Protector of the Realm

by Gun Brooke

"We need to know more about Armeo M'Aido's past, especially on his mother's side. Something I learned just moments ago sparked my interest in that side of the family tree."

  "Why the sudden hurry, ma'am? Is this for the custody hearing?"

  "No, not quite. I'm fairly sure we'll obtain full custody of Armeo. No, and this is confidential, Lieutenant. It's just as serious, if not more so. The Council may take Armeo into its custody, a ward of the state of sorts, if we can't show enough evidence we can protect him."

  Grey's thick, black eyebrows drew together, creating a dangerous look in her dark blue eyes. "They'd take him from Ms. O'Dal? The only mother he knows?"

  "Yes. They didn't include her in their plans. No doubt they consider her too reckless, too hard to control. If they try to take that boy away they may find out firsthand how dangerous she can be, eh? But we, Lieutenant, are going to make sure that doesn't happen. Do you read me?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "I want you to use whomever you need with a level 1A security clearance to go through all of the records you can locate on Zax M'Aido and his time as a cadet at the Gantharian Academy of Pilots. I'm missing something here. Focus on his friends and acquaintances during that period. I also want you to find everything you can about the boy's mother... what was her name... Tereya something. Damn, do we even know her last name?"

  "It should be easy to discover in the academy records. I remember reading about the rumors at the time of his death. His illustrious family, which was close to royalty on Onotharat, ostracized him."

  Impressed with her memory, Rae nodded. "Yes, I read that too. Probably because he married a Gantharian. I know she was Kellen's best friend. I'd like to ask her about Tereya, but I don't want her to find out about the Council's backup plan." Rae shook her head in dismay. "I can only imagine her reaction."

  "I spoke with your wife at the reception yesterday," Grey said. "She seems resourceful and ambitious. I can't picture her sitting idly by when her foster son is in danger."

  "She never lets her guard down. I think doing that every single day for the last seven years makes it automatic."

  They sat in silence for a moment.

  "You realize I'll be doing a background check on your wife as well."

  "Do whatever it takes. I want answers and I want them fast. I'll deal with the fallout later. I need to be prepared for the unexpected. Right now, I can't view the whole picture. That ties my hands when I need to develop a successful plan."

  "I understand. By the way, ma'am, I was on my way here to discuss the current situation along our borders when you hailed."

  "Go ahead, Lieutenant. What are our neighbors up to?"

  "I've followed the patterns of minor attacks on the border, and they don't make sense. They're scattered, more annoying than dangerous. They start in one sector, calm down, and within the hour ignite somewhere else."

  Rae looked at her tactical officer, her mind reeling. "How long has this been going on?"

  "The last six hours, with increasing frequency."

  "Damn, they're testing our defenses, looking for our weaknesses, and trying to throw us off balance. And if they succeed, they'll move in, cause a diversion, and try to get their hands on Armeo while we're struggling to find our bearings. A dangerous game, don't you think? I know his family has been a political icon for centuries, but this..."

  Incensed, she pounded her desk. "They're willing to go to war to get Armeo, and they're willing to kill him if they can't have him. What the hell is so damn important about this boy? I can't figure it out."

  "I'll get on it, ma'am," Lieutenant Grey said, rising from the chair. "If there's anything in the records we'll uncover it."

  "Thank you. Report to me on the hour."

  "Yes, ma'am." The lieutenant stood at attention for a moment, turned on her heel, and walked out the door.

  Rae turned the walls back to forty percent transparency, enough to see what was going on in the mission room. Her staff was hard at work, monitoring the ships approaching or departing in the ports. She was well aware that three generational ships had moored in the last few days, increasing the population aboard Gamma VI by approximately thirty-five percent. These nomads represented a major source of income for the commercial sectors on the space stations, and Gamma VI was no exception. Her duty was also to provide them a safe haven to restock their supplies and make necessary repairs on their vessels.

  Something moving in the corner of her eye caught Rae's attention, and she was surprised to see her wife purposefully approach. "Kellen, is everything all right? Have a seat."

