War of the Innocents

by Michelle Breon

  “Do the Apaugallas train with weapons?” Pieter asked.

  “Knife and whatever might be available for hand-to-hand combat only. We have no energy or ballistic weapons.”

  The Chancellor laughed. “Pieter would be jealous if you did. We are the same in that we believe taking the life of another is morally wrong.”

  From the Training Center, Gillian led them to the lunch area. They each chose a lunch and settled at a table near the edge of the pergola. Over lunch they swapped stories of their home life and culture.

  After lunch they toured the underground Data Center. Angel asked the operator to leave before the discussion began. She explained the computers and the defense shield.

  “But how did you afford all of this tech?” the Chancellor asked.

  “We had help from Earth. We had a friend there who was in charge of the destruction of old Earth tech. Since this was all working, he had it transferred to us before it could be destroyed,” Gillian explained.

  “How do you maintenance it?”

  “The few times we have needed help, including the initial upgrade from our antiquated system, Earth helped.” Gillian sighed. “However, our contact has retired. We can help you talk to Joel and see what he can do. We already mentioned it once to him directly and then we all discussed it briefly with the President, so a request for assistance should not surprise him.”

  Pieter pointed to an area on the screen. “Do you have weapons?”

  “Aiy,” Mischka calmly explained. “Tis merely a fail-safe so that if someone were to come and try to destroy the shield generators, the gun ports can be opened and the weapons displayed. Firing is to be a last resort.”

  “So you do not test fire them?”

  “No. Too costly. We do open the gun ports on a regular basis to be sure they work, tis all. And I hope we never have to use them.”

  Gillian smiled. “When we dealt with the Sleeping Sickness we had to make a couple of decisions to risk or lose one or a few to save many. Those gun ports, and the few missiles they have, are all that might stand between killing a few enemies and losing everyone on the planet. Such decisions are never easy to make and I hope none of us have to make such a decision.”

  The Chancellor nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Pieter. “Go ahead.”

  Pieter grinned and enthusiastically asked questions about the equipment, installation times, maintenance needs, and possible upgrades. Angel laughed and offered him a chair. She explained all the tech in detail, glad to have a chance to “tech-out” as Torvuld had said once. After several minutes the others wandered off, content to let the two talk tech.

  Gillian explained the some of the problems they had encountered as the outside world changed faster than they could keep up. She showed him the vidphone repair workbenches and the spare parts storage closet. “We often do without while we trade for the parts we need.”

  As evening arrived, the group walked to the hotel for the evening meal. Over dinner, Gillian kept the conversation centered on the hotels and visitor restrictions, in case any of the other visitors might listen in. When the Chancellor’s advisors began to yawn, Gillian noticed and suggested continuing the conversations in the morning, after breakfast.

  “I would like to discuss some of our plans tomorrow as well, if you do not mind,” the Chancellor requested.

  “Of course. We can use the Meeting Hall. I’ll have someone set up an area for us.” Gillian looked pointedly at Nik.

  “Until the morning then.” The Chancellor led his party away to their rooms.

  On Earth the following morning, Joel headed for his usual morning meeting with the President and her cabinet. While Llanelyn’s problem was too unimportant to bring up to the full group, Phil liked to know developments like this and might also have ideas as to who was behind the attacks. Joel found a few minutes after the meeting to relay the news.

  Phil Casey took the news emotionlessly. “My guess would be the Drotz or one of their allies. Let me know if things get worse or these mercenaries start hitting our colonies or assets.” He headed to his office followed by his assistant.

  Joel turned towards the Under Secretary for Commerce and started asking questions about known mercenaries. He tried several of the other Under Secretaries as well and progressed out through the political circles. The only explanation he would offer them was that he had heard a rumor he was checking on.

  A man rested back in his chair, contemplating the cryptic message before banging out a terse reply. He then sent another encoded message to his operative to arrange a meeting for that afternoon.

  Later that night Phil Casey checked his messages, read the cryptic reply, “I put Steven on it.” Phil deleted the message, then headed for bed.

  On Llanelyn the day after the Parrhesians had left, as she prepared to leave for lunch, the vidphone in Angel’s office beeped with an incoming call, the sound grating on her already taught nerves. She and Gillian had reviewed the shipment schedule. Too many shipments went by freighter and there was no way to grow enough to replace the already destroyed shipment, let alone the other shipments should they also be destroyed. Angel forced herself to offer a smile to the caller as she answered the phone. “Goesh muirnon.”

  “Good morning. I am trying to reach the Cerato of Llanelyn.” The man smiled pleasantly at her.

  “I am the Cerato.”

  The man seemed startled, but quickly recovered. “Good morning, Cerato. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steven Caldare. I represent Personal Security Corporation. I heard about your recent trouble and wanted to offer our services.”

  “What recent trouble do you refer to?”

  “I heard that some unfriendly mercenaries had started to annoy your shipping lines.” He paused, then said. “Can you switch to a secure channel for a more open and honest conversation?”

  Angel nodded and changed the settings on her end. “How did you hear of this?”

