by R. E. Graham
After several more minutes of walking the pair finally arrived at the interstellar room. To Cyrus’ surprise, the interior room’s doors were clearly thick blast doors. While they had artwork painted over them, you could still see that they were a different material than any other wall or door he had encountered in the home yet.
"Please let me know if you need anything else, Inquisitor," the servant said as he stood off to the side of the door. Cyrus was about to reach his hand out to be scanned when the triple-layered doors slid open.
The Lawman nodded to the servant and walked in the room. Another man dressed in all black stepped up to the newcomer and saluted. The Inquisitor recognized the insignia on the other man’s chest as being from the intelligence branch of the BCI and saluted back.
“Arcanum Lin,” Cyrus said.
“Welcome to Gallirae, Inquisitor,” he said as he lowered his arm and nodded.
"Thank you, sir. I wasn't given my details from the Bureau as to the urgency of this assignment…" the Inquisitor was cut off by a loud, boisterous voice from the other side of the dimly lit room.
“Ah, a man that gets right to the point!”
Cyrus looked to his left and saw the form of a man step into the light. He was dressed in the traditional prefect garb. As his brain processed what he saw he stood at attention and saluted again. "Prefect Haines."
The Prefect half-waved his right hand while his left held a portion of his toga in place. Before he spoke, he took a moment to assess the Inquisitor as he scanned him up and down.
There was no doubt that Cyrus was in the best possible physical shape. His uniform was spotless but still had the appearance of being used. He kept his blonde hair cut very short, and his face was bare of any facial hair.
“May I ask Inquisitor, what are your future aspirations for your career within the order?” Haines asked listening intently.
“Sir?” Cyrus asked confused by the question.
“I know it may seem like a strange question, but I am curious. What are your long-term goals?”
The Inquisitor’s face showed confusion, but he answered anyway. “I want to serve the Republic with all that I have.”
“Poosh! Don’t give me what you think I want to hear. Tell me sincerely, what do you desire most in this life?”
Cyrus was caught off guard by the laser focus of the question. He looked over to the Arcanum, but his face was devoid of emotion. The Inquisitor looked back to the Prefect before he responded. “Truthfully, I desire to be remembered as the greatest inquisitor of all time, or at least as great as the late Damien Varius.”
“If I recall, Damien Varius was a phenomenal inquisitor, but then something happened on his last mission where he had ties to a terrorist,” Haines said as he tried to remember his history.
"It did appear that way, yessir. Prior to that, however, he was known throughout the order as the standard. Everyone was compared to him and his success as a lawman."
An awkward moment passed between the three men. Cyrus didn’t know it, but the Prefect was deciding right then and there if he was going to accept him for the mission.
Lin watched for the nod of approval from the Prefect, which he gave before he spoke up again.
“Inquisitor Cyrus, how much do you know about pirates in the Siimon prefecture?” the Arcanum asked as he strolled over to the holotable in the middle of the room.
“I know that they have continued to be a thorn in the Republic’s side. They interfere with law and order, and in every sense of the word are a menace to society.”
The Prefect watched the Inquisitor closely. "You were chosen for this mission because of your history with dealing with raiders in the Stardust prefecture. What is your standard procedure when you encounter pirates?" Haines asked.
Lin began to type on the keyboard and pulled up the video from the raid but didn’t play it as he waited for the Inquisitor’s response.
Cyrus made direct eye contact with the Prefect, and his voice did not waver. "Sir, when I locate a hideout of pirates, I deal with the problem swiftly."
“Some have said that your methods are a bit severe,” Lin mentioned with his back still to the Inquisitor.
“With respect Arcanum, I don’t think you can be too severe to those who have accepted to live like animals.”
The Prefect smirked. “In the past, what has been your response then?”
Cyrus turned his head towards Haines and spoke boldly. “First, I confirm the whereabouts of the criminals, then I use all means necessary to eliminate future crimes. Typically, this means in the destruction of everyone involved.”
“Including women and children?” Haines asked genuinely interested in the Inquisitor’s response.
“Lady law is blind, Prefect. Age doesn’t matter to me. What matters is justice and order.”
Prefect Haines’ eyes twinkled with delight. “Indeed. And what is the nickname the lowlife pirates have given you?”
Cyrus looked off into the darkness. “The Pirate Hunter, sir.”
"Excellent," The Prefect said excitedly.
The Arcanum pressed a holographic key, and the footage began to play. While Cyrus' focus shifted to the video, the Prefect continued to study the Inquisitor.
“Several rotations ago Senator Hildra Servius from Paradiso was traveling with her family. While en route to the planet Canopy they were attacked,” Lin said as he turned his attention also to the Inquisitor.
“Attacked?” Cyrus asked before Lin played a second clip.
The footage morphed from a wide shot of debris to a close-up of what remained of the Senator’s husband on a medical table. Inquisitor Cyrus had seen plenty of dead bodies throughout his career and didn’t even blink at the carnage to what was left of the upper torso.
“We suspect the vessel was destroyed in hopes that we would believe the explosion to be the result of an accident, there are signs of multiple bullet wounds to Mr. Servius.”
