The Empire's Corps: Book 05 - The Outcast

by Christopher Nuttall

There was a sound, right behind her. She half-turned, just as something slammed into her back. She felt an electric shock running through her body, sending her crashing to the ground. It took her a moment to realise that she’d lost all voluntary control over her own muscles. Her body might as well have been nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

  “That's her,” someone muttered. It took Sameena a moment to realise that he was speaking Arabic. She had barely used the language outside prayers since leaving Jannah. In fact, he was definitely speaking with a Jannah accent. “Get her into the box, quickly!”

  “Treacherous bitch,” another man grunted. “And carrying a gun too.”

  Sameena couldn't see either of them from where she had fallen, but she felt one of them frisk her and remove her weapons and wristcom, before lifting her upright. A moment later, there was a blinding flash of light and a series of Arabic curses. Her captor dropped her to the floor again as a shot rang out, followed by the buzzing of several stunners. Footsteps ran up behind her a moment later.

  “See to her,” a voice barked. “And secure these assholes.”

  “They’re dead, Jim,” another voice said. “Three of them, at least.”

  Sameena felt a hand rolling her over, allowing her to see a middle-aged man staring down at her. There was something in his face that she found herself liking instinctively, reminding her of one of the few religious teachers who had seemed to care for the girls. He pressed an injector against her arm and she heard a faint hiss.

  “They hit you with a nerve jammer,” he said, softly. “You would recover anyway, but the drug will ensure that you recover quickly. These things can cause unexpected complications, so I’d prefer to take you to sickbay for observation.”

  “Get the fourth into cuffs and then move him to a cell,” a familiar voice ordered. Jamie knelt down beside her. “Are you all right?”

  Sameena found feeling slowly inching its way back into her body. She ached from where she had hit the ground, twice; the nerve jammer had apparently prevented her from feeling a thing. The doctor helped her sit upright and pressed a flask of water against her lips. She sipped gratefully, then looked a question at Jamie. He hesitated, then answered.

  “Three of them killed themselves,” he said. “Suicide implants, I think; we didn't use lethal force. The fourth is in custody.”

  “Help me up,” Sameena said. The doctor frowned, but helped her to her feet. Her legs felt weak, but they grew stronger as she forced herself onwards. “Who are they?”

  The would-be kidnappers were clearly from Jannah, she knew – and she was surprised that the others hadn’t realised it. They had the same dark skin genotype as Sameena herself. She laughed at herself a moment later. Jannah was hardly the only planet to have dark-skinned or Arabic-speaking inhabitants. They weren't likely to see a personal connection between Sameena and her kidnappers.

  Unless they compare our DNA, she thought, grimly. How close am I to them?

  She looked over at the fourth kidnapper, lying on the ground with a burly naval crewman sitting on his back and frowned. He wasn't from Jannah, not unless he’d had his genotype extensively remodelled – which was possible, but unlikely. Judging from his face, he might well be a hired mercenary rather than a fanatic. And he hadn't killed himself.

  “You need to get to sickbay,” the doctor said, firmly. “If you don’t walk I’ll have to ask the CPO to carry you.”

  “He’s right,” Jamie said, equally firmly. “This gentleman” – he glared at the captive – “will be escorted to a holding cell, where he will be interrogated. Their ship will be seized and held for investigation, followed by disposal. Unless you wish to register a claim, of course.”

  “I will,” Sameena said, weakly.

  Walking more than a few metres was a strain, but the more she walked the better she felt. By the time she reached the asteroid’s sickbay, Jayne had been called and – despite her pregnancy – met Sameena as she stumbled into the room. The two doctors scowled at each other, then helped Sameena to a table and ran scanners over her body. Part of her felt so very tired ...

