by Ryk Brown
“Twenty seconds to final insertion,” Loki replied.
Nathan buckled himself in, tightening his restraints in preparation. “Sometimes I wonder why I do these things,” he admitted.
“When all this is over, and we’re retired and wasting away our days in rockers on our front porches, you should write a book about your experiences.”
Nathan chuckled. “No one would believe it.”
“Jumping in three……two……one…”
Within the confines of the jump sub, there was no indication of their transition into the outskirts of the Takaran system.
“Jump complete,” Loki reported.
“Ready for release,” Jessica announced.
“Release in five.”
Jessica checked her displays one last time as Loki counted down.
“Release.”
There was a faint click as the clamps, holding the jump sub tightly against the fitted opening in the underside of the Reaper’s payload bay, released their hold.
“Translating up and away,” Josh reported.
A few seconds later, they felt the pressure of their bottoms against the seats lessening as the Reaper, which had carried them to their insertion point, placed them on the proper course and speed, and drifted up and away; the Reaper’s artificial gravity losing its hold on the tiny vessel.
“Thirty seconds to jump point,” Jessica announced.
“Comms blackout,” Loki replied. “Good luck.”
“See you tomorrow,” Jessica replied confidently. Another glance at her displays told her all was well. “All systems are green. Auto-jump sequencer is running. Jumping in twenty.”
“How hard will we hit the water?” Nathan wondered.
“Low-speed jump,” Jessica replied. “Shallow target. You’ll barely even feel it.”
Nathan braced himself, just in case.
“Three……two……one……jumping…”
There was a loud thump that shook the jump sub so hard it felt as if it would break apart. Nathan was thrown forward against his restraints. Just as suddenly, he felt gravity return to his body. There was the sound of rushing water flowing over the exterior of their hull, which faded quickly. He could feel the resistance of the sub traveling through the water as it plunged into the warm depths of the lake.
“That’s what you call barely feeling it?”
“Don’t be a wuss,” Jessica laughed.
“Now what?”
“Now I drive this thing along the lake bottom until we’re close enough to shore to swim in without looking suspicious.”
* * *
Admiral Galiardi stood at the window of his office, staring out at the Sol Alliance Command Center below.
“You must leave this place at some point,” Commander Denton told him. “The people of Earth need to see that you are in command; in control of all the core worlds.”
“I am needed here,” the admiral stated with conviction.
“The Jung are not going to attack Earth,” the commander insisted. “Even if they do, our forces will immediately follow your standing orders and respond with maximum force. There is nothing that your presence would change in the first few minutes of battle.”
“And what am I to do on Earth?” the admiral asked, turning to look at the commander.
“Lead the people.”
“I can lead the people from here.”
“Yes, you can,” Commander Denton admitted, “but the people’s support will wane with each passing day. They need to see a strong leader in the place they expect him to be: in front of the houses, in front of the cabinets, in front of the cameras. You must appear to be the leader that Dayton Scott was not. There is not a soul on Earth, nor on any of the core worlds, who does not want us to stand strong against the Jung.”
“Oh, but there is, believe me.”
“The last of those foolish enough to speak out against us have been rounded up. The voices of opposition are nearly silent. Soon, the court of public opinion will swing your way. When it does, you must be in the public eye to receive that support. At that moment, you will be able to declare war against the Jung Empire, and none of the senators will risk opposing you. The vote will be unanimous.”
“I do not intend to ask permission to wage war upon those who wish to destroy us,” Admiral Galiardi stated as he returned to his desk.
“But, that is the law.”
“We are under martial law,” the admiral reminded him, “which means I decide when we go to war…no one else.” Admiral Galiardi took his seat, appearing more resolute than before. “I will stay here. The Earth will run itself, and the cabinet heads can report to me via vid-comms. My primary responsibility is the defense of the core worlds. I shall not ignore that concern for the sake of propaganda. That is precisely what was wrong with our government.”
“But…”
“Once the Jung are defeated, I will take my place in Winnipeg…not before,” the admiral insisted. “The people will understand.”
* * *
Nathan and Jessica slowly broke the surface of Lake Aranda, just under the far end of the pier where no one would notice them.
Jessica looked around. The sun was still relatively low in the sky, and the usual beach crowds had not yet developed. There were no boats nearby, and the lifeguards were just opening up their observation towers. Thus far, their arrival had gone like clockwork.
Satisfied that their appearance from the lake’s depths had gone unnoticed, Jessica swam toward the nearby shore. Staying to one side of the pier, Nathan followed behind. To anyone on the pier, they appeared to be a young couple finishing a morning swim.
Two minutes later, they walked out of the water, moving directly to a pair of beach chairs under a large shade about ten meters up from the waterline. As expected, they found appropriate beach attire and footwear waiting for them.
Jessica picked up one of the towels and dried herself off, donning a beach wrap afterward. She then picked up the small beach bag next to the chair and pulled the wallet out to check its contents. “Not bad,” she said under her breath as she inspected the Takaran ID card in the wallet. “Even a comm-unit.”
