by Terry Mixon
She drank her water, tossed the empty mug to Jacob, and drew one of her swords. The short blades had originally belonged to Ned Quincy back when he’d been alive.
Even though his intelligence lived on as some kind of odd AI program, asleep for the moment while Carl Owlet searched for a way to relocate him to a new body or machine, he’d trained Kelsey in the use of these weapons until they’d become extensions of her body in combat.
In conjunction with her artificial muscles and combat enhancements, they made her exceptionally lethal in hand-to-hand combat. If those men at the entrance had attacked her, her blades would’ve gone right through their weapons and their bodies both. They were made of hull metal, just like regular marine knives and the edges were measured in molecules of width.
Flipping the sword around, she extended it to the man on her palms. “I’d be very careful with that if I were you. It’s much sharper than you can possibly imagine. Testing the edge will cost you a thumb.”
Arturo hefted the sword, smiling indulgently at Kelsey. “I’ve spent my life around swords. Trust me when I say that I know what a sharp weapon can do.”
With that, he lazily swung the sword at a handy chair that had obviously seen similar attention in the past. There were small nicks and cuts in the thick legs where people had banged their weapons against it in the past.
The blade of her short sword cut completely through not only that leg, but the leg on the other side. The chair immediately collapsed under its own weight with a clatter.
Arturo stood frozen, his attention riveted on the chair he’d just destroyed with a casual stroke of her weapon. After several heartbeats had passed, he turned his attention back to the sword and examined much more seriously.
“I’m grateful that I didn’t chop at one of the supports,” he confided to them in a quiet voice. “It would’ve been quite embarrassing to have the ceiling come down and kill me for my hubris.
“This weapon is very much like the knives our people could once make. Precious heirlooms from when the Clans fled the Terran Empire. Sharp as a demon’s claw and indestructible.”
Jacob nodded. “I have one, as does my father. The legends say they were once quite common in the Clans, but they’ve been hidden away until only a few are publicly acknowledged now. On this world, they are even rarer.”
Arturo turned his attention to Kelsey. “I have never heard of swords formed in that same fashion. Where did you get these and why are you carrying them?”
“They were given to me by my mentor,” she said with a smile. “His name isn’t known here so it wouldn’t mean anything to you. He was once a Marine Raider in the service of the original Terran Empire.”
The big man’s smile turned a little cynical. “The Terran Empire died long before either of us was born. And while I’m quite familiar with how machines once kept people alive for miraculous periods of time, even those people did not live five centuries. You are pulling my leg.”
Kelsey shrugged and held her hand out. “The story is true but complicated by technology I can’t adequately explain. I have other forms of proof, but I’d rather not have to tell this story more than once. Your tribunal is going to doubt everything I say just as much as you do.
“Our little gathering here was solely so that I could convince you I was worthy to wield these weapons. Have I done so? If not, I believe I can put on a somewhat more… impactful demonstration.”
He considered her words for a moment, shrugged, and returned her weapon to her in exactly the same manner she’d given it to him, only with a slight bow accompanying it.
“I certainly hope your demonstration is less destructive than my bumbling efforts. I’m certain we’d like to continue using this room, so demolishing it would be less than optimal.”
“Oh, I can make my demonstration without destroying a single thing,” Kelsey said with a smirk.
She sheathed her sword with practiced ease and walked over to the table. Smiling sweetly at Arturo, she reached out and picked up one end with just the tips of her fingers, being careful to watch her balance. Even with her incredible strength, she had very little mass when compared with something like the massive table.
Even with her strength and Graphene-enhanced bones, that put an incredible stress on her digits. Nevertheless, the heavy table rose two feet into the air with very little visual evidence of the strain she was placing on herself.
The two men stood there, thunderstruck. Jacob had never seen her exercise her strength in a manner like this. Arturo had undoubtedly never even considered this possible.
“If you boys would pick up the other end of the table, we’ll move it out of the way so I have room to work.”
As if sleepwalking, the two men picked up the other end of the table. From the strained expression on their faces, it wasn’t nearly as light as they wished it were. Together, the three of them moved the table to the far side of the room. They quickly had the chairs sitting on top of it.
Except for the destroyed one. That went under it.
As soon as the floor was cleared and she’d gestured for two men to step aside, Kelsey drew her weapons and dumped Panther into her system. The world seemed to slow as the combat drug took hold, but she knew that her observers would see her movements as something faster than humanly possible.
As soon as the drugs had sped up her thinking and nerve pathways, she launched into a fairly aggressive kata.
Much like a training dance, it was almost ritualized. Her slashes and strikes were inhumanly precise as she allowed her Raider implants to guide the angle and speed of her blades. She knew from watching recordings of herself in action that it seemed as if she were cutting her way across the room filled with opponents at lightning speed.
And the actions didn’t just include blade work. Her powerful legs allowed her to run and jump to heights that a normal person couldn’t dream possible. She made certain to run toward one of the walls and literally take several steps along it just below the ceiling before launching herself out in a move that any gymnast would be thrilled to be able to execute, landing lightly on her feet.
