| |
Blasters drawn, the Aurelian police surrounded us. “Nobody move! Drop your weapons!”
The GJW insurgents ditched their stunners, but Millie stood there, clutching something.
“The human doesn’t understand! She can’t speak Aurelian,” I shouted before they shot her for noncompliance. “They’ve ordered you to drop your weapons,” I repeated in Terran Universal.
She tossed the object.
Two familiar-looking uniformed officials emerged from the group and strode toward me. I still had the insurgent pinned. The woman eyed him. “Prince Lomax, I presume?” she said in Ara-Cope.
“Yes.” I yanked his hood off and stood up. I’d known immediately it was Lomax. The hood had hidden his face, but it couldn’t disguise the outline of his horns.
“Prince Lomax, you’re under arrest for kidnapping, insurgency, and destruction of property.”
“Nadir? What’s going on?” Millie gasped. Either she hadn’t noticed or she didn’t recognize the emblem on the hovercraft and the uniforms. Inching toward me, she widened her eyes as the prince and the other three GJW insurgents were placed in restraints and herded into the police vessel. Discarded weapons were collected.
I pulled her close. “They’re LOP—and Aurelian police.” The two familiar individuals were the “search team” I’d followed off ship.
“The cavalry arrived.” The tension left her body, and she slumped against me.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked Millie in Terran Universal.
“I thought we were goners,” she replied.
Concern hardened into a scowl. “You should not have left the ship.”
“It’s a long story,” she answered before I could reply.
“You’ll have plenty of time to tell it.” She stared down her beak of a nose. “I’m LOP Special Agent Judika Ospra, and this is my partner, Davi Dovano.” She motioned at the approaching male.
He held up Millie’s canister. “What were you going to do with this? Tend to everyone’s wounds after the fight?”
She tossed her head. “I was hoping to prevent a fight, sort of. The one guy might need medical attention. He kind of got sprayed in the eyes.”
“Kind of?” Ospra arched her feathery brows.
“The medic already checked him out. He’ll be fine,” Dovano said.
Ospra extended her arm at the police hovercraft, indicating we should board. “After you...”
* * * *
We’d been so close to the capital city, we could have walked there almost as quickly as flying. We’d hardly boarded the hovercraft and lifted off before it landed in Relia outside the LOP embassy, an imposing edifice fronted by statuary of every LOP director since time immemorial. Ospra and Dovano ushered us off the craft, and then it flew away with the prisoners, including Prince Lomax. Millie and I were taken to an interrogation room, identifiable by its stark lack of amenities. Two straight-back wooden chairs faced off two more comfortable-appearing chairs over a plain rectangular console.
“Have a seat,” Ospra said.
Millie glanced at me. “Are we in trouble?”
“Depends on what you have to tell us,” Ospra said.
Millie headed for a cushioned chair, but Ospra blocked her path. “Over there.” She gestured to the other side.
With a huff, Millie flopped into a wooden chair, and I took the one next to her. “I’m parched,” she announced. “If this is going to take more than a few minutes, we need water and a snack. We haven’t eaten since this morning.” Her stomach growled as if to prove her point.
Dovano exchanged a glance with his partner before slipping into a seat opposite us. He tapped the console, and a communication and command unit appeared in the glass. He typed in a few strokes and then closed out the unit. “Refreshments have been ordered,” he said.
The accommodation surprised me, but then, as a member of a protected class unfamiliar with galactic laws and customs, Millie could get away with more than I could. I hesitated to push my luck by issuing demands because I was going to need every iota of luck available to me.
I wasn’t too worried about what would happen to us. We were victims, not perpetrators. We hadn’t done anything wrong other than leave the ship without authorization.
However, I had more than our welfare to consider. Prince Lomax’s actions had thrust me between two powerful forces. The LOP would seek to prosecute him; the king of Araset would insist he be sent home.
Ospra slipped into the seat next to her partner, studying us with an eagle-eyed gaze. “So, tell us what happened.”
Before I could signal for her to let me do the talking, Millie offered, “We were abducted by those Galactic Justice Warrior nutjobs. They locked us up beneath the township they destroyed, but we escaped when Nadir peed on the force field. We were headed to the city, so we could return to the LOP ship when they found us again. Then you guys came.”
