The Phoenix Conspiracy

by Richard L. Sanders

  "So... are you here for some kind of big assignment? We usually only get blue-and-black through here."

  Calvin fought a smile; he did like the attention. But he'd be a terrible officer if he let his ego loosen his lips. "Sorry, just on vacation."

  "Right, of course," the man winked. "Then I wish you good luck with your vacation," as he spoke, the computer beeped its approval and the old guard nodded him through. "Follow the arrows to your left for accommodations, transportation, information, and anything else you need."

  "Thanks." Calvin put away his card and wandered to the offices against the far wall. Had he actually been on an assignment, the military would have pre-arranged everything, and someone would have met him the instant he stepped through security. But since he was on leave, he was effectively a civilian. Which meant civilian accommodations, and having to deal with long waits, no-vacancies, prices, and lines. Inconveniences he'd forgotten all about because they didn't exist in his world of starships and open space.

  He fell into line, trying not to push his way too hard through the mob of people doing business with the various offices and kiosks, or else just waiting around, and Calvin found himself wishing Raidan had been arrested on some small fringe outpost with fewer people.

  He stood against the wall, unable to find a seat, and wondered how he'd pass the time. That's when a random stranger tried to engage him in polite—and very boring—conversation about nothing. Calvin made pointless small-talk for a few minutes while he searched for an escape. That's when he saw a beautiful woman in full navy garb across the room. She was striking even from this distance, and familiar.

  "Oh what do you know," said Calvin. "I see an old friend. Thanks, though!" With that he rushed away, not wanting to lose sight of the woman across the room.

  She was Summers Presley, XO of the ISS Phoenix, and definitely not an old friend. In fact, he'd never seen her before in his life, not in the flesh. She was breathtaking with her cascade of blond hair and exquisite physique and her aura of certainty was disarming. He knew of her because of his short investigation into the Phoenix and there was no mistaking her. Her file photo had looked more like it belonged in a model's portfolio than a military profile, and even it hadn't done her justice. She was probably the most beautiful woman Calvin had ever seen. A fact he hoped to ignore since it gave her an unfair advantage.

  "Summers Presley," said Calvin, catching up to her. "I'm glad I recognized you, I have a few questions..."

  "I'm sorry, do I know you, officer?" She looked distracted and slightly annoyed, no doubt because he'd just breached protocol. Unacquainted officers in uniform always referred to each other by title or rank, and never by first name. Casual use of given names was something unique to Calvin's command style, and certainly not encouraged by either the Fleet or Intel Wing. But this practice had now come back to bite him, especially since, officially, he looked like a lower ranking officer than Commander Presley.

  "Oh right, sorry," said Calvin, but the damage was done. "I'm Calvin Cross of the IWS Nighthawk."

  Her eyes jumped to his rank insignia. "Lieutenant Commander?"

  "Yes. But don't let the silver bar fool you, I'm a CO."

  Her eyebrows shot up and she gave him strange look—a mixture of intrigue, disdain, and skepticism.

  "Look," he said, waving her away from the crowd of people. "I'm attending the trial of your CO and as an Intelligence Officer I've had to do some research. And, frankly, several things don't add up. I'm hoping you can help fill in the gaps, you know, the details that don't make it on paper. Like habits, traits, behaviors, and anything peculiar about Raidan’s personality."

  "I don't fully understand," said Summers, she made no effort to mask her reluctance to cooperate. "Am I being implicated in some way?"

  "Oh, no, no, not at all," said Calvin, raising his arms innocently. "This isn't an official investigation," he wasn't yet convinced she’d had no part in what unfolded on the Phoenix, but his priority was to investigate Raidan first. "Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just hoping you can tell me something I don't know. All of Raidan's, I mean Captain Asari Raidan's personnel notes describe you as an outstanding officer and, more importantly, a close friend. He trusted you. And you were near him when everything went down. Your perspective would be invaluable."

  She looked hurt for a split-second. It passed almost instantly but Calvin knew what it was when he saw it. When it vanished she became colder than ever.

