by Gun Brooke
“A scrambler?” Dwyn frowned.
“Yes. We cannot afford to be overheard.”
“All I need is my permit. I’m used to being on my own in the strangest of environments.”
“Well, this time, you won’t be.” Beqq spoke with conviction.
A small flicker of dissatisfaction moved beneath Dwyn’s ribs. “I can take care of myself.”
Beqq laid an elegant, well-manicured hand over Dwyn’s and squeezed. “I know all that. I’ve studied your files. But this is different. You’re going against a potentially very greedy adversary, and if your group’s intel is correct, you’ll need protection.”
“As in bodyguards?”
“As in a team of Cormanian law enforcers. They will accompany you every step of the way. Don’t argue.” Beqq squeezed Dwyn’s hand again. “It took me several days, and I had to use all my accumulated goodwill with the Cormanian Minister of Domestic Affairs to pull this off. The Cormanians wanted to delay any investigation, which in itself is bothersome. But they had to relent when I told them that the SC Council leader was paying this matter special attention.”
“You did? I mean, he is?” Dwyn had actually met Marco Thorosac once. He had visited her university, which was apparently his alma mater, when he had been re-elected councilman for a new decade.
“He is now. I also did my own bit of research, and you’re correct about the long-term consequences of the loss of this ancient forest. I’ve deployed the court ship Dalathea, and it will arrive in orbit shortly. I don’t have to tell you that, with the war effort, everything else is secondary.”
“I know. It used to be much easier to motivate the SC public. Now it’s nearly impossible to raise funds for any cause not directly related to the conflict with the Onotharians.”
“A lot is at stake for certain Cormanians if you prove the intel true.” Beqq frowned. “If you fall into the hands of the ones who will gain from silencing you—”
“All right, Judge.” Dwyn nodded slowly. “I see your point.”
“Good. Here’s the address where you will meet your team at noon tomorrow. A Commander D’Artansis will head up your escort.”
“Very well. I hope they’re all used to hiking. The undergrowth makes it nearly impossible to cross this kind of terrain. And when it comes to the Disi-Disi forest, with all its prohibitions and laws to abide by, you can’t cut your way forward with a plasma-pulse weapon. And you can’t travel with anything but small hovercraft. It’s all part of the Thousand Year Pact.”
“I studied some of that last night,” Beqq said. “The rights bestowed upon the Disians were extensive. No loopholes that I could find.”
“And yet the Cormanians are going back on their ancestors’ word and their honor. I’m eager to get out there.”
“Use your head and your gut feeling, Dwyn. I don’t want this to be our last meeting.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be careful, Judge.”
“Excellent.”
They ate in silence and Dwyn began to relax, if only marginally. In her mind and heart she was already on her way to the Disi-Disi forest.
Chapter Two
Dwyn pressed the sensor that released the tension in the shoulder straps of her back-strap security carrier and slid it off. The black wire-mesh canvas held everything she needed to document the Cormanian government’s potential crimes in the protected forest. Placing the security carrier on the floor next to her chair, she gazed around the mission room. Three women and four men sat in the chairs right next to the podium and had obviously chosen to ignore her.
A tall woman stood by the podium, next to an older man, browsing a handheld computer. Jet black hair framed her strong features, and intense black eyes, very typical of some Cormanians, seemed to analyze and dismiss her in less than a second. Dwyn was used to others perceiving her as an annoyance, at best, or even regarding her with disgust, but something in the woman’s eyes made Dwyn clench her jaws. The man looked up and nodded solemnly.
“Captain Zeger, I believe,” Dwyn said pointedly with her sweetest voice. The faint coloring of the Cormanian officer’s neck proved that her gentle needling found its mark.
“Ms. Izontro, this is the officer in charge of your safety while in the Disi-Disi forest, Commander Emeron D’Artansis.” Captain Zeger indicated the woman next to him.
