by Sid Kar
He searched for the research room in the floor directory and made his way. He had to have his badge scanned again and entered his personal code, afterwards walked in the research section where every computer was inside a private room. He selected a room and locked it in from inside.
He rolled the metallic ball down a hole inside the computer, the interior lasers read off the data inside the ball through the light reflectors and the screen displayed the data for the bank’s employees. SPASI also had access to just about every database that was available including Army’s. He pulled up the army records on another screen, and narrowed the search down to those close to Commander Yarwyk and used a SPASI program to cross-check the two lists.
One name popped out: Hortar Aflavyk.
Rockvyk believed he had found his target – he had read a large plaque commemorating the Aflavyk family that had originally founded the Interstellar Bank a century and a half ago, in the main lobby while walking towards the elevators – but he wanted to make sure. He pulled up another database, a directory of individuals of Rainmar, and entered the name and out popped a long description and most importantly, a current phone number and address at the bottom.
“What a spectacular bird, what with that bright red plumage and a dark green tail,” the tall man said walking next to an older man standing on a bridge over a creek looking down the meadow into the trees with his binoculars. The older man lowered his and turned to the new arrival.
“That’s called Pekar bird, and as matters would have it, it is one of the most distinct and colorful birds of Rainmar,” the older man replied.
“I am Rockvyk Torryen, SPASI detective,” the taller man remarked moving aside his binoculars.
“SPASI huh? Hortar Aflavyk, myself retired from Army,” the older man said.
“I know, Commander Yarwyk told me,” Rockvyk said, “sorry about his news, I know he was a close friend of yours.”
“It hurt me to hear of it, a good friend,” Hortar said, “he referred me to you?”
Rockvyk nodded his head then asked, “it’s your bird sanctuary isn’t it?” He had read Hortar’s profile; a devout bird watcher, he had purchased and set aside 300,000 acres of forest land as a reserve for native birds of Rainmar. He had called upon Hortar at his home, but his home keeper had informed him of his routine absence on this day. Rockvyk had inferred his schedule.
“It sure is,” Hortar said, “What was your connection with Yarwyk.”
“I was working with him to investigate corruption in Lambda Man,” Rockvyk said.
“He told you about that,” Hortar turned around and looked at him. All thoughts of birds flew away from his mind at that moment and he pointed to a set of chairs and a covered table and both of them walked over there.
“And that you were the banker for Lambda Man’s secret account.”
“If he told you all that…” Hortar said, “Just what is going on and what can I do?”
“We suspect that one or more members of Lambda Man are skimming the funds,” Rockvyk said. He did not want to tell him of the larger conspiracy for that might really shake the man. “I was helping Com. Yarwyk and Com. Antrar find that individual.”
“But why SPASI, it is an army organization?” Hortar asked.
“Precisely why, its members as you must know are senior ranking officers,” Rockvyk said, “their rank may place them in a position to get a whiff of the investigation or worse to meddle with it. SPASI is completely separate.”
Hortar sighed. “Yarwyk had mentioned he feared something like this sooner or later,” Hortar said, “we were together in Army for many years. My family founded and still controls 68% and change of Interstellar Trade Finance Bank’s stock. I left army earlier than Yarwyk and went to work as a banker. He approached me a few years later to set up this secret bank account since we were great friends and trusted each other with our life.”
“And no one else in the Bank knows of this account?” Rockvyk asked.
“None. When we sold a part of the bank to outside investors, they forbid us from placing family members as the Head Manager of the bank. But a privilege our family retained for itself was that each family member could have one totally private bank account that rest of the bank could not access,” Hortar said, “I had no use of mine and that’s the bank account for Lambda Man’s funds. I don’t know my relatives accounts and they don’t know mine. But I have handed it over since I retired from banking.”
“Who did you hand it over to?” Rockvyk asked.
The older man said nothing but polished his binoculars with his fingers.