With her incredible physical prowess and agility, she leapt and flipped in midair, dropping behind imaginary enemies and dicing them. She continued at a pace that would have run a normal person into the ground after mere seconds.
At the end of the three minutes set, she sheathed her weapons and stood quietly before the two warriors, not even breathing hard.
“So tell me,” she said with a deep smile. “Does that prove I’ve earned the right to carry these weapons?”
Jacob bowed low, an elaborate gesture filled with sweeping arms. “I was already convinced, but now understand how far short of reality my feeble comprehension was. You are not just a warrior or even a master, you are a demigod of battle.”
Arturo’s bow was far less flowery but similarly deep. “I have no objections to you bearing arms before the tribunal. In fact, I urge you to come speedily before them so that they may question you. I cannot imagine how what my eyes have seen is even possible and I hunger to know the full truth about you, Kelsey Bandar.”
She held up a hand. “Honesty compels me to admit that I’m armed with weapons far more deadly than these blades. These swords aren’t even close to the most powerful weapons on my person.
“If someone like your friend wants to fight me, it will not turn out well for them. I realize that I don’t look like much of a threat, but I’m the most dangerous person you’ve ever met.”
The large warrior bowed again with a grin. “Then let’s see if we can’t avoid Isidro. The man is an ass at the best of times, but I’d rather not see his guts spilled all over the floor.”
With that, Arturo led them from the small room and deeper into the Clan chapterhouse. They passed several sets of guards, all of whom bowed diffidently to the large warrior and allowed them past without delay.
At the rear of the chapterhouse were a pair of thick wooden doors. They were unadorned and covered wi
th steel strips and studs. Obviously made to resist being forced. Even with her strength, it might take a while to open them by hand. She had great personal strength but very little mass.
Maybe if she could get a grip under the door and plant her feet, she could pull one free. Part of her longed to try, but that wasn’t very neighborly.
Another pair of guards opened the doors and allowed the three of them into what was probably a communal dining hall as well as a location for ceremonies. The far side of the room had a raised dais with a long table set perpendicular to the entryway.
Three men sat at the table, all scowling toward Kelsey. Beside them stood a sneering Isidro. Based on his body language and the smirk on his face, he’d filled their heads with nonsense and they didn’t look nearly as receptive as Arturo had been.
Wonderful.
The center man cleared his throat. “How dare you defame our chapterhouse by bearing weapons and assaulting one of our warriors, woman! Identify yourself and submit to the will of this tribunal or we will use every force necessary to subdue you.”
Yep. It was going to be that kind of day.
6
Veronica thought she’d be going directly to meet the Rebel Empire security officer, but Doctor Zoboroski was waiting for her outside the small compartment where she’d met with Colonel Talbot and Major Ellis.
“Time for your next regeneration session,” the man said cheerfully.
She’d already gone through three sessions and her ribs and broken bones were well set. That reduced the pain to almost nothing but didn’t give her any additional mobility.
“Exactly how many sessions am I going to have to have before I can move around on my own?” she asked tiredly.
“I think we’ll need an additional two sessions beyond this one, but you should be able to get around without that chair this afternoon. We can run a second one tonight and another in the morning. After that, I’ll pronounce you healed and send you on your merry way.”
She sighed a little bit at that, relieved. “I like you well enough, Commander, but I think I’ll be happy to have a little bit more privacy. Even if it is under watchful eyes.”
“That doesn’t hurt my feelings. I’ll give you another checkup after three or four days to make sure everything looks good, but so far you’ve been a model patient.”
“As opposed to a model prisoner,” Talbot muttered.
Veronica laughed. “If your Fleet is anything like mine, you’d have had an obligation to escape, too. Besides, after some the stories I’ve heard about your Princess Kelsey, you should be used to this by now.”
“Why is it that the women in my life have this drive to complicate things?” he asked, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling.
“Am I a woman in your life?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I hardly know you and your wife is quite possibly the worst person to make jealous in the history of humanity.”
“So true,” he said with a sigh. “I’m going to set up things so we can see Commander Renner. Angela will go along to make certain you find your way back to the next interview room.”
His expression grew serious. “This next session is going to be intense. If you want to sit it out while I go in and question her, I’ll understand, but I’d rather have you beside me. You know far more about the Rebel Empire than I ever will, but I’ll understand any reticence.”
Veronica felt her eyebrows drawn together. “I haven’t gone through this trustworthiness test of yours yet. Why would you let me sit in on an interrogation where I could ruin things?”
“Because I consider myself a pretty good judge of character. The AI will be able to confirm you’re telling the truth, but I’m willing to give you the chance even though I might be wrong.”
She wasn’t sure how that made her feel. Part of her felt guilty at betraying the Empire. Another part felt elated that she was going to be able to help these people fight against the System Lords. A third part just felt lost and confused.
Doctor Zoboroski guided her chair out of the compartment and back to the medical center. It only took a few minutes to get her loaded into the regenerator and start the session.