  She jerked awake, realising that something was wrong. The lights were dim and someone was in the room with her. For a moment, she was confused, unsure of where she was. If she was in her cabin on her ship, no one should have entered without her permission. And then she remembered that she was on Madagascar and that someone had tried to kidnap her. A figure bent over her, holding a weapon ... she kicked out instinctively, knocking the weapon out of the figure’s hand. The figure stumbled backwards, barely visible in the semidarkness then came at Sameena with murderous intent. Dizzy, Sameena rolled off the table and allowed herself to drop to the floor. The pain helped focus her mind.

  Her pistol was gone; her other concealed weapons were gone. She saw the weapon the figure had dropped and scooped it up, pointing it at the figure’s chest. There was a faint hiss, but the figure stumbled backwards, folded over and collapsed to the ground. Sameena looked down at the weapon, puzzled, then carefully put it down. She’d never seen anything like it in all of Paddy’s lessons.

  She stepped closer to the prone assassin and blinked in surprise as she saw the unmistakable shape of breasts. A woman? If the assassins had really come from Jannah, she asked herself, why would they bring a woman? She laughed at herself a moment later. She’d killed in self-defence. Why would another woman be unable to do the same?

  The hatch burst open a moment later. “Good God,” a voice said. “What happened here?”

  “You missed one,” Sameena said, turning to face the Imperial Navy doctor. “She tried to kill me.”

  “Commander Cook is going to be pissed,” the doctor said. He examined the assassin for a long moment, then looked up. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pissed,” Sameena snapped. “How do we know that she’s the last of them?”

  “I don’t know,” the doctor said. “There’s no way to be certain.”

  Sameena knew. There would be others. Even if they didn't know precisely who she was or how she’d obtained the berries, they would come looking for her. Maybe it was time to start giving the berries away. The cartel’s source of wealth would be shattered if everyone started producing their own Firewater Mead. It wasn't as if she needed it any longer.

  She smiled at the thought, then headed for the hatch. “I’m going back to my ship,” she said, firmly. “I’ll speak to the Commander in the morning.”

  “Take a guard,” the doctor said. “As you say, we don't know that she’s the last.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  This too should not be judged too harshly. It is easy to speak of sacrifice when one’s children are not starving, or at risk. A loner may choose to die rather than request – or demand - charity. A family man will go further – he may steal – to save his family.

  - Professor Leo Caesius. The Science That Isn’t: Economics and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

  “We missed the girl,” Jamie admitted, the following morning. “The surveillance team didn't realise that she was one of them.”

  Sameena shrugged. She wouldn't have realised it if the girl hadn't attacked her either. “What happened to her?”

  “She had a nasty little assassination weapon,” Jamie said. “According to the Chief, it shot frozen particles of nerve poison. You shot her with her own weapon.”

  He scowled. “We interrogated the survivor pretty harshly,” he added. “He said that he’d been hired to assist the other four in getting onto Madagascar and finding you, but he didn't know why. Would you care to explain?”

  “It’s a long story,” Sameena muttered. She wasn't sure how much she wanted – or dared – to tell him. Who knew how he’d react? “Does it actually matter?”

  Jamie hesitated. “Sameena, these ... people attempted to kidnap you and take you off the asteroid,” he said. “We found an interesting selection of weapons and equipment on their ship. They would have forced you to talk, eventually, and then disposed of yo
u. And then there’s their DNA.”

  Sameena winced, knowing what was coming.

  “They had hackwork in their background that was identical to yours,” Jamie said. “We need to know what is going on.”

  “I know,” Sameena admitted.

  She wasn't sure which way to jump. If Jamie knew the truth, what would he do? Obtaining a false ID was technically illegal, even though most of the population of the asteroid probably had a false ID or two. And then there was the question of what would happen if they knew where she had actually come from. Would they demand that she went back to Jannah? It seemed absurd and yet the fear nagged at her mind. But he did need answers.

  The cartel hadn't known precisely who they were looking for, she suspected. If they had, they might have tried to contact her and use her birth family as leverage to get her to do whatever they wanted. Assuming, of course, that her birth family was still alive. The Guardians were not known for being gentle to heretics. A lifetime in the labour camps was considered too good for them. Sameena wouldn't have believed that her family was still alive unless she’d been given some very convincing proof.