“Mr. Aflavyk, I understand your reluctance,” Rockvyk took out his badge and handed it to Hortar for inspection, “I was there in that room when gunmen presumably sent by the corrupt member killed your friend along with Com. Yarwyk and an army detective. I narrowly escaped.”
“The police said nothing of the fourth man,” Hortar returned the badge and looked startled.
“I told them to keep me out of their statement to the news,” Rockvyk said, “Better to keep the perpetrators from knowing that SPASI is after them.”
“If I was still young, I would pick up a laser gun and try to avenge my friend,” Hortar said with rising anger in his voice, “but my hands even shake when I hold my binoculars and I can barely stand for an hour.”
“We will bring them to justice for you,” Rockvyk said.
“If Yarwyk trusted you to tell you about Lambda Man and myself, then I will tell you,” Hortar looked around the meadow then whispered, “he was a former colonel in the army and he handles the secret account. His name is Lantar Ryk.”
Chapter 12: Escalation
Commodore Segwyk was sitting back relaxed in his personal office, chomping on a cigar and twirling a paperweight on his table. His and other Starfire ships’ communications and electronics sections were intercepting and eavesdropping upon Nestorian transmissions and reports were just coming into his office that rumors were circulating of an assault on Nestor’s senate by forces unknown and the disappearance of both the state leaders: Chancellor Solus and Vice-Chancellor Remus. The news reports agreed that it wasn’t a large force sweeping down but a smaller, elite light infantry snatch and grab operation.
Col. Jarvyk had done it then; Segwyk thought gleefully, Raptor’s man had come in handy for himself. Col. Jarvyk hadn’t called him to confirm, but that could be expected because he would have to get to his base to open a properly encrypted channel and Segwyk would not want it otherwise. Segwyk was praising his own cunning when his door opened, once again VC Neryak had used his emergency override and once again law office Omtyar was with him.
They were going to blow a gasket, Segwyk chuckled lightly, but he too was ready to bust them hard right back. But he was surprised to see an expression of concern on their faces, instead of the expectant angry frown.
“Commodore Segwyk,” VC Neryak started the conversation, “perhaps we should have gone along with your plan and taken in Chancellor Solus for at least protective custody.”
“You were…” then Segwyk almost fell off his chair, he grabbed the table with his fingers to regain his balance and stood up with a jump, “What did you say?” Segwyk blinked hard a couple of times to see if sleepiness was playing a trick on his ears.
“I concur too,” Omtyar said, “a temporary takeover of Nestor’s government and its leaders for their own safety is not out of scope of our protection treaty even though it might push at its edges.”
What was this reversal? Segwyk could not understand. Were they toying with him? Sure they must have known that it was Segwyk himself behind the disappearance.
“What are you talking about?” Segwyk feigned ignorance, “They might have ran away to hide in bunkers. The main city and Senate environs are on the brink of civil war.”
“No sir,” Neryak said, “Nestorian Infantry Corps confirms that an airship of unknown type descended on the Senate rooftop and something resembling an elite air assault team made up of unfa
miliar aliens wearing blue-green uniforms spirited away Chancellor Solus.”
What the hell? Nestorians were sufficiently familiar with Starfirians and our airships and uniforms, Segwyk wondered, who the hell were these new fellas?
“Return to command room at once and call general quarters,” Segwyk ordered, “I will be along shortly.”
Neryak and Omtyar crisply saluted him and briskly walked out of the room.
Segwyk jumped onto his terminal and opened the encrypted channel to Starfire Base on Nestor. Col. Jarvyk and company weren’t in yet. He was getting impatient. He paced the room for ten minutes puzzling over this new information.
“Com. Segwyk,” a voice came from his terminal, “Col. Jarvyk reporting on the operation.”
Segwyk rushed to his terminal and asked, “What is this about a new alien force grabbing Solus?”