She lay there with her eyes closed, thinking about everything that had happened and those things she knew were about to happen. She had no doubt she’d made the right decision. It might be years before she fully accepted her choices, but that would come in time.
Half an hour later, the regenerator opened up and Doctor Zoboroski slid out the table she lay on. “Let’s get you on your feet. I want to see you walking around before I trust your stability.”
The pain she felt was subdued, but it would definitely keep her from exerting herself. It seemed the regeneration had made her bones ache more than before the session. No running for a while.
That said, her mobility was pretty good. She was able to walk around the medical center without any assistance. So long as she kept herself from getting carried away, she thought she’d be able to do whatever needed to be done.
“How does that feel?” he asked solicitously.
“Good,” she said firmly. “I can’t wait until I’m finished with the procedures, but I feel confident I can at least walk safely.”
He raised a warning finger. “You’re still going to tire easily. That will go away, but for right now you need to bear in mind that you can’t just walk for an unlimited distance and running is completely out of the question.
“You’re still an invalid. Don’t forget that or you can end up back in the regenerator. No breaking out of confinement until tomorrow at the earliest.”
“Yes, Mother,” she said with a sigh and a grin. “I promise to be good. Relatively speaking.”
Major Ellis cleared her throat. “If you’re done horsing around, Talbot is probably ready for us.”
The two women headed off for the interrogation room at a slow walk. Her frailty annoyed Veronica, but it wasn’t the other woman’s fault.
“Did I hear correctly that you’re married to a scientist?” Veronica asked to get her mind off her condition. “I think I must’ve gotten something turned around in my head because there was this kid in the group of scientists talking to me after the fight. Someone mentioned he was married to a marine named Ellis. He didn’t look old enough for that kind of thing.”
Major Ellis smiled indulgently. “Trust me when I say that there’s more than meets the eye when you look at Carl. He seems like a little science nerd, but he’s got a backbone of steel when it comes to fighting for those he cares about. And, he’s freaking brilliant.
“I never saw the two of us as a couple, but now that it’s happened I wouldn’t have it any other way. He completes me.”
“This might sound rude but is he even old enough to drink?” Veronica asked. “Don’t you feel like you might be robbing the cradle there?”
The marine grinned. “He is a lot younger than I am, but trust me when I say he’s not in any way childlike. He’s a kind, considerate partner. And an exceptionally attentive lover.
“Yes, I can pretty much carry him wherever I like, but when it comes to intellect, he towers over me and everyone else around him. Don’t let his exterior fool you. He’s not the senior scientist on this mission for nothing.”
That stopped Veronica in her tracks, gaping. “He’s the senior scientist you brought with you? How did that happen?”
Ellis shrugged. “My man has muscles in his brain. Those recent scientific breakthroughs that we’ve been making, many of those are directly related to his research.”
“Including making that strange flip point work?”
“That and so much more,” Ellis said emphatically. “I’ve heard some really smart people say he’s probably the most brilliant mind of our generation and that with the addition of our enhanced technology and the expanded lifespan that medical nanites give him, the impact of what he does is going to profoundly change the New Terran Empire.”
“Holy crap,” Veronica muttered, impressed in spite of herself.
“Indeed,” Ellis said with a smile. “Come on. Talbot gets grouchy waiting.”
The room that Major Ellis led Veronica to was pretty much identical to the one they’d been in before, but on a different deck. This time the viewscreen showed a woman in a fleet uniform with commander’s tabs.
She wasn’t much to look at. Somewhat short, a little dumpy, and plain. If Veronica had passed her in the corridor, she wouldn’t have given her a second look. On reflection, that was probably a plus for a security officer.
Raul Castille had been an exception to that rule. Handsome, charismatic, and charming when he wanted to be. He’d also been a cold-blooded murderer when it was convenient. Veronica had no doubt that Commander Violet Renner was cut from the same cloth.
Talbot nodded at Veronica as she walked in. “It’s good to see you up and about, Commander. You’re just in time, too. I was about to walk in and see what our good security officer has to say for herself. Care to join me?”
“If we go in together, she’s going to assume that I’m in command,” Veronica warned him. “Fleet trumps the marines every time in the Empire. If I were lieutenant commander, she’d still assume I was the senior officer. Hell, she might do that even if I was a lieutenant.
“Is that really how you want to play this? You can feed me questions and I can ask her, but my presence is going to take her focus away from you.”
He smiled. “I think that’s actually to my advantage. If she dismisses me as just the muscle, she’s not going to give weight to the questions I ask. And I will ask my own questions. I suggest you focus on the things that strike your curiosity. Trust me when I say that anything you want to know will probably be interesting to me, too.”
Veronica nodded. “I can do that. I’m confident that she’s going to assume we’re traitors and renegades. From what I’ve seen of your attack on the Dresden orbital, you took everyone out quickly and then kept the important people isolated. Her more than most?”
“She’s been in total isolation,” he confirmed. “She has no insight into who attacked the orbital and no one has answered any of her questions. She hasn’t had a chance to interact with any of the other prisoners either.”