  "I'm fine." Kellen was dressed in what had become her usual attire since she arrived at the station—the same blue trousers and leather jacket that the crew members wore. She had tamed her long hair into a loose bun, snuggled into the base of her skull. She sat down and neatly clasped her hands, gazing at Rae with a new spark in her eyes. With her chin raised, she still appeared proud and arrogant, but for the first time she seemed almost eager. "I'm here to make a request."

  "Go on."

  "I've spent five hours in different simulated SC vessels, and now Lieutenant D'Artansis has offered to supervise me if you'll let me try the type of ship I handled best. Here are my transcripts." Kellen handed over a handheld computer.

  Rae scrolled down the list, inwardly amazed at some of her daring flight patterns and realizing Leanne D'Artansis might have met her match. "Do you want to try one of our assault vessels? You know you can't go outside the station beacons, but a short spin around the block isn't out of the question." Don't betray my trust now. You're smart enough to realize this is a test, Kellen.

  "Lieutenant D'Artansis will be in the navigator's seat. She'll determine how far from the station we can go."

  "Not far at all." Rae gave her wife a stern look. "You're a target. If you stay inside the beacons, we know what ships are present and where they are. You'll have to wear one of the computerized suits to mask your biosignature. Since not many Gantharians travel this part of space, you'd be too easy to spot." She paused and examined Kellen's record in the assault-craft simulator. "Very well. You have my permission to go off-station for one hour. No more. Enjoy your flight and return safely."

  "I will!"

  "Good." Rae examined the new expression of enthusiasm shining from Kellen's eyes. "So, are you considering this type of ship? Only members of the military operate them, you know."

  "Yes, I realize I'd have to apply for a commission. Right now, it's impossible, but perhaps further down the line. It would give me something to work toward."

  Rae's first reaction was to balk at the idea. Is she serious? "You'd be prepared to apply to the Fleet?" This was almost too much. She knew trusting Kellen at the helm of a spaceship was the same as providing her an easy way to escape. Only the fact that Leanne would be in the navigator's seat, and Armeo safe back on the station, made it doable. Kellen would never leave her charge behind.

  "If I'm going to live here, I'd be honored to serve. Do you think I'm not capable or that I wouldn't serve the Supreme Constellations well?" Kellen's eyes gleamed in defiance.

  "You're contemptuous when you speak of the SC Council, and yet you now talk about a possible application for a commission. Can you blame me for being.. .surprised?" Rae mitigated what she initially was going to say in an attempt to not alienate Kellen further.

  Kellen had the good taste to lower her eyes for a moment. "You're right. I'm suspicious of anyone in authority, and for good reason." She raised her gaze to Rae's again. "However, once I commit to something—or someone—I'm loyal. My allegiance to Armeo should be proof of that."

  Rae thought she detected a hint of honesty and pleading behind the proud declaration. Having Kellen off-station for a moment was perhaps a good idea, since they were about to transfer some of the Onotharians back to their ship. Armeo was in school under Terence and his bodyguard's supervision. Making a mental note to assign one more guard to the school, just in case there was a breach in security while the Onotha
rians were in transit, Rae rose from the chair

  Kellen stood up and hesitated before she rounded the desk. Rae got up and tilted her head back so she could meet Kellen's gaze.

  "Yes?"

  "Thank you." Her features softened, and she placed a gentle hand on Rae's shoulder. "I won't betray your trust. I have a lot to return to."

  The shuttle bay of the Ajax was an impressive sight. Frigates carried eight assault craft in their belly, but a destroyer such as the Ajax held twice as many in each shuttle bay.

  Kellen walked next to Leanne and gazed at the sleek ships lined up in immaculate rows, waiting to be deployed. Approaching the lieutenant in charge of the shuttle bay, Leanne saluted.

  "Sir, I have authorization from Commodore Jacelon for Ms. O'Dal to test-fly a 615 assault craft."

  "Let me check, Lieutenant." The man scrolled down his computer, nodding. "I have verification. You can take Red Dragon 4. Will you be acting navigator?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Good. You have one hour of flight time. Stay within the beacons and stay sharp."