“You have heard, sir?” Jarvyk said, “It is true. They were good, excellent even. We managed to secure VC Remus but they got to Solus before us. Tough fighters and accurate marksmen. I was not totally surprised when Nestorian spy Roofus identified them as Mercurians. He was a captive abroad one of their battleships.”
“Mercurians! Already here!” Segwyk said, “Bloody Hell!”
“Must have left a small force of elite soldiers behind after their defeat,” Jarvyk said, “It is what we do too. Nestorians must not have done a thorough search of their star system after Mercurian departure.”
“Inept jokers,” Segwyk exclaimed and Jarvyk was glad on the other end that Remus or Roofus weren’t around to hear it. “What about your Commodore Raptor? He knows it’s our standard procedure to look for covert forces left behind by an enemy.”
“Sir, Commodore Raptor had to leave this system in a hurry to bolster Nestorians for their revenge strike,” Jarvyk said. Segwyk could flay Nestorians but he was going to defend his own Commodore.
“Alright, you keep VC Remus safe, I will get back to you soon,” Segwyk said.
“Alright then,” Jarvyk saluted him and turned off the channel.
Segwyk made haste to reach starship’s command room. If the incompetent Nestorians had allowed a small Mercurian spaceship or two to remain undetected in their system, it may very well have been collecting data on Starfirian fleet and transmitting it back. He had to smoke them out.
Segwyk entered the command room and started firing orders for the entire fleet to take part in a comprehensive search from the star in the center to the outermost planet out in space.
“What a bloody mess you made, couldn’t have been less if you had sacrificed a dozen goats with swords,” Regional Commander Carvyk scoffed as he turned around from a display screen broadcasting an interstellar news channel and looked scornfully at Capitan Jontvyk who looked tired as he went through the formality of a salute.
“My apologies commander,” Jontvyk replied, “But they too were ex-army. We couldn’t have expected them to go like goats to a slaughterhouse.”
“Bodies splattered on the streets, dead bodies in the hotel corridor, in the hotel room,” Carvyk shook his head, “probably the ritziest hotel on Rainmar. Goatherds did not stay there.”
Jontvyk did not say anything. It was better to let the commander vent than to anger him further.
“It is good I insisted that you will only take along our soldiers who had left the army long ago,” Carvyk said, “They won’t be able to trace them all the way back to us. But what about this fourth man? The one who shot our team in the hotel corridor. You said there were only three.”
“Three armymen,” Jontvyk said, “I didn’t know about the fourth either. A civilian almost certainly.”
“Yet, he was the one who survived.”
“Could be luck, often is in combat,” Jontvyk said, “I wanted to stay back in Rainmar and look for him but you called me back.”
“I need you by my side,” Carvyk said, “It’s getting heated here. Commanders and Commodores are breathing down my neck because I have held up the fleet. But no news yet from Segwyk whether Jak Fleet has arrived or not. No word yet from Renegade Romvyk whether he has taken Conquistador or not.”
“The fourth man could cause trouble if left alone,” Jontvyk said.
“There are underworld organizations like Dark Star Company, but smaller who specialize in finding and quieting troublesome creatures for the right price,” Carvyk said, “I know of some of them through Lambda Man and I will engage them if this fourth man starts squeaking.”
“IF?” Jontvyk asked, “If he goes to the damn police, the pot will overflow.”
Commander Carvyk grinned which was a surprise to Jontvyk because he did not suffer botches gladly. Instead, Carvyk turned on the volume on the news channel.
Jontvyk watched for a few minutes and then realized why Carvyk wasn’t hopping mad.
“They are saying that the Rainmar Police believes the meeting between Com. Antrar, Yarwyk and that Army Detective was about exposing some corruption in arms purchases, and the assailants were most likely hired by an arms company,” Jontvyk said, “How did you manage that coverup? Do we have a powerful friend in the Starfleet Command at Rainmar?”
“No, even better” Carvyk smiled slyly, “we have an influential friend in House of War.”
