by E. R. Torre
“Thank you for bringing me this information,” she said. Her voice was under control. “Dismissed.”
Inquisitor Connors bowed and left the room.
Overlord Dianna approached and sat behind her desk.
As an Overlord, she was well versed in manipulating people and events for her own ends.
It was only too obvious, therefore, to recognize when someone was doing the same to her.
Whoever did it did their job well. She had little choice but to make the only moves she could. At the very least it would buy time and, if all went well, expose whoever was behind this intrusion. At the worst, she’d lose a very valuable asset while exposing a dangerous, and hidden, enemy.
“You will be dealt with,” Overlord Dianna swore.
She pressed a series of buttons and activated the computer on her desk.
There was much to do, including silencing Officer Morrison. The same would have to be done with Inquisitor Connors.
She closed her eyes and meditated.
If things went very wrong, she’d also have to deal with the crew of the Salvo.
Killing one hundred and fifty of Phaecia’s finest soldiers was a bitter pill to swallow but, if it needed to be done, it would be.
16
Capital City Parisia on the Planet Davilia. The Phaecian Empire.
The drive back to Davila’s Metropolitan Starport was long and made mostly in silence. Nearly an hour passed since Inquisitor Damien and Lieutenant Chandler left the Cheval Hotel. The police presence around Parisia was strong and vehicles headed out of the Capital or to the transport centers were stopped at multiple checkpoints.
Inquisitor Damien’s attention was on the traffic and his desire to leave Davilia grew with each passing second. Lieutenant Chandler, sitting opposite him, was unusually quiet since his return from the Hotel. She fiddled with the computer woven into the sleeve of her jacket and read bits of information crawling before her.
Inquisitor Damien rubbed his jaw. He was tired, he was irritable, and he longed for conversation. He said:
“This drive will take at least another hour. Let’s flash our lights and get past this.”
Lieutenant Chandler tapped the controls on her jacket sleeve. Her eyes momentarily looked up at her superior officer.
“Patience, Inquisitor,” she said. “The roads are congested enough as it is. If we flash our lights and jump ahead, all we’ll do is cause more headaches.”
Inquisitor Damien thought about that and sighed.
“You’re right,” he said. He pointed to the holographic screen Lieutenant Chandler read from.
“What are you looking at?”
“The latest news,” Lieutenant Chandler said.
“I’ve never seen you so focused.”
Lieutenant Chandler offered a smile.
“It’s good to stay informed,” she said. “That way events never take you by surprise. Besides, in the time it takes to get to the Starport, we may get new information regarding this case.”
“We could,” Inquisitor Damien admitted. “But we’re forbidden from acting on it so what’s the point?”
Inquisitor Damien shook his head. He sat back in his seat and laid his head against the rest.
“Well, I suppose there’s nothing to do but enjoy the slow ride.”
“Yes sir.”
Inquisitor Damien did this for a few minutes but restlessness got the better of him. He activated the computer on his trench coat sleeve and, like Lieutenant Chandler, turned on the latest news. On the holographic display, a pretty woman read the latest reports. Inquisitor Damien directed the sound from the report directly to his ear piece.
“In the wake of the unsuccessful assassination attempt, the Council of Twelve placed Judge Grajan’s family under a security detail.”
The image on the vid unit changed to Chief Inquisitor Beraux. He, like all higher ranked Inquisitors, was in Helios.
“This matter is obviously very serious,” he said. “The safety of our elected officials is paramount and to that end, a contingency of Inquisitors under the supervision of Inquisitor Torano are on their way to Davilia. They will monitor and offer further services to both candidates in the upcoming election. We promise you this: Those guilty of this atrocity will meet swift justice. There will be no more disruption of the sacred electoral process.”
Inquisitor Damien shut the vid unit off.
“How large is Justice Grajan’s immediate family?” Inquisitor Damien asked Lieutenant Chandler.
