Martin sighed. "Yes, and I will have to act fast at that point to present my evidence to the president and hope that he can do something to stop the insurgents before they topple the government."
"I'll reach out to some contacts I have in the Shadow Watch Guards," Ethan said. "I'll ask them to tighten security around the president and keep a closer eye on things."
"And I'll ask Bridgette to put the FIA on a higher alert for domestic terrorist actions," Ashley said.
"If you can find her. She's a bit flighty," John said.
"That's your sister-in-law you're talking about and she isn't flighty. She has the entire Federation to protect from threats just like these insurgents."
"I must have mixed her up with your brother." He chuckled.
Ashley cracked a smile. "I'll give you that one, though I think he would argue he's just distracted and on the verge of one breakthrough or another."
"Do you think we can count on your brother to develop new weaponry to help fight the Krai'kesh?" Martin asked.
Ashley pursed her lips. "He's been out of the defense industry for centuries, preferring instead to study implants, genetics, quantum physics, and fields I can't even remember. But that doesn't mean he won't come back to building weapons and defensive technologies if we ask him. In fact, I imagine Bridgette or Dawyn already has."
"Well if you speak with him, tell him the gravity weapons used by the Krai'kesh are the biggest threat we face in this war. Any solution he has that can nullify their ability to use such weapons would be greatly appreciated."
"I'll tell him next time I talk to him."
"We should go, Admiral," John said. "We'll be in touch about what we find, but if Emma isn't there we aren't coming back here. We're going to follow the trail until we find her."
Martin nodded, though a selfish part of him worried what would happen if another gravity ship threatened to destroy a planet and the Eternals weren't there. "I completely understand, Captain Edgerton. Do what you need to do. However, depending on how this coup shakes out I may need you on Tar Ebon sooner rather than later."
"Just remember to not see enemies in every shadow, Admiral. It will help you keep your sanity," Ashley said.
Martin bowed his head. "I will bear that in mind, Mrs. Edgerton."
***
Three hours after the Dauntless departed to find out the fate of Victory Squadron, Martin lay in bed next to his wife when a beep awoke him. "Yes, Zigana," he said.
"I apologize for disturbing you, sir," Zigana said. "But I thought you should know the probe picked up activity."
"Don't tell me. The Krai'kesh."
"Correct, sir, along with two rogue Federation ships. They appeared, probed the area, and then departed."
"All right, I'll be to the bridge shortly to call the president. I need to get dressed first."
"Of course, sir."
Chapter 9 - Bloodbath
"Whee, nice quarters, m'lady," Corbin said. He went over to the minibar and picked up a decanter of alcohol and sniffed it. "Whew, makes me eyes water."
"No drinking on the job," Kimberly said as she laced up her boots. She was glad to be rid of the high heels that formed part of her cover.
"It's part of me cover," he said, taking a drink. "The drunk imbecilic servant tha' everyone will underestimate." He winked at her.
"I think you're taking your cover a little too seriously." She stood up and donned a brown leather jacket she had picked up at a high-end clothing store. She would shine outdoors thanks to the diamonds sewn into the sleeves. The salesperson assured her the jacket was hand-sewn, a rarity anywhere in the civilized parts of the galaxy.
"If oi don't, lass, someone will become suspicious. Ye should do the same." He took another drink.
"Would it be in character for me to take that decanter and break it over your head?" The last thing she needed was him drunk when they met the resistance forces.
He shrugged. "If oi did something real bad ta offend yeh."
Kimberly stepped toward him.
His eyes went wide and he hugged the decanter close. "Oh no ye don't."
Kimberly smiled and stopped. "Just keeping you on your toes." She adopted a somber expression and looked at Baillidh. "Any bugs here?"
Baillidh shook his head. He wore black trousers and a tight-fitting synth shirt. A brimmed hat would shield his eyes from the sun. "No, ma'am. Nor did I expect there to be any. The Federation has no reason to be suspicious of our identities. They believe you are a wealthy merchant, nothing further."