Grand Admiral Valorun Lynam was in his private quarters abroad his Megaship Maverick examining the awards he had received in an earlier life – including a blue-green circular disc an inch in diameter – the highest award of Mercurian Empire. He had pinned them inside his closet near his official uniform. He was quite fond of them and used to regularly wear them, but then again most of the men with him at the time had many medals of their own to proudly pin on their chests. Since coming out of the retirement, he had left them off his uniform; many of his new officers and crew had never been in a single battle and seemed overawed and intimidated by them.
His bell rang and he pressed a button to open the door. It was his Vice-Admiral Lewyn Mal who was holding a small display screen in his hand.
“Grand Admiral,” Lewyn said walking inside, “a message with top priority and highest grade encryption has arrived in from Admiralstad.”
“Must relate to my battle plans,” Valorun said and took the screen from the younger man and entered his own codes to decrypt the message.
“Is that the Conqueror’s Circle?” Lewyn asked pointing to the blue-green medal, wide-eyed with admiration and a tinge of envy mixed in his voice and facial expression, “I sure hope I too will have a medal like that to be proud of after our coming war.”
“Don’t wish for that,” Valorun said, “If it turns into that difficult of a war for Admiralstad to hand out medals like fish, many of our friends and even us may not live to receive them.”
Lewyn’s expression changed to disappointment and he stayed quiet. Valorun read the message and then took a deep breath.
“It’s official,” Valorun said, “My battle plan has been approved by the Emperor and the Corporatstad. Mercurian Imperial Fleets are under my command to use concordant to my strike plans. VC Lewyn, prepare a message for Admiral Xylum Phelon of our Forward Fleet to accelerate towards Nestor and strike hard at Starfirian and Nestorian forces present there.”
“Yes sir,” Lewyn’s face beamed with a wide smile stretching his lips furthest anatomically possible. He saluted Valorun, turned around and walked to the door with a proud gait. Then he stopped for a minute.
“But what are we going to be doing?” Lewyn asked.
“We are going to flank Nestorian space by taking our fleet through deep space and go straight for the Starfirians,” Valorun said as he took out the dress uniform from his closet, “Be patient, young man. I am coming to the command room. I think I will wear the medals today.”
Many weeks had now passed since Commodore Segwyk had ordered starfighters from all fifteen starships to participate in the search for the hidden Mercurian vessels in Nestorian system but it had been fruitless and they had failed to ferret out any unidentified spaceships. But the Mercur
ian fleet had finally reached the outer rim of Nestor’s solar system and was now visible on their gravitron scanners.
Segwyk and his VC Neryak were in the command room hovering over the scanner section watching ever more data pour in on the fleet. There were sixty battleships as had been relayed to them by their scouts and Starfirian fleet had taken up defensive orbital positions around Nestor.
“Why hasn’t our fleet arrived yet?” Neryak muttered, “What the hell is our commander Carvyk doing.”
Segwyk knew exactly what Carvyk was trying to do, but he could not give a hint of it without tipping his hand to his officers and other starship commodores, nor could he admonish them to remain calm without appearing careless. He too was feeling the pressure. Carvyk had sent him an encrypted message, but where the hell was the damned Jak Fleet?
“We may have to retreat,” Neryak suggested.
“Are you serious?” Segwyk asked him.
“Commodore,” Neryak said, “No one will hold a decision to not fight in the face of four to one odds against you.”
Segwyk noted he didn’t say ‘against us’. Technically he was right, Starfire Army believed in daring not suicide; definitely not for a protectorate, defending Starfire space and planets would be a different matter. But his and Carvyk’s reputation would lie in tatters.
“We have Nestorian battleships and ground defenses,” Segwyk said.
“Their ground defenses were ripped out by the first Mercurian attack,” Neryak said, “and with no respect to them, their battleships are junk.”
“VC Neryak, you have your orders,” Segwyk was getting irritated, “we will defend Nestor until relieved.”