Ofana

by Clay Moore

  Brian aimed at Hecton’s heels. He fired three rounds. That encouraged the bugbear to run a bit faster. It was a waste of ammunition, but it sure relieved a lot of tension. Brian looked at the top parapet. He saluted Konrabi.

  “We are victorious, ma’am.”

  “We sure are. Get you and your people inside. Miner’s guild has an election update.”

  Brian ended up with arms full of Ofana.”What do you think it could be?”

  “The Announcement? I think they are announcing an extra day of speeches before the election. I think you raised the bar. And the other factions demanded an extra day.”

  “Do you think I could get some air time after the Miner’s guild announcement?”

  Brian looked at Konrabi.

  “What good are fans if you can’t impose on them.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her personal com. She dialed a few numbers.

  “Ofana, I must contact headquarters. I went over my authority in revealing what I am. I have to call in for further instructions.”

  “You’ll miss my broadcast.”

  “I won’t miss it. The News Flashes sites are going to play it every ten minutes, regardless.”

  She gave him a chuck on the arm. Konrabi walked over to them. She was beaming. “I’ve got Good News and great News. Everybody I talked to wants to play your speech live after the announcement. The great News is a whole extra day before the final speeches. You were right.” Konrabi backhanded slapped Brian’s abdomen as emphasis.

  “Of course. This thing is now out of control. The only voice for unity and peace, while the government works it out, has been Ofana.”

  “Yeah,” said Ofana. She looked up at Konrabi. “I do that time for a change, but end it all with Peace through Unity.”

  Konrabi gave Brian a look. He looked pensive. Then he smiled.

  “They won’t be expecting that. All the factions have been firing shots at each other. They left you alone. Now they can’t afford to leave you alone. They won’t know what you will talk about so they will prepare more of their vitriol. Can you work Inclusion in there?”

  “Inclusion through understanding?”

  Brian was stunned to the core of his being. Eridani was just a society of diverse viewpoints. No one came out and said it, but the idea of Inclusion through understanding was a given. “That is what I am fighting for.”

  “The Eridani Principles,” said Konrabi.

  “I needed something to base my approach. I just rewrote some of the Principles.”

  “Giesling as a new Eridani,” said Konrabi. “If it can only be so.”

  The time rolled around for the announcement from the Mining Guild. The red room was chosen as the best looking room for the color, but also one that was not obviously in Konrabi's palace. Konrabi made up Ofana for the Video pick up they were using. Konrabi slightly emphasized Ofana's very light olive complexion. In a way, she looked like a mixture of all of the races.

  Konrabi had a trid brought in so that they can hear the announcement. At the appointed time Konrabi turned the set on. A disembodied head very familiar to the Gieslings came on. He apparently read from a teleprompter.

  "My Fellow Gieslings, We of the Mining Guild are very pleased with the enthusiasm that you have been campaigning. It has come to our attention that some factions are being prevented from being heard. This was not our Intention."

  "We believe that a postponement of a single day will allow all to be heard, including on the final day of speeches. This is all of the postponement we can allow. The Election will now be conducted one day later. Thank you."

  The trid displayed the group logo, and then Ofana appeared in her white caftan and white turban with the spider pin.

  "We thank the Miner's Guild for moving the date of the Election by one day. It is the least they can do."

  Brian heard all sorts of condemnation dripping from her voice on that issue.

  "By now most of you have heard about me. I am Ofana, an Eridanian, and I say, 'It is time for a change.' Giesling can no longer afford the sectional strife that plagues this world."

  Ofana continues: "I came from a world once like Giesling. We had to learn several principals. The first is Peace through Unity. Wouldn't that be a good change? To obtain that we need the Unity. That can only be learned by Inclusion through Understanding.

  "It's hard to shoot at your neighbor when you have known them. Thank you for listening. I will speak with you again before the Election."

  Inclusion through Understanding. Peace through Unity.