Dwyn had to admit D’Artansis was impressive. At a closer range, D’Artansis’s black eyes made an even greater impact. Deeply set, they seemed to reflect no light at all, like wells where sunlight could never reach. Stark, strong features added to D’Artansis’s austere expression.
“Commander.” Dwyn greeted her politely. “Shall we start?”
A faint look of surprise flickered across D’Artansis’s features. “By all means. The sooner the better.”
Dwyn didn’t think D’Artansis was eager to go on this mission. In fact, she was almost certain the commander regarded it as a waste of her precious time.
“Heads up, people,” D’Artansis began, and immediately had her team’s total attention. “As you’ve gathered by now, we’re going into the Disi-Disi forest. We don’t have to worry about the Disians. They’ll avoid us if we don’t bother them, but plenty of other things can go awry if we don’t stay sharp. Captain Zeger has briefed me this morning on our objectives, and I’m certain this team will act with its usual distinction.”
Commander D’Artansis glanced at Dwyn. “Ms. Izontro, who is under the protection of prominent politicians and law enforcers, plans to observe a certain situation. The Disi-Disi forest is beautiful, but also treacherous, unless you know what you’re doing. Once we’re in the forest, it is up to us to keep her, and each other, safe. Yes, Oches?” D’Artansis indicated a bald young man in the first row.
“What’s Ms. Izontro’s mission in the forest, ma’am?”
“That’s up to her to share, or not.” D’Artansis raised an eyebrow in Dwyn’s direction.
“I’m on a humanitarian and ecological mission to appraise the keeping of the Thousand Year Pact.” Dwyn spoke clearly, enunciating every word so no one could underestimate the importance of this enterprise, no matter what their preconception was. “I will document any potential trespassing, cutting of protected plants or trees, and other signs of wrongdoing.”
“And if you find anything like that going on, ma’am?” Oches frowned. “What then?”
“I will try to secure evidence of the perpetrator’s identity.” Dwyn was pleasantly surprised at the young man’s interested tone.
“Sounds like you could use some help. Or are any other members of your team joining us?”
“I need all the assistance I can get. I will be collecting samples, and—”
D’Artansis interrupted. “Excuse me, Ms. Izontro, but such details can wait. We need to finish the briefing before we head out to the Maireesian fields.”
Dwyn had never been to Corma before, let alone to the Maireesian fields, but she knew they served as a kind of no-man’s-land between the urban expanses of Corma and the Disi-Disi forest. As on most of the SC planets, agricultural areas were few and strictly monitored. Many people preferred the synthetic alternative to traditional produce and regarded the latter with suspicion. Even some people in the Aequitas group thought they could become sick from eating a vegetable grown in the dirt, rather than the pure synthetic version created in a factory’s sterile environment. Still, others, usually the famous and the rich, ate nothing but traditional food, cooked at expensive restaurants.
Dwyn sat down next to Oches as D’Artansis held a straight-forward, detail-packed briefing for her staff. When she paused, Dwyn thought she was done, but instead D’Artansis turned to her. “And you, Ms. Izontro, need to know only a few things. Stay next to me, never go anywhere alone, and don’t try to be a hero if anything unexpected happens.”
Furious at the patronizing way D’Artansis handed out “orders,” Dwyn slowly raked her eyes over the commander. “Understood. Now, is this when I make my requests?”
> D’Artansis blinked, and for a second Dwyn thought she’d ignore her. Instead, D’Artansis shrugged and motioned for her to speak. “Certainly.” She strode to the back of the room and leaned against the wall.
Dwyn rose and gazed around her. “I won’t enumerate the many reasons my mission is so important. But if my intel is correct, your planet’s future is at stake. I’m doing this for you, the people of Corma, to mitigate, as much as possible, any repercussions of a potential environmental crime. I was unaware that I needed protection of this magnitude, but it should tell you something. So, let’s get going. The faster we get out there, the sooner you can be back fighting, eh…crime, or whatever you normally do.”
