… … …
In the background both Veloshira and Eupiar moved from section to section of the Silver Raven, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by the unsuspecting boarding party. The most stressful part of staying hidden was keeping to the shadows as the cloak didn’t render them fully invisible. A few times Eupiar nearly had her cover blown as she skittered into a brightly lit area while trying to make her way back to the cockpit. As she arrived, her heart jumped at what she witnessed next. One of the rangers curiously gazed at her laptop, then picked it up and walked away with it, leaving the Silver Raven. For the first time in ages, Eupiar felt powerless.
… … …
►► Abyssal Explorer, Rasi orbit
► Barnard’s Star system
Chloe moved her weightless body through the corridors, entering the infirmary. It’s been awhile, she thought as she looked around. She spent some time in here on more than one occasion during the first Hashmedai invasion of Earth. Stolanei hovered above his infirmary bed while two doctors held medical scanners around his bruised shirtless body. He gave Chloe an odd but charming glance as she pushed herself closer toward him.
“What’s with that look?” she asked.
“Thought you were our missing commander, Vaishea.”
She looked closer at the bloody bandages on his cybernetic enhanced body and strange flashing devices mending his wounds. “How you holding up?”
“Doctors say I’ll be good for now. Not that they have much of a choice, now that Dargonea revealed her true allegiance. We’re down a bridge psionic now.”
After getting the okay from the doctors, they traveled to the bridge. Gravity thanks to Karklosea’s psionics caused their feet to stick to the ground upon stepping off the elevator.
“Any sign of Dargonea or Vaishea?” Stolanei asked Captain Ueyei.
Ueyei shook his head. “Searches turned up nothing, local forces are also helping.” He gestured toward Chloe and Stolanei for them to step into the meeting room, located underneath the transparent floor of the bridge.
“I wouldn’t trust them,” Ueyei whispered as they approached the spiraling staircase leading down below. “It was the locals that attacked us.”
“I’m starting to think you’re right,” Stolanei said. “They seem to be interested in searching for Vaishea and another unknown person. No one is looking for Dargonea.”
They entered the meeting room, away from ears that didn’t need to know what they were talking about. Chloe saw Ueyei’s triangular desk at the far end of the room with the Radiance Union flag hanging on the wall behind it.
“So, the whole city has been compromised?” Chloe asked.
“Yes,” Stolanei grumbled as Ueyei made his way to his chair, “the heretics.”
“Either that or the high-ranking officers, who are forcing lower ranked ones to carry out their work,” Ueyei said. “Either way, none of this information leaves this ship. Or this room for that matter.” Ueyei took a seat and Chloe and Stolanei did the same. “A handful of the rangers stationed on the Abyssal Explorer requested transfers off this ship upon our arrival.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Stolanei said.
“We might have hand delivered heretics to this world unintentionally,” Ueyei said.
“Just like how you dropped them off at Earth,” Chloe said.
“I thought for sure Hermaei, Wayinea, and Xyniea were the only ones that infiltrated,” Stolanei said to her.
“Looks like there were quite a few more working in secret,” Ueyei said and handed them a data pad to read. “This is a list of all the crew that never returned during our time at Earth. At first, I thought the Hashmedai got to them, but now...”
Chloe held onto the pad to read the list, Stolanei leaned in to read as well. “I see,” he said after several seconds of scanning the lengthy list of names.
“I have Karklosea looking over the manifest very carefully right now to see who else might be heretics and in this system.”
“I think you should start with Vaishea,” Chloe said and placed the data pad back on the desk.
“Why is that?”
“I ran into someone who was somewhat affiliated with the heretics, Celestial Order whatever the fuck you want to call them, back at Earth. He was a rogue Whisper agent. He seemed to think I was someone named ‘Vaish’.”
“Vaishea, Vaish” Ueyei said, staring at Chloe. “You two do look similar though I think Vaishea is a few years younger than you. I can send you the files if you want, compare it to what you know from that incident.”
