One day as she took a walk around the space station, she decided to drop in on her geek friends. They weren’t actually friends so much as co-workers she found amusing. “Agent Ramirez!” Agent Chan said when Hailey appeared in his basement lab. “To what do I owe the pleasure? What can I do for you?”
“I don’t need anything. Just exercising the new hip joint by tackling the stairs,” she said, indicating her left side. “Found myself on your level.”
“Yeah, you got a little limp there, don’t you?” Chan said.
“Actually, there is something you can do for me. Can you tell me where various agents are?”
“We can tell you where any agent is. You must remember the bio-locator—”
“I don’t mean on the Scabbard. I mean in the galaxy,” Hailey interrupted.
“Oh. Well, I’d expect the quickest way to find out the location of an agent – an active agent, right?” Chan interrupted himself. Hailey nodded. “Yeah, the quickest way is to ask the dispatch director. He knows where everyone’s been assigned.”
“Yeah, well, I was hoping for a more… covert way to find someone. I don’t think Dispatch would share information like that with me.”
“Ah,” Chan smiled. “A private secret mission, eh?” He giggled. “I love it. Well, give me a name and I’ll see what I can do.”
Hailey smiled. “Agent Jackson Quint, codename Jax, with an ‘x’.”
“Got it. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Thanks, Agent Chan. You’re the best,” Hailey flattered. Chan grinned and went about his work. Hailey knew that the non-Wraith agents on the Scabbard were regular people with regular feelings. She had learned, over the years, how to throw flattering and friendly phrases into conversations to get people to do what she needed them to do. It was another arrow in her quiver for dealing with civilians, as well. She had learned a lot in her twenty-six years of service in the galaxy.
Of course, non-implanted people in her life were good teachers and examples of normal human behavior. Her mother was the meter-stick for showing unconditional love and acceptance. Uncle Carter was a free spirit who had learned to love life despite his Wraithian history and baggage. Ever since he left Abraxas with Hailey and became good friends with her mother on the colony world, Light One, Carter was a cheerful, decent, helpful person who taught Hailey how to enjoy normal human pleasures.
… Not that Hailey saw those people very often, but she did comm them between assignments and treasured every return comm from them. But she didn’t have Jackson’s comm code and asking for it from the proper authorities would set off alarm bells inside SWORD. She went back to Agent Chan. “Sorry to interrupt, but even just a comm code for Agent Quint would be sufficient.”
“Oh, if that’s all you want, I can get that for you right away.”
“That would be great.”
“Here you go. I’ve sent it to your comm.”
“Thanks. Hey, Chan, does SWORD monitor comms between agents?”
“Oh yes. We keep track of all messages for the records.”
“And who looks at ‘em?”
“Usually, no one. Only if we need to go back for a timeline or some piece of evidence.”
“I see.” Hailey paused, staring at her comm. “Any way to use the comm and not have it recorded?”
Chan smiled slyly. “You are a rebel, aren’t you, Agent Ramirez?”
“You won’t tell anybody, right?”
“Who am I to defy a Wraith?” Chan replied. He, like most agents and employees on the Scabbard, was intimidated by Wraiths. Agent Ramirez was the only Wraith Chan felt comfortable with, but he still knew better than to cross her. “I will either find your Agent Quint or a way for you to comm him – quietly.”
Hailey smiled at the geek. “Thank you, Agent Chan.”
“Comet, there you are.” Laura approached Hailey in the mess hall. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not,” Hailey replied.
“I’ve got good news for you,” Laura prefaced. “A mission.”
“No one wants to get out of here more than I do, but you know my leg is not up to par yet.”
“You hardly have to do anything at all,” Laura replied.
“Then why doesn’t EURO handle it?”
“It’s not up their alley.”
“Can you stop giving hints and just tell me?”
“Yeah. This is brand new for you…”
“Still just a hint, Lucky,” Hailey said with an amused expression.
“OK, OK. You’ll be evaluating a graduate in the field.”
