Power Games

by David Applegate

  “We need you all to remain quiet while I investigate,” Patya said.

  “Is this official?” Hilda asked.

  “The Inquisition. This is an official operation to catch a spy which means it is a crime to disclose the existence of the case to anyone, not on the case or even admit you are part of a case,” Patya said.

  “What do we do?” Hilda asked.

  “You’re on extended leave doing magical research for the Lilith foundation,” Kaede replied.

  “If we take an extended leave, we will lose all promotion points,” Hilda said.

  “A charge of negligent handling of classified material will do worse. You will lose all benefits and rank while awaiting trial, and the charge will remain on your permanent record despite the fact you will be cleared when we catch the spy,” Patya said.

  “Are you blackmailing us?” Fukuhina demanded as she stood.

  “Presenting you with the facts,” Patya replied.

  “Patya, let me handle this,” Kaede said, holding his hand up to Patya. He walked to the big screen, removed the remote from the holder on the wall, and clicked it on.

  “What is that?” Fukuhina inquired, turning to look. She walked to the screen. It displayed an image of a boot print halfway into a wall.

  “Proof three Ogre spies vanished from an asteroid in deep space by walking into an empty room with no other exit,” Kaede replied, “We took down the wall and found the Ogre’s living quarters and ritual chamber. We assume they teleported to a ship hidden in another asteroid, but we only have fragments of the spell and signatures. This is why we need the spell trace.”

  Hilda stood up and walked over. She towered over Kaede. “Are we a team or working on our own?”

  “A team and Lady Fukuhina will be the team’s leader. She will report to Lady Yuki. She will be your liaison with the Imperial Security Agency,” Kaede replied. “You are all paid at your current rate, plus expenses, into a private account, less your payment while on leave which is paid into your regular account.”

  “Count me in,” Emi said.

  “What will happen to the charges against us?” Cerise asked.

  “When Patya makes an arrest, he will declassify the operation and reveal this was all done in cooperation with various branches. Then you all receive an official commendation and an advancement in rank. Until then I pay you at your current rate,” Kaede replied.

  “Deal,” Nadia stated.

  “Good, you need to turn in all your uniforms, sidearms and other issued equipment, including body armour and vehicles. I will provide you with two armoured SUVs, body armour and a registered handgun. Later, each of you will each be given a car,” Kaede said. He turned to Patya, “Patya, I need a large area of land within an hour flight of the city.”

  “How big?” Patya asked.

  “We can work on the details later, but I need a training area for Kaede Security that includes vehicle warfare, so something the size of the old tank testing grounds south of New Moscow you have vacant,” Kaede said.

  “I want full price,” Patya said.

  “I want that and a large amount of the surrounding land plus a couple of office blocks in the city,” Kaede said.

  “What do you have in mind?” Patya asked.

  “We shall talk on the way,” Kaede said.

  “On the way to where?” Fukuhina asked.

  “Ladies, welcome to Kaede security until we have new officers and facilities, you will work out of the old building, and you will use the forensic lab at the Lilith Foundation,” Kaede replied,

  “What do you need so much land for?” Patya asked.

  “Training area to train new agents,” Kaede replied.

  “Us?” Cerise asked.

  “Yes, I hope you will become my full-time investigators. But I need more and will be giving priority to former knights,” Kaede said as he headed for the door, then stopped and turned. “Coming, ladies?”

  “Pardon?” Fukuhina inquired.

  “Sorry, Lady Toshiko is at the driver training track at Camp Bravo. I booked it for today to test the prototype to my car. Once finished, it will be the model that I shall provide you with,” Kaede replied. Kaede smiled, turned and left. Patya shrugged and followed Kaede out.

  Fukuhina smiled and caught up with Patya as they headed out. “Is he serious?”

  “Yes, Fukuhina, he is. You know one of the ringleaders, the Ogre pirate from the attack on your ship in the Exodus fleet,” Patya replied.

  “I thought he was dying?” Fukuhina asked.

  “It seems the Ogres saved him,” Patya said.

  “Odd,” Cerise said behind them.