Lieutenant Chandler paused the holographic report she was listening to and tapped a few keys on her jacket. A new display appeared.
“He’s a grandfather four times over and has two brothers and their families.”
“Where do they live?”
“Here on Davilia.”
“They’re under protective care?”
“As of now, they are.”
“Who’s in charge of this protection?”
“The Pari Group.”
“I thought the Pari Group worked in the heart of the Empire and mostly for the Council of Twelve,” Inquisitor Damien said. “What would they be doing around here?”
Chandler shrugged.
“Does it matter? At least they’ll take care of Grajan’s family.”
Inquisitor Damien nodded.
“I expect they’ll do a proper job,” he said.
He could barely keep the sarcasm from his voice.
It took the full hour to reach the Starport. From there, close to another half-hour was spent making their way through the terminal and to their shuttle craft’s waiting area.
“The shuttle is ready to depart,” Lieutenant Chandler said. “But because of the lockdown—”
“How much longer before we leave?” Inquisitor Damien asked. His patience was very near its end.
“Thirty minutes, give or take,” Lieutenant Chandler said. She noticed the impatience on the Inquisitor’s face. “Sir, everyone is waiting it out. As I said before—”
“Yes, I know. We wait our turn. Just like everyone else.”
Inquisitor Damien took a moment to compose himself and said:
“While you get the ship ready, I’ll be in the waiting room, going over my notes.”
“Yes sir.”
Lieutenant Chandler exited the area and walked to the shuttle while Inquisitor Damien sighed and sat down. He tapped on his personal computer and watched more videos of the latest news. He searched for information on Justice Grajan and his family and verified the man’s extended family tree. He further verified the fact the family was under the protective custody of the Pari Group.
Inquisitor Damien found it hard to hide his anger.
As he stood on the rooftop of the Cheval Hotel and mimicked the assassin’s stance, he deduced the target of the assassin’s single rail shot was Justice Grajan’s wife. By presenting his suspicions to Justice Grajan and by the Pari Group taking care of them, the Council’s full message was delivered: We can take you and your family out at any time. Either you work for us or else.
Inquisitor Torano’s final report would no doubt conclude Morffi was the sole assassin. The details of how he got hold of the rifle and camouflage suit would be presented as strong theories lacking verifiable facts.
This tragedy would solidify Justice Grajan’s position in the upcoming race. It was all but certain he would be elected but his brash campaign promises would never be implemented. Rather than dealing with a martyr, the Council had a puppet under their control.
Therefore, Davilia itself was under Council control.
Inquisitor Damien shut off his trench coat’s computer and sighed.
The Gods and the Council works in their own ways.
Inquisitor Damien looked out the waiting room’s window and at the landing pads beyond.
Several ships lined the runway and waited their turn to depart.
Soon enough it would be time for his crew to go and Davilia would be in Inquisitor Damien’s past. Gone but
not forgotten. While he was exhausted by the events of the last day and wanted to stay and investigate, a part of him was glad he couldn’t.
You don’t fight power of this kind. Not directly, anyway.
The door beside him and leading into the waiting area slid open.
Inquisitor Damien frowned. All his men were attending to the Shuttle and there was no reason for anyone to enter the locked waiting area from within the Starport.
He turned to see who entered the room. When he did, he froze.
The man before him was the same man that stared at him from in front of Davilia’s Police Station.
17
The man smiled.
He didn’t carry any weapons the Inquisitor could see and at least outwardly didn’t appear to be a threat.
Now and so close to him, Inquisitor Damien realized just how perfectly nondescript the man appeared. There was a blandness to his facial features which suggested surgery. Many of the Empire’s best agents altered their looks based on extensive studies meant to determine how best to blend into crowds. His dark eyes stared at the Inquisitor as they had at the Police Station and he was still dressed in the same plain blue suit he wore then.
“Nice to see you again, Inquisitor,” the man said.