Nathan also examined the contents of his wallet. “I had no idea we had operatives on Takara,” he admitted. “Especially ones with such capabilities.”
“Well, you have been a little distracted lately.”
“Someone’s coming,” Nathan said, noticing a man in a resort staff uniform coming toward them with a tray balanced on his left hand.
Jessica took her seat as if resting after her swim.
“I thought you might be in need of liquid refreshment after your long swim,” the man commented politely as he neared. “Mineral water, ma’am?” he added, kneeling down next to Jessica and holding out the tray.
“Thank you,” Jessica replied as she took one of the two bottles. “Honey?” she said, looking at Nathan. “You thirsty?”
“A bit,” Nathan replied, reaching for his own bottle.
“My name is Taavi,” the man added. “I am one of four waiters working this beach today. If you need anything, please…Telles.”
“I’m a little hungry,” Jessica said. “Is there anything open nearby?”
“There is a small cafe just on the other side of the pier,” Taavi replied. “It opened at sunrise, but I would not wait since it will become quite busy within the hour. Beautiful views of the lake…if you get a corner booth. Very secluded, as well.”
“Thank you, Taavi,” Nathan replied, putting a credit on the man’s tray.
“That is unnecessary,” Taavi assured him. “It is all included in your stay.”
“I believe in showing appreciation for good service,” Nathan insisted.
“Thank you, sir,” Taavi replied. “Enjoy your morning,” he added as he backed away and turned to depart.
<
br /> “Wouldn’t that be nice,” Nathan murmured under his breath.
“What?” Jessica wondered as she pulled on her sandals.
“To actually stay here for a few days.”
“I’d be bored out of my skull,” Jessica disagreed. She rose from her seat. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
“Ladies first,” Nathan replied, gesturing for her to lead the way.
* * *
Aiden Walsh sat in the pilot’s seat of his Orochi jump missile frigate, staring out into space, as usual.
“Bored?” Ali called from behind him.
“I feel like a cargo pilot,” he sighed. “This thing is so automated, a monkey could fly it.”
“You miss Kenji?”
“More than I thought I would,” Aiden admitted.
“I miss him, too,” Ali agreed. “Ash and Dags, too.”
“I don’t miss Ashwini,” Aiden insisted. “That woman scared me.”
“Ash is a pussycat,” Ali told him, taking a seat at the systems station. “She just acted mean so you wouldn’t make too many demands of her.”
“I’m pretty sure that wasn’t acting,” Aiden declared as he checked his flight displays.
“You get to talk to Kenji lately?”
“With all the jumping around we do? Not hardly. The most I get is a bounce-back relay saying, ‘Things are great, how are you?’ I haven’t talked to him or Charnelle in over two weeks, now. I’m just not used to that. I think I’m going through withdrawals.”
“You’ve still got me and Ledge,” Ali reminded him. After a sigh, she added, “I miss our ship, as well.”
“She was a nice little ship.”
“There’s so much room on this thing, I can’t get used to it,” Ali said.
“Enjoy it while you can,” Aiden told her. “After the second phase of refits, we’ll have a full crew of fourteen.”
“That still leaves four empty cabins.”
“Those will probably be turned into storage bays,” Aiden replied. “Word is, Orochi’s are going to be on patrol around the clock for some time.”
“Then, the long hours aren’t going to end any time soon,” Ali realized, failing to hide her disappointment.
“I’m afraid not. All the bickering between Rakuen and Neramese is seriously slowing down the selection process. Orochi Seven just launched, and Eight should be ready in a day or two. Both are being crewed by Corinari, for now, but if those politicians don’t get their act together soon, we’re going to have Orochi’s sitting in the water, waiting for crews.”
“Could be worse,” Ali decided. “At least these patrols are nice and quiet. I’m getting a lot of reading in. You’d be amazed how much literature there is in our database. Stuff from all over the Rogen sector. Plus, they’ve added everything from the Pentaurus and Sol sectors, as well. Even the stuff from the Data Ark…the stuff from before the fall of the core. More material than you could read in a thousand lifetimes.”
“I may have to take up reading, then,” Aiden said, laughing. “Lord knows there’s nothing else to do around here.”
* * *
Jessica stood at the railing along the walkway, gazing at the lake. Casual, lingering glances to her right and left allowed her to scan the area for threats while still appearing to be just another Takaran enjoying her stay at Lake Aranda Resort. Once satisfied, she looked toward Nathan, who was still standing on the pier feeding the squawking birds that were everywhere. A subtle smile was his cue to join her.
As he approached, Jessica turned around and leaned against the rail, pretending to look at a visitor’s guide while she scanned the small cafe recommended to them by Taavi.
“Hungry?” Nathan asked as he joined her.
“A bit,” she replied, playing her part.
“What does the guide say about this place?”