  "Captain Asari Raidan was a very secretive man and he kept his true feelings to himself. I'm as mystified as you are, Lieutenant Commander. But the writing's on the wall. He either snapped and bowed to a hunger for violence or else succumbed to a deep hatred for the rotham he made us kill. Whatever the case may be, he's a criminal and unfit for command. Nothing more to it."

  "With respect, Commander, there is more to it. And you should be the first to realize that. You served with him for six years and were his XO for almost two. Doesn't it bother you that a nine-times decorated captain, from an established affluent family, and a full citizen, would throw away everything without motive or cause, after twenty-nine years of diligent service?"

  She closed her eyes for a moment and looked incredibly frustrated. "You speak as if I were somehow involved, Lieutenant Commander. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't."

  "No, I'm sorry," said Calvin. "Sometimes I'm not very good at communicating what I am trying to say. So, instead, if you don't mind, I'll just ask you a few simple questions about the days leading up to the Beotan Incident. Beginning just before Captain Raidan ordered the Phoenix to go dark."

  Again he saw the glimmer of what might have been sincere hurt. But this time, instead of looking vulnerable, Summers' eyes narrowed and her voice turned to steel. "I'm sure all your musings will be satisfied by the trial, which—despite what you may think—doesn't begin until tomorrow. Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer not to discuss this any further off the record."

  "Yes, of course," said Calvin, giving her an exaggerated nod. "Commander."

  She returned the nod with a fake smile and walked away. He tried to keep his eyes from following her, feeling irritated, and wondering how he might have handled the conversation better.

  He hated arrogant women, especially the attractive kind who’d probably had everything in life handed to them on a silver platter.

  Chapter 3

  The room Calvin had been given was about the same size as his quarters aboard the Nighthawk. Just large enough to have a bed, a desk, various drawers, and enough floor space for a pile of boxes. It was sparse and dull, with a small liquor cabinet as the only luxury. But since Calvin didn't drink, it was only there to take up space in an already cramped room.

  At his feet, and in piles on his bed, were all the effects from his quarters aboard the Nighthawk. Even the posters had been removed from the walls, the remains of which were in tatters. He was probably the only CO in the Empire who decorated his military quarters with posters of music artists and slick-looking ads for upcoming blockbusters. He liked the color and noise they filled his space with, and they reminded him of the lighter side of life. But, because of the ship’s scheduled cleaning, they'd all been removed and in their condition would never hang again. Luckily they were less than 1q a piece and would be easy to replace.

  He shifted his things around, only unpacking the boxes that were on his bed. His better judgment knew he should unpack everything now and avoid taking a nap in order to adjust to Local Time. But, to Calvin, better judgment wasn't all it was cracked up to be. And he knew he couldn't be productive while tired. So, with a heave, he pushed the last box off the bed so he could sleep. The box spilled open and a lemon-shaped chargeball rolled out. He scooped it up, feeling the firm leather, and turned it in his hands. It was worn from casual play and bore the white and crimson colors of the Camdale Cardinals.

  He, Anand, and Miles had all been part of the so-called "miracle class" of 1212. The year when their rogue public school—from one of
the dumpiest parts of Capital World—beat all the premiere universities in the Empire at both academics and the only sport the Empire seemed to care about, chargeball. And though he and his friends rarely played chargeball, and never attended a single game, it was still one more thing to be proud of. The rebel underdogs with the surprising—and never repeated—upset.

  He smiled, thinking back on some of the "glory" days of just six years prior. From outlandish, and often unsuccessful, forays with girls to pranks and parties that as often as not ended on a low note, their academy years had brought them all together. Now, partly as a reward for his efforts on the Hadar Mission and partly because of good luck, he and those he trusted most had managed to spend the past few standard-months assigned to the same ship. He knew it wouldn't last. But for as long as it did, he’d enjoy it.

