locate any of our targets, primarily Daniel Val Myra, give a shout out and we'll be there. Is that understood?"

  "Yes Commander." Everyone answered except Steve.

  "What about Hyde?"

  "The same goes for him Steve." The grinding of teeth echoed faintly on Katherine's comm link and she flicked it briefly to a private channel. "Remember Steve, the Ambassador only told me the Federation wanted him. John did not specify that he had to be alive."

  "Yes Commander."

  The grim expectance of the Lieutenant's tone made Katherine's blood lust cry out for vengeance and she flicked her comm back to the squad net.

  "Let’s be about it then."

  This time all voices answered.

  "Yes Commander."

  Chapter

  Eighteen

  Lieutenant Commander Richard Coulthard sat stiffly in the Adelaide's briefing room as he listened to the Federation Ambassa
dor's tirade.

  John Kirk was less than pleased to find Joshua Val Myra gone when the man had not showed for a scheduled pre meeting. He was angry; mainly at his sister for taking him, but also at the Val Myran for taking such a foolhardy risk. And since Commander Kirk was not here, it fell to her XO to take the yelling for her.

  Richard took it in his stride. He had been bawled out by Commodores and Admirals alike, he knew none of the insults were personal but he could not see what all the fuss was about. The man's brother had been kidnapped, and he was ex military, it was only right that he went with the team to bring him back. The official negotiations had not yet started so there should be no issue if Val Myra's sister steps in.

  "What was she thinking?" Kirk repeated for the third time as he paced around the room.

  Richard said nothing in reply. Their expected guest should be here shortly for the meeting that Val Myra was supposed to be attending. He tried not to let his eyes stray to the chrono on the wall. The Ambassador was not paying him any attention but he had to act the part. Frankly, Richard could think of more important things to worry about than Joshua Val Myra. He was in safe hands - probably safer hands than those left in New Holland.

  The door buzzed.

  "Yes," Richard was thankful that the sound had halted Kirk's constant stream of talk.

  "Ms Hayes is here Sir." The midshipman's voice sounded strained.

  "Let her in Gibbs."

  "Yes Sir."

  The door whooshed open and Hayes pushed angrily past Gibbs to come inside. She did not spare the XO a glance, just treated him like he did not exist. That suited Richard just fine; it was hard work being civil to that woman. How can Kirk stand her?

  "John, Director Prockter has just arrived, he will be here shortly."

  "Thanks Jenny."

  Kirk then returned to his pacing, thankfully he was silent this time. The expression on Hayes' face was gold. Richard felt a malicious joy at her being brushed aside, and then had even more satisfaction when Kirk turned in his pacing and saw that the woman was still standing by the door.

  "You may go Jenny, we'll call if you're needed."

  The dismissal could not be any plainer but it looked like the woman was going to stand her ground. Instead she turned and let herself out of the door.

  "Prockter called this meeting, hopefully to shed some more light on what happened yesterday. And he's going to want to know where Joshua is."

  "I thought that Federation Ambassadors did not answer to the local intelligence agencies," Richard replied

  "We don't, but it helps if we have a congenial relationship with them. The New Holland SIO has more ground intelligence than we do; we need them to want to share it."

  "Much good that ground intelligence did us yesterday."

  Kirk just grunted. He must have vented enough of his frustration and now he had no more wind left.

  The door buzzed again.

  "Yes Gibbs?"

  "Commander, Director Prockter is here."

  "Show him in."

  The door swept open again but this time no one pushed past Mr. Gibbs. There was the murmured ending to a conversation and then Robert Prockter stepped through the doorway.

  "Lieutenant Commander Coulthard," Richard gave an acknowledging nod as he rose from the table to give a brief handshake. "Ambassador Kirk."

  "Director," Kirk said as he took Prockter's hand.

  Richard studied the man as he greeted the Ambassador. Prockter was not a tall man; he did not need to tilt his head to look the Director in the eye, in fact Richard had to look down to do it. But Prockter was no less imposing for his lack of stature. There was a contained energy about the man and when he looked at you, he looked at you. Prockter had a penetrating gaze that made you feel like he was turning over all of your secrets. Richard understood why he was the security and Intelligence Director.

  "Where is Val Myra?"

  The question bought a scowl from Ambassador Kirk and Richard was left to answer the question.

  "He is with Commander Kirk."

  "At Braidon Hills?" Robert Prockter actually smiled. "He's just like his father.

  "You approve of this idiocy?" Kirk's astonishment was plain on his face.

  "He would have disappointed me if he didn't at least try to go. Family is important on Junter Three Ambassador, whether you are Federation or Alliance. You would do anything to protect your own."

  "But now we have been left with no Val Myran representative."