  “I don’t come from the Lumpur Cluster,” she admitted. “I ...”

  Jamie surprised her by laughing. “If everyone who claimed to come from the Lumpur Cluster actually did come from the Lumpur Cluster,” he said, “they would have a population far greater than Earth’s. We generally assume that anyone who claims to come from the cluster isn't actually being honest about their origins.”

  Sameena felt her cheeks flush, but she forced herself to go on.

  “I was born on a world called Jannah,” she said. He didn't recognise the name, unsurprisingly. Few worlds outside Earth were universally known. “And I had to flee when I was fifteen years old.”

  She ran through the whole story, starting with her brother’s arrest and ending with her acceptance on Captain Hamilton’s ship. Jamie seemed shocked by her words, to the point where she wondered if he didn't quite believe her. Jannah was hardly the only planet controlled by a religious tyranny.

  “Imperial Law states that anyone who wants to leave must be allowed to leave,” Jamie said, when she had finished. “You would not have had any difficulty requesting asylum.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” Sameena admitted. “You see, Jannah is the source of Firewater Mead.”

  Jamie stared at her ... then started to laugh. “And you gave the Admiral fifty bottles of the stuff,” he said. “You’re producing it for yourself, aren't you?”

  Sameena nodded. “Yes,” she said. “But not for much longer.”

  The Admiral had boasted about his acquisition, she suspected. Fifty bottles, effectively appearing out of nowhere, might have caught the Cartel’s attention. But it wasn't as if she could have forced him to swear an oath to keep the bottles secret. Giving up so many might have been a mistake, in hindsight. And yet if she hadn’t ...

  She pushed the thought aside. What was done was done.

  “So they came after you to silence you,” Jamie said. “Why?”

  “It isn't hard to boost production,” Sameena said. “If the source of the mead ever fell into outside hands, the Cartel’s monopoly would be utterly destroyed within the year. I had no difficulty in speeding up the growing process. A corporation would find it easy to turn out the mead as if it were fruit juice. And that would be the end for the Cartel.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Jamie said. He cleared his throat. “Officially, the case will be closed in two days, unless more evidence comes to light. It would only confuse matters if the full truth was entered into the records. Their ship will be sold unless you want to make a claim on it.”

  “I do,” Sameena said, quickly. Another starship would be very useful; besides, she wanted to see what else they'd brought from Jannah. “What will you use as motive?”

  “You’re a wealthy merchant,” Jamie said. “Kidnap attempts are to be expected.”

  He scowled. “Speaking of which, I suggest that you hire a few bodyguards,” he added. “One retired Marine, particularly one married to a pregnant woman, isn't going to cut it. The next team might have murder in mind from the start.”

  Sameena nodded. She didn't need to sell Firewater Mead any longer. Instead, she could simply give the berries away, along with an explanation of what they were and how to turn them into mead. With a little work, she could even make it seem that the assassination team had been the ones to tell the entire universe. In a year or two, the Cartel’s source of funds would be completely destroyed. Even if they convinced the Grand Senate to ban outside production, which might be beyond their resources, it wouldn't stop others from growing their own berries.

  But if the assassination team had sent a report back, the Cartel would definitely want to murder her after their comfortable perch was destroyed.

  Jamie smiled at her. “I had a chance to speak to my superiors,” he added. “They hemmed and hawed a little, then gave me this.” He passed her a datachip. “Those are military and civilian override codes for production equipment. You should be able to unlock the equipment and use it freely.”

  Sameena sucked in a breath as she looked down at the datachip. They hadn’t even tried to bargain further, which suggested ... desperation?

  “They’d prefer that you kept it to yourself,” Jamie added. “If times get better, giving away those codes could have unpleasant consequences.”