  He lied down and rotated the chargeball in his hands while staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts shifted from back home to the present and his encounter with Summers Presley. He had a keen memory and as he played it over again in his head, remembering the image as if he were staring at a picture, he focused carefully on her body language and the intonations of her voice. Something about the conversation bothered him. Yes, he didn't like that it had been cold and unsuccessful, but more importantly—she'd inadvertently given something away. She liked Asari Raidan. For all her cold words she couldn't hide the fact that she felt betrayed by him personally and not just professionally. At one point or another, she'd had opposite feelings for him. Admiration? Friendship? Romance?

  But Calvin hadn't picked up on anything more. Summers had been too distracting; flowing hair, eyes like deep green pools, luscious lips, teeth white and glossy, and a face that was both delicately crafted yet confident and strong. Her beauty pit his body against his mind, making her incredibly difficult to analyze. Eventually he gave up. Deciding she was probably not part of Raidan's scheme to attack the Rotham ships—though her relationship with Raidan was definitely more than she made it out to be.

  The chime broke his concentration.

  "Come," he said

  The door slid aside and Anand stepped in, complete with stubble and mussy brown hair that matched his skin but contrasted with his overly-immaculate black uniform. In one hand he held a set of papers.

  "Who dares disturb my slumber?" Calvin asked as he sat up. He tossed the chargeball to Anand who botched what would've been a slick one-handed catch. Anand reached down to scoop up the ball but Calvin stopped him, "Don't worry about it, the room's a mess anyway."

  "It wouldn't be you, if it wasn't," Anand smiled.

  "Ha ha, very funny," Calvin rolled his eyes. "Is that what you're here to do? Harass your superior? Keep him from his much-deserved nap?"

  "Easy there, Cal, I'm the one who's a full Commander here," Anand pointed to the gold bar on his lapel. "So I'm perfectly safe disturbing you and your much undeserved nap, Lieutenant Commander."

  "You know that's the second time someone's reminded me of that today. I should just never step off the ship again... But don't think just because we're ashore that you get a free ride. The minute we're back I'll have you on continuous watch for days," said Calvin. "And don't think this big vacation will make me forget it either. I'll stew over it the whole time. I take my naps very seriously, you know."

  Anand laughed, but there was a tinge of sadness in his laughter, and when he stopped his face became pensive. "Actually that's why I'm here to see you. I'm not going back aboard the Nighthawk."

  "What are you talking about?" Calvin stood up and Anand handed him the papers.

  "I've been given command of the Phoenix, effective immediately. It seems the Fleet isn't very confident Captain Raidan will return to active duty any time soon. And they want an outsider to do a full audit of the ship and crew."

  “And that’s you?”

  Anand nodded. “Who better than Intel Wing?”

  Calvin thumbed through the documents which were all very official, complete with digital seal. "Why wasn't I notified by the Fleet about this?"

  "After I found out, I asked the Vice Admiral to let me be the one to tell you."

  "Well... that was nice they let you. Did they say who my new XO is?"

  "No. I bet they're waiting for the trial to be over to announce it."

  "Yeah right. I give it nine to one on that they haven't even decided yet."

  Anand laughed. "That's the Imperial Fleet for you."

  "Well..." Calvin wasn't sure what to say. He felt a little hurt but masked his disappointment. "Your own command..." he floundered for words. "That's got to be exciting."

  "I'm ecstatic," Anand said, perhaps more eagerly than he’d intended. "Not that I won't miss the Nighthawk or anything."

  Calvin forced a chuckle. "Yeah right, you'll forget all about us the minute you sit in that big chair and hear someone call you captain for the first time."

  Anand shrugged.

  "Well I guess we'd better get it over with." Calvin signed the papers and handed them back.

  Anand then read the orders of detachment. "Commander Anand Datar, you are ordered to take command of the ISS Phoenix immediately, and all current assignments are hereby dissolved." He continued until he'd read the whole address.

  "I relieve you as Executive Officer of the IWS Nighthawk," said Calvin.

  "I stand relieved." Anand saluted.