He extended his hand but Inquisitor Damien didn’t take it.
“Who are you?” Inquisitor Damien demanded.
“My name is Meyers. You may address me as Commander Meyers.”
His hand remained extended for another few seconds before he retracted it.
“That’s not terribly polite,” Meyers said.
He turned away from Inquisitor Damien and eyed the glass partition and, beyond it, the Salvo’s shuttle craft and crew. Several of the crew, including Lieutenant Chandler, noticed the man now with the Inquisitor. They were alarmed by the stranger’s presence so near their leader.
“Tell them to remain where they are,” Meyers said.
Inquisitor Damien waved to his people. Lieutenant Chandler ordered them back to their work but didn’t move. Inquisitor Damien shook his head.
Don’t bother us.
Lieutenant Chandler nodded. She returned with the others back to the shuttle.
“Your Lieutenant is apprehensive,” Meyers said. “Do you care for her, Inquisitor?”
To this Inquisitor Damien said nothing.
“I don’t need to remind you relationships between Inquisitors and their subordinates are frowned upon, do I?” Meyers said. “Such things are subject to disciplinary action. Still, she is pretty. I can see your attraction.”
Inquisitor Damien still didn’t respond.
“You’re not going to argue the point?” Meyers said. “Say I’m wrong and all that?”
“What good would it do me, Commander?” Inquisitor Damien said.
“Exactly!” Meyers said. “Good. We do understand each other after all. Let’s say we get to business.”
Meyers pointed to the chair next to his.
“Can I?” he asked and sat down. “As you can tell, I’ve read up on you, Inquisitor. Normally, I would congratulate you on such a stellar career. So many accomplishments worthy of accolades and promotions and yet here you are, in a backwater system—”
“All sectors within the Empire are important. Regardless of their location.”
“—in this shitty, backwater system you were not given permission to travel to and investigating a case you well knew was assigned to another. Is it any wonder your career’s stalled?”
Meyers leaned back in his chair.
“You chose to come anyway, knowing you risked angering the Council.”
“Were you sent to reprimand me, Commander?”
“That’s not for me to do.”
“What are you here to do?”
“Two things. The first is to tell you my crew will board your ship within the next few minutes.”
“They’ll what?”
“By order of the Council of Twelve they will board your ship. They’ll be polite. They will take up a space on the Salvo’s landing bay and won’t leave their shuttle until we reach our destination.”
“Destination?”
“We’ll get to that soon enough,” Commander Meyers said. “Before we do, the second bit of formality: By order of the Council of Twelve I’m also, as of this moment, taking over your ship.”
“What in Hades—”
“Sit down, Inquisitor,” Commander Meyers said.
Inquisitor Damien tried his best to keep his composure.
“You brought this upon yourself, you know,” Meyers said. “By rushing to Davilia without a go-ahead, your vessel was in perfect position to take us.”
“We’re going nowhere until I verify the Council’s orders.”
The smile on the man’s face was instantly gone, replaced with a frosty glare.
“Don’t play games, Inquisitor,” the man said. “I wouldn’t be here without the Council’s backing and you know it. How about you check your correspondence –you know, the correspondence you feel worth ignoring when it suits you– to verify everything I’ve said?”
Inquisitor Damien activated his trench coat’s computer. The holographic screen lit up. He searched his messages and found one from the Council.
“Go ahead,” Meyers said. “Play it.”
Inquisitor Damien tapped the message and had the sound delivered to his ear.
The holographic image of Overlord Dianna appeared before him.
“Greetings, Inquisitor Damien,” she began.
Inquisitor Damien checked the message’s time stamp. It was received only seconds before.
“I am communicating with you, Inquisitor Damien, regarding the man who by now sits at your side. He is Commander Meyers of Alpha Division. He will join you on the Salvo and take command of your vessel. All security codes have been sent to your ship and all permissions given. Commander Meyers’ personal shuttle, complete with his own personnel, was granted access to your ship. By now it is either docking or about to dock in the Salvo’s landing bay.”