  The Video pick up went dead. A very excited flunky burst into the room. He rattled at Konrabi for a moment. She tried to calm him down, and He stopped working to talk. He showed her his Slate. She picked up the Slate and apparently confirmed what the excitable secretary had found.

  "What a way to leave them," said Brian, "with two of the nine Principles of Eridani."

  "Those are the best two, in my opinion," said Ofana.

  "Who was the Emir at that time?"

  "Vaclav the first," said Brian.

  "Yes, the promulgation of the Principles brought the other factions into what became the political Eridani. Once they came together, they wrote the Constitution. They did not want an executive branch to stand for Election, so they advanced the Emir to Sovereign status and made him chief executive. Well, I have news."

  Konrabi held up her Slate. "The reviews are in, Ofana, and you are a hit. Five other factions have contacted the faction you helped set up about joining."

  "Oh, wonderful."

  Brian turned to Luana. We mount guard outside of the Ofana's bedroom until the Election. When she uses a public toilet, I want you to know how many times she wipes her ass, okay?"

  "Can I use your spy?"

  Brian looked a Jasmine who had taken advantage of the shopping.

  "Did you have a problem with her, sir?"

  "I haven't looked, so I don't know. How old does Jasmine look under her clothes."

  "She has a full bush, but no one has been hitting her jade gates that hard as she claims. She looks brand new. If a guy like you were to hit her like you been hitting Ofana, it would show up, usually through an enlarged Labia."

  "And you?"

  "I was roughly used. My mom sold me to a house near the mines. From the age of 15, I entertained the miners. One of the geezers got heartsick and died. I got blamed. I hoofed it out of there fell in with the group that liked what Ofana said."

  "And now?"

  "A lot of difference between just rape and love sex. I spread for him even before he thinks of it."

  Brian chuckled. "Does he do it for you?"

  "Yes, sir, but I can't yell out things like you that makes sense."

  "They're not supposed to. Things from the Heart sometimes cannot find words. In those moments, gibberish is all that you can say."

  "Thank you, sir."

  "Tell the Soldier, who is spanking the spy to take care?"

  "Will do."

  "Spanking the spy?" Said Konrabi behind him.

  "Every Military I have been with has a different term for sex. I hear a couple of Giesling privates talking about spanking a certain whore."

  "I'm here to take you to a room that has been swept. Do you need a Hypercom?"

  "No, Ma'am, I do not." He pulled the Hypercom out of his bag of tricks.

  He noticed that she was wearing fashionable female clothing for a resident of Giesling. He followed her for a few moments.

  "Is the Wizard dead?"

  "No, just not needed anymore. My guard fights harder now that I am a woman. You've got to love the Prince Charming gene in most men. I would put you at Sir Lancelot, the undefeated knight."

  "Ofana will be given up. The Guinevere parallel is gone."

  "You can give her up?"

  "It will hurt, but I cannot give up what I am. The one I am with has moved out of our apartment a second time. I am going home alone a second time."

  "I'm sure that you will find her, my friend
. Now, this office awaits you. Do you need the sweeping equipment?"

  "No, thank you, I have my own." Brian walked into the room. He shut and locked the door.

  The first thing he did was sweep with his own equipment. He did not know the quality of Konrabi's equipment, but he knew and trusted his personal equipment. The sweep was empty as he expected. He sat at the desk and turned on his Hypercom. He let it find the Hypercom transfer satellite. Once that was done, he dialed the headquarters number directly to Carla. It only took two rings.

  "Director, here."

  "Z2 is here."

  "A report?

  "Yes, ma'am. My first report is myself for uncovering in a public fashion."

  "How did you uncover yourself?"

  "I announced who and what I was to about a hundred grav-rodders. I informed them that Konrabi was under Eridani protection. Then I informed them what the penalties wore. I managed to lose about a third of these idiots."

  "Did you show the badge, and were you wearing the suit?"