A chime sounded in the room. Dovano tapped a talon on the console, and a low-level LOP staffer entered with a tray. After setting it on the console, he nodded at the two officers and left.
“Help yourselves,” Ospra said.
“Thank you.” From a carafe, Millie poured two glasses of water. She handed me one, and then drank hers, draining the glass. I downed half of mine, thirstier than I’d realized. As she refilled our glasses, I served our food onto two small plates. I’d been expecting nutribars, but they’d provided chorts, protein sandwiched between two leavened, but thin, grain-based rounds. In addition, there were rabanas, a purple-red crescent-shaped fruit.
Millie bit into a chort, her expression shifting from hesitation to approval. She flashed a thumbs-up as she chewed. I began to eat. The protein source was savory and flavorful, the rabana ripe, sweet, and juicy.
“So, again, tell me why you left the ship,” Ospra said. Asking a question one already knew the answer to was a common interrogation technique.
“I came to search for Prince Lomax after he failed to show up at the summit,” I said. “I’m sure you know that.”
“I’m sure you know that the LOP was handling the search.”
“He is my responsibility.”
She turned to Millie. “And what about you?”
Millie swallowed a mouthful of chort. “My being here is an accident. I happened to be on the shuttle when Nadir launched it.” She selected a crescent fruit.
Ospra’s feathery brow arched, but it was Dovano who asked, “What were you doing on the shuttle?”
Millie bit into the rabana and muttered something.
“What was that?” Ospra said.
She swallowed. “Taking vid.”
A huge security breach. If I’d known what she’d been doing, I would have advised her to keep the information to herself.
Ospra scowled. “Of the shuttle?”
“Of the entire LOP ship,” she replied, and I cringed. “I wanted to show everyone on New Terra what is out here. What they’ve been missing.”
The LOP had gone to great lengths to prevent New Terrans from learning about the galaxy. I leaped to Millie’s defense. “She is not familiar—”
“What happened to the vid you shot?”
Millie shrugged. “It was on my handheld, but all our electronics got toasted when we crashed on Aurelia.”
“That’s why we crashed,” I added. “All electronics were destroyed.”
“For your sakes, let’s hope so.” Ospra curled her lip and her talons.
“I’ll have their handhelds collected.” Dovano accessed the console controls.
“They’re on the evac pod. You don’t know where our ship is,” Millie said.
“We know where you landed. We’re the ones who brought your shuttle down,” Ospra said.
“What?” My jaw dropped.
“Did you think we didn’t know you were following us? We had no choice but to disable your shuttle.”
“You caused us to crash? We could have been killed!” Millie said.
“But, you weren’t,” Ospra said.
“We could have been. This is unacceptable.” I intended to file a grievance at the highest level.
“You misappropriated an LOP vessel, left the main ship without authorization, and attempted to land on Aurelia during a key summit meeting. Any unauthorized spacecraft would be considered a potential threat and treated in the same manner.”
“You knew I was no threat. You know who I am. I notified the LOP where I was going and why.”
“The message was not received until after you had left the ship without authorization. And we did not know about her.” Ospra glanced at Millie.
“With all due respect, everyone on the LOP vessel is aware of the humans aboard.” There were only three of them: Millie, Jessie, and Kat. “Returning them to New Terra was the primary purpose of the journey.”
“Exactly. So, why did one of them show up on Aurelia? She has no legitimate reason for being here.”
“I told you. It was a mistake,” Millie said. “I wasn’t trying to come to Aurelia.”
“We know that now,” Dovano conceded. “But, at the time, it seemed suspicious.”
“For the protection of all the dignitaries attending the summit, the LOP had to err on the side of caution,” Ospra added.
“So, you shot down the evac pod because I was onboard?” Millie glowered.
“We didn’t shoot you down; we disabled your electronics. Your presence wasn’t the only reason we did so, but it was a contributing factor in the decision,” Ospra said with no trace of an apology. “You could have been a spy. Or a member of the GJW.”