Dwyn thought she saw an appreciative gleam in two of the young men’s eyes, but perhaps they simply liked blondes. More than once, a man had told her that she looked pretty or cute, and she hated such comments. If anyone thought she would be interested in a little fondling behind the habitats, they were sorely mistaken. Hopefully they were merely relating to what she’d just said.
“Very well.” D’Artansis pushed herself off the wall. “That’s what we need to know for now. Gear up, people, and pull up the hovercraft.”
D’Artansis’s team scrambled to their feet, except a man who looked older than the rest. As he walked up to Dwyn, he extended a hand in the typical Earth greeting. “Welcome to Corma, Ms. Izontro. I’m Lieutenant Mogghy.”
Dwyn returned the handshake. “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.”
“Just Mogghy, please.”
“Then call me Dwyn.” It was a relief to be on an informal basis with someone.
D’Artansis joined them. “Mogghy is my next in command. If, for some reason, I’m not available during this mission, this is the face you look for. Got all your gear, Ms. Izontro?”
“One bag outside in the corridor. These are my instruments and documents.” Dwyn grabbed her security carrier. “I’m ready.”
“Good. Mogghy will take you to the hovercraft and make sure you’re assigned a seat behind me.”
Clearly, D’Artansis was going to monitor her at all times and thus avoid trouble with the brass, Dwyn thought. “See you there,” she said, and followed Mogghy.
As they stepped out into the corridor Mogghy said, “The commander is the best law enforcer in the capital. You’re lucky to have her in charge of your safety.”
“You don’t have to reassure me.” Dwyn hoisted her trunk onto her shoulder. “In fact, most of the time when I’m on a mission, I work alone, or with a local guide or two. I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“Apparently someone thinks the situation here on Corma is a little different, Dwyn. And it’s wise to be careful. You can’t make a difference in the world if you’re dead.”
“Touché.” Dwyn grinned at the amicable man. “How long have you worked with Commander D’Artansis?”
“Oh, the commander graduated from the academy my first year there. After I graduated and got a chance to join her team—she was the XO then—I took it. Haven’t regretted it for a moment. We’ve been through quite a bit together.”
“Must be interesting. Do you work planet-side only?”
“No, some of our missions have been in the Cormanian jurisdiction of the SC space.”
They stepped outside, where three small hovercraft had pulled up below the stairs. With sleek lines, they sparkled in the sunlight. Each vehicle contained a driver’s seat with a double seat behind it and one additional single seat in the back. The storage hatches were still open, and Mogghy showed Dwyn where she could stow her things.
“You’ll ride in the lead vehicle with the commander. Ensign Oches will drive the second craft, and I’ll follow in the third.”
Dwyn wanted to shake her head in disbelief at this large operation on her behalf. “All right, Mogghy. See you when we reach our first stop.”
“Safe journey.” Mogghy saluted her with two fingers. “Here’s the commander now.”
“Saddle up, people.” D’Artansis walked up to them. “I want you right behind me. You’ll sit next to Ensign Noor.”
Dwyn climbed into the seat next to one of the women on the team. “Hello. I’m Dwyn.”
“Ensign Noor.” The look on the black-haired woman’s face was standoffish at best.
Ah, no handshakes there. Dwyn didn’t respond to the hostile introduction, but focused on the belt. Snapping it closed, she felt a vague humming sensation as the straps squeezed her gently against the backrest. The seat was body shaped and quickly adjusted to her slight frame.
“D’Artansis to Oches and Mogghy. What’s your status?”
Two voices answered over the communicator that they were ready to go.
“All right. We’re off. D’Artansis out.”
A vague whining sound reverberated through the craft, and soon they hovered at traffic level above the ground. D’Artansis expertly maneuvered the craft into the busy traffic paths and kept elevating the agile craft until they sped through the Cormanian capital.
Containing buildings up to 12,000 meters tall, both commercial and residential, Corma Neo was literally bulging, and it was impossible to distinguish the border of the neighboring cities. The Cormanian government had installed oxygen-producing technology at several levels among the structures, which Dwyn’s organization considered almost like re-terraformation. Corma was practically without any agricultural areas, and Dwyn feared that before long this planet, once among the most wondrously beautiful ones within the Supreme Constellations, might consist only of urban neighborhoods and industries.
