by Terry Mixon
Even he, however, was surprised when the cruiser dropped her heat sinks and opened fire. Lioness plunged into the heart of the battle, her heavy mass drivers and massed torpedo banks hammering her former sisters with brutal force.
From the time-compression note, the entire battle had lasted less than thirty minutes from the arrival of the ballistic torpedoes to Lioness positioning herself to use her heavy mass drivers to wreck what was left of the depot.
The video ended, and he turned his gaze back to Falcone.
“How bad?”
“There were no survivors,” she said flatly. “Three cruisers, eight destroyers, thirteen corvettes—and our largest fueling facility not attached to a major settlement. Just over twenty thousand dead.”
“I knew Lioness was going to be a problem,” Brad admitted. “I was hoping they hadn’t been able to fuel her, though.”
“Apparently, they fixed that. And the Cadre has a new leader, a name we’ve been hearing a lot: they call him the Phoenix.”
“Does he have a giant bird tattooed on his face?” Brad asked. The Terror had gone in for a skull and crossbones, after all.
“We don’t know. We’re not sure who he—or she!—is,” Kate admitted. “That’s why I’m here, Brad. I have my own tasks out here in Oberon, and the Pythons were going my way.”
“Good to know we’re incidental,” he said lightly.
“If you weren’t, your wife might hate me more,” the Agent pointed out. “And part of what I need to do is interview your officers.”
“Michelle doesn’t hate you,” he corrected. “She just thinks you want to drag me into full-time Agency work instead of glorified mole and reserve. Even she realizes that if you were a threat to our relationship, something would have happened before I met her.”
Falcone chuckled.
“No offense, but you’re still too young for me,” she said. “But Michelle’s not wrong that I think the Agency could use you. For now, however…” She sighed.
“If I could get you to hang out here for about three more days, I could use a ride back to Jupiter once I’m done. There’s only a limited chance that this is going to blow up in my face, but I need to get home quickly—and you need to get your ships repaired.”
“We were paid enough for this job that we can take some extra time,” Brad allowed carefully. “But why do you care how quickly we get fixed?”
“I’m still collating data,” she told him. “But once I’ve put the pieces together, I’m going to go hunting.
“And right now, Fleet is understrength, undersupplied…and I don’t know if I can trust them.
“So, while I know keeping your Agency connection secret is pretty high-priority, we can bloody well hire your company for our secret sword.”
Chapter Ten
Brad’s expectation of quietly spending the next three days on board Oath lasted exactly two hours. That’s how long it took for a representative from First Oberon’s Council of Speakers to come looking for him.
The young woman they’d sent might delicately have been called short. Tiny, even. If she topped 150 centimeters, he’d be astonished.
Oath’s assistant combat team leader, Kyoko Phan, escorted their delicate visitor to his office just off the bridge on Oath of Vengeance. The visual contrast between the two women was striking.
Kyoko was almost as short as their visitor but seemed about twice as wide and deep. The compact former Commonwealth Marine could probably break the envoy over her knee without any trouble whatsoever.
One couldn’t tell that from Lieutenant Phan’s posture, though. She stood two steps behind their visitor with her right hand hovering close to the butt of her holstered pistol. His officer’s sharp eyes never left their visitor’s back.
Brad had no doubt that if the envoy made any move that could be construed as hostile, the woman would end up with several large holes in her back. So, it was probably good that the Council’s envoy appeared blissfully unaware of how suspicious her guardian was.
“Thank you, Kyoko,” Brad said with a smile. “I’ve got it from here.”
His assistant combat team leader’s expression didn’t change, but she still managed to get her disapproval across. She inclined her head slightly. “Yes, sir. I’ll be right outside the hatch in the corridor. Just call out if you have any trouble. Any trouble at all.”
Amused, he made a brief shooing motion with his hand. Once his officer had stepped out into the corridor and closed the hatch behind her, Brad focused his attention on his visitor.
“Welcome aboard Oath of Vengeance. As you’ve probably already guessed, I’m Brad Madrid. What can I do for you and the Council of Speakers?”
The woman bowed deeply at the waist and held that pose for two heartbeats before straightening. “My name is Jewell Lathrop, and the Council of Speakers wishes me to convey their deep gratitude for your actions. The loss of life had you not mitigated this shocking and despicable attack would have been inconceivable.”
He allowed himself a small smile. “I like to think that anyone in a similar position would’ve done the same thing. Still, on behalf of my people, I thank you and the Council. Was that the primary purpose of your visit?”
The woman shook her head slightly. “Merely the introductory remarks, Commodore. I’ve been instructed to escort you to an emergency gathering of the Council of Speakers to discuss the attack. As you might imagine, everyone is quite worried that this is not an isolated incident.”
“That doesn’t exactly sound like an invitation,” he said thoughtfully, tapping his index finger on the desk. “I’m as disturbed as anyone at what happened today, but what makes them think I have any additional information to offer? I only just arrived on Oberon, after all.”