“How could you think that of her when she was with me? I’m the royal advisor to the king of Araset.” What did it take to be above reproach?
“And Prince Lomax is the son of the king of Araset, and yet he is a lieutenant in the GJW,” she pointed out. “We’ve had him under surveillance for a while but didn’t have enough evidence against him to act—until now. We suspect he intended to hijack the summit proceedings to air the GJW’s so-called grievances.”
Based on what I’d learned, there was little I could say to rebut her claim. Her suppositions were possible. He had gotten into deeper trouble than I could fix. The king’s intercession might not be enough to save him.
I could not believe the prince had joined the GJW uncoerced. “He did not join the GJW of his own free will. He’s not an anarchist or an insurgent. He’s a prince. He was brainwashed,” I argued.
“That is entirely possible,” Ospra conceded, “but it doesn’t relieve him of accountability.”
“What has Prince Lomax done? You’ve presented conjecture of his intent, but what crimes has he committed?” Millie asked. “Did he...was he involved in destroying the village?”
Good questions. I waited with bated breath for the answer.
Ospra and Dovano exchanged a glance. “We are still investigating his actions, but he did not have anything to do with the destruction,” Dovano admitted.
I exhaled a breath of relief.
“We believe the GJW recruited him because his high-profile status lends credibility to their organization. They intended him to be GJW’s public face,” Dovano explained.
He flattened his palms on the console and splayed out his talons. “We have informants inside the GJW, as well as our own undercover agents. The LOP, with the cooperation of the Aurelian government, has been successful in keeping the Galactic Justice Warriors in check. Unlike the trafficking cartels that have penetrated every sector of the galaxy, the GJW is mostly confined to this planet, where it originated, with just a few tiny off-planet groups, which will soon be stamped out.”
“If they’re so in check, how did they manage to destroy the township?” Millie asked.
Again, Ospra and Dovano looked at each other. A heavy silence followed.
“The Aurelian government destroyed it,” Ospra said.
“What?” Millie echoed my shock. “No. The GJW did.”
“The GJW makes many claims, most of them untrue,” Ospra said. “Propaganda is a powerful weapon.”
“They’re claiming responsibility to turn a defeat into a victory,” Dovano explained. “The GJW had infiltrated the township, turning it into a stronghold and a mecca for sympathizers. They posed an imminent threat, not just to Relia, but the entire planet. They were so entrenched, the Aurelian government decided its only recourse was to take drastic measures. They raided the village, arrested the known GJW members, and then torched the township to prevent the GJW from returning.”
And caused them to go underground.
“The LOP allowed that?” Millie said. “Innocent people lost their homes.”
Ospra shook her head. “That is not how the LOP operates,” she denied. “It was strictly an Aurelian decision.” She brushed away an errant feather. “We refrain from dictating to nation planets how to prosecute insurrectionists on their own turf.”
Refrain, my ishta. Araset continually ran into LOP interference. The destruction may not have been an official LOP campaign, but I’d bet my cape the agency had had a hand in it, possibly provided the weapons. At the very least, they’d supported it from the sidelines.
I crossed my arms. “If the Aurelians routed out the insurgents, why is the GJW still around to wreak havoc?”
“The members unknown to the Aurelians escaped, and smaller units had been established in other areas. They were able to regroup. That’s why the prince was so important to them. He is a mascot around whom they can recruit. If someone as important as a prince of Araset supports their cause, well, then, it must be legitimate.
“At one point, the GJW were two thousand members strong. They’re down to an estimated few dozen on Aurelia, and a few hundred off planet. We are very close to eliminating them.”
The explanation confirmed my hunch that we’d escaped because the GJW lacked the manpower to pursue us right away. With the captive Aurelians free, they’d had their hands full. But they’d located us with the spy cam and would have recaptured us if the LOP hadn’t shown up.
“Are you aware the GJW have gone underground—literally? They are using tunnels under the old township.”
Dovano nodded. “As we were collecting you, a joint LOP-Aurelian team raided the tunnels.”
So, we would have been freed—provided the GJW hadn’t executed us first. I recalled the prince’s implied threat. Would they really have killed us? Would he have allowed it? Despite everything I’d witnessed, I still couldn’t believe he would do that. I clung to the belief that deep down he was still honorable and decent and would have halted our executions.