  "Yes, Ma'am."

  "So far, no infraction. Turns out you were not lying. About five minutes after you walked out there, Konrabi asked to be a member of our alliance. She was granted it, and you were in line."

  "I executed the Gang Leader by throwing a knife into his chest. I emptied my shuriken dispensers. Then my team and I opened up with auto fire. During the cleanup, I spotted a man wearing a lumpy silk suit walking away from the combat. I took a bead, but the man had no obvious weapons, and he was leaving."

  "Anton, Correct? What did you do?"

  "I knew that the rules of engagement gave me very little to do. So I used the gun to spur Anton on his way."

  "You fired at his heels?"

  Brian nodded. "It was petty, I know, but it sure felt good."

  "Do you have any imagery about that?"

  "Why do you need that?"

  "I needed to know about Angus. I sent a spy to get more information. Dan wanted the revenge mission."

  "Good for, Dan."

  "You have been teaching him bad habits. I'm not sending anybody else. Do you have the imagery?"

  "No, but I bet there is. I'll task Amarantha with getting if for you."

  "Thanks. Morale could use it. You have anything else for me?" She knew what it was going to be. Ofana's mother warned Carla this would be coming.

  "I think I am in love with Ofana."

  This was the part she knew she had to nip in the bud with him. She had to be mean about it.

  "You are sleeping in the same room as her! This is the Ofana, the Princess of Eridani, you are talking about. Can you imagine what the news flashers would make of this? This is equivalent to dereliction of duty. You are her guard, not her soft teddy bear at night."

  "I know ma'am, but one thing led to another."

  "You can't make a life with her. She is royal and maybe the next Secretary of State. You had better get rid of this feeling."

  "The feelings are mutual. Ofana used to do things for duty, including affairs of the heart. That is not my experience. If she were to have someone, then I can end it in my own heart."

  "How do we do that?"

  "Is there was an upcoming Special Agent, someone who won't pass the course work. He would have to look a little like me, In every detail."

  "You think there are two people equipped with a tool like yours."

  "Use Dan and Julie. They both have seen me in the buff."

  "Okay, we'll give her someone she can love."

  "And?"

  "Is she gone again?"

  "Yes. Felicity thought she could take the possibility of your death in stride."

  "I give you permission to slap me upside the head if I mention her name again."

  "Okay, update your plans."

  "We are continuing her plan as before. It's bad tactics, but she made plans and wants to make a good faith show…"

  "Wait a moment." She looked at a screen she never turned off. This was the direct line. Across the face of the filter, she read:

  IMMEDIATE: NUCLEAR RELEASE

  9AM EST. Eridani sources have confirmed the release of two 50 M ton nuclear devices. These devices are Model 411 serial number 101, and 102 Carbon contained explosive capable of gravity drop, mounted on a missile, or even capable of being set as a time bomb. Eridani estimates that one—repeat—one device has been exploded on Giesling's surface with confirmed loss of life.

  Who has these devices is not known at present. We warn our customers to implement their anti-radiation controls.

  "Of course, you knew this."

  "If I thought this was a sideshow. I would have told you."

  "I think I know who this might be aimed at."

  "The Ofana? She's just a pretty girl. I think you said not too long ago."

  "You haven't seen what she's done. She has put together a coalition that stands a chance to be majority or outright win their version of the Parliament."

  "I think it is called the Hall. She did that?"

  "With a minimal amount of help from me. Ofana has a real gift for diplomacy, but the rich girl's laziness. The laziness will be the hardest to shake."

  "When do you expect the nuclear device?"

  "I would blow it at the last day rally. Then I would point it at Alphacent. The Miner's Guild would pick up the spade, and everyone would fall into line. War with Alphacent would be next with dire consequences for Giesling."

  "I agree there," said Carla. "I'll work with the foreign office and the War Department. Keep her safe. If she were to die in the blast, Eridani could be at war."