  "Aye, sir." After another salute, Leanne guided Kellen to a ship in the front row. "This is it, the Red Dragon. I've flown this one on many a mission. It handles like a dream."

  Kellen nodded, reaching for the ladder welded to the side of the ship. The flight suit she was wearing felt heavy as she climbed aboard and sat down. Leanne was right behind her, strapping herself in.

  "Once the chief gives you the go-ahead, take her out just like you did in the simulator. I'll be monitoring you from here and, if necessary, I'll take over. I don't think I'll have to, though." Leanne sounded chipper. "This is a welcome change from my daily routine, Kellen."

  Having yet to find anything similar to a daily routine, Kellen clamped her lips against a sarcastic remark while she began the starting sequence.

  The headset inside her helmet buzzed to life. "Red Dragon 4. You are clear to take off."

  "Affirmative. Red Dragon 4 clear to go." Kellen punched in the commands and felt a muted hum when the powerful vessel started to move toward the shuttle-bay launch pad. After she lined the ship up, she pressed the stick forward and engaged the computer. Though most of the starting and launch sequence was computerized, she usually liked to keep her hands on the controls and feel the power of the machine reverberate through her body. It was the same thrill as riding her maeshas along the grassland around her estate.

  The Red Dragon shot from the belly of the Ajax and moved past other minor ships in Port 1. After exiting the outer perimeters of the station's structure, Kellen punched in the commands for the computer to release all controls to manual. With a deep sense of gratification, she performed a series of flight patterns so she could get a feel for the ship. It felt liberating to be behind the helm, to call the shots, if only for a moment.

  "Wow, you're a pro already." Leanne laughed in Kellen's headset. "Let's get a little farther from the station so we don't end up on top of a frigate. I want you to perform the evasive maneuvers we practiced in the simulator."

  Kellen took the ship out a few kilometers, making sure they were still well within Gamma VI's beacons. Carrying out the intricate maneuvers, she felt as if the Red Dragon were an extension of herself. The ship handled easily, as Leanne had said, and seemed to have unlimited capability.

  Scanning the tactical screen next to her, she frowned. "Lieutenant, do you see the readings on TAC 1?"

  A brief silence. "Yes. Good eyes, Kellen, but what they hell are they? They don't make any sense. They look like random space white noise."

  "Scroll back and see how long this 'white noise' has been out there." Kellen knew she sounded abrasive, but there was something familiar about the readings.

  "I'm scrolling. Damn it, the interference has been there for half an hour, the pattern increasing by the minute. I've never seen this before."

  Kellen froze, her hand clutching the controls as the readings began to make sense. "But I have. We have to alert Gamma VI. These are no space anomalies. These readings are from cloaked Onotharian vessels, and they're right on top of us!"

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  "What the hell..." Rae stared at the information emerging on the screen and slammed her fist into the console. "Damn it! Kellen's right. Sound general quarters!"

  Lieutenant Todd punched in the emergency frequency, which relayed his message to the stationwide communication system. "General quarters! General quarters! All hands to battle stations. Secure civilian quarters. All bridge personnel to the mission room. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill."

  Grabbing her communicator, Rae hailed Lieutenant Grey. "Lieutenant, go by the school and bring Armeo to the mission room."

  "Almost there, ma'am." Rae barely recognized Owena's out-of-breath voice over the klaxons. "His guard is keeping him in a secure area with the rest of the children until I get there. ETA mission room in five minutes."

  "Good." Turning her attention back to Jeremiah, she continued to issue orders. "Launch the Ajax and six frigates. Establish a perimeter around the station." Looking down at the message that had sent the mission room into a controlled frenzy, she was amazed how the so-called white noise contained a barely distinguishable pattern. "Cloaked ships. Where the hell did they find this technology?"

  "I have the Red Dragon on long-range scanners. They're continuing their planned exercises as if nothing's happened. Should I order them back to the station?"

  Rae wanted to say yes, but knew they needed eyes out there where the signals were stronger. "No, ask them to keep relaying the data. In theory, the cloaked ships can't use their long-range scanners without blowing their cover, so they should be safe enough." She glanced at the large screens on the far wall. "Is the assault craft close enough for us to get a visual of them?"