  “I understand,” Sameena admitted. The corporations that had built the equipment wouldn't want to see them being used for just anything. Nor would they be happy if their patents were being casually violated – and they would be, she knew. They couldn't afford to respect patents or legal rights if they were going to save part of the Empire. “I won’t tell anyone where I found the codes.”

  “They’ll want you to provide as many spare parts as possible,” Jamie warned. “The squadron needs them, desperately.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Sameena promised. Meeting their requirements would be difficult, to say the least. Steve might have some ideas, but as she saw it they wouldn't be able to produce half as much as the Imperial Navy needed. “And thank you.”

  “Thank you,” Jamie said. “Are you sure that you’re all right?”

  “I knew that the Cartel would find out about me, sooner or later,” Sameena said. She was still kicking herself for making it obvious. “And I feel better than I have in years.”

  Jamie lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yes,” Sameena insisted. “I feel alive.”

  “I’ve had that too, when I went into combat and survived,” Jamie admitted. “Even when it’s just pirates, there’s a sense that you beat the odds once again.”

  Sameena had to smile. It was a rare pirate who would challenge an Imperial Navy ship, even if they had a bigger ship with more firepower. Even if they won, their ship would definitely take a battering – and the Imperial Navy never surrendered to pirates. Offhand, she couldn't recall any Imperial Navy ship surrendering at all for hundreds of years. But then, without a peer power to fight, there had never been any real wars, merely endless police actions.

  “I was planning to visit the entertainment centre,” Jamie added. “You should come with me.”

  “I have work to do,” Sameena said, although she knew that she could be tempted. She hadn't liked the movies very much – they were either bad propaganda, bad romantic comedies or outright pornography – but some of the other activities had been fun. Bowling, archery and even puzzle games ... she’d enjoyed herself more than she had expected. “And shouldn't I get a bodyguard?”

  Jamie laughed. “Hoisted on my own petard,” he said. “I’d suggest that you speak to your friend about finding someone suitable.”

  “I will,” Sameena said. She paused as a thought struck her. “What’s going to happen to the surviving kidnapper?”

  “I’m not sure,” Jamie admitted. “Normally, we would send him to a penal colony and drop him there, but it may be a
long time before we send a ship out there. The Admiral may decide to assert his authority and execute him instead. Do you have a specific request?”

  “He may know something that can be traded,” Sameena mused. “He didn't have a personal reason to go after me, did he?”

  “We can ask him if he wishes to turn state’s evidence,” Jamie said. “But he may refuse to talk, even with a short trip out of the airlock staring him in the face. And the Admiral may wish to dispose of the prisoner before the Cartel realises what happened and starts trying to pile political pressure on him.”

  Sameena nodded. Money brought power and influence; it hadn't taken her long to realise that those who had the money made the rules. The Cartel had probably paid out vast sums in bribes over the years, just to ensure that they maintained their monopoly. Given time, they might try to get to the Admiral ... if the Empire lasted that long. It would be months before they realised that their assassination team had been killed or captured. The news about Sunflower Berries and Firewater Mead might be unstoppable before the Cartel quite realised what had happened.

  “Maybe he knows something I might be able to use,” she mused. “Or maybe I’m just wasting my time.”

  “We can ask, if you have a list of specific requirements,” Jamie said. “but I doubt the Admiral would just be willing to turn him over to you. Unless, of course, he was insulted with a fairly ...”

  “Considerable bribe,” Sameena concluded. Watching The Mikado had been brilliant, even if half of the verses had been rewritten to suit modern sensibilities. It wouldn't have been allowed on Jannah, naturally. “I could offer him another fifty bottles of Firewater Mead ...”

  Jamie snickered. “Why do I have the feeling that they wouldn't be worth more than a credit apiece?”

  Sameena grinned. “You have a working brain?”

  “Let us know when you can supply the first shipment of spare parts,” Jamie said. “I’ll walk you back to your ship, if you don't want to join me elsewhere.”

  “Next time,” Sameena promised. She paused. “Can I ask a different question?”