  Fukuhina turned and asked, “Oh?”

  “The Blood-Witches used magic to keep that Ogre alive, his organs were cooked, and he was not healing. He should have died once our spell ended,” Cerise said.

  Patya faced Cerise and said, “That’s why we need to capture him alive. We want to find out what magic is keeping him alive, the medical records from the Ogre embassy say he is dead.”

  Everyone, except for Cerise, was shocked. Patya looked at Cerise. She nodded and said, “The Empire already knows what keeps him alive. It is a school of magic rarely taught. It is called Necromancy. Not can this magic raise the near dead, it can raise the dead, or worse, animate the corpse,” Cerise quietly said.

  Patya went to say something, he heard a cough behind him, he turned to see Kaede. He was holding a gear shift knob with a long cylinder key on it. He was practising gear shifts with the knob. He was not surprised or shocked, he looked at Cerise and said, “We will worry about that another day.”

  Chapter 43

  At the racetrack, in the city’s northeast, Kaede, in a fire suit and racing helmet, drove fast around the track, the car was limited to a top speed of 120 km per hour, but the speedometer went to 500. The sleek sports car was made from plastic; it was a pale grey, as it had not been painted. He drove fast into and stopped hard in the pit stop. The car’s door popped out and slid back along the body. Kaede got out as engineers checked the car, changed the wheels, fuelled the vehicle, and began to remove the oil. Another group in lab coats opened the rear hatch and connected a computer on a trolley to the engine and its black box.

  A smiling Toshiko came up to Kaede as he removed his helmet.

  “Now, can I drive with a passenger?” Kaede asked her as she approached.

  “You need to give Patya a turn behind the wheel,” Toshiko said.

  “He can drive his car anytime,” Kaede said.

  “Which is not as fast as yours,” Toshiko said.

  “He can buy one soon,” Kaede pointed out.

  “I will give you some high-speed driving lessons, but only if you give Patya a turn,” Toshiko stated.

  “Top speed?” an excited Kaede inquired.

  “First see how you handle a limit of 200,” Toshiko replied, poking his nose.

  Kaede raced up the stairs of the stand behind the pit stop. He passed Nori, who looked puzzled as Kaede went past her. Kaede went over and stood in front of Patya. He sat at the end of the row of the ladies, beside Nadia.

  “I am taking a break. Would you like a turn?” Kaede offered.

  “You know I would, Emperor,” Patya replied. He stood and looked Kaede in the eye. Patya looked hurt.

  “I am sorry,” Kaede muttered.

  “Did you say something?” Patya inquired, his eyebrows raised.

  “I said, I am sorry that I said I would think about it and ran off, I treated you like a boy and not a man,” Kaede responded in a soft voice, looking at his feet, “I was trying to treat you as a friend.”

  Patya lifted Kaede’s chin and looked him in the eye. “I see you are sorry. I forgive you,” Patya said with a smile. “Just don’t do it again?”

  Kaede nodded and glanced over towards Nori and said, “Excuse me.”

  Patya nodded. Kaede went over to Nori and sat beside her.

  “Nice car,” Nori said. She wore her fire suit and was
holding a racing helmet on her lap. “What colour is it?”

  “I know it is ugly, they are still working on how to paint it,” Kaede said as Patya drove off.

  “Why can’t they paint it?” Nori asked, looking at Kaede.

  “We developed a special paint that can change colour, but it peels off,” Kaede replied.

  “You have never painted a model, have you?” a confused Nori asked.

  “Does a couple of metal figures count?” Kaede asked.

  “If you can come over later, I will show you how to paint a model.”

  “You know how to paint smooth plastic?”

  “It is easy to paint smooth plastic. Use coarse sandpaper to make the surface rough before you put on a primer made for plastic. After you paint the car, use a clear sealant, because you do not want to get water under the paint,” Nori said.

  “Thanks.”

  “When do I get a turn, driving?”

  “Before Lady Toshiko will let me take a passenger in my car, I must prove to her I am not going to crash,” Kaede said, watching Patya race through the chicane.

  “Cool,” Nori exclaimed.

