Euthara

by Michael McClain

  "The Invaru are our enemies," the King said.

  "That may be so, but now they're here asking for our assistance," Deatra said. "If there's one thing I've learned from Jon. It's that sometimes you have to let the past be just that, the past."

  Alarms went off on the bridge startling Jon and Deatra. The King smiled on screen as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. Jon glared at the King, and then turned his attention to the officer at the security station.

  "What's going on?" Jon said.

  "Like I said I have a long reach," the King said as he smiled. The King brought one of his hands from behind his head pressed a button on his desk. The King's smiling face faded as the screen went dark.

  "Sir, the Queen has been attacked in her quarters. She's being transported to medical and is reported to be in serious condition," the security officer said.

  Deatra's body went limp as she passed out and Jon just managed to catch her before she hit the floor.

  Chapter 22

  Beginning of the End

  Jon was pissed. No, he was well beyond pissed at this point, as he stood next to Deatra and Opellissa watching Andie work to save the Queen’s life. Jon had ordered the main infirmary locked down and all other patients moved to the secondary infirmaries as a precaution against any more assassination attempts.

  The only people allowed to enter and leave the section were Opellissa’s guards. The Royal Guards were on guard throughout the corridors in the Medical Section and admitted no one unless authorized by Jon.

  Andie looked up at Jon briefly and then returned to her work. She wasn’t too happy with the current situation in her Medical Bay, but she understood. It was going to be touch and go for a while, but she had most of the repairs done. It would be the nanites turn to assist with repairs soon. Now, only time would tell if the Queen would live. Andie let out a sigh of relief as she started to close the incisions as her nurses prepped the recovery room for the Queen. She glanced up at the clock, twelve hours of surgery sure went by in a hurry when you are busy trying to save someone this important.

  Oojoung and his Black Ops squad was with Nefeit, Kelly, and Sam at their quarters. This made Jon feel better not having them in his sight. He was still trying to determine the sequence of events that allowed the attempted assassination of the Queen while he tried to evaluate Atlantis’ security; in essence, Jon needed to understand the current state of Atlantis’ compromised security. Jon hadn’t had time yet to review the holo-vids of the incident as he wanted to be here to support Deatra and her sister.

  Atlantis shimmered into view behind him, as if knowing what Jon was thinking. “Commander,” Atlantis said.

  All three of them turned to look at Atlantis as Jon said, “Report.” His tone almost made Atlantis step back.

  Atlantis looked at Jon and knew he was in a dark place. She had never seen him look the way he looked now or even speak without feeling. It was as if the Jon she knew had died and been replaced by an imposter. “The five Royal Guards wounded in the attack on the Queen have died,” Atlantis said. “The perpetrator has been found and captured alive. He’s being held in the brig on this level. I’ve also reviewed the holo...”

  “Deatra, Opellissa; stay here and watch over your mother,” Jon said. He cut off Atlantis as he turned and started for the door. “If you need me, call.”

  Both women turned to look at Jon as he spoke. “Where are you going?” Deatra said.

  “I’m going to have a word with our prisoner,” Jon said as he continued for the door.

  “Jon,” Opellissa said. She took a step to follow him.

  “No,” Jon said. He stopped as the door leading from the infirmary opened. “I want you here protecting your sister and mother. “You’re about the only person I trust right now to insure their safety. I need to know you’re both safe.” He stepped through the door without saying another word.

  Opellissa nodded and returned to Deatra’s side and put her arm around her sister as she turned her attention to the work being done on the other side of the window. Deatra leaned her head on her sister’s shoulder and let out a heavy breath.

  “He’ll be okay sis,” Opellissa said. “I’ve got some of my squad on his detail. No matter how much he protests they will be with him.”

  “It’s not him I’m worried about,” Deatra said.

  “Mom will be okay too,” Opellissa said. “She’s a strong woman and she’ll pull through this too.”

  “Not worried about that too much either,” Deatra said. “Well, I guess I am worried a bit about mom recovering.”

  “Um, then who are you worried about?” Opellissa said arching an eyebrow in question.

  “The people between Jon and Father,” Deatra said. “Or anyone who happens to get in the way. I’ve never seen Jon like this, so dark and brooding. I think this attack hit a lot closer to home then he expected and I think it’s shook him up.”

  “Jon will be okay, he’s just shocked right now,” Opellissa said. “As far as anyone who gets in his way when he goes after Daddy Dearest, well, they’ll get what they deserve if they don’t step aside.”

  “I guess,” Deatra said. “I just don’t want innocent people getting hurt. As far as Jon goes... I don’t know. He’s always had this thing about his safety on Atlantis and being untouchable. That world has been shattered; Jon expects it outside the ship just not while he’s onboard. I think that has him pissed off more than the attack itself.”

  Atlantis standing behind them hung her head and looked down at the floor and slowly disappeared from view. She was contemplating what she had just heard and how she could correct the matter. She had failed her Captain and Leader and allowed an attack to happen within her sphere of protection. Atlantis would have to correct the problem no matter the cost to herself before something like this happened again.