  "Well, Anand. You'll be missed. It was an honor serving with you. Do me a favor and try to keep yourself alive out there, it's a scary galaxy."

  Anand laughed. "You're the one I'm worried about. How many times did I save the Nighthawk when you tried to crash it into a planet or something?"

  "At least a hundred."

  "More like a thousand."

  Calvin smirked. "All right, Anand, see you around the stars."

  "Take care, Calvin.” He nodded and left.

  Once the door whisked shut Calvin shook his head. He'd just lost an excellent officer. And as a CO who put a lot of value in his XO’s capabilities, he hoped his next one would be as good.

  ***

  Calvin awoke slowly, rubbing at eyes that seemed to be glued shut. His throat was parched and his stomach growled like a beast on the brink of starvation. Everything was black, except for the blinding glow of the clock on the nightstand.

  0430 L.T. & 1950 S.T.

  A yawn escaped him as he stretched out his limbs and crawled out of bed. His fingers skimmed his clumpy, messy hair and he realized he'd slept on-and-off for the better part of fifteen hours. The unhealthy result of sleep deprivation, stress, and way too much equarius. Speaking of which... he reached for the bottle of pills and placed it back in its locked case, which he then buried in one of his many boxes. It had been sloppy to leave the bottle in plain sight, even in his own quarters. Had someone seen the pills, he'd be in a lot of trouble.

  His shirt was sweaty as he peeled it off and he realized he hadn't showered in over a day. For someone obsessed with being clean, hygiene trumped breakfast as top priority, despite the protests of his stomach. Food would have to wait a little longer.

  The private shower was much larger than his on the Nighthawk and being on the station carried another advantage, the hot water seemed endless. He scrubbed himself more than he needed to, lathering everywhere with soap as he enjoyed the soothing hot water and steam. It was relaxing, like his own personal chamber of solitude. There was a tranquility here that even equarius couldn't offer, and in his relaxed state his mind wandered like a dream.

  Until a chirping sound brought him back to the present. At first he didn't know what it was, but had to cut his shower short when he realized the sound was the comm panel. As he grabbed for a towel to wrap around himself he wondered who would call this early. If it's a sales call they'll never hear the end of my wrath!

  He tapped a button on the panel and the screen came to life, blue text informed him that a private call was coming through. He tapped Accept to the audio but denied the visual, since being broadcast wet and shirtless wasn't his
style, even if a few people might have enjoyed it.

  "Lieutenant Commander Cross, is that you?" The voice was obviously computer-generated.

  "Yeah, it's me," said Calvin. "Who is this? What do you want?"

  "I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

  He wondered if this was some kind of prank. "Sorry for what?"

  "For involving you in this. But I hope, when the time is right, you'll understand there was no choice."

  Calvin didn't say anything for a few seconds, wondering if the mysterious voice would continue.

  It didn't.

  "Okay, I have no idea who this is. If you want something from me, you're going to have to give me more to go on than that. Like your name and what this thing is you're involved in."

  "Goodbye."

  The screen flashed the text "Call Terminated." Calvin searched for caller information but there was nothing, not even a call-back link. Maybe the caller was harmless, but then again maybe not.

  He wrote down what the voice had said, verbatim. Including details about the voice's sound and texture, and he described the intonations as best he could remember them. No detail was worthless until proven otherwise. His memory of sound wasn't nearly as sharp as his memory of images, but it was still a cut above most people.

  The panel chirped again. He quickly tapped Accept Call and, in his haste, forgot to deny the visual.

  "Well, that's certainly... unprofessional attire." From the other side of the screen was the narrow brown face of Vice Admiral Harkov in full dress uniform, including her emerald rank insignia.

  "Hey... what I wear at obscenely early morning hours—while on leave, is my business and not the Fleet's." He cracked a smile. He'd been chastised in the past for being too casual or "sarcastic" in tone while talking to the top brass, but since he wasn't part of Harkov's Fifth Fleet, he didn't care what she thought of him. Being part of Intel Wing made it easy to feel above the rules.