But, what of the others? They’d shot at us in the township. Had they actually killed people? How would their actions affect the prince? Would he be deemed guilty by association? He’d only been on Aurelia a few days. And what might he have done elsewhere? He didn’t just yesterday flip a mental switch. What of his other ambassadorial trips? We wouldn’t know what had happened until he could be deprogrammed.
“They found two bodies. Two Aurelians were killed,” Dovano said.
That could have been us.
“That’s awful.” Millie shook her head.
“We’re reviewing the spy cam vids to determine the persons responsible. They will be charged and prosecuted accordingly,” Dovano said.
The vid would exonerate the prince, I was absolutely sure.
Ninety-nine percent.
Ninety, anyway.
“So, what happens now?” I asked.
“You two will be transported to the LOP ship and return to Araset, pending the outcome of this investigation. Given that we may need further testimony from Ms. Rogers, she cannot go home yet.” Ospra’s mouth adopted a wry twist. “Regulations wouldn’t permit us to contact her on New Terra.” Her gaze shifted to Millie. “Rest assured, Ms. Rogers, you will get home. You have the guarantee of the League of Planets.”
“Oh well, as long as there’s a guarantee.” Millie’s sarcasm echoed my thoughts.
But the delay gave us more time together. My heart raced.
Then Millie addressed the LOP again. “What about my friends? Jessie Sayles and Kat Whalen? They’re supposed to go home.”
“Unfortunately, their homecoming will be delayed as well. It would not be an efficient use of resources to deliver you to Nomoru then ferry them to New Terra then return for you.”
“And what of Prince Lomax?” I braced for bad news.
“He will remain in our custody until the investigation is complete and then his case will be adjudicated in accordance with the law.”
“On behalf of the king, I request His Highness be allowed to return to Araset while the investigation continues and pending the adjudication. I accept full responsibility for him and will ensure he does not leave Nomoru.” That would give us time to figure out when he’d been compromised and get him deprogrammed.
“As you have no authority to speak for the king,” Ospra said, “you cannot accept responsibility for him.”
I drew myself up and fixed an imperious stare. “As the royal advisor to the kingdom of Araset, I am designated and authorized to act on behalf of His Majesty.”
“Conditional on you operating in your official capacity—as designated and verified by the royal cape.” She swept her gaze over me. “You have no cape. How am I supposed to know you have the authority to act on the king’s behalf?”
This didn’t come as a total surprise, but I felt like I’d been rammed in the chest.
Millie jumped to her feet. “You’re saying because he doesn’t have the cape with him, his position doesn’t count? You know who he is! You already admitted it. His cape is on the evac pod.”
Ospra’s lip curled. “Unfortunate.”
Millie’s eyes flashed. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“The cape serves as proof of authority. Without it, he has no proof. He may have been released from his position as advisor.”
Millie planted her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? Well, show me your proof of authority! What legal right do you have to act on behalf of the LOP?”
Ospra detached her handheld, tapped it, and held it up to display her electronic badge. Dovano did the same.
“All I see is your picture. I can’t read those squiggles. That badge could say you’re members of the Galactic Justice Warriors.”
Ospra’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“Millie, it’s all right.” I leaped to my feet and took her arm. Rules were rules. The LOP had been known to bend them, even break them, but Ospra would stick to every single letter of the law—until she didn’t.
Millie blinked back angry tears. “I am so sorry. This is all my fault.” She glowered at Ospra. “It’s my fault he left the cape on the evac pod.”
If I had had the cape, it wouldn’t have done me any good. Desecrated, it conferred no power or authority. Even if it had remained intact and in my possession, Ospra would have found another reason to ignore my request.
“When we retrieve the handhelds from the evac shuttle you hijacked, if we find a cape, we will return it—after the completion of the investigation,” Ospra said, and then looked at Dovano. “I believe our question session is complete for the time being. Please escort Nadir and Ms. Rogers to a shuttle so they may return to the ship.”
“This way, please.” Dovano gestured for us to follow him out of the interrogation room.