“Really.”
“Yeah. You have to let him take point, make decisions, give orders. Can you handle that?”
“Whoa, I’m not sure about that,” Hailey chuckled.
“Well, you’re in a good mood.”
“Yep.” Hailey dared not reveal what put her in a good mood. That was a secret between her and Agent Chan. “Tell me more about this so-called mission.”
“It’s a real mission. The graduate is Agent Derek Cochella, codename Falcon. It’s his first field mission. Here, I’ll send you his academy record so you’ll know more about him.” Laura tapped a few times on her tablet. Hailey brought up his academy picture.
“He’s just a kid,” she commented.
“Same age we all were when we first shipped out.”
“I was never that young,” Hailey joked.
“Well, he’s less than half your age, but he’s ready.”
“I’d like to see him in the gym, if you don’t mind. Wish I could spar with him myself, but I’ll settle for watching.”
“That can be arranged. After lunch soon enough? The dispatch director wants you two on a transport by tonight.”
Hailey and Laura met Crash at the gym. “Where’s this new talent?” Hailey asked.
“Hello to you, too,” Agent Dent said, smiling.
“Sorry, Coach. Hello. Where’s this new talent?” Hailey suppressed a smile.
“He’ll be along any minute. Had to get a few stitches in medical.”
“Does he know he’s going out today?” Hailey asked.
Laura answered. “He’ll know soon enough.” A very young man entered the gym with stitches over his eye.
“Ah, Falcon. There’s someone here to meet you,” Crash said to his student. “Agent Cochella, meet Agent Ramirez and Handler Schwartz.” Cochella looked up and down the old woman – and the older woman – wondering what business they might have with him.
“Good afternoon, Agent Cochella,” Hailey said leadingly. He just nodded. “No, you have to say, ‘Good afternoon, Agent Ramirez’. Civilian manners get you more access in the field than snobbery.”
“Good afternoon, Agent Ramirez,” he forced himself to say, disliking the taste of it in his mouth.
“And…”
“Good afternoon, Handler Schwartz.”
“Good afternoon, Agent Cochella. Shall we get directly to codenames, Falcon? I’m Lucky. This is Comet.” Falcon nodded again, not knowing if there were special words he was supposed to say in the situation. “Don’t worry; you’ll pick up on the proper remarks as you work.”
Crash re-entered the conversation. “Falcon, Comet asked to see you spar.”
“Why?” Derek asked.
“Comet is your field evaluator. You’re going on your first mission tonight,” Laura informed him. “That makes me your handler until Comet signs you off as ready for solo missions.”
“I understand,” Derek replied. “Will you be sparring with me?” he asked Hailey.
“Nope. Coach, is there another student around?”
“Falcon’s classmate will be here soon. I believe you’ll be satisfied with Falcon’s performance.”
Derek nodded upward, indicating his agreement. Hailey and Laura retreated to the wall of the gym as Crash warmed Falcon up with an exercise involving a three-meter stick he swung repeatedly at the student. “Avoid the Stick. I loved that game,” Hailey recalled.
/> “The exercise is called fan-set, Comet,” Laura corrected her.
“I know. We called it –”
“Avoid the Stick. Yeah. Ah, that must be the classmate,” Laura said, pointing at a young woman who entered the gym.
“When is she heading out?” Hailey asked.
“I don’t know. Probably soon. These two have gone through all the training they’re going to. It’s time for them to prove themselves in the field.”
Hailey thought back to her final days at the Scabbard training academy. She was so ready to get out into the galaxy and show those bad guys what-for. She was confident, strong, and… completely unprepared for what she encountered on the Core world of Ganymede. Her evaluator was Viper, a wonderful Wraith who was now retired. It was Viper who taught Comet how things really were, not the hypothetical missions they all imagined during training. Nothing was neat in the real Empire. The line between good and bad turned out to be a gradient scale. To this day, Comet referred to Viper as her field trainer, not her evaluator. She wondered how Falcon would see her.