Cyrus crossed his arms and looked back to the intelligence officer. “So, you’re thinking it was pirates?”
Before Lin could respond, Haines jumped back into the conversation. “What makes you think that Inquisitor?”
Cyrus turned his gaze back to his left at the Prefect. “It is no secret in the order that I specialize in locating and eradicating raiders. It is reasonable to assume considering the damage to Mr. Servius that you believe this was no accident. Furthermore, I would conclude that the media is not yet aware of this since I haven’t heard anything about this situation before now on the stream.”
“Fascinating and of course correct. Well done Lin, he will do just fine.” The Prefect stood back up to his full height. “You are correct that the media has not caught wind of this just yet. The Senator’s vessel was supposed to arrive on Canopy within the next four weeks. Her staff is not yet aware of this either, which is one reason we have been able to keep the matter under wraps…for now.”
Arcanum Lin brought up a map of the Siimon prefecture and other nearby regions along with the believed locations of the Five Skulls criminal regions that wove within the Republic controlled space and other nearby worlds.
“Inquisitor, here is the most up to date information we have on the whereabouts of the strongholds of the Five Skulls and their criminal domains. We do not have reason to believe that the Rubies were involved with this incident.”
“Why is that?” Cyrus asked earnestly.
“Let’s just say…” Haines began as he thought of a sly reason he felt the Inquisitor would buy into. “…for now, I want you to focus on the possibility of the attack being from a rogue group of raiders.”
“Understood sir.”
Lin stepped forward and placed his hands behind his back. “Inquisitor, we are assigning you the 12th DSST. They are an elite strike team fresh off the Leo front. I will send coordinates to you for the ship that will be your escort throughout your mission. Commander Aries from the 12th will be waiting for you there.”
“Thank you, sir. On
e more thing, could you please send over the files from the attack? I wish to review them.”
“Whatever for?” Haines asked with a scoff. “There’s nothing there but debris.”
Cyrus puffed his chest out slightly at the question. Prefect or not, he knew how to do his job. "It may seem that way on the surface, but in my experience, many pirates use the same tactics on their raids. Sometimes you can see clues that link one group to an attack, which in this instance could assist me in getting to the bottom of it faster."
“I see,” Haines said before he waved his hand to Lin.
The Arcanum spun on his heel and transmitted the files over to the Inquisitor’s gauntlet.
"You have four weeks to resolve this matter, Inquisitor," Haines said as he took several steps toward the younger man. "We cannot allow the media to discover what happened until we can deliver those responsible to…justice."
"I will not fail you, sir," Cyrus said before he saluted the Prefect and exited the room.
Chapter 7
Cycle: 434 Month: 2 Rotation: 12
Corre Republic Space
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Gallirae
Location: Prism, a military spaceport
Inquisitor Cyrus drove his hovercar up to the guard station where a burly man in the typical maroon fatigues beneath his silver body armor approached him.
Two other armed guards stood by, while Cyrus could spot several other guards at various stations within the port. He rolled his window down just as the guard stepped up.
“Identification,” he said with his deep voice.
The guard held out a portable scanner, and the Inquisitor extended his left arm so that his gauntlet could be scanned. After the device dinged the all clear bell, the guard stepped aside, and the gate rolled back.
As Cyrus drove his hovercar inside the thick walls of the government spaceport he got a better view of the Republic forces stationed there. To his left were two large silver Carina transports. Despite being an older design, the Carina design had been in service for over a generation. They were easy to maintain and were built to take a pounding from enemy fire. Both were being refueled and being loaded with additional crates of ammunition.
A platoon of men and women in workout uniforms were led by their officer as they jogged past his car.
Cyrus headed for the back of the port where the 12th was supposed to be waiting for him. He had the artificial intelligence in his gauntlet, Toya, tell him the essentials on them on the ride over.
The 12th Deep Strike Shock Troopers, or DSST for short, were an elite battalion that specialized in hit-and-run tactics. They had been stationed on Leo on their last assignment, but they had seen plenty of action throughout the last decade on border worlds. The tension between the Corre Republic and the Union of Stars had been escalating for some time now, and the 12th had been part of multiple operations to disrupt any potential mounting offensive from the Republic's neighbor.
Led by Tribune Milo Aries, the 12th had become a very formidable force to strike at the Republic's enemies. Despite being shock troopers, which required an applicant to be genuinely extraordinary to begin with, this particular battalion had become the stuff of legend. Toya had read over the overview files for the 12th's fleet made up of three Carinas. The Silverbolt was it's main, and the one which carried the Tribune, then the Dogma and Jade.
It still seems strange to me that they would assign such an elite force to my investigation. However, this operation could finally land me what I need to be promoted to level three!
A tan colored Sierra WarMech patrolled the outer barrier of the port as Cyrus parked his hovercar in the designated area. Each stomp of the two-story machine rumbled the nearby stonecrete.