Jessica glanced in either direction again, speaking in hushed tones. “Only a few customers. Two public exits, plus a private one in the back. Two waiters, both too scrawny to be ops. The cook is good-sized, but I’m betting he’s just a cook. If it’s a trap, we go through the kitchen, out the back, quick right, and then through the back door of the curio shop on the left. Up the stairs to the apartment above, onto the roof, and then run along the roof back toward the pier. Jump off onto the awning at the end of the building, then down the pier, into the water, and swim to the jump sub.”
Nathan looked shocked.
“What?”
“You figured all that out in five minutes?”
“The cook has a thing for one of the waiters,” she shrugged. “Keeps coming out of the kitchen to chat with him. I can see the curio shop’s back door between the buildings to the right. The girl in the apartment above works there. I saw her come down.”
“And none of the passersby were suspicious?”
“None were threatening, no repeats, no lingerers. No one standing around in the distance.”
“Is he inside?” Nathan wondered.
“Not that I can tell,” Jessica replied, “but if he’s in the booth that Taavi suggested, we wouldn’t be able to see him.”
“What’s the abort word?”
“If I say something gives me gas, we leave.”
“What if there is something on the menu that does give you gas?” Nathan joked.
“Nothing gives me gas,” Jessica replied, dragging him by the hand toward the cafe.
“Good to know,” Nathan replied.
Jessica smiled, trying to appear carefree and happy like one might expect to look on vacation. They entered the cafe, stepping up to the reception stand, where they were greeted almost immediately.
“Two?” the young waiter asked.
“We’re supposed to meet someone,” Jessica replied. “An older gentleman.”
“I believe he was expecting one,” the waiter replied.
“I decided to bring her along at the last minute,” Nathan told him.
“More like I made him,” Jessica laughed.
“Of course,” the waiter replied. “This way, please.”
Jessica visually scanned the young man for any signs of a weapon as he turned, spotted none, and then followed him into the cafe.
The room was small, with fewer than a dozen tables. The decor was unremarkable, but clean, and the aroma from the kitchen was not unpleasant. As expected, the place was not yet busy, but she could see they were preparing for the morning breakfast rush by the large tray of condiments the other waiter was using to stock the tables.
“Would you like anything to drink?” the waiter asked them as he stopped next to the corner booth and gestured toward it.
“Two waters to start,” Jessica replied.
Jessica stepped around the corner of the booth and looked. There sat an elderly, but fit looking, man with distinguished gray hair, and a look of confidence on his face. He was dressed in casual attire, although a bit more coiffed compared to most of the patrons.
“Mind if we join you, General?” Jessica asked.
The man stood with grace and precision, unsurprised by her presence. “Please, I am retired. The reference to rank is not necessary.” He looked at Nathan, a content smile creeping onto his face. “I am pleased you could make it,” he commented, sitting back down.
“Kind of a difficult invitation to pass up,” Nathan replied as he took his seat and scooted over to make room for Jessica, whom he knew wanted to sit on the outside edge of the booth.
“I must say, you look a bit younger than I expected.”
“I get that a lot,” Nathan replied, picking up a menu.
“I took the liberty of ordering for us,” the general announced. “I assumed you would not want this to take any longer than necessary. I hope you do not mind.”
“Depends on what you ordered,” Jessica said.
“Dollag and quaba eggs, ala Harra,” the general replied. “They say this place prepares it in quite a unique way.”
“Steak and eggs works for me,” Nathan replied.
“You must be the infamous Jessica Nash,” the general said. “It is an honor. You are probably the most formidable female I have ever met, my third wife not included.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I would ask how you are able to come and go from a Dusahn-held world so easily,” the general said, “but I doubt you would tell me.”
“Smarter than he looks,” Jessica mumbled.
“Behave,” Nathan scolded. “So, what did you want to discuss, General?”
“Our futures.”
“Our futures,” Nathan noted.
“Correct,” the general replied. “I believe we can help one another.”
“Aren’t our goals in opposition?” Nathan wondered.
“You might be surprised.”
“Try me.”
“I want peace for the Dusahn,” the general stated plainly, getting directly to business.
“A warrior caste that wants peace,” Jessica said, trying not to laugh.
Nathan flashed her a sidelong glance of disapproval as he spoke. “Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe. You see, nothing the Dusahn have done since they arrived would indicate such a goal.”
“I speak the truth,” the general insisted.
“You speak for Lord Dusahn?” Nathan asked.
“I speak as the oldest living member of the caste,” the general replied. “I speak as one who knows the hearts and minds of those who serve under our lord…most of whom do not share his thirst for conquest and expansion.” The general leaned back in his seat as the waiter arrived with three plates.
“I took the liberty of adding a third order of the same,” the waiter said. “If you require something different…”
“This will be fine,” the general replied. As soon as he left, he continued. “The Dusahn were once the noblest of all the warrior castes. Our leaders were part of the twelve founding castes of the Jung Empire, each of them founded by the sons of Kristoff Jung, himself.
“Wait, it’s pronounced Young?” Jessica wondered.
“A common mistake. It does not translate well into English.”