“I take it this means she isn’t getting deported?”
“The council can go to Paryo,” Ueyei said. Chloe laughed internally, telling someone from Radiance to ‘go to Paryo’ is the same as telling someone from Earth ‘go to hell.’ “If the order is here we need to bring them to justice and we’re going to need people we can trust. People like Major Vaughan.”
An hour later, Chloe returned to sleeping quarters assigned to her. Another part of the ship she hasn’t seen in a while. As she recalled these were the exact same ones she stayed in just before entering cryostasis for the first time. She floated with her face toward the ceiling with a data pad in her hands listing Vaishea’s service record with the Radiance navy.
Vaishea was a Linl and spent much of her whole life around Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri systems. She spent her early days as a counselor, before enlisting and becoming an officer. No mention of a husband, or a man named Fiesei in her life or a family for that matter. Though if what Fiesei said was true, she could very well be a Whisper sleeper agent with fake memories. Which begged the question, what was her mission? And what would trigger her to carry it out? Questions that would have to be looked into later, Chloe’s heavy eyes insisted on some sleep, or at least a power nap. Not counting cryostasis, Chloe had not gotten any sleep since the fiasco at Geneva and the JFK.
As her eyes shut, images began to manifest. Towering skyscrapers with a layout and design similar to the ones built on Lejorania Sanctum. Only it wasn’t Lejorania Sanctum, the twin stars of Alpha Centauri weren’t in the sunny skies. No this was a different planet, Earth like for sure judging by the blue oceans, green trees.
There were people, humans... or perhaps Linl? Yes they were Linl as they spoke the native Linl language. Everyone kept referring to Chloe as...
Vaish.
The hell?
There was a mirror located in the hallway of some kind of high rise residence. Chloe saw her reflection, only it was a reflection of her when she was in her twenties. Her hair was long, going down to her waist, she wore simple a snow-white dress of Linl design. In the background of the mirror there was a man, lying a on a bed. He got up and stepped closer toward Chloe as seen from the mirror.
Fiesei...it was Fiesei.
Chloe wanted to turn and attack him... but she didn’t she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. He embraced her from behind, kissing her on the neck. Chloe’s felling of anger and vengeance melted and became feelings of... love and affection as his hands cupped her breasts, while her hand slipped down below into his pants.
Chloe awoke from the vision and moved her head around as she struggled to get her breathing and heartbeat to return to normal. The walls of her quarters, then later the entire ship disintegrated. The vision wasn’t over yet. Hannah appeared floating in the emptiness of space between Rasi and Oyuri, unaffected by the fact she wore that Lolita gothic attire.
Chloe awoke from the vision again, or so she hoped. She refused to move, and remained floating where she had fallen asleep not too long ago. The data pad with Vaishea’s info still hovered next to her. In her hands, was the strange gem she secretly brought aboard, she had no memory of removing it from her back pocket, let alone placing it in her hands. She held onto the object while its iridescent crimson light shone up toward her face. She contemplated if the gem triggered the vision, or if part of Vaish’s memories did transfer to her when Fiesei forced a partial upload of the c
ontents of that data crystal into her head.
… … …
►► Courelia slums district Rasi
► Barnard’s Star system
Jazz’s eyes opened to the feeling of the worst headache he’s had in a while. Who was he kidding? Every day since the attack on the imperial palace was a rough headache. A woman wearing a grey navy Radiance jumpsuit gazed down at him. Wait, is this Chloe? When the hell did she find time to cut her hair?
He stood from where he was resting and took notice they were inside of a beat-up inn. At least he assumed it was, as there was a bed in the corner, a smaller cabinet, and a showering device in the corner opposite of the front door.
Her mouth started moving, but he didn’t understand what she was speaking. He could only pick out a few words. ‘Are’ ‘Abyssal Explorer’ ‘jammed.’