The new arrival was introduced as Diablo. After a few minutes’ warm up, Diablo was ready to face Falcon. Just as it was for Hailey and her classmates, neither fighter could gain the upper hand over the other for more than a second or two. They wrestled and wrangled, flipped and fell, jumped and recovered over and over again. At one point, Falcon dropped an elbow hard on Diablo’s clavicle, causing it to break. Diablo absorbed the pain and regrouped for another tangle, but Crash blew his whistle to stop the bout. “Diablo, medical,” Coach Dent ordered. He approached the spectators. “See enough?”
“Yes, Coach. Thank you,” Hailey replied.
“Comet, why don’t you go to one more PT session?” Laura said. “Be at the shuttle by 19:25.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Comet said jokingly. “Coach, it’s been nice seeing you.”
“Take care, Comet,” Agent Dent replied. As Hailey exited the gym, she heard Lucky talking to Falcon about packing up, reviewing the mission briefing, and being on the shuttle by 19:25.
“Yes, ma’am,” Falcon replied. Hailey nearly laughed.
Mission
Before Hailey boarded the transport on the hangar level, she stopped by the lowest level on the space station – the level Agent Chan affectionately called the Basement. “Oh, Agent Ramirez. I’m sorry. I got waylaid by official work. I promise, I’ll get to your project; I haven’t forgotten.”
Hailey was disappointed, but she needed Chan, so she forced a smile and said, “I appreciate anything you can do.” She trudged on to the hangar level. Lucky and Falcon were already there.
“Hi,” she said neutrally. “Ready?” she asked Derek.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
“You don’t have to call me ‘ma’am’,” Hailey informed him.
“Indeed,” Laura added. “This is your mission, Falcon. Comet is going along to observe and assist, if needed.” Laura turned to Hailey. “Got that? You’re still under medical department’s care and they said you’d better not ruin all their hard work.”
“Got it,” Hailey replied. “See you later, Lucky.”
“Take care, Comet. Good luck, Falcon. Comm me if you need any intel.”
Falcon nodded and Laura left. Falcon turned to Comet. “Good luck?”
“Lucky’s been around the Empire a long time. She just picked up some common phrases civilians use. Doesn’t mean anything.”
“Why say something if it has no meaning or purpose?” he asked.
“Social script. You’ll learn as you go.” Comet limped away from Falcon to her on-board quarters. They’d be in compression travel for more than a day. She flopped herself onto her bed and stared at her comm. Don’t be stupid, Comet, Hailey thought to herself. Even Chan doesn’t work that fast.
Instead of waiting by her comm, she decided to read the mission briefing. Then she got as much sleep as she could before getting up to stretch, flex, and exercise her healing leg and hip. She was disciplined now; she didn’t push beyond what her knitting bones could withstand. Having Laura nearby had limited her frustration, and she obediently followed all doctor’s and therapist’s orders.
Hailey went looking for breakfast, finding it – of course – in the ship’s mess hall. Falcon was there, sitting alone, eating a breakfast that closely resembled the assortment of food he ate every morning on the Scabbard. He looked perfectly at ease: not nervous, not tense, not lonely. Hailey chose to sit with him anyway.
“What’s your plan?” Hailey asked.
“My plan? I can’t form a plan until I assess the situation on the ground.”
“OK, what will you do first when you get to Gostlan?”
“I will assess the situation.”
Hailey sighed. “How?”
“I will speak to the local head of Sector Security to get the latest intel on the traffickers.”
“Who called SWORD in to handle this situation?”
“EURO.”
“OK, who called EURO?”
“I – didn’t read that in the briefing.”
“It wasn’t in the briefing,” Hailey confirmed. “I suggest a hyperwave to Lucky.”
“Why? What does it matter what individual called EURO in?”
“Because that is the one person on the planet you know you can trust. Talk to that person first. He may have suspicions on conspirators within the government or SS. At the very least, that person can authorize access to get you in anywhere you need to go.”