  "Sara Val Myra is quite capable. She knows just as much of the facts as Joshua does."

  The Ambassador's scowl deepened and Richard thought that he could see the beginnings of another tirade. Instead the frown was quickly smoothed away. "I'll have my aide arrange a meeting with her."

  "No need to send your aide anywhere. Sara will be relocated to the Adelaide. As Joshua's replacement she will be in as much danger as he was." The Director turned to Richard. "With your permission of course."

  "Of course. She is most welcome." Richard smiled; he could not help but like the man. "Please sit." Richard gestured to a chair and waited for both the Director and the Ambassador to seat themselves before reclaiming his own chair.

  "Let me get straight down to business," Prockter said as he scooted his chair up to the desk, his demeanor switched seamlessly from social to professional.

  "Some unsettling facts have come to my attention and I find myself in the position of not being able to trust most of my own people."

  Richard tried not to look startled at Prockter's statement. This was not what he expected to hear from the Director's mouth. Kirk's face was a blank slate, a total reversal of the frustration molded on it earlier.

  "We have interrogated two of the JUF members who have regained consciousness." Prockter continued as if he had not noticed the sudden rapped attention now focused on him. "What they had to say was…unexpected." The Director rubbed a knuckle across his chin. "They eventually told us that they had Government help in planning the attack on Federation House. New Holland Government help."

  The comment struck home with Richard but even now he felt reserved about revealing what he discovered yesterday.

  "What do you mean when you say 'New Holland Government’?" Kirk's voice dropped into the professional tone that Richard remembered from the initial briefings on their way to Junter Three.

  "It means exactly as it sounds. They have implicated three members of the council in supplying resources to the JUF, both physical and in personnel. They have also said that their people helped to construct the plan for this attack."

  "Why would New Holland Councillors be involved in something like this?" Richard found it hard to believe what he was hearing.

  "The three men concerned are known to have sympathetic leanings towards the Alliance. The SIO have had them under surveillance but, if this allegation turns out to be true, then either the SIO has failed to detect or even get a sniff of these activities, or there are people in the SIO covering for them."

  "Surely if there were any doubts in regards to their loyalty then they should have been stood down from office while an official investigation was conducted?" Richard knew he was probably asking a silly question but he was a naval officer and he did not care for politics.

  "Two of these men are personal friends of Adam Chandler, the First Councillor. We have to tread carefully about how we handle this as Chandler would put a kabosh on anything we try to do as soon as he gets wind of it." Prockter shifted forward in his seat, leaning his weight on his elbows. "He would never have stood any Councillor down unless we had hard evidence - which we did not. We cannot arrest a person just for thinking a deed, only if they do it. Chandler would only have stood the bastards down if someone had caught them communicating directly with the Alliance.”

  "The two JUF members must have given you convincing proof to have you here telling this to us," John said.

  "Yes, they did. Suffice it to say that I won't tell you what it is. That will be kept to those
I can trust within the SIO."

  "What about the third person? The one who is not Chandler's close friend? Surely you could act against him?” Richard asked.

  Prockter shook his head. "He is the reason I can't be sure of the Council. He is the one who objected to granting asylum to the Val Myrans. He is also Adam Chandler himself, our First Councillor."

  Richard sat back in his chair, stunned. But all Kirk uttered was "Shit."

  "Why?" Richard eventually asked.

  "Because he is now in power and doesn't want to lose it at the next election, making a deal with the Alliance would ensure he will keep it. What the idiot doesn't realize is that once you let the Alliance in, they own you, lock, stock and barrel." Prockter shook his head in disgust.

  "The Australian Government will need to be told about this. The Federation cannot have a cuckoo in its nest, and if Chandler is definitely involved in yesterday's attack on Federation House, then the chicken shit murdering prick needs to pay. They will all need to pay."

  "It sounds like Chandler is playing both sides off against the other. He could then be the hero who comes along to pick up the pieces." Richard rubbed a hand across his face. He felt like a shot of Katherine's cheap brandy. He then thought that now would be a good time to give up what he had discovered yesterday.

  "Director, we discovered that our people were being shadowed while on shore leave. I only found out about his when they tried to tail me."

  "I wasn't told about this!" Kirk jerked forward, a trace of his earlier anger back in his voice.

  "The skipper and I decided to keep it to ourselves until more evidence could be gathered." Richard paused and the SIO Director arched an eyebrow, inviting him to continue. The expected bluster from Kirk did not come.

  "I managed to make them lose me. I then followed them back to base. At first I thought they were SIO, but these two men were 'inexperienced.'"

  A smile fluttered briefly across Prockter's face but he made no comment on Richard's dig and that confirmed to the XO that the Adelaide was under SIO surveillance, though now it seemed for a different reason than mere paranoia.