“The steps taken are extraordinary but so too is the situation,” Overlord Dianna continued. “Commander Meyers will brief you on your new mission and answer any questions he’s been cleared by me to give you.”
Overlord Dianna leaned in closer to the camera she faced.
“I know you don’t relish the idea of giving up command of your ship but what you feel doesn’t matter. You are a soldier of the Most Holy and this mission is of utmost importance. You will defer to Commander Myers. This is all.”
With that the transmission ended and the holographic screen went black.
Inquisitor Damien drew a deep breath and allowed his anger to dissipate.
“You’ll be pleased to know I’ve just received word my shuttle landed on your ship,” Meyers said. “I expect you’ll get the word—”
A beep was heard coming from Inquisitor Damien’s comm system.
“By all means, take the message,” Commander Meyers said.
Inquisitor Damien pressed the comm button.
“This is Inquisitor Damien.”
“Inquisitor Damien, this is Chief Officer Bernard. We have a shuttle—”
“Thank you, Mister Bernard, I know,” Inquisitor Damien said.
“Sir, she’s large, a Goliath class plus. I’ve never seen anything like it. She barely fit—”
“Understood,” Inquisitor Damien said. “Please carry on.”
He shut the comm system off. Commander Meyers pointed to the Salvo shuttle and Inquisitor Damien’s personnel in the other room. He said:
“How about you call that pretty Lieutenant of yours in?”
Inquisitor Damien pressed another button on his sleeve.
The Lieutenant received his summons and walked to and entered the waiting area.
“Lieutenant, this is Commander Meyers. By order of Overlord Dianna, he is now in command of the Salvo.”
“Sir?” Lieutenant Chandler said.
“He’s i
n charge, Lieutenant.”
Commander Meyers bowed.
“Thank you, Inquisitor,” he said. He faced Lieutenant Chandler. “Prepare the shuttle for departure. We leave in ten minutes.”
“But sir, there is a backlog—”
“Ten minutes,” Meyers repeated. “We suffer no further delays.”
18
Twenty minutes later the shuttle passed the edge of Davilia’s atmosphere.
From within his private office inside the vehicle, Inquisitor Damien watched as the city of Parisia became a glint of metal on the vast planet below. Away from it and in the distance appeared the dim outline of the HPB Salvo. It wouldn’t be very long before the shuttle was docked within the powerful battleship and then…
Inquisitor Damien wasn’t sure what to expect.
Though he invited Commander Meyers to join him in his private quarters during the trip, the now senior Salvo officer refused and sat in the shuttle’s main body and only feet away from the cockpit. Perhaps, the Inquisitor thought, Meyers was allowing him his space or dignity. Either that or making sure the shuttle proceeded exactly where it was supposed to.
Inquisitor Damien’s attention shifted to his computer monitor. Commander Meyers was at the center of this monitor, motionlessly sitting in his chair and watching the pilots fly the shuttle to the Salvo.
Lieutenant Chandler rose from her co-pilot’s chair and walked past Commander Meyers. She passed the evenly distributed seats which lined the shuttle’s main corridor and stopped before the door leading into Inquisitor Damien’s office.
There was a knock on his door. Inquisitor Damien pressed one of the dozen buttons beside his desktop computer. The door leading into his quarters slid open and Lieutenant Chandler stood there. She saluted.
“Sir, we are twenty minutes from docking,” Chandler said.
“Come in,” Inquisitor Daniels said.
The Lieutenant did so and looked back, toward Commander Meyers. The man faced forward and didn’t appear interested in whatever was happening in the shuttle’s rear.
Lieutenant Chandler got close to Inquisitor Damien. She opened her mouth to speak but Inquisitor Damien motioned her not to. The Inquisitor pressed another button on his desk. While doing so did not have any outward effect, both knew a sonic mask was activated.