“I don’t need authorization. As a Wraith, I am highest-ranked official anywhere I go.”
“I know that, and you know that, but civilians don’t know that. I find it helpful to show respect to the local leaders. Invariably, they offer full cooperation and all the resources I may need: cars, officers, whatever.”
Derek stared at Hailey, trying to figure out what had happened to her over the years to make her lose her Wraith identity. He had been taught that the people of the Empire were inferior and knew their place in the presence of a Wraith. Comet was telling him he was to act subservient to them? Ask them for things instead of ordering them? He shook his head. “I won’t need to have any dealings with local leaders. I’m going after the traffickers. I don’t need help.”
Hailey nodded knowingly. “It’s your honor to serve the citizens of the Empire.”
“Yes, I know that. I will serve them by eliminating the trafficking problem.”
“What is honor?” Hailey asked.
“There are many definitions of ‘honor’.”
“The four most relevant ones, in this context.”
“Privilege, respect, esteem, devotion,” Falcon recited, scanning his mental thesaurus and choosing relevant synonyms.
“Do you believe it?” Hailey asked.
“Believe?” Falcon asked.
“Do you believe it is your privilege to be respectful, to esteem and serve with devotion the citizens of the Empire?”
Falcon pondered the question. “It is my duty.”
“Hmm,” Comet replied. “I’ll ask you again after the mission is completed.”
For the first time, a flash of confusion crossed Falcon’s face. It passed quickly. He did show markers of discomfort, however, which Hailey picked up easily. She didn’t take offense when he suddenly stood, bussed his tray, and left the mess hall.
Gostlan was one of the older colonized worlds in the Empire’s Core. As such, it had a sizable population spread over all four major continents and many islands, large and small. It was not as crowded as the megalopolis of Redding, the capital of Mars, but some of its cities were home to millions of people. Falcon’s mission was in one of those cities, Trenton, on the southern continent of Ko’olomi.
When the transport deposited Falcon and Comet in the Trenton Spaceport, Falcon looked around for the Sector Security officers he expected should meet him there. He expected they would wait days on end to be there whenever the SWORD agent arrived. Comet knew that Lucky usually commed ahead s
o SS would know when to expect her agent, but Falcon did not have that knowledge. He extracted his comm from a pocket in his SWORD standard-issue black jumpsuit and entered the Empire-wide emergency comm number: 1-1-1.
Before the comm connected, Sector Security arrived at the gate and went straight to the uniformed agent. “SWORD?” they asked.
“Yes, I’m Agent Cochella. This is Agent Ramirez,” he said, indicating Hailey.
“I’m Lieutenant Hanally,” one said, not bothering to introduce the other. “Please come with me.”
“Where are you going?” Derek asked.
“To take you to the central office for a briefing,” the lieutenant answered. “My car’s just outside.”
“Why can’t you brief me here so I can get started right away? It’s more efficient.”
The two SS officers looked at each other. “Uh, my captain ordered me to bring you to him…”
“As you know, I outrank your captain, so please follow my order instead: tell me any updates from the past thirty-one hours.”
“Uh, yes, sir, I mean, I’ll have to comm the captain. I don’t have the information.”
“Then why were you sent instead of the person with the information?” Derek asked.
Comet stepped up behind Derek. “Perhaps you should go with these officers. An hour won’t make much difference,” she whispered, patting him on the shoulder. “Comm me if you need anything.”
Derek looked at her quizzically. She gave him an upward nod, indicating he should go. “And you, Agent Ramirez?”
“I’ll keep my ears open ‘round here, unless you have something else you want me to do…?”
“That’s fine,” Derek answered. “I’ll be in touch.”
Hailey walked away with a hitch in her gait. Derek watched her, concerned that she wouldn’t be much help even if he needed it. Fortunately, he wouldn’t need it. He was a Wraith, and Wraiths always accomplished their missions – solo. “Lieutenant, take me to your captain,” he said.
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