  “Through a mutual friend on Earth who likes to keep his friends safe,” Steven said, pausing to allow his implication to sink in before continuing. “While he could not directly offer aid, he mentioned your plight to me. I founded my company to help keep people and things secure. I’d like the opportunity to help you.”

  “We desire peace, not our own mercenaries.” Angel’s smile vanished. Hiring someone to destroy the mercenaries was not an option she would consider.

  Steven chuckled. “I couldn’t have said it better. I can tell that you have never heard of my company. We specialize in defense and offer bodyguards, armored vehicles, and a range of other security products and services. We do not offer hired guns or trained killers.” He stressed the “not”.

  “If you know our situation, how can such services help us?”

  “We also offer the SGS16, a Shield Generation Ship. The ship has state-of-the-art shields that can surround another ship to provide extensive protection from pulse weapons as well as most physical weapons. Our ships can work together to cover even a large group of ships.”

  “I’m not following you.”

  “What I’m offering you is a way to protect the cargo ships that carry your produce to your allies without resorting to fighters and weapons to shoot the mercenaries.” He held up a hand to stop Angel before she could interrupt. “I always research my clients before I contact them. I know that you do not use money and trade for whatever you need outside your world. I am willing to trade the use of my one of my SGS ships to fly with and protect all such shipments until the mercenaries are either apprehended or give up. All that I am asking is that you talk to the other diplomats about our service and that we are helping you.”

  Angel shook her head slightly. Protection for their shipments in exchange for her just telling others they are using the service. It sounded too good to be true. There had to be a catch. “Why? Why would you put your ships in harm’s way to help us for free?”

  He smiled at her again. “Because the others trust you. Believe me, your word that we are helping
you will cause the other diplomats to notice us and use our services. That will be enough profit for us.” He paused. “I’m sure you want time to talk to your advisors and to investigate my company. Would two days be sufficient time? I can call you back in two days. Or you can call me. Either way works.”

  “Aiy. Two days will be fine,” Angel replied hesitantly.

  “If you wish to contact me before then, my vidphone’s transponder is at the bottom of the screen. We can chat in a couple of days, Cerato. I’m looking forward to doing business with you.” The man disconnected the call.

  Angel contemplated the offer she had just been handed. Considering that the offer came from Earth, based on the transponder code, she suspected either Jason or Joel had been the “mutual friend” the man had been alluding to. Angel knew that her grandparents would want to know this latest development, so she headed out to the Apaugalla Training Center to find Mischka, and hopefully Gillian, as she spent much of her day there now. She passed through the lunch area and picked up some fresh fruit to munch on as she walked. She acknowledged the people who knelt before her, stopping if only for a minute to talk to those she knew.

  Her guess paid off as her grandparents were in Mischka’s office with Tashi and Nik.

  “Tis more hand-to-hand that he needs,” Mischka said as Angel quietly slipped into the room. “The streets are not safe for her to travel on. Nik needs to be able to protect her.”

  Instinctively, Nik looked up to notice Angel. “Goesh muirnon, Cerato. Are you looking for someone?”

  “Goesh muirnon, Nik. What streets? Llanelyn tis safe.”

  Gillian grimaced. “Earth. Tashi has heard stories about a rise in crime on the streets. The people are agitated by the news that the Sleeping Sickness can be caused by a machine and that it affects all humans. Since you are insistent that only Nik accompanies you, he must be prepared for everything.” She smiled tightly. “Now what did you come find us for?”

  Briefly Angel relayed the conversation and the offer to have ships to protect their food shipments.

  “The call was from Earth, you are sure?” asked Mischka.

  “Aiy. Tis recorded if you want to hear for yourself.” She accessed the vidphone and replayed the conversation.

  Gillian smiled. “Bless you Joel.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Not know as much as suspect. Jason doesn’t know this person or he would have told me so the other day. I asked him to relay to Joel.”

  “We should call him and verify this man. I do not trust such an offer. Tis more here than we know.”

  “Aiy, I’ll call Jason tomorrow, but from here, not the office.”

  “Now,” Mischka ordered.

  “Tis the middle of the night there. He will be asleep.”

  “Jason will understand. Tis important. If he knows nothing, then we will need all the time we can to verify this man through other means.”

  Gillian nodded and punched in the vidphone transponder code for Jason and Morgan. Several minutes later a sleep tousled Jason answered the vidphone. “Sorry to wake you but I need to ask two questions and since this isn’t a secure channel, do not embellish.” When he nodded, she continued. “What do you know about Personal Security Corporation or the SGS ships?”

  Jason whistled appreciatively. “They cater to the elite and rich. Very reputable in the security industry. If you need personal protection, they are the best. I know nothing of the ships.”

  “Danku. Did you do as I asked the other day?”

  Jason thought back to their previous conversation, only recalling one request. “Yes.”

  “Danku. I’ll let you get back to sleep. Tell Morgan I’ll call her in a few days.”

  He nodded sleepily and severed the connection, trusting Gillian to explain later.

  Gillian turned to Mischka. “Satisfied?”

  “No. We need to be sure Joel sent this man. I’ll call Rhodri tomorrow as twill take time to find him.”