  “Nori, you need my permission to drive,” Lady Emi said from behind.

  “Mum!” Nori exclaimed.

  Emi put her hand on Nori’s shoulder and said, “Don’t you mum me.”

  “Lady Emi, what if I took you first?” Kaede said, looking at Emi.

  Cerise laughed. Fukuhina leaned over to her. “Cerise, hush.”

  “Why are we still here?” Nadia asked.

  “Because Lady Toshiko asked you to wait for her,” Kaede replied. He turned to Emi and asked, “Would you like me to take you for a spin?”

  “Emperor, it isn’t because I don’t trust you,” Emi said. She looked at the car race around the track.

  “I have a licence to drive up to 200,” Kaede said.

  Emi looked at Kaede and asked, “How fast can it go?”

  “Five hundred and twenty-five kilometres per hour,” Kaede replied.

  “Do I get to drive it?” Nori asked.

  “Does it have a speed-limiter?” Emi asked.

  “Yes,” Kaede replied.

  Emi turned to Nori and said, “Yes, one lap with me beside you and the speed limiter set to thirty,” Emi replied.

  “Mum-” Nori said.

  “Relax Nori, I am sure she means sixty,” Kaede said, he turned to Emi and said, “Our karts do 120.”

  “Alright, I will set the speed limiter to 60 on the first lap. If you can handle that speed, then I will think about letting you go again, at 120,” Emi said.

  “Thanks!” Nori exclaimed. “Can I drive solo on the second lap?”

  “Until you have a licence, you have to go with your mum,” Kaede said. “Your licence is only for off-road karting.”

  Nori rolled her eyes, as Emi said, “Thank you, Emperor.”

  Emi smiled and said, “It is all right if you have Kaede in the car with you.”

  Nori squealed and exclaimed, “Thanks, Mum!”

  Patya entered the pit stop and stopped near the open garage. As he got out, the pit crew came over and checked the car. Toshiko exited the garage in a racing jumpsuit carrying her helmet. Patya walked over to her.

  “How was it?” she asked.

  “Great,” Patya replied. “I cannot wait to have one of my own.”

  “I am going to take it around the track a few times, then give Kaede a turn at high speed.”

  “Do you think he is ready?” Patya asked.

  “He did well in the simulator,” Toshiko replied, putting on her helmet. Kaede came out with his helmet on.

  “Are you going to behave?” Patya asked Kaede.

  Kaede opened the faceplate and replied, “I know my patience needs work.”

  “Toshiko, do you mind if I take him hunting tonight?” Patya asked while still looking at Kaede.

  Kaede’s eyes lit up, and Toshiko smiled. She looked at Kaede and replied, “Have fun.”

  After driving Kaede around the track twice, Toshiko stopped in the pit stop, got out and said to the crew, “Fill her up.”

  Toshiko walked around to the passenger seat and tapped on the window, Kaede got out and walked around to the driver’s seat and got in.

  Once refuel, Kaede drove around the track a couple of times then stopped in the pit stop. Toshiko got out and saw Emi waiting. Toshiko nodded and headed to the group in the stands.

  Emi put on a safety helmet and got in the passenger seat. Toshiko plugged the intercom into Emi’s helmet. Kaede waited until given the green light, then drove off as fast as he could. Emi saw numbers and square brackets in front of Kaede.

  “What are the number and brackets for?” Emi asked.

  “HUD displays optimal speed, position on the road, and it has collision avoidance,” Kaede replied.

  “Sora is an odd choice,” Emi remarked. She glanced at the speedometer, it read 400.

  “I know Izanami is smarter and prettier than Sora, but Sora is a better organiser,” Kaede responded.

  “But you love Izanami, and she loves you,” Emi said.

  “She has a temper,” Kaede replied.

  “What about love?” Emi inquired.

  “Flower Elves believe marriage is about family and togetherness. Love is for dating. Sora is the best choice to be Empress and the mother of my son, while Izanami is a good companion,” Kaede said.

  Emi looked at him. “Is anyone forcing you what to marry Sora?”