  "Let me try, ma'am," the ensign on her left said, entering codes into his work console. "Onscreen."

  After ten seconds of flickering, the screen showed the small vessel with Kellen and Lieutenant D'Artansis. The ship circled in intricate patterns, still performing the flight test. "Get me audio with the Red Dragon." Rae's voice was harsh. "Gamma VI to Red Dragon. Lieutenant D'Artansis, respond."

  "D'Artansis here, ma'am."

  "Once we give the order, head for the station without delay. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Can Kellen hear me?"

  "Yes, Commodore," Kellen replied. "Go ahead."

  "Don't return to the station on a straight trajectory. Fly in a wide circle and head for Port 2, or you'll end up in the line of fire."

  "Understood." A brief pause. "Lieutenant D'Artansis is calculating the coordinates right now. We should also be able to tell you how many enemy ships are present shortly."

  "Something you picked up at the Academy of Pilots?"

  "Yes."

  "All right. The sooner the better."

  Jeremiah caught her attention. "The Ajax and the Infinity are heading out with the other ships. Captain de Vies is in command."

  "Good."

  The computer screen next to Rae lit up as it received new information. Reading the assessment based on the erratic data, she clenched her teeth. "All right. Now we know. Get them out of there."

  Jeremiah opened the comm link to the Red Dragon. "Return to base. I repeat, return to base."

  "Oh, my God." Rae could hardly believe what she was seeing. On the main screen four ships decloaked before them, two of them of incredible size. They paused well inside Gamma VI's beacons. They didn't resemble any class of ships known to the SC, and Rae could only surmise their firepower was impressive and able to more than match that of any of her SC ships.

  "Did they respond?" She turned to Lieutenant Todd. "The Red Dragon. Did they confirm?"

  "No. I can't get a clear signal, ma'am."

  A foreboding feeling erupted, twisting her stomach into a tight knot. Kellen, respond now and let me know I was right to trust you. In the meantime, Rae knew what she had to do.

  "Jac
elon to the Gamma VI fleet. Assume defensive positions. Hold your fire until my mark." She punched in new commands. "Port 2. Launch frigates and destroyers, second wave, pattern Theta Four."

  Confirmations sounded through the comm system. Rae stared at the unbelievable sight with burning eyes. "Hail them."

  Jeremiah carried out the order. "They're responding. Audio only."

  Rae nodded. "Onotharian vessels. This is Commodore Jacelon of the Gamma VI Space Station. By using illegal cloaking devices, you have violated Supreme Constellations laws. Also, by approaching this station with more than the stipulated number of vessels, you have committed an act of war. Return to the border or my fleet will fire."

  "This is Ambassador M'Ekar," an unknown voice stated, its dark resonance making Rae clench her hands into fists. "I don't believe we've met."

  "And I'd like to keep it that way," Rae retorted. "Turn your ships around, Ambassador."

  "I will do no such thing. Most of your frigates are now dealing with, let's say, tiny skirmishes along your part of the border. They won't get here in time. Your remaining fleet will not be able to match our firepower."

  "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," a baritone voice said behind Rae. For once, her father's presence felt reassuring and supportive. "This is Admiral Jacelon of the SC Fleet. Unlike my daughter, I have had the dubious pleasure of running into you once. Something I'd prefer not to do again. You do not want to challenge us. Turn your ships around."

  "Admiral Jacelon." M'Ekar did not falter. "What an honor. I regret not being willing to accommodate you or your daughter. I want the child known as Armeo—"

  "Cut communication," Rae hissed. Glancing to her left, she saw Armeo standing behind her father, with Lieutenant Grey by his side.

  "Jacelon to Captain de Vies."

  "De Vies here."

  "Initiate attack pattern Epsilon Four."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Feeling her father's hand on her shoulder, she turned around. "Yes?"

  "Deploy my ships, Rae. You're going to need all the help you can get until your frigates return."

  "Thank you. I guess I don't have to ask if they're ready."