  Gillian merely nodded, knowing that he did not want the rest of them to hear that conversation. “Angel, let’s go to the Data Center and do some research. You know those computers better than I do.”

  “Let’s take Ian along. He knows the Earth computer systems and can check there as well.”

  Mischka nodded at Nik to accompany the women. “You can train more later.”

  Once the women had left, he turned to Tashi. “Contact Roth again.”

  Tashi grimaced. “Aiy. No one on Earth tis as helpful as this without benefit to them.”

  The following morning, Mischka used the vidphone at the Apaugalla Training Center to call Rhodri.

  “Secure,” Mischka barked out the order as soon as Rhodri appeared on the screen.

  Rhodri nodded as he modified his vidphone settings. “What’s up my friend?”

  “Ever heard of Personal Security Corporation?”

  “Aiy. You can’t afford them, but they are the best. Why? Is Angel in danger?”

  “Aiy y niet.” Briefly Mischka explained the offer.

  “Take it,” Rhodri advised without hesitation. “He’s right on the publicity. Scuttlebutt among those I know is that the people like and trust Angel. Speculation is that her age has something to do with it, you know, the innocence of youth.”

  “Aiy, she knows not the dangers she faces every time she visits Earth.”

  “Do you trust Nik to protect her?”

  “Aiy, like I protected Gillian,” Mischka said with meaning, then quickly changed the subject. “Any more on the mercs?”

  “Nothing much. My guess is that they were told to hit only your shipments. Only thing I have is there is more than one merc ship. Some say three and some say four are patrolling the area.” He paused, assessing Mischka’s tension. “Look, I know you don’t trust many or easily, but PSC has a good rep. You can trust them to do whatever they say they will do.”

  “Do me a favor and dig on them.”

  “Aiy. I’ll call in a couple of days. But don’t wait on me.”

  Chapter 10

  The Price of Protection

  Steven Caldare had started his company out of a desire to help people while also making money. Not content with mediocre or average, he strived to be the best at whatever he did and the company succeeded beyond expectations. But this success came with a price and now he sometimes disliked the single decision that he had made that had ensured that success. While he hated the drudgery of protecting slow moving freighters, he had his orders. Any intel he could glean would help, or so he had been told. The publicity was just a cover, as he did not need it. He forced a broader smile and turned up the charm as the vidphone connected the call to Llanelyn.

  “Good morning, Cerato. This is Steven Caldare from PSC again. I hope you are enjoying your day.”

  “Asi asi. What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if you had made a decision yet on my offer to help with the mercenary problem.”

  “No.”

  “Shall we switch to a secure channel?” Angel made the necessary adjustments, but before she could say anything, he continued. “I realize that it is hard to trust a stranger. You have no way to know if I am the one behind the attacks or just merely a concerned individual who is willing to help. I assure you that the latter is the truth. While I may keep a sharp eye and ear to when someone might need my company’s help, I assure you that I do not cause those situations.” He studied Angel for a moment then continued again. “What if you could see the ship in action and ascertain for yourself that it is for protection only? Would that help you to accept our assistance?”

  “Perhaps”

  “Then we are agreed. I’ll bring two ships with me. One will guard the freighter and one will watch from a distance. You can ride along and see what we do. While I hope that there will be no mercenaries, I suspect, based on what I was told, that you will have problems until the current political situation is resolved. I can have my ships there in three days. Will that be soon enough? Or do you
have a shipment going out before that?”

  “I’ll have a shipment ready,” Angel replied guardedly, not wanting to divulge the actual schedule.

  “Good. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.”

  “I hope so. Goesh nicht.” Angel disconnected the call. She knew that her grandfather would object to this plan, as would Nik, but her instincts were saying that Joel had sent this man and his ship to help them. So far all sources had indicated the company was the best at what they did, protecting others. Grandmother Gillian had always said to follow her instincts. She just had to convince the others that this was what needed to be done, that they needed this help, and to believe she knew the best path forward.

  Two days and many discussions later, a ship descended through the sky to settle on the landing area outside the village. At least Angel assumed the round metal and glass object descending slowly was the expected ship for protecting their shipments. A tripod of landing gear dropped just before touching the ground. The bottom half of the ship was armored metal similar to the other spaceships that Angel had seen. The top half was completely clear with only two visible chair backs, and two men in the chairs. As Angel, Mischka, Gillian, Nik, and Tashi watched the men completed the landing sequence and powered down the engines. Both unbuckled their harnesses and left the chairs. A small section of the bottom of the ship began to lower. The welcoming party could see two figures on the platform.

  Steven Caldare glanced quickly around at the landscape and small sandstone village. Such simplistic living, too simplistic for his taste. He noted the welcoming party waiting and waved. “Remember your orders,” he said low to his companion.

  “I’ll do my job. You just do yours,” the man retorted.

  Steven stepped off the now still platform and headed for the welcoming party. The young Cerato stood next to an older woman, who he assumed to be the previous Cerato. The two older men flanking the women looked formidable, the younger man behind the Cerato not yet filled out to be much of a threat.