Cyrus had been trained like any other inquisitor to pilot a WarMech, and his personal Spade was being delivered to the port very soon. No matter how many times he saw a WarMech though, he still felt a sense of awe at how natural they could move despite being a massive mechanical monster. Technological advancements in the Republic had really upgraded their mechs from slow walking tanks to a modernized military threat. Left unchecked, most WarMech designs could quickly destroy an entire city.
As Cyrus looked on at the Sierra as it continued on its patrol path, up on the bridge of the nearby Carina identified as the Silverbolt, stood Tribune Aries. His maroon uniform was crisp and without any wrinkles or defects. The silver armor on his shoulders had been buffed to the point that any light was deflected from it. Despite his brown hair beginning to gray, the stern appearance of his scarred face shown absolute strength and ferocity.
He held his arms behind his back as he looked at the main viewscreen on the bridge.
Carinas, along with many modern tactical military vessels, had the bridge built deep within the ship so that the command staff couldn’t be destroyed by a lucky hit from an enemy attack.
One of the Tribune’s officers approached him from his right. “Sir, the Inquisitor’s WarMech will arrive shortly. All other preparations are complete, and we are on standby for launch.”
Aries nodded. “Thank you, Warrant Officer. Let’s hope that this inquisitor knows how to do his job properly.”
The command staff officer nodded before he returned to his station in the bridge.
Down below Cyrus retrieved his personal duffle bag from the trunk of the car and slung it over his shoulder. He surveyed the three Carina military transports to his right. Each was painted identically with the standard silver of Republic spacecraft, but they had the 12th’s emblem, a bloody red “XII” behind an eagle with claws open” boldly painted on the sides of each ship.
The Inquisitor walked up the extended ramp of the nearest Carina and headed for the bridge. Various crew members continued to prepare the ship for launch and moved about in every direction. None of them stopped him as he went about his way.
Cyrus noticed several crew make eye contact with him and then look away as soon as they recognized the inquisitor emblem on his chest. Recent cycles had not been well for the order and the general populace. Disorder and chaos had spread across many of the Republic’s worlds, and the inquisitors along with the Keepers of Peace had been used to aggressively break up demonstrations of citizens. Most of today’s inquisitors were portrayed as power hungry monsters than genuine lawmen by the underground media.
As more and more outbreaks of violence spread across the Republic, soldiers were being looked at as conspirators. Cyrus aspired to be above the chaos and to enforce law and order, but he had seen many other inquisitors abuse their authority.
He waved his hand over the door panel, and the thick blast door slid into the wall with a whoosh.
Tribune Aries spoke above the bustling noise of the bridge with his booming voice. “Welcome aboard the Silverbolt, Inquisitor Cyrus.”
Hearing their commanding officer's voice, the entire bridge crew ceased what they were doing and stood at attention. The Inquisitor easily recognized the demeanor of the other man and approached him. He stopped several steps away from the Tribune and saluted. Aries seemed momentarily surprised by the salute but returned the gesture.
Good, he appreciates my effort to show my respect for him.
“Tribune Aries, I look forward to our success on this mission.”
“As do I,” the Tribune replied with a short nod. “My battalion stands ready for your orders Inquisitor. Do you have a destination chosen?”
“I do. However, there is a different matter to discuss first. I have little doubt that you have been properly briefed on our assignment.”
“Aye. We are to locate those responsible for the death of Senator Servius.”
Several crew members on the bridge moved about their duties as they finished up the basic preps for the small Carina fleet to move out.
Cyrus looked over at a female officer as she handed a datapad to another member of the crew. He looked back to the Tribune and maintained firm eye contact.
"That is correct. I have been give
n a four-week completion date by Prefect Haines himself. We will accomplish this mission within that timeframe, and we will deliver justice for the late senator."
The Inquisitor broke away and headed for a thin looking male crewmember that was near the holotable. “I’m sorry,” Cyrus began indicating he wished to know the other man’s name.
“I am Lieutenant Jorn Lot,” he said standing up straight.
“Could you please pull up a star map of the Siimon prefecture for me Lieutenant?”
As the thin man began typing away on the keyboard, the Tribune positioned himself so that he could see the holotable clearly. He kept his arms behind his back and his spine stiff.
The requested projection appeared as a holographic display, and the Inquisitor shared a small smile with the crewmember.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Lot,” he said as he stepped up to the controls for the table with the Lieutenant stepping away.
The Inquisitor typed in for the table to display the local reports of pirate attacks on Republic worlds then switched it to motion controls. He raised his hands and brought them together which enlarged the view of the map. “As you can see Tribune, these are all of the recent attacks within the Republic within the past ninety rotations.”
Aries studied the map quickly and noticed the numerous red “X”s indicating where a raid of some kind took place.
“Pirate activity has remained at a steady pace for some time now, despite efforts to curb their operations. Whoever attacked the Senator’s vessel was either very bold or very foolish. I believe it to be the latter.”
“Is there a possibility that it could have been Redbeard and his Rubies? The attack did happen not too long after the ship left Paradiso.”
“Tribune, I was not aware that your briefing included the Rubies.”
“It didn’t, but I felt it was necessary to conduct my own investigation. An operation like this requires as much intel as we can get our hands on,” the military officer said as he maintained his posture.