  “No,” Kaede responded as he slowed fast into a turn and accelerated quickly out of it. The car didn’t drift; it leaned into the corner and adjusted each wheel independently.

  “Many think I am a traitor,” Emi said as she looked out the passenger window.

  “I know. But someone has been helping the Ogres and has been for a long time,” Kaede said.

  “Oh, my.”

  “The question is, why did Galen steal the stealth?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? It can sneak past our defences.”

  “No. We were not testing stealth. We know the technology works, and it has many weaknesses. We were testing our new sensors.”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “Please don’t tell anyone, not even your fellow accused. Only a few knew we installed new sensors.”

  “Why? Do you suspect them?”

  “No. We don’t know how, or when the enemy is listening. We know they got information my grandfather passed to you, but not the details of the operation Toshiko launched.”

  “I am glad you don’t suspect me,” Emi said.

  “I have a confession to make,” Kaede said.

  “I know you have a crush on me, but I am married.”

  “It’s more than just a crush.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Emi said, looking out the window smiling.

  Kaede stopped in the pit stop, and Emi got out. Kaede came around the car and hugged her and handed her the keys and asked, “Would you mind if I gave Nori a model to test drive on the weekends?”

  “All right,” a surprised Emi replied. “But she is not to drive it without me.”

  Kaede nodded and gestured ‘come over here’ at Nori, who was waiting at the barricade. Nori raced over to Kaede, and they watched while the crew checked the car.

  Emi tapped Nori’s nose and said, “Behave please, sweetie.”

  Nori rolled her eyes and got in the passenger seat.

  Kaede drove Nori around the track for an hour. Nori sat in the passenger seat laughing and whooping with joy as Kaede pushed the car to its limits. At the end of each lap, Kaede stopped, and Toshiko raised the speed limiter. After a few laps, the limiter was reset to sixty and Nori got a turn.

  Chapter 44

  After the engineers had loaded his car onto a truck, Kaede introduced them to Nori. He arranged for Nori to come to the Kaede building to show them how to paint a model car. Emi took a tired and excited Nori home.

  Patya and Kaede were flown north by helicopter to the edge of
a park at a lake. Both wore camouflage with bright orange hunting vests. Patya unloaded a couple of packs and short spears, then checked Kaede’s hunting vest as the helicopter left.

  “We will ditch the high-visibility vest later. First, I want to see how good your night vision is,” Patya said.

  “My night vision is excellent,” a puzzled Kaede replied.

  “Just because Elves can see in the dark better than other races, that doesn’t mean we all see the same.”

  Confused, Kaede asked. “Why are we out here?”

  “I am trying to tell you there is more to observation than being able to see more shades of colours than I do.”

  “Are you upset about the photo?”

  Patya grunted as he went over to the two packs and picked up a short spear.

  “Are we friends?” Patya asked as he held the spear sideways. He tossed it to Kaede, who caught it with both hands.

  “What are we hunting?” Kaede asked, examining the short spear.

  “Frogs,” Patya said, handing Kaede a pair of waders.

  “Frogs?”

  “Yes. Also, you are going to learn how to use your sixth and seventh senses.”

  “How is feeling electrical energy or movement around me going to help me hunt in a swamp?”

  Patya put on waders, then picked up a pack. He pointed the spear at Kaede and said, “You are not as smart as you think you are.”

  Kaede took a step forward.

  “There is a spy inside the Palace, and you think it is one of those women. I do not. Before you ask, my grandfather taught me about catching spies and protecting secrets. We have our own methods.”

  “Book learning is not the same as experience.”

  “Sometimes we have to lie to our friends. You know that.”

  “Are we friends?”

  Kaede smiled. He looked at Patya and nodded. He turned looked up at the sky and said, “I know I lack experience, but my grandfather has been preparing me to take office since I could talk. Don’t worry. I shall compensate for that by having experienced advisors.”

  “Who do you think the spy is?” Patya inquired.

  “I can only speculate that it is someone close to them with the ability to hide their true feelings from your mind readers.”

  Patya pointed to his head and said, “I think the spy is not using magical means to read minds.”