  "With dire consequences to all three planets."

  "God helps us all," said Carla. "Keep her safe. To help you, continue with the sleeping together, but stop it on the trip home. Carla out."

  Brian got up and walked to the room that he shared with Ofana.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Market Place Banter.

  Brian felt more like a gigolo than a Special Agent. There were times that Brian felt special being a Special Agent. Then there were the times he felt petty and slimy. He knew it was what he perceived his job to be and what others wanted to do with that person.

  Brian expected that there would be a list as long as his arm for him to do executions, when he first because Special Agent. He was glad that everyone else felt the same way. Most of his executions were really assassinations.

  The next mission type would be the fugitive retrieval where the fugitive was a criminal with a kidnapped child, and this mission at the request of Minister X. That was like the mission that he was on now. The Emir pulled rank and got his mission to the top of the queue, and it ended up in his lap

  He hated any mission where it looked like someone used influence to get the mission on the queue. When these things happened, he just reminded himself that he was a civil servant. He was paid a pretty good salary and lived while on a mission as if he were fabulously wealthy. He had access to a tournament level Golf Course called Black Sands. He danced his head off at a one thousand Crowns a ticket Balls.

  Then there were the real missions. The family of a Minister was captured and flown off-world. They sent in Brian. The family was rescued, and the kidnappers were taking dirt naps. That mission was very satisfying. The homecoming was private. He allowed the family to hug and kiss in his ship while he stood outside like a gray-suited sentinel.

  His “rescue” mission here turned into much more. He ran her protection detail. He was a sounding board for her wacky ideas which were turning out not to be so wacky. He was her security blanket. Right now, he felt like the security blanket, and he did not mind that in the least.

  She was sleeping curled up next to him, and they were both naked. Brian could see the Giesling main sequence star rising over the dunes. The light changed the color to her skin from a beautiful olive complexion to look like a perfect suntan.

  They were still at the Konrabi palace. They had to move. After the battle yesterday, he now knew what they were willing to do to stop
her, and how much they would pay. Her face had changed as a result of the battle. Most people would fold under this much pressure, but people like Amelia Grace Stegitz bit down and got to work. She called all of her stops and reaffirmed their desire to have her.

  Brian wanted to ride down and submit everyone to a durare interrogation. She did not go for that. She wanted the high ground at all times, and dammit-she was gonna get it.

  Brian slipped out from underneath Ofana. He stood in front of the open window. He watched a lazy red dot work it’s way up the wall just outside.

  It took Brian’s sleep-befuddled mind to realize the danger. He dropped to his knees. He retrieved his Athro sub-assault rifle. He looked for the target designator. The red dot was moving on the bed to—

  “Down!”

  Ofana had explained to him how the children were trained to respond to their security personnel. The word was down, and by habit when that word was yelled, they would get to the ground quickly. It was that neural reflex that saved her life. Seconds, after she rolled off the bed, shots were fired.

  Brian did not waste time determining her status. He brought up his weapon, and Brian fired four silenced shots. The shadowy figure must have been hit because Brian could see the creature fall from the roof. He did not have time to find out. He had to get her out of here.

  Brian went to her. A good thing about being naked; you could see the wounds quicker. Nevertheless, he also searched her body with his hand.

  “Are you trying to do foreplay at a time like this?” she asked flippantly.

  “Get some clothes on, and pack your stuff. We’re moving out in ten minutes.”

  Brian went through the rooms on this floor, announcing the movement. Jasmine looked out of her bedroom, also naked. He repeated the order.

  Something seemed weird about Jasmine’s behavior. Perhaps it was nothing more than natural paranoia after a direct attempt at his target. His mind did not accept that pat of an answer. He would have to go through his memories at a later time.

  Ten minutes later everyone was waiting by the double door leading to the courtyards. Brian had a tough job. In the military snipers would work in pairs. On the Mercenary market, the sniper was a solitary creature.