This can’t be Chloe “Sorry universal translators aren’t a thing yet,” Jazz said.
“You speak English?”
“English, Hashmedai, Rabuabin tried learning Linl but the language learning thingy gave me a fucking headache on that one.”
“You’re human?”
“Well that was supposed be a secret but... yeah. Name’s Jake or Jazz take your pick, most people stick with Jazz.”
“Commander Vaishea of the Abyssal Explorer.” She raised her hand toward her shoulder to perform the Radiance greeting. “Your acquaintance is recognized.”
“Uh yeah, nice to meet you,” Jazz opted for a hand shake, she merely looked at his extended hand in confusion. Fuck it. “How did you learn our language?”
“Speaking English while at Unity city became important to Radiance because of all the human refugees that landed there.”
They sat on the foot of the bed. He wondered why she didn’t have him rest on it while he was out. It would have made his neck and back feel a whole lot better than it does now.
“So why did you save me?” he asked.
“Truth be told I was trying to apprehend you.”
“Most folks from Radiance are these days.”
“The ranger that attacked you.”
“Right.” Jazz thought back to the fight he had with Jainuzei. He clotheslined Jazz and Vaishea off the balcony. Jazz could fully understand why he got hit, but Vaishea? What did she do piss him off? “He took you out too, eh?”
“I’m in uniform, he should have known I was an ally,” she said. “Unless—”
Jazz interrupted “He’s from the order,” he said. “That’s why he was trying to tag me and my friend, some old ass motherfucker in that temple called us out. He knew my name and that I was an enemy to the Celestial Order.”
Her face went pale and as she asked. “You couldn’t possibly mean Patriarch Ure Dalhakei?”
“I dunno. Can’t remember what the fuck his name is, but if you’re referring to the same person I am, then yeah.”
“He’s the leader of our religion. There’s no way he could be one of the heretics.”
“Well I got news for ya, there’s a lot of people working for the order including some people in the Hashmedai Empire. The order is one big galaxy wide party sendin’ invites to everyone with a weak mind.”
“I’d warn my ship, but communications have been jammed.”
“I wouldn’t bother even if it did work,” Jazz said. “From what I gathered the order has people here and possibly on your ship. They came to my world years ago and hid with my people, and like I said before, they got people all over the Hashmedai Empire, including inside of the imperial palace, can’t trust anyone.”
“And I’m supposed to trust you?”
“Yea, and you’re gonna continue to do so.”
“Why is that?” She crossed her arms.
“Because if you weren’t you would have popped me already and walked away. You got me this far and didn’t draw your gun, that tells me you need an ally right about now. And that’s okay, ‘cause I need one too if I plan to get back to my ship and friends.”
She grimaced at the thought, Jazz felt like doing the same. Since coming out into space he has made friends with Hashmedai, and with Radiance exiles. But for those loyal to Radiance? They’ve always been the enemy in his eyes, the people who helped created the Celestial Order, accidently or not.
Now assuming she didn’t turn him in, he could very well be looking at his first Radiance friendship.
… … …
►► Courelia upper levels Rasi
► Barnard’s Star system
The great temple of Courelia was blocked off from the rest of the public thirty-eight hours after the attack. The official word was Radiance was conducting a detailed investigation into the attack. In reality, Celestial Order members with ties to the Radiance military and government put that story out so that members had a place to pray and plan their next moves.
That and Jainuzei and Dargonea needed to be debriefed.
“Anything else?” Dalhakei asked a young ranger who had a small mobile computer station set up in the far end of the temple.
They were shown video of Vaishea dragging Jazz away toward an elevator linking to the lower slums area. “A lot of the cameras were hacked,” said the ranger. “This footage was taken by the hacker’s computer we captured not long ago.”
“Any idea where they went?” Dalhakei asked.
“Someplace in the slums, however, no cameras are working in that area.”