Lathrop shrugged eloquently. “I was instructed to perform a task. That doesn’t obligate you to cooperate, though I do hope you will. If you decline to appear before the Council, I will return to them with your decision. Allow me to stress, however, that working with the Council would improve future relations between your clients and the Council of Speakers.”
“Former clients,” he corrected. “Frankly, I can’t imagine why the Council of Speakers wouldn’t want to have the very best relationship they could with the people who they are going to be relying on for superior medical care, no matter what I do. It doesn’t pay to annoy the person who may one day save your life.
“And let me be honest: the Council of Speakers really let them down. This was no small operation. Someone waltzed in right under their noses, sent all the workers packing, smuggled contraband nerve agents into your city, and planted bombs inside a soon-to-be hospital complex. How exactly could anyone miss that?”
Her eyes turned cold. “I assure you that those events are being examined in exquisite detail. Certain powerful members of the Council are raving about the failures, and OSE operatives are searching for the workers even as we speak. They’ll also be examining every mode of entry the smugglers might have used to get the weapons of mass destruction onto Oberon and into our city.”
She took one small step forward. “And when we find whoever did this, I assure you that they will pay. That’s one of the reasons the Council needs you to come discuss precisely what you found, what you suspect, and what you believe. When they extract their revenge, they want to be very certain it falls upon the right people as quickly as possible.”
Lathrop considered him for a moment longer. “It seems to me, Commodore, that the attack might have been levied against both you or your company and the doctors. That’s a personal opinion, of course, but one that I suspect that many members of the Council will eventually come to share.
“If so, it may well be that we have information that could allow you to find your enemies. You do have a certain reputation, after all. Perhaps you should look at this meeting as more of a sharing of data on potential suspects than a questioning.”
He tipped his chair back and presented the appearance of considering her words. He’d alread
y decided he’d attend the meeting. Pretty much for the reasons she’d just stated.
“That’s insightful,” he confessed. “What exactly does an envoy to the Council of Speakers do? Excuse my forwardness, but you don’t come across as a simple messenger.”
She smiled and inclined her head. “Allow me to compliment your insight as well, Commodore. An envoy of the Council of Speakers is tasked with carrying out the will of the Council. Whatever that will happens to be.
“It often involves delivering messages and fetching people, whether they wish to be fetched or not. Occasionally, it means delivering summary justice in one form or another. Thankfully, it most often falls between those two extremes. Bluntly stated, envoys are the voice and strong right arm of the Council of Speakers.”
Brad had a difficult time imagining Jewell Lathrop being the heavy for anyone. That said, many of his own people were strong women, so he wouldn’t dismiss the concept out of hand, no matter how harmless she seemed.
“You’re very persuasive, Envoy Lathrop. I assume that the meeting is taking place now.” At her nod, he rose to his feet. “Then I’d best grab what I need and we can leave immediately. As you say, it serves both our interests if I cooperate. No matter who these people were after, I want to see them taken down.”
Lathrop’s smile turned arctic. “Oh, they will go down. If I have to travel across the system to find them and slit their throats while they sleep, they will pay for what they’ve done.”
“I think we’re going to get along just fine, Envoy Lathrop. Just fine.”
Kyoko wasn’t pleased by his decision, but she knew him well enough by now not to argue. In fact, she’d anticipated his decision, and a fire team stood ready to escort him to the meeting.
He certainly could argue with her caution. There was ample reason to believe that someone on Oberon wanted him dead. The real question was whether they were still there or not. The prudent response was to assume they were, so he wouldn’t argue.
Just to play it safe, he stopped off at his cabin to put a concealable armored vest underneath his uniform. He was still strapping on his weapons belt when his wife came in.
Michelle raised an eyebrow. “This doesn’t look promising. What craziness are you planning now?”
“I’d hesitate to call it craziness,” he said with a smile. “The Council of Speakers would like to discuss the events with me so that we can sort out exactly who our mutual enemies are.”
“And what makes you think your enemies aren’t going to be sitting on that Council?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. “If I had to put money on it, I’d wager someone in a position of power in this city either ordered the attack or provided material assistance to make it possible.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest, but if I don’t see them face-to-face, I won’t know that. Everdark, I might not be able to tell even if I do meet the person or persons behind this, but I’ve got to try.”
She considered him for a moment longer, her eyes narrowed. “What kind of security detail are you taking with you?”
“Lieutenant Phan and a fire team will be accompanying me.”
Michelle laughed. “She obviously hasn’t considered the sheer amount of trouble you’ve gotten into in the past. A fire team isn’t going to be enough to contain the type of enemy strikes you tend to attract.
“Allow me to suggest that Saburo have a much larger team shadowing you. That way, when trouble strikes, there’s at least the possibility you can get out without being shot. Again.”
There was an element of truth in that.
“I’m not certain how happy they’d be to have all our troopers wandering through their tunnels armed to the gills. And potentially blowing big holes in everything around them.”
“Considering that these people are the ones that allowed weapons of mass destruction to be levied against us, I don’t think they’ve got a leg to stand on.”
“That hasn’t stopped the people in charge anywhere else. I suppose we’ll see how they feel about it when we get there.”
He found Saburo Kawa with a significantly larger group of troops already gathered outside for his escort. They were armed and armored for heavy combat. A cluster of red-uniformed OSE men and women watched from a short distance away.
Brad raised an eyebrow as he stepped over to Saburo. “Going somewhere?”
The Asian man grinned. “Just a little stroll through the city. I figure we’ll hang around while you meet with the Council of Speakers and then head back to the ship with you. No muss. No fuss. Unless they make a fuss, of course.”
“And exactly how do you think the OSE is going to react to your sightseeing trip?”
“Under the circumstances, we’ll just tag along and make sure everybody stays peaceful,” Command Constable Daskalov said as he walked over from a group of his own people.
“Understand, this isn’t normally how we do business, but the Council has instructed me to grant you a little extra leeway.”
Brad allowed his eyes to meaningfully wander across all the firepower arrayed around him. “A little? You have quite the gift for understatement.”
The man smiled ruefully. “At this point, I wouldn’t object if you brought along a polka band. Okay, strike that. I would object, but I’d allow it. Regretfully.”
“I think we can avoid polka music or any other crimes against humanity,” Brad said dryly.
Envoy Lathrop cleared her throat. “If the two of you are finished discussing our escort, may I suggest you that we get moving? The Council is waiting.”
The trip to the chambers used by the Council of Speakers was blissfully free of incident. In spite of Brad’s relative certainty that they wouldn’t be harassed, he had to admit that the crumbling tunnels and disused side spaces easily converted in his mind to ambush locations and potential choke points.
He considered asking Lathrop and Daskalov why they allowed their city to deteriorate like this, but decided it was none of his business.
The quality of the stonework improved markedly as they neared their destination, and trash no longer littered the corridors. The people they passed seemed more prosperous, too. Well-to-do, even.
More OSE guards stood watch outside one of the most ornate sets of corridor doors Brad had ever seen. Made of burnished bronze almost four meters tall, someone had cast each of them as a single piece with a number of men and women in heroic poses.
It didn’t look like any historic scene he was familiar with. Based on some of the homelier individuals, he suspected he was looking at the people who had commissioned the doors. The Council of Speakers had made certain to leave their mark on the city.
Envoy Lathrop noted his gaze and smiled. “A bit ostentatious, I agree. Still, if you knew the Council as well as I did, you wouldn’t think it at all out of place.”
He gave her a sideways glance and smiled. “Won’t they mind you being critical of them?”
She laughed and shook her head. “People in positions of authority will always find fault with something, no matter how you choose to behave. That said, I fulfill a certain need for them, and so they allow me a bit more space to do so. After all, I am the person they’d have to send to show me the error of my ways.”
Brad laughed. “I have no idea how to react to you. I suppose I’ll just be glad that we aren’t enemies.”
“We are absolutely not enemies. In fact, I suspect that we’ll become allies. So, before you go in, I’ll give you one final piece of advice. The Council is angry. Both the attack on the doctors and the use of a nerve agent have galvanized many of them to demand action, but not all on the Council are your friends.
“There are some there who had no desire for the doctors to be on Oberon in the first place. Those same voices were none too pleased to see a platinum-rated mercenary company escorting them. Those people will be hostile to you.”
He allowed his smile to become cold. “Over the last few years, I’ve developed skills at dealing with people
that are hostile to me. Not all of them involve killing. Trust me when I say that I can take care of myself.”
She nodded, a satisfied expression on her face. “Good. I don’t particularly care for those individuals and wouldn’t mind seeing them taken down a peg or two. Shall we proceed?”
Chapter Eleven
The huge bronze doors began opening slowly when Envoy Lathrop pounded her small fist on one. The designer’s no-doubt-majestic intentions were ruined by an annoying, high-pitched whine from one of the hidden motors.
On reflection, that seemed perfectly fitting.
With Command Constable Daskalov right behind them and Brad’s security team bringing up the rear, he and Envoy Lathrop walked inside.
The entryway was more ostentatious than the doors. Marble floors that looked imported stretched deep into the foyer. The wide, tall room hosted alcoves containing what appeared to be bronzed busts.
He turned to Envoy Lathrop as they crossed the expansive chamber. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “As serious as it gets. One thing you have to remember about the Council of Speakers is that the only thing bigger than their greed is their ego. I’ve often wondered if things worked the same in other parts of the system. Does everyone with wealth and power think exclusively about themselves and how to get even more wealth and power?”
Brad chuckled. “Not always, but I’m pretty sure those few are the exceptions that prove the rule.”
Half a dozen large men in black uniforms and holding automatic weapons stood guard at a second pair of bronze doors that seemingly matched the exterior set.
One of those men took two steps forward and casually raised his hand for Brad’s party to stop. “Who comes before the Council of Speakers of First Oberon to seek justice?”