The craft veered off toward the faint skyline north of the city. Suddenly feeling jittery and alert, Dwyn lifted her chin and watched as they approached the Disi-Disi forest. She had studied almost everything written about this place, and to her it held its own magic, its own amazing wonder.
“What a view,” Ensign Noor murmured, sounding reluctantly impressed.
“Don’t let that fool you, Ensign,” D’Artansis said with obvious disdain. “It’s actually a glorified swamp.”
Dwyn studied the rigid back in front of her. D’Artansis obviously wasn’t all that keen on the forest, but something in her voice had been almost hostile. “I can’t wait to experience it for myself,” Dwyn said.
“Good for you. As long as you experience it quickly.” D’Artansis didn’t turn around, but she didn’t have to.
Dwyn could easily interpret the other woman’s voice and posture. She loathed the protected forest. For some reason, Dwyn was as eager to solve this mystery as to pursue her current task.
Chapter Three
Emeron punched in the commands for a routine flight to the Disi-Disi border, where one of the forest rangers would scrutinize them. Zeger had provided all the necessary credentials and permits, but Emeron knew how bureaucracy worked on Corma—slowly, and if you tried to force anything, even slower.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ensign Noor sitting with closed eyes, no doubt following the unwritten rule of the law-enforcement teams—if you have a chance for a nap, take advantage of it, because you never know when you’ll get another opportunity to sleep.
Dwyn Izontro sat behind her, apparently deep in thought, and Emeron acknowledged that something about the woman annoyed her more than was justified. Granted, she frowned upon this mission because the assignment took her back to the Disi-Disi forest, a place she’d rather avoid.
“Beautiful, isn’t it, Commander D’Artansis?” Izontro said softly, interrupting her thoughts. “Look at the mist hanging over the treetops. Some of them are more than forty-five meters high.”
“I know.” She wasn’t in the mood to chat, but couldn’t very well ignore Izontro.
“They grow slowly. It takes them two hundred years to reach that height.”
“I see.”
“Have you ever been here?” Izontro’s breath tickled Emeron’s neck.
“Yes.”
“I can’t wait to experience this place for myself. I can’t rememb
er ever wanting to be dead wrong as I do now.”
“What do you mean?” Intrigued despite her best intentions, Emeron glanced at Izontro.
“I want to believe that the Cormanian government and the free-market players, the conglomerates of vanguard business, have honored the Thousand Year Pact. I hope they haven’t touched so much as a square meter of this area, but I’m almost sure they have.” Dwyn sounded sad and a bit forlorn.
“If they have, you’ll find traces of it.” Emeron made a wry face at her lame attempt to sound encouraging.
“Yes. I will.” There was no doubt in Izontro’s tone. “I always do.”
A small fort at the border of the Maireesian fields appeared, and Emeron began the descent. Very few vehicles were in their traffic corridor and Emeron touched down just outside the gate. A guard approached, her weapon slung casually over her shoulder.
“This outpost area is off-limits.” She sounded bored and obviously didn’t look closely at Emeron’s uniform.
“Ensign,” Emeron said, “I have permission to enter. But if I had been here on unlawful errands, greeting me with your weapon like that could have been the last thing you ever did.”
Snapping to attention and shifting the weapon to the correct position, the woman paled. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry ’bout that, ma’am.”
“You better be. Here are my permits and credentials.” Emeron produced a handheld computer.
“I’ll see to this right away, Commander.” The guard hurried toward a booth by the gate. Emeron noticed two figures moving inside and impatiently drummed her fingers on the console before her.
A moment later, the ensign came back and returned the computer. “Everything checks out, ma’am. You are allowed a thirty-day stay within the Disi-Disi forest’s boundaries. We added a document listing the rules and prohibitions for the area. You need to familiarize yourself with the five basic ones before you cross the Maireesian fields.”