  “Mark,” Jon said as he walked down the long corridor at a fast pace that had his guards struggling to stay ahead of him and make sure the area was secure. He wasn’t paying attention to anything but where he was going and what he was going to ask the single most important person on this ship at this moment.

  “Yes Sir,” Mark’s voice said over the com unit.

  “I’m preparing to lift Atlantis off,” Jon said. “I want you to mobilize on the Crown city right now. Keep civilian casualties to a minimum and do not breech the Royal Palace. I just want the city secured both ground and air.”

  “That bad?” Mark said.

  “The Queen might pull through, but it’s going to be touch and go,” Jon said. “Andie hasn’t notified Deatra and Opellissa yet, so that information is between you and me.”

  “Roger,” Mark said. “I don’t think we’re ready to mobilize, but we’ll do it. As far as Atlantis, we’re cleared and have all the drop ships and equipment we need off.”

  “Good,” Jon said. “I’ll be giving the orders to launch shortly. I’m going to settle her over the city where we’ll provide artillery support and additional air support as needed.”

  “Sounds good,” Mark said.

  “I’ll see you shortly,” Jon said. “I have a few things to do here. Contact me when you’re ready to assault the Palace.” Jon turned the last corridor and started towards the only door at the end of the corridor. His guards began to spread out and provide additional cover to those guards already stationed in the corridor.

  “Excuse me?” Mark said. “What do you mean ‘you’ll see me shortly’.”

  “I’m going to join you for the assault on the palace,” Jon said. “Actually, I’m going to spearhead it.”

  “No you’re not,” Mark said.

  It was the first time Jon stopped since he started off to the Brig. “I am and it’s not debatable.”

  “No you’re not and that’s final,” Mark said. “There is no way in hell I’m going to allow you to put yourself in danger. Your wives would have my head mounted on their wall if I allowed something to happen to you.”

  “Contact me w
hen you secure the city,” Jon said. “I’m not going to argue about this right now.” Jon disconnected the connection cutting Mark off before he could reply. Jon turned to one of the guards stationed in the hall. “I want you to join the ground assault and report to me secretly when the city has been secured.”

  The guard saluted as he said, “Yes Sir.”

  “Well, get going,” Jon said. The guard saluted again and took off running down the corridor. Jon turned back to the door and stepped through as it opened. The single guard stood up and saluted him as Jon entered the room.

  “Sir,” the guard said.

  “At ease,” Jon said. “Which cell is the prisoner in?”

  Jon looked down the length of the room. There were nine cells total all of them arrayed in such a way as to face the observation desk. Right now, all the doors were polarized so you couldn’t see in them, the duty officer could turn it on timed privacy polarization which was something the prisoners could also do for themselves, but the duty officer could turn it on indefinitely. Each cell also had state of the art surveillance recording twenty-four hours and seven days a week when someone was in them. Atlantis monitored the cells when there were prisoners in them and could notify the duty officer in the case of escape. Although, Jon highly doubted anyone would be escaping anytime soon.

  Oojoung had once spent a week in a cell, much to Sam’s distress, trying to escape it. He had pointed out several flaws in the design from his earlier stay. He then spent time with Brad and his engineering team going over the corrections needed to secure the various brigs aboard Atlantis. One of the major corrections was the addition of communication inhibitors that stopped nanite transmitters from broadcasting. The modification had one glaring flaw in that it also stopped the nanites in the cell from communicating with the main control unit. This made the nanites go largely inert after a day of being in the cell. To get around this, they shielded the Brigs instead of just the cells. They then installed a remote nanite control unit tied into the main unit by hard wire.

  The nanites needed to communicate with the local control unit so they could diagnose and effect repairs needed to a host. The control units could contact the local medical staff and request additional information or treatment options if needed. It also allowed the medical technicians to monitor the local population, or crew, for signs of serious illnesses or major injuries. The programs running monitored and flagged any person who fell inside the parameters set by the technician. On a planet or station, that setting was usually set to look for highly communicable and life threatening diseases. On ships and smaller installations, the commanding officer determined how and what to look for. However, it usually included everything from wounds to diseases and was also set to look for signs of exposure to vacuum.

  Then Mark and Mike spent three days in a newly designed cell trying to get out. Both of the men called the cells ready for use; however, Oojoung had other ideas and decided to test it himself. Once everyone was satisfied, they transmitted the cell modifications to all ADF fleet ships and Ghost Station for immediate implementation,

  “Cell one Sir,” the guard said as he sat back down.

  Jon nodded and stepped up to the cell. “Depolarize the cell door,” Jon said.

  The cell door shimmered briefly as it became clear and Jon could see through it. Jon’s eyes shifted and locked on to the Eutharan dressed in civilian clothes. He was sitting on the single bed in the cell with his back to the wall. With his eyes closed, and appeared to Jon to be sleeping, completely relaxed as if nothing had happened. Jon’s anger flared briefly as he realized the man in the cell couldn’t care less about what he had done or his incarceration.

  “Hello Captain Hunter,” the prisoner said without opening his eyes. “I was wondering when you would come visit me. We have a lot to discuss and very little time to do so.”