"Was there any surveillance equipment focused on us during the ride to the embassy?"
"Nothing aimed at capturing our audio or other communications while inside."
"Good. It means no one suspects us yet. Come on, Corbin, you drunk. We need to meet the resistance operatives."
"'Ey, oi'm not drunk yet. Give me five minutes to get inta character." He took another drink.
On their way out of the embassy the ambassador spotted them. He sauntered over, brazenly looking Kimberly up and down, even though she wore more functional clothing than upon their arrival.
"Ah, Miss Sommrich," he said. "Just the person I was looking for!"
You mean the person you were looking at, Kimberly thought, but forced a smile. "Ambassador Barrius, what can I do for you?"
"I want to invite you to a gala tonight at the estate of House Artois. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me?"
Kimberly kept her expression neutral. Why was he inviting her of all people? She paused for a moment, as if checking her schedule in her mind. At last she smiled and looked him in the eyes. "Why, I would be delighted to accompany you, Ambassador."
"Excellent, I shall see you there. It begins at eight this evening."
He's not even going to pick me up?
She nodded her head slightly. "I shall be there."
***
Half an hour later the three FIA agents waited at the gates leading to the Dark Zone, an area populated by the working poor Corbin talked about. They rode in a hover car which they rented for the price of a new car on most Federation worlds. In fact, Kimberly had almost balked at the price before Corbin reminded her she was supposed to be a wealthy business woman. Wealthy business women would not balk at any price. Feeling chastised and exploited, she had forced a smile as she handed over her cred-chip. She had to admit the seats were plusher than seats in the much less expensive rentals on other worlds. Comfort came at a cost, and it wasn't on her dime anyway.
The guards at the gate leading through the massive border wall gave them a curious look as he checked their credentials. "Why is a person of your standing going out there?" A derisive sneer suggested what he thought of the Dark Zone.
Kimberly was about to launch into an explanation about the fake business dealings she was going to engage in with factory owners and whatnot but decided that was out of character and instead said, "That is none of your concern. My business is my own. You would do well to remember that."
For several heartbeats she feared the guard would become angry and bar them from leaving. Instead he bowed and handed back their documents. "Forgive me, m'lady, I meant no offense. Please proceed."
Hiding a bewildered expression, she spoke to Corbin. "Drive, servant."
"Yes, ma'am," Corbin said, slurring his words but driving slowly through the security checkpoint. Was it an act or was he truly drunk??
Beyond the gates smog filled the air and veiled the clouds above, a sharp contrast to the blue sky and sunshine back on the other side. The air scrubbers truly made a difference.
Their hover-car traveled down a road rank with potholes as they made their way toward the town of Vortville, making Kimberly thankful to be floating above them.
"Ugh, those fumes are horrible," Kimberly said.
"Aye, the smell o' sulfur and fossil fuels bein' burnt."
"They're still using such archaic energy sources?" Kimberly asked.
"The common folk do, yes. The rich folk have nu
clear power plants or shadow generators powering their cities. If the poor folk want power they have ta work in the power plants to generate it."
"The corporations could easily afford to bring in greater sources of power and wipe these ancient power plants out. Why don't they?"
"They have no reason to, lass. If they take away a labor source, a job-creator, unemployment rises. When unemployment rises people get unhappy. When people get unhappy they start ta question the status quo. When that happens revolution and resistance soon follow. And considerin’ ninety percent o' the populace are common folk, that would be bad news for the bourgeois on this planet."
"They could use a good revolution," Kimberly said, watching a group of grungy children run down the street as they passed. "Or the Federation could liberate them."
Corbin let out a belly laugh. "Oh, lass, the Federation don’t care about the Commerce Sector."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Ta start, they've got their hands full with the Krai'kesh and probably the Empire by now. Second, even if the war were over and we won there's still the fact tha' the feudal system here is so ancient and ingrained in the society of their culture tha' people would not want ta be liberated. In fact, they would probably fight against the Federation, which would cost us a lot o’ lives."
"Well someone needs to do something," Kimberly said. She crossed her arms over her chest. She refused to accept that nothing could be done to help these people."
"Maybe ye can, lass, after all this is over. Ye can lead a revolution!"
"Is that sarcastic?" Could she? Could she start a revolution? Maybe the rebels could help her with that after they completed her mission. Or perhaps she could inspire them to do more or lobby for more funding for them.
"If ye couldn't tell then that tells me yer serious about this."
"Not serious. Just...passionate."
"Bah, passion. Passion fades like the wind in time. Passion is overrated."
"It sounds like you speak from experience."
Corbin waved his hand. "Eh, tis a tale for another day."
Kimberly made a mental note to ask him about it another day.
The town of Vortville emerged out of the smog. They passed the city limits, identified by a faded sign that read "welcome to Vortville," and hovered down Main Street.
"Second street on the right," Baillidh called out from the back seat. He was their navigator for this mission.
"Oi see it," Corbin said, slowing down as they neared the second street and turned down it.
"There should be a warehouse at the end of this street."
"There be warehouses all around us," Corbin pointed out. Indeed, on both sides of the street massive warehouses created artificial walls and the shadows created by their obstruction of the sun caused the headlights of the hover car to trigger.
"There's one at the end of the street," Baillidh insisted.
Indeed, the street ended at a warehouse that looked much like the others around it. Several vehicles were parked out in front of it. "I think this is the place," Kimberly said.
The trio departed their car and approached the building. Corbin drew his sidearm. "What are you doing?" Kimberly asked.
"Being prepared, lass."
"These are allies."
"Never hurts ta be prepared."
Kimberly rolled her eyes but drew her pistol anyway, just in case.
They neared the door and Kimberly slowed her pace. The door was ajar. "That doesn't look good."
"Maybe they just didn't fix the lock," Corbin suggested. "Tis a pretty run-down area o' town."
She looked back at Corbin. "Really? Sarcasm at a time like this?"
Corbin flashed her a smile. "We dun know what 'time' this is. Could be nothin'."
Kimberly shook her head and faced forward. "I'm waiting for you to gloat that you were right."
"Oi'll wait till we're inside before I gloat." She imagined him smirking.
Kimberly inspected the door. A hole in the center looked to be caused by a coilgun shell. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She lifted her pistol higher and pushed the door open with her foot. The lights were off and she heard no sound. A smell assaulted her nose, however - the smell of rotting flesh. She found a light switch next to the door and flipped it on. At first all she saw was racks filled with boxes. She made her way further in and the smell intensified. She turned a corner and shrieked before turning to dry heave back the way she'd come.
Corbin, who had been right behind her, rushed around the corner and said, "Shit, that's a lot o' blood."
Kimberly composed herself and looked up. Baillidh stood there watching her. "I don't even want to know," he said.
"Stay here," Kimberly said. "Keep watch." She turned, covered her nose with the sleeve of her jacket and went back around the corner, this time steeling herself for what she knew was there.
Bodies, lots of bodies, lay in a mangled heap in the center of the room. Body parts lay strewn around the mound. Kimberly couldn't even begin to count how many bodies there were for certain, but she guessed at least forty. "Is this...? Is this the resistance?"
Corbin knelt by a corpse and picked up a bloody piece of cloth. A patch symbolizing the resistance still clung to it. "Oi'd say yes."
Kimberly came closer. "How did they die? What could have done this?" In the back of her mind she knew who did it, but she wanted Corbin to say it.
Corbin picked up a severed arm.
"Corbin! What are you doing?"
"Answerin' yer question." He brought it close to his face and studied it. "Looks like bite marks, like it twas chewed off." He tossed the arm aside and bent near the torso of another corpse. "Claw marks. Oi'd say the Krai'kesh."
Kimberly stared in horror at the arm. "Have some respect for the dead, Corbin. You don't just throw their arm on the ground."
"Sorry, m'lady, but I ain't much for believin' in an afterlife. No ghosts gonna haunt me for tossin' an arm. Did ye' hear what oi said about the Krai'kesh?"
A moan echoed through the warehouse.
Corbin jumped. "Wha' the 'ell was that?"
Despite the circumstances it was Kimberly's turn to chuckle. "Maybe it was that ghost of yours." She pointed toward a corridor opposite the side of the pile they came in on. "It sounded like it came from that way." She walked in that direction. "And yes, I heard you about the Krai'kesh. I was afraid of that. They were obviously compromised, but what's scarier is the Krai'kesh presence here, on the capitol of the Commerce Sector."
"Aye, suggests they're in bed with at least one of them houses."
"Baillidh, we're checking out the moaning noise. We'll be right back," she called out.
"All right, ma'am," Baillidh called back, voice shaking.
The moan came again. It had to be a survivor. A trail of blood caught Kimberly's eye. They followed it to a crate. She kept her pistol raised in case it was a trap or enemy who was wounded but when she leapt around the crate she lowered her pistol. "Got a survivor," she said to Corbin, who was standing several feet away watching her back. She turned her attention back to the survivor, who was a middle-aged woman with red hair and blue eyes. Blood coated her outfit and Kimberly realized her red hair was not red but blood-soaked brown hair. Both of her hands covered a blackened spot on her stomach. She scooted back when she saw Kimberly. "Ma'am, can you speak?"
The woman opened her mouth but only a moan came out. Her wide eyes darted between Kimberly and Corbin and she emitted a whimper next.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We're here to help." Kimberly holstered her pistol and knelt. She extended her hand. "Let me help."
The woman shook her head. "No... nothing...can...help...us...now." The broken words came out in a tremble.
Sensing the woman's time was short Kimberly decided to get right to the point. "Who did this to you? What happened here?"
"We were...meeting," she strained to speak. "When...creatures...surrounded...us. Killed...everyone. I... buried...crawled out."
"Creatures surrounded you, killed everyone and you were buried under the pile of corpses and crawled out?" Kimberly repeated. "Is that what happened?"
The woman nodded weakly.
Kimberly shared a look with Corbin. He nodded. They were right.
She looked back at the woman. "Were any humans with them?"
"Don't...know. Thought...saw...someone...back."
"Hmmm." She was an unreliable witness who may not have seen what she thought she did in the heat of the moment.
"Do you know how they found you?"
"Agent...from...Tar...Ebon...coming...here. Betrayed...us. Only...explain..." She ceased speaking and began coughing up blood.
"No," Kimberly said, shaking her head. "No, we didn't...I would never." She took a deep breath. "We did not betray you."
"You're...agent?"
"Yes, from Tar Ebon."
"Then...how?"
How had they been betrayed? That was what this woman wanted to know, the same as Kimberly. "I don't know, but we're going to get to the bottom of this. We're going to get you help, just hang on."
"No. Let...me...die," she said. "Going...to...better..." She stopped speaking, let out one final breath, and her eyes glazed over.
Kimberly reached out and closed her eyelids. Corbin wore a sad expression when she looked at him. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Corbin cleared his throat, shook his head and looked her in the eyes. "Oi will be, lass. Oi've seen worse, bad as that sounds."
"She thought they were betrayed," Kimberly said. "But we didn't betray them. So who did?"
"Someone else in the FIA, oi'd guess."
A traitor? In the FIA? No, it couldn't be. "FIA operatives are vetted in-depth. Who would betray us? Who even knew of our mission? Only Isabelle, and she wouldn't betray us."
"No, oi don't think she would, but others did help us. Someone had ta create our identities and get us on that transport. Someone had ta arrange lodging fer us. All o' them steps create opportunities fer loose ends and flappin' tongues."
Kimberly shook her head. "No, there has to be another explanation."
"Why are ye so doubtful? The Cult of Rae already showed they could infiltrate the FIA, or have ye fergotten Crossroad Station?"
Ruin: A Seven Stars Novel (Dark Tide Trilogy Book 3) Page 10