The slums district was a cancelled expansion project for the city. Those with little money or who were wanted by the authorities tended to slip into those areas to hide out and make a living. Since the area isn’t officially operational no cameras were ever installed.
“Jainuzei,” Dalhakei said as he watched the footage from behind. “How did someone of your caliber let him get away alive?”
“He lost his weapon during our struggle your eminence,” said Jainuzei.
“So?”
“I will not end the life of an unarmed person with the aid of a weapon.”
Dalhakei held onto Jainuzei’s shoulder. “You are the Weapons Master my child.”
“And I shall use them so long as my enemy wields one at me,” Jainuzei said. “It is the honorable way.”
“Tell me, how honorable is it to have your enemy flee after you turned your back on them?”
“That was an error of judgment, it shall not happen again.”
“I hope you are right, we have come too far now to fail.”
With his hands behind his back and his posture straight, Jainuzei said. “Allow me to search for him your eminence. Allow me to restore your faith in me.”
A grin emerged from Dalhakei’s thick facial hair. “Do it.”
Jainuzei stormed out of the rear door with determination in his stride. Just the way Dalhakei remembered him walking before they arrived here.
“If I may,” Dargonea said. “Why all the fuss over a human?”
“No Dargonea, not just one human, two,” Dalhakei said. “Jake Johnson and Chloe Vaughan helped play a key role in hindering our efforts on Earth. Jake along with his Hashmedai friends then disrupted our operations in the empire while seeking out the names of our associates. Chloe and her minions slew some of our forces on Foicanta then like Jake, disrupted our operations on Earth just recently.” Dalhakei wrapped both hands tightly around his staff, then slowly began to flush. “Now they are both here, gifted to us by the gods. They have been judged and will pay for their blasphemous actions!”
… … …
Jainuzei mulled over where he should begin his search for Jazz and Vaishea. Slums district would be the obvious choice. Then again, they could have easily left by now. Searching there could just be waste of time. If they did leave the slums they would have either left the city, or traveled to the lower sections of the city, located several levels below the slums.
Alisha lived in the lower levels as he recalled from escaping down there during the aftermath of the fighting. The order had very few people searching that area. Catching up with Alis
ha again while searching for them—nobody could argue that he was wasting time as he’d be the only one checking that section out.
… … …
►► Radiance R&D complex, Rasi
► Barnard’s Star system
Alisha’s shift ended on a frustrating note, as the foreman of the labs she worked at mentioned the human deportation order. She managed to convince him to allow her to work until the project was completed, which was about the only good news she had lately since Katotea went missing three days ago. Katotea’s disappearance was another reason why the foreman was willing to keep Alisha around, they were down a body.
She walked toward the tram platform to catch a ride home. Unlike most days, today she left the complex along with most of the staff. Putting in overtime would just speed up production, thus resulting in her getting the boot sooner.
She heard the tram come to a stop as she turned the corner to enter the platform. Just in time she thought, as droves of commuters boarded the tram. Jainuzei appeared as the commuters that were around him pulled away into the train like receding tidal waters unveiling a rare sea shell. Her heart beat accelerated and her face flushed.
“Oh hey, this is quite the surprise,” she said with a glowing smile at him.
“My apologies if I scared you with my unexpected arrival.”
“It’s okay, I’m just not used to people waiting for me,” she said. “It’s a nice change.”
His large hand extended forward allowing her to board first. Chivalry was a thing amongst aliens as well, charming. Alisha boarded the crowded tram as Jainuzei followed behind. Her head moved about looking for a free seat but there were none she could see.
Jainuzei’s hand tapped her arm and he pointed to a solo seat off the side. He remained standing while Alisha sat down looking straight up toward his tall body. The rest of the passengers on the tram were too preoccupied with their data pads as the tram departed to take any notice of them.
“I am sure you heard about the deportation call,” Jainuzei said.
Equilibrium of Terror: Part 1 (Splintered Galaxy Book 3) Page 22