  “Oh?” Jon said. Jon crossed his arms across his chest as he watched the man sit up and open his eyes. The man’s eyes locked onto Jon and he grinned. “I don’t think we have anything to discuss. You have information I want, and I intend to get it one way or the other, the choice is yours.”

  The man’s grin widened. “You’re a bit younger than I thought you would be. I was expecting the Destroyer of Worlds to be a bit older. You’ve accomplished a lot for someone so young. Though you still don’t see what’s going on around you, and that is how your immaturity shows,” the man said as he stood up.

  “Is that so?” Jon said.

  The man nodded as he stepped up to the other side of the door. “You think you have it all figured out and you haven’t hardly scratched the surface about what is happening around you.”

  Jon grinned and tilted his head slightly. “I think I have a very good idea about what’s going on here. You had orders to kill the Queen that came directly from the King. That’s one thing I know for sure,” Jon said. He watched the man’s face for a reaction but there was none. Jon had deliberately omitted the fact that the Queen was still alive he didn’t want the man to know that just yet.

  “Wrong,” the man said.

  “So, you’re saying you acted alone and without orders,” Jon said.

  “Oh no, I had my orders and I didn’t act alone,” the man said. He let the grin slip from his face as he spoke and he took on a neutral expression. The assassination of the Queen was one of the many steps that had to come to fruition for you to fulfill your destiny.”

  Jon arched an eyebrow as he spoke, “So, you’re helping me fulfill my destiny?”

  “Exactly,” the man said. He smiled for a brief second.

  “And the King isn’t behind your actions?” Jon said.

  “Nope,” the man said. He leaned towards Jon stopping just short of the cell door and whispered, “To be truthful the man isn’t right in the head and it would do you well to stop focusing on him. You now have the real threat right under your own nose all you have to do is open your eyes.”

  Jon made one of those faces that said, ‘You can’t be serious.’ The man stood back up straight as Jon spoke, “I can see I have one of the threats right under my nose and I promise I won’t let him go.”

  The man shook his head and gave another brief smile. “So short sighted for someone so gifted and destined to do great things,” the man said. “I’ll give you this bit of advice. The King isn’t the real threat, he’s nothing more than a pawn in a larger game. The whole Eutharan thing is a smoke screen for what is really going on.”

  “Smoke screen?” Jon said. “You think the genocide of an entire race is a smoke screen.”

  “There is no genocide here,” the man said. “Let’s call it more of a population control issue. There are certain people who would not want the Eutharan people to return to their former glory and place of power.”

  Jon frowned and looked down at the floor as he thought about what the man had just said. Jon hadn’t thought about it that way, but it also didn’t make sense. The Eutharan population was still on a steady decline. True there was something going on that he still had yet to uncover, but he had a pretty good idea what was going on. He was also pretty sure the King was behind most of it. If he wasn’t, why would he be stonewalling Jon?

  Jon looked up at the man who now stood with his hands behind his back watching Jon mull over what he had just said. “I find that hard to believe,” Jon said. “The whole population control thing. The population is still in a steady decline and the world is all but dying.”

  The man simply said, “Is it?”

  “I’ve seen the graphs,” Jon said.

  “You saw what they wanted you to see,” the man said.

  “Those graphs came from my own staff,” Jon said. “Are you telling me that my own crew and people around me are all manipulating me?”

  “Nope,” the man said.

  “Care to explain it then,” Jon said.

  “Think about it really carefully,” the man said. “I’ve given you the answer you’re just not listening. Open your eyes and see it for what it is.”


  The man was starting to piss Jon off with all this cryptic mumbo jumbo. Why couldn’t he just come out and say what he means. Jon glared at the man as he spoke, “I don’t have time to be playing your games. Just say what you want to say so we can get on with it.”

  “I’m not here to hold your hand and guide you,” the man said.

  “No I don’t think you are,” Jon said. “I think you’re here to misguide me and take my focus off the target. As I said, I don’t have time for this. I have an attack to lead on the Crown City. I’m going to remove your boss from power and set things right here. I’m done playing the King’s little games.”

  The man smiled and said nothing, just nodding.

  Jon took the action of the man wrong. “You think I’m making a mistake?”

  “No, not at all,” the man said. “I think it’s about time. There are more important matters to deal with than what’s happening here on this planet. The real threat is displacing millions of people from all races daily by the true threat to this Galaxy. You can see that as sure as the nose on your face by the amount of refugees arriving here daily. Your fleet has all but doubled over night and it’s getting harder to keep everyone fed and ships operating.”

  “I know about this new threat,” Jon said. “I’ll deal with them once I’m done here.”

  “It won’t be as easy as that,” the man said.

  Jon knew he was right and said as much. “Yes, I know that. I’ve already lost friends in the conflicts we’ve had here.”

  “Small, actually very small conflicts, and they handed your ass to you,” the man said. “As far as Captain Hawkins, we grieve for his loss and those of the other ships and crews.”

  Jon closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then it dawned on him and his eyes popped open and locked on to the man. “Stop leading me in circles,” Jon said. “You still haven’t explained what you meant about them showing me what they wanted me to see.”