The Phoenix Crisis

by Richard L. Sanders

  He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it. When he opened them again he discovered that there was a new top story. This one was coming out of the Republic; for once it wasn’t Imperial citizens but rather the Rotham who’d been affected. Apparently one of their planets, Cepheus, had been the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack. The Republic was rushing ships and aid to the planet. The details were still sketchy and no one had been identified as the culprit. However, the Republic seemed to have ruled out the Imperial government and was calling it an isolated terrorist attack. Possibly done by “disenfranchised human radicals.”

  From the initial reports, it looked every bit as dirty, and savage, and bloody, as the Renora attacks had been. Countless deaths, mostly to civilians. But the Cepheus situation had the potential to keep getting worse in a way the Renora situation didn’t. Once the ships had stopped firing on Renora, the rainfall of planetary bombardment rounds had ceased. Giving the survivors the chance to pick through the ashes and lick their wounds. But on Cepheus… the entire ecosystem was being affected, and food production on the planet was expected to decrease by over ninety-percent in the next year, possibly leading to mass starvations. There was even the chance that the planet, which was home to billions of people, would become uninhabitable. A massive planetary evacuation had never been attempted in all of history, but people on the Network were writing about what it would take to achieve if the worst should happen on Cepheus.

  It was difficult, at this stage, to sort through all of the rumors and identify which ones were plausible and which were exaggerated or false, but one thing Calvin knew for sure… this had been a sick, and revolting action against innocents who’d had no skin the game. They weren’t the enemy. So why attack them?

  This was Raidan’s work, Calvin realized. It seemed too dark, and too savage to be something Raidan would have done. But Calvin remembered the report Grady had given him not long ago, about how Raidan had likely stolen materials from Aleator that were components for extreme biological weapons. Calvin had intended to confront Raidan about it when he saw him, and demand answers, but he hadn’t gone to Raidan. He’d chosen to meet with the princess instead…

  Damn me… He wondered if that meant he shared in some of the blame for this outrage. Was some of the blood of Cepheus on his hands too?

  No, he couldn’t think like that. Couldn’t let himself become a martyr for others’ choices. He’d never wanted this attack to happen, and certainly never would have ordered it himself, so he wasn’t guilty… but if he wasn’t guilty, then why did he feel so… dead inside over this?

  “We’ve got something for you,” said a voice over his earpiece. He snapped to attention and watched the door.

  “Go ahead,” he said.

  “Female, about thirty-five years old, short brown hair, purple hat, lavender coat. She did a full perimeter sweep and is now heading directly for the café. She does not appear to be armed.”

  “I see her,” said Calvin as a woman matching her description entered. She looked around the room for a moment, as if searching for something. Calvin watched her, careful not to stare. He had no intention of drawing attention to himself until he got a better sense of who she was and what she wanted.

  “We’re running the photos we took through the computer system now, so far no matches,” said the voice in his ear. “Probably because she was too covered.”

  The woman wore a scarf and sunglasses in addition to her coat and hat and, taken together, the outfit did a good job of making computer recognition analysis difficult—if not impossible. Calvin doubted this was a coincidence.

  As the woman glanced over the room, her eyes eventually fell on Calvin. She walked very casually up to his table and took the seat opposite him.

  “Nice hair,” she said. No doubt a comment on his altered appearance.

  “Thanks,” he said, deflecting her sarcasm. Despite what she, and Rain, and others thought, he pulled off the dark hair look very well, as far as he was concerned. And it must have been authentic enough because it managed to fool the barista and everyone on the street into thinking he was someone else.

  “I’ll get right down to it,” she said, taking off her sunglasses and meeting his gaze with vibrant chestnut eyes that matched her smooth, flawless skin. “I know who you are, I know you’re looking for Rafael Te Santos, and I know where you can find him.”

  Calvin’s eyes scrutinized her. Wondering just who she was and how she knew any of this. Perhaps she was a Phoenix Ring operative who was trying to defect. “What do you want?” he asked her.

  “Sanctuary,” she whispered. “I’m tired of running. I want sanctuary, and I want to help you take these bastards down.”

  “And who are you?” he asked. Still not convinced of her good intentions.

  “My operating name is Ice—my real name is Rosemarie—I work for the Organization.”

  Things were beginning to make a lot more sense. “Why come to me?” asked Calvin. “Can’t the Organization protect you?”

  “I haven’t been able to contact the Organization since I went dark, and—from what I can tell—most of our operation on Capital World had been removed, possibly even eliminated.”

  Calvin knew that was true. The Organization’s presence on Capital World was being excised by someone, and the body count was not trivial. Even the rich and influential, people like Yanal Kemmer, were turning up dead.

  “All right, I think a deal can be made,” said Calvin. “But first you have to give me something.”

  “Anything,” she said.

  “A weapon was recently deployed by the Organization on Cepheus, what can you tell me about it?” In truth he wasn’t sure if this former Organization operative, this Rosemarie, would know anything about it. It would make sense for her to only have information relevant to her mission, but she also struck Calvin as the type of person who made sure she was in the know. And he reasoned that there was about a half-chance that Rosemarie knew something about it.

  “There is a weapon,” said Rosemarie. “And I have been following the news. The weapon that was deployed on Cepheus was definitely one of ours.”

  “One?”

  “Yes, one. There are at least three others. They were originally made as a possible response to a rumored super-weapon the Phoenix Ring was developing. That is all I know. If we fired one, and I’m sure we did, that could only mean they fired first.”

  Calvin knew about the Phoenix Ring’s super-weapon, it was the isotome weapons. And, aside from the test firing that had resulted in the collapse of the TR-301 star, no isotome weapons had been fired. Which meant this attack on Cepheus was motivated by something else. He searched Rosemarie’s eyes, trying to decide if she was holding something back, but ultimately decided that she was being honest and forthcoming.

  “Consider yourself in my protective custody,” said Calvin. A look of relief washed over Rosemarie’s face. “We are going after Rafael first thing. You said you knew where I could find him, so I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “I don’t know exactly where he is specifically,” she admitted. And then quickly added, “but I know the locations of a series of secret prisons the Phoenix Ring uses. He is likely in one of them… if he is still alive.”

  Her comments didn’t instill a lot of confidence in Calvin but he had what he wanted, another lead. He could finally resume the hunt.

  “I also know that the Phoenix Ring has a primary bunker. A secure facility where they will await their transition into power, once they believe the government is about to fall into their hands. The easiest time to catch them all is to corner them there, once they’re all together.”

  Now that was something Calvin could work with. “Where is this bunker?”

  “Unfortunately I do not know,” said Rosemarie. “Even when I had infiltrated the Phoenix Ring at the very deepest I could go, they never trusted me with its location. But I do know that it exists.”

  At least that was something. Perhaps Rafael could
tell them more.

  “There’s something else,” said Rosemarie. Calvin looked at her curiously. “One of the top members of the Phoenix Ring—I don’t know his real identity but his seconds and thirds always called him Duke–I believe he could be turned. If we separate him from all of the others, and make it clear to him that they’ve lost, he’ll spill everything. I’m sure of it.”

  Calvin nodded. That man, this Duke, was what he could take to the Assembly. His testimony and Calvin’s evidence should hopefully be enough to stop the vote against King Akira, if such a motion ever got through.

  “All units converge on my position,” said Calvin to his earpiece. “I’m taking the informant into protective custody immediately.”

  ***

  “I need you to get results.” Though he couldn’t be sure through the comm display, Calvin thought he saw fear in Kalila’s eyes as she spoke.

  Every time that he’d seen her before, she’d always been composed and in control, and even now she still radiated a commanding presence, but there was something different today. She looked exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in days, and he saw something else too—dread.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her, feeling warm concern. They’d had only occasional contact since he’d started his investigation. Kalila had to see to the needs of the Assembly, but Calvin still thought about her. And still relished every moment he had with her.

  “I’m fine,” she said abruptly. “But our time is running out. I cannot stress that enough. I need you to complete your investigation—and soon.”

  “I’m getting there, My Lady,” said Calvin. “My interrogations are making progress. I have new leads I’m following. Even as we speak, I’m even planning a mission to rescue my lost operative; I’m confident that we will get to the bottom of this. I just need more time.”

  “I’ll give you what time I can,” said Kalila. “But don’t count on much. A vote has been called in the Assembly, they want to revoke my father’s crown.”

  Calvin’s eyes widened. He’d known this was coming, they all did, but still… speculating about something and hearing it aloud were very different things.

  “I have rallied my supporters and managed to block the motion… for now. But I know I can’t stall the Assembly forever, especially as the endless tides of bad news keep pouring out of Renora. If I lose the support of even one House—one—then my power in the Assembly is finished and the Martels, the Conroys, the Sabels, and all the rest of them will have their way. I need to bring allegations of my own before the Assembly. I have to expose this conspiracy, Calvin. And I have to do it soon.”

  He understood now. She wasn’t ordering him to accelerate his investigation, she was pleading with him. Begging him to do all he could. Time really was of the essence, then, he realized. He’d always known that it would be better for everyone if he unraveled the conspiracy as fast as he could, but he never would have guessed the Akiran position would become so frail so soon.

  “I promise you,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “I will get to the bottom of this as fast as I possibly can. I won’t let them steal your father’s throne.” If King Akira lost his throne, Calvin was sure it would spell doom for the Empire as it split into weakened factions while the Rotham and Polarians would sweep in and claim what they liked. A chilling thought. And one that didn’t seem so impossible anymore.

  “Thank you,” said Kalila. “I cannot stress the urgency enough.”

  The call terminated.

  Chapter 27

  “She has blocked my motion in the Assembly, and so long as she retains her supporters, there will be no Ascension,” said Caerwyn. As usual his pudgy face flushed red and he could not hide his frustration.

  “All things are moving along according to plan,” said Zane in his most reassuring tone. “Patience.”

  “Not good enough,” said Caerwyn. “I need to know that there is some kind of plan, some kind of action you are going to take, to make certain my challenge to the Akiran throne becomes effectual. If we wait too long and the situation on Renora were to stabilize, for instance, that might backfire and demonstrate to the Assembly members that the King is a capable leader. I might be the one losing support from my political faction!”

  “You have nothing to fear,” said Zane. His older brother was able to manage himself in public but in private, especially when he was only among family, Caerwyn could be an emotional loose cannon. It was one of many weaknesses he had, but Zane was grateful for those weaknesses—despite the liability they sometimes presented. Because manipulation of those weaknesses would be how Zane would control the Empire after his brother had assumed the throne.

  “It is a simple thing to tell me I have no cause for fear—but it does nothing to reassure me.”

  “Renora is going to get worse, not better. Already the planet is in a total state of rebellion and the King’s troops are on the retreat. My people will continue their efforts and soon the King’s soldiers and his Prefect will be forced to abandon the planet. It will be seen as a spectacular failure.”

  Caerwyn looked pleased to hear this, but not entirely reassured. “Who knows how long that will take. We need something else, something more. We must strike while the iron is hot. All I must do is convince one House to abandon the Akiras.”

  Zane agreed with his brother, though for slightly more complex reasons. Caerwyn did not know how close the Executor was to uncovering all of their plans and unraveling all their hard work. Therefore Ascension could not be postponed or delayed. If anything, it needed to be accelerated. Fortunately Zane had planned for this, and had an ace up his sleeve—two aces, really.

  “I was thinking you could create another incident,” said Caerwyn. “Something to further shake support from the King. Possibly a terrorist attack on Capital World itself—”

  “No,” said Zane. He did not usually interrupt his older brother, but he had no time to humor fruitless plans of terrorist attacks on Capital World. “The wheels are already in motion,” he said. “You will have the Assembly dancing on your palm very soon.”

  Caerwyn looked at him curiously. “How?”

  “There are two ships—two very important ships—they have been ‘missing’ but they’re about to be found. Even now they are on their way to Capital World. When they arrive, you must summon their captains before the Assembly to testify.”

  “What for? I don’t want to distract the Assembly with an investigation into missing ships.”

  “Trust me,” said Zane, flashing a crooked smile, “you’re going to like what they have to say.”

  ***

  The comm panel beeped multiple times, indicated a secure, encrypted, high-priority source was hailing him over kataspace. Raidan tapped the panel and input the command prefix and security codes to connect the call.

  Tristan’s face appeared on the small display, he still wore the uniform of a navy captain.

  “Did you do it?” asked Raidan. It was the first he’d heard from Tristan since he’d dispatched the Arcane Storm to the deadspace coordinates.

  “We trawled every cubic inch of the coordinates you gave us, like you asked,” said Tristan.

  “And?”

  “No isotome weapons,” he said.

  Raidan wasn’t sure whether to feel relief or panic at this news. Hopefully his information had been wrong and there hadn’t been more isotome weapons—but more than likely they did exist, and they had been hidden in the region like his people suspected, and had since been retrieved.

  As if reading his mind, Tristan confirmed Raidan’s suspicion. “We did find something though. Jump signatures. Pretty faded but not so faded that we didn’t see them. Between the time that the Nighthawk and the Arcane Storm left and my return to the region, someone was here. My guess is they came, took possession of the isotome weapons, and then left.”

  “How long ago?” asked Raidan.

  “A day or two at the most,” said Tristan. “We just missed them.”

  “Were y
ou able to identify the ships?”

  “We took the best scans we could but the computer on the Arcane Storm isn’t good at that kind of thing. I suggest we send the data over to the Nighthawk and let its computer crunch the math.”

  “I agree,” said Raidan. “Send everything you have to the Harbinger and I’ll see that it gets distributed to the Nighthawk. I’ll also forward it to White Rook and she can get one of the other groups working on this. As far as I’m concerned, those missing isotome weapons are threat number one.”

  “I’ll see that it’s done,” said Tristan. “Now, what are your next orders for the Arcane Storm?”

  “I have a feeling things are about to get very hot near the DMZ. I need eyes over there. Go to that region of space and keep tabs on things. Let me know if you see any… unusual border crossings. But be careful not to engage any incoming ships.”

  Tristan saluted. “I’ll go immediately.”

  “Very good,” said Raidan and he terminated the call.

  Once the Arcane Storm had uploaded all of its data to the Harbinger via kataspace, Raidan had it sent to the Nighthawk and to White Rook. He included a note to Summers Presley to begin investigating this new information immediately, stating that it concerned isotome weapons that were likely in enemy hands. He also included a note to White Rook explaining the threat and requesting specific assistance in analyzing the data. He also asked for another group to be positioned near the DMZ. Their ships should be prepped and ready for an interdiction operation just as soon as they could identify the ships thought to be carrying the isotome weapons. The operation would be of the succeed-at-any-cost variety, and the captains of those ships needed to be prepared to lose their lives if